Thursday, October 29, 2009

Haifa University: Anti-Israel Professors Named and Shamed

Artuz Sheva has published this:
by Gil Ronen


(IsraelNN.com) The Haifa University Student Union has distributed a calendar diary containing an advertisement calling readers to know who the “anti-Israeli lecturers” are, in Haifa U. and in other academic institutions throughout Israel.


The advertisement contains the web address of IsraCampus – a website devoted to exposing lecturers who are employed in Israeli universities, yet openly agitate against the state of Israel.


Under the heading “Warning! Academic Fifth Column!”, the advertisement exhorts readers to ”get acquainted” with the names of “professors and lecturers in Israeli universities and colleges who are involved in subversive activities.” These professors “openly support terrorist attacks against Jews, initiate an international boycott of Israel, make use of their status in the classroom for anti-Israeli incitement and anti-Zionist brainwashing, collaborate with known anti-Semites, denounce Israel as a fascist-colonialist state and an apartheid regime” and more, the ad states.


Management turns a blind eye
The head of the Haifa University Student Union, Felix Kuritni, said that he believes that the decision to print the advertisement was justified. “Students who study here need to know who their lecturers are and if there are lecturers who oppose the State of Israel it is important to publish their names. We all remember how during Operation Cast Lead there was a demonstration by lecturers who waved the Palestinian flag, and I do not just mean Arab lecturers but Jewish ones too.”


"Unfortunately the campus management turns a blind eye and continues to allow all kinds of political cells like Hadash and Balad to hold conventions on campus,” he explained. “The management even allowed [Islamic Movement leader] Raad Salah to come to the university and speak... They think that if they let people like Salah enter the campus it will cool down the Palestinian students but in practice the opposite happens: they douse a small fire and ignite a large one instead.”


"A student has many elective courses and he can decide that he will not choose an elective course by a lecturer who is on the list,” Kuritni added. “Why should I enter a lecture by a lecturer who says that the State of Israel murders children?”
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Silverstein's JSteet Blogger Panel: It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To

Folks, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this wonderful video of the recent blogger conference that ran in conjunction with the J-Street Parade.  The Tikun Buffoon was running his "peace panel" in the same fashion as his blog-with a cast-iron but limp-wristed fist!  While tossing out Hillel Stavis (JStreetJive) for no apparent reason other than Stavis being a normal Jew in cesspool of self-hatred.  Notice however, that Richard is wearing an orange neckband.  Orange, as he well knows, is the symbolic color of those who were against the Gaza evacuation.  It seems that Silverstein has come around or it, at least, is a closet settler supporter!

Here is the original article from Solomania:

Video: Audience Member Booted from Silverstein's J Street Blogger Panel (Update)

Well our friend Hillel Stavis has been busy today. He is in attendance at the much-discussed J Street Conference down in Washington, and specifically, he was just in attendance at blogger Richard Silverstein's blogger panel. The panel consists of radical leftists and anti-Zionists too out in left field to get the official imprimatur of J Street itself...but not so radical that they wouldn't give the group a room...and kick out their enemies when requested.

Here's the short of it. Hillel will be writing something up himself when he has the chance and then we'll get more detail.

Stavis, a paid conference attendee (after all, Jeremy Ben-Ami stated that they welcome those who disagree), was in the back of the room filming (as were many others). Some time in, apparently recognizing a member of his enemies list, Silverstein springs up and can be seen in the video crossing the room to get security. He then approaches Stavis, who is doing nothing and causing no disruption whatsoever, to tell him security is going to kick him out.

He is then approached by a J Street official, Amy Spitalnick, Press and New Media Associate, who can be heard telling him he has to leave. The video ends at that point as, Stavis tells me, she grabbed at the camera. As a side note, long-time readers will be interested to note that Spitalnick was involved with the Tufts University Hillel at the time they were involved in protesting Daniel Pipes' appearance there.

When Stavis complained about his treatment to J Street officials he did receive an apology from some underling or other, but not from Spitalnick herself.

This is interesting for what it says about the "progressive" mind-set. Also note that while J Street doesn't want an official affiliation with this panel, they were not above giving them space and using their own paid staff as enforcers. More to follow.

Update: I feel like an editor in the old days of correspondents rushing to phone booths...
It gets better. Stavis tells me that Mr. Silverstein was sitting in front of him at another (formal) J Street panel. Hillel approached Mr. Silverstein and asked him if he would like to sit down and discuss matters calmly...Whereupon RS motored immediately to a security person and insisted that Mr. Stavis was a fraud, that he wasn't who he said he was (cuckoo, cuckoo...who exactly does he think Stavis is?)...the guard asked for Stavis' conference badge and ID. Everything checked out. So of course our Mr. Stavis insisted he do the same for Silverstein.

I'm also told he approached Spitalnick for an apology (for the panel incident as well as his continued harassment). She demurred in a most unfriendly manner.

I look forward to Hillel regaling us with further details of all these incidents, but I just couldn't resist getting something down about them.

Update2: Thanks to Michael Goldfarb for linking: Elie Wiesel Mocked at J Street Conference
The "independent" blogger panel at J Street's conference can only be described as clownish. The panel consisted mostly of crackpots and self-described anti-Zionists and "one-staters" (J Street director Jeremy Ben-Ami calls the one-state solution a "nightmare," but it seems to be the dream of many of the organization's supporters). Though J Street tried to distance itself from the panel by describing it as an "unofficial" and "independent" event, the bloggers used one of the rooms otherwise reserved for conference events, a podium in the front had a J Street placard on it, and a J Street banner hung on the back wall of the room. Ben-Ami came in to "check up" on the panel, and a J Street flack ejected someone from the room at the behest of one of the panelists. If this wasn't an official event, I don't know what official means...
Update3 10-27-09: (I'm duplicating the text of the post above to keep things in one place for those arriving directly to this post):

Hillel has posted his first-hand account of his ejection and subsequent harassment from the J Street bloggers' panel at J Street Jive: J Street's Big Tent Comes Crashing Down. This is a must read (to believe). Everyone expects Richard Silverstein to behave in a maladjusted manner, but the behavior of official J Street is quite surprising. (Yesterday's post with video is here.)

Oh, and for the record, yes, Hillel is the author of JStreetJive. It's not exactly hard to figure out (a friendly question would have gotten the answer, as if it matters). Somewhere in his archives, Silverstein is insisting I deleted a tweet in order to mask my involvement with it. In fact, all I did was change my Twitter handle from @MartinSolomon to @SolBlog (it's shorter - Follow me!) and the permalink changed. Again, no big mystery or conspiracy.
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Hillel Stavis of JStreetJive gives his impression of Silverstein's "blogger panel."

J Street's Big Tent Comes Crashing Down

"We know that there are people here who disagree with what we believe, but we welcome them to our conference."  -- Jeremy Ben Ami in his opening remarks to the "Driving Change" Conference

Mr. T (for "Tolerance"),  blogger 
and J Street guest,Richard Silverstein


This is not the first blog to accuse J Street of duplicity in ballyhooing its"Pro Israel" brand.  But today at its gala conference in Washington, I saw the real face of diversity J Street style.  I registered with my real name and paid the admission price and actually believed what Jeremy Ben Ami declared in his welcoming speech.

At 12:45 on Monday, the "Bloggers'" panel convened at the Grand Hyatt to a packed- to- overflowing room to hear the stars of the ultra-left blogosphere - including the inimitable Richard Silverstein of Tikkun Olam.  Just as his fellow bloggers were finishing up their  vilification of Jeffrey Goldberg, whose less-than-hard-hitting interview of Jeremy Ben Ami apparently enraged the leftosphere,  Silverstein leapt up from his seat, pushed his way frantically past the audience and said to a J Streeter, "Get security.  We're going to kick this guy out."  I, like many others in the crowd, were filming the event.  No notification was given to participants that filming or recording was not allowed.  Later, I was told by a security guard that anyone could film any event and that he had received no instructions to bar recording devices.  Much of the conference was live-streamed, as a matter of fact.

The next thing I knew was that two J Street officials were dragging me out of the room demanding that I stop filming.  I complied with their request and asked them why they were singling me out.  Amy Spitalnick, J Street's chief spokesperson then told me that only authorized persons could film a discussion.  I expressed surprise and suggested that they were singling me out at the behest of one of their bloggers (Richard verified later that he was on a panel for J Street).  I asked for an apology from Amy, but she refused, saying that no one except for authorized persons could photograph the discussions (I witnessed many audience members photographing sessions - no one was dragged from the room and chastised).

As the late, lamented TV pitchman, Billy Mays was wont to say, "But wait, we're not through yet!"  Later in the day I happened to be seated near Mr. Silverstein at a panel on Iran.  When the session broke I went up to him and said, "Richard, let me buy you a cup of coffee and we'll sit down and discuss this like adults" whereupon he literally ran over to a security guard who then proceeded to demand identification from me.  It seems that Richard told the guard that I was at the conference under an alias and that I did not pay to attend.  I produced the necessary identification which satisfied the put upon man.  At that point I had had just about enough from the hysterical Mr. Silverstein.  As I mentioned, the guard told Mr. Silverstein that anyone could film the conference as he had received no instructions to the contrary.

The harassment didn't end there.  I was brought to the J Street desk by the guard with Richard leading us demanding that I be ejected because, "I didn't belong here." He continued harassing me by telling the guard that I had registered under a false name, a charge that was quickly proved false.
I recounted the events to Amy Spitalnick of J Street and demanded an apology for J Street's harassing and embarrassing behavior.  She refused.  I then asked if she would speak to Mr. Silverstein, who was at the conference at J Street's invitation.  She replied that she would.  Finis.

Yes, I disagree with many of J Street's  positions and statements.  I also agree with some of them, especially their condemnation of terror as the state policy of Hamas.  Jeremy Ben Ami set a welcoming tone for people who disagree with J Street's agenda at the outset.  That that tone was betrayed by the uncivil and harassing conduct of his chief spokesperson reveals the darker side of J Street's view of freedom of speech.
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Michael Goldfarb On The "J Street Conference Experience"

Here Michael Goldfarb writes about his experience at the J Street Conference.

Elie Wiesel Mocked at J Street Conference

The "independent" blogger panel at J Street's conference can only be described as clownish. The panel consisted mostly of crackpots and self-described anti-Zionists and "one-staters" (J Street director Jeremy Ben-Ami calls the one-state solution a "nightmare," but it seems to be the dream of many of the organization's supporters). Though J Street tried to distance itself from the panel by describing it as an "unofficial" and "independent" event, the bloggers used one of the rooms otherwise reserved for conference events, a podium in the front had a J Street placard on it, and a J Street banner hung on the back wall of the room. Ben-Ami came in to "check up" on the panel, and a J Street flack ejected someone from the room at the behest of one of the panelists. If this wasn't an official event, I don't know what official means.

At the event, Helena Cobban, who describes herself as "agnostic" on a two-state solution, said that blogging had "changed international relations" because now the world could get real-time reaction from the people "underneath U.S. and Israeli bombs."
Another panelist, Max Blumenthal, attacked Ben-Ami for having "capitulated" in an interview with Jeffrey Goldberg last week. Most of the media at the conference were pleased with Ben-Ami's interview with Goldberg -- it was proof, they said, that J Street was indeed a reasonable organization. But that was not the view of the average conference participant. There was "a lot to be troubled with in this interview," Blumenthal said. Ben-Ami had "prostrated himself before this 'serious man.'"

Blumenthal really doesn't like Goldberg. He called him the "Chief Rabbi of a one man island," and then, with respect to Ben-Ami, asked, "if you can't stand up to Goldberg, how can you stand up to Netanyahu?" Blumenthal was upset that Ben-Ami had, under pressure from Goldberg, denounced Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, authors of The Israel Lobby, as anti-Semites. Among the rank and file at the J Street conference, Walt and Mearsheimer are revered. Matt Duss, another panel participant who writes for John Podesta's Center for American Progress, said "the idea of attacking [Walt and Mearsheimer] as anti-Semites is outrageous."

Blumenthal went on to trash Elie Wiesel for speaking this past weekend at the Christians United for Israel conference in San Antonio. After mocking Pastor John Hagee, the founder of CUFI, Blumenthal said "the last time Elie Wiesel trusted someone so much it was Bernie Madoff." Wiesel admitted earlier this year that he lost "everything" he had in Madoff's ponzi scheme. The audience erupted with laughter at Blumenthal's tasteless joke.

Finally, we heard from the proprietor of the blog GazaMom.com, a hijab clad Palestinian woman who said she doesn't consider Mahmoud Abbas to be the legitimate president of the Palestinian Authority. Does she support Hamas? Who knows. "Whenever I hear two-state solution, I shake my head," she said, "I'm a one-stater." Again the room erupted with applause. Philip Weiss, another blogger participating in the panel, looked around and said "there are many Zionists in this room, there are also some non-Zionists and anti-Zionists." I would say that's a pretty good description of the J Street conference as a whole.

One other note: I didn't see a single member of Congress at the conference today. That's not to say there were none there -- there was an afternoon panel featuring Reps. Boustany, Schakowsky, and Filner -- but I didn't see any wandering around. I did see Jonathan Tasini, who is running a primary against New York Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2010 and has tried to make an issue out of Gillibrand's decision to pull her support for the J Street conference.
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J Sreet Day Two: Plotting For Palestine

Lori Lowenthal Marcus reports on the 2nd day of the J Street Conference.  From what I heard on their broadcast, the Jewish Left is in a downward spiral towards desperation. 

What, where, why and what next
Posted August 2, 2009

Z STREET on J Street, Day 2.  Oct. 27, 2009
Today class, we learned that it is imperative, it absolutely must, must, must happen that a Palestinian state be created in two years, no, scratch that, tomorrow.    In fact, this gathering of J Streetlings are speeding up the plans so fast that I’m afraid I may be rapidly aging as I sit here.  First the idea was J Street is “pro peace” and “pro-Israel.”  Then we learned that the whole pro-Israel part can be jettisoned if we can gain more adherents to the ”presto Palestiners,” the ones who want not only to create a state called Palestine for a people they call Palestinians, but they want to do it now.  And during just the course of the last 40+ hours the timeframe literally went from indefinite, to two years, to NOW.

In fact, the whole peace process idea is outre’.  Chaim Ramon, former ”Disengagement” cheerleader and vice premier under Olmert (yes, he of tongue thrust fame, but why is it that these “progressives” only care about sexual harassment when it is rightwingers who are doing the harassment? yecchhh.) told the crowd at the “Why 2 States? Why Now?” gathering that the whole peace process thing should not get in the way of removing more Jews from the land.

Two more points for now, one important and one truly repulsive.  The more important one is that the consensus here, at least amongst the presenters at this conference, is that it is the job of the Community Organizer in Chief to impose a solution on the “dysfunctional” parties (oow, yes, it is okay here not only to call Netanyahu dysfunctional, but for those who are not still stuck on the progressive scale at only a reading of 5, i.e. those who are still calling Abbas a true peace partner, the more advanced ones are comfortable calling him dysfunctional.  Or at least the PA political process is.)

So, here comes the march of the progressive hegemons, willing to use the power of the great and mighty United States, the super-duper power, to impose its view of what is best on the Israelis and the Palestinians, and to do so with teeth.  Sanctions, the crowd eagerly asked?  We’ll have to see where that conversation goes.

But perhaps the presenter who won the prize for most obnoxious Master of the Cerebral Universe is Bernard Avishai.  I can’t do his portrait justice right now, but let me just say that he was the ONLY presenter who rejected the description of what everyone claims makes it worth the sacrifices Israel must make, is so that Israel remains Jewish and democratic (because let’s not forget about the demography bogeyman.)  Nope, Avishai started to say that phrase and, quite deliberately, rephrased it as a ”democratic state with a Jewish character.“  Great.  Now Israel is expected to make sacrifices like removing parts of its limbs for…RYE BREAD?  He was practically spitting about Israel’s intentional efforts to stifle “economic development in Palestine.”  Apparently for Avishai, Israel is truly the source of all evil in the Middle East.

Lots to write about the divergence between how J Street is being promoted by its leadership, and the direction the J Streetlings are taking it – they are rushing past

Oh, and one kind of amusing note.  As I traveled down the escalators this morning I heard several women complaining that most of the panels were all men.  Apparently that was quite a topic on the sidelines because during one presentation one of the questioners called the panelists on it.  So, same old, same old.  Even the progressives are controlled by white males.  But I did see plenty of women in the audiences.  And there were more women than men wearing kippot.  And more women than men with long gray ponytails. And I saw one participant wearing a rainbow kippa and a keffiya – she certainly was special.

more analysis over the next few days…

Lori Lowenthal Marcus, finally back home on Z STREET.
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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Z Street Reports On J Street Conference-Day One

Here is an update in the J Street Conference by Lori Marcus:

What, where, why, and what next

Here I am at the J Street Conference – it is now midday and although my head is spinning and there is so much to weave together, I’ll give you just some of the highlights:
Impressions from opening night: 

- This new alliance of progressive Jewish Americans are here to tell you that they are the annointed ones who will bring peace to the Holy Land if only the world will shut up and let them work their magic.  Never mind that the magic is never defined beyond “two states for two people,” and that the goal is to “remold Israel into a state of social justice, a state where people do right” and where everyone will ”model core Jewish values” of  “peace and outstretched arms to our neighbors.”

Hmmm.  Well, those are core humanist values, perhaps core progressive values, and values that many Jews hold dear, but those are not the core Jewish values.  And that’s the biggest problem with this whole J Street charade of representing the “New Jewish” response to the conflict in the Middle East.  Unless New Jewish means “not Jewish” in the same way that some people refer to the New Israel Fund as the “No Israel Fund.”  There is nothing inherently and solely Jewish about the J Street approach.  A perfect example of this was offered by Daniel Sokatch who is, not coincidentally, the new president of the New Israel Fund, a pea in the pod along J Street.

Here’s the shorthand for the issue, and later I will go into detail about how this theme plays out over and over again at this gathering.

Perhaps the best known biblical quotation, at least amongst non-observant Jews, and the one focused on by Sokatch,  is  “Justice, Justice Shalt Thou Pursue.” Deut. 16:20.   This is the very core of Judaism, he explained to those gathered in the Washington D.C. Grand Hyatt at the kick-off of the J Street conference.  But, perhaps unknown to Sokatch (maybe because all the lithographs and needlepoints only include these words), the phrase continues “so that you shall inherit the land.”  Yes, that really is a core value of Judaism, and the land is Israel.

The ultimate inability to differentiate between what these New Jews want to call Jewish values and what are actually the core values of Judaism, is offensive.  To say the least.

A few little tidbits from today’s sessions:

Hamas and Hezbollah must be included in the so-called Arab Peace Plan – a comprehensive regional plan that Israel must have forced on it by the wise Americans united under the Community Organizer in Chief.  And what will Israel get out of committing itself to a peace process not only with the Arab Palestinians, but one that also includes all of the other Arab countries in the region?    Yes, you heard it here (well, actually I heard it here, but I’m telling you), what Israel has to gain is: ‘THE FULL AND COMPLETE ACCEPTANCE OF ISRAEL IN THE MIDDLE EAST.”  Alvaro de Soto, the Former Chief Middle East Envoy for the United Nations.

From grotesque to repulsive:  In a panel on How Jews, Christians and Muslims Can Work Together For Peace, the moderator, Ron Young (co-founder National Interreligious Leadership Initiative for Peace) made two simply astounding comments.  First, in his opening anecdote (they all start with anecdotes, not a bad strategy, except when it is a bad anecdote) Young said that he had just seen a film at Theater J called “Pangs of the Messiah.”  He told us he wants to make a follow-up film called, “Please Messiah, Stay Home.”  No joke.  Just a few moments later Young mentioned evangelical Christians, specifically Rev. Hagee , who Young said, “leads a group called ‘Christians United to Take Israel to Hell.’”   This panel couldn’t quite keep straight whether religion should be used to lead to a peaceful resolution or if it is religion that is the problem.  Interesting panel.  Actually, not really.

On to more sessions: Maybe “Iran: Is Diplomacy Working?”  or “Palestinian Economic Development: Path to Peace or Diversion? ” No joke.  They’re trying to fool the Arab Palestinians into forgetting about their oppression through the wicked wiles of economic development.  I think I’ll have to check that out.
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Monday, October 26, 2009

The False Blessing of J Street

    Sitting here in Jerusalem, overlooking the Temple Mount, I am watching the proceedings of the J Street Conference (10-26-09).  It is a combination of shock and awe that I watch these assimilated middle-aged Jews in their "deep concern" for Israel.  The ignorance and audacity of these people is best summarized by the article by M.J. Rosenberg.  Here Rosenberg suggests that we make a bracha l-vatalla-a blessing a vain.  Cleverly he uses the blessing "shehecheyanu"-He who has kept us alive to witness this moment.  What moment are we witnessing?  Female "rabbis" telling the world that Israel is "occupying" its own country!  No thanks, M.J., we don't need your false blessings!

Praying At J Street

user-pic
By M.J. Rosenberg - October 26, 2009, 1:33PM
I don't know what did it.
Sure Jeremy Ben Ami worked for two years to get to this moment, and then assembled a terrific team. Obama helped. So did the disastrous Gaza war and its ugly aftermath. And then the haters piled on, only causing hundreds of people to sign up for the conference at the last minute. (I stood on line to get my credentials behind a mob that didn't sign up in advance at all).

One woman said, "We're from New York and don't do 'conferences.' But then we saw that e-mail from that settler who condemned J Street for accepting a contribution from an Arab-American girl and had to come."

There are many more people in attendance than J Street expected. All the last-minute folks have made it impossible to get into the sessions unless you push your way in early. I heard that Ben Ami expected a thousand but it's looking more like 1700-2000.

I gave my seat in one session to one very old man. He grabbed my hand. "These are the Jews I've been waiting for since 1967. Actually, I feel like I've been waiting for them since the Balfour Declaration. I feel like saying a sheheceyanu." That is the prayer thanking God for letting us live to see the day.

And, although I am not a praying man, I said, "let's say it." And we did Quietly.
"Baruch ata adonai elohenu melech ha olam, shehecheyanu, v'kiyimanu, v'higiyanu laz'man hazeh.

Blessed are You Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us to live to see this day."

Amen.
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Mondolies: "Why I Am Secretly For Intermarriage"



    
I don't like to make a habit of quoting entire article from the people I satire on this blog.  However, I could help but take note of the following article from anti-Israel blogger Philip Weiss:

why I am secretly for intermarriage, though I shouldn’t proselytize

by Philip Weiss on May 9, 2009 · 42 comments


My wife and I went to a party last night. Cocktails–a foreign concept to me, growing up. It was called for 6 and as we drove we listened to All Things Considered. Robert Siegel was discussing political developments with David Brooks and, filling in for E.J. Dionne, Harold Meyerson of the American Prospect and Washington Post. As I listened, I thought, Boy these guys are smart. How do they know so much about so many different areas?
We came to a red light and the segmented ended. I was stuck in thought. My wife said, "What are you thinking?"
"Well I feel guilty about this, but you asked, and this is what I was thinking. They just had their political roundtable and I just thought, Why are there three Jews on there? A very important task, explaining events, and there's no diversity. Then I reflected that when I had the opportunity to expand my blog, I chose another Jew, Adam Horowitz. Obviously I feel some comfort with Jews. And just this week I made recommendations of young journalists to editors I know. Both of them were Jewish. I know there are really good young non-Jewish journalists but it's not as if I don't have prejudice in favor of my own tribe. This book I'm reading speaks of professional kinship networks, and I realize I'm in one myself, have been since college."
My wife said, "I do the opposite. Sometimes I think that working with X, it would be a lot easier. She's a WASP and we understand all the cues and manners, and it makes working with her easier. But I realize I clubbed that out of myself. Though you could say that M and I (the latest person she's working with, half-Jewish) are in the same tribe, of flakey arty types."
I said, "I think this is why I'm for intermarriage, without pushing it on people. I think it's a good thing, it breaks up some of these networks. Because when the networks are associated with social power, they're much more problematic."
Then we went to the party.
    It looks like Silverstein's spiritual brother is more honest than he is.  He doesn't pretend to be Everyman.  No, Philip Weiss is just another lost Jew campaigning for his new religion-Tikun Olam.  Meanwhile he has no understanding of Judaism, nor does he want to.  Yet-he thinks of himself as an educated man, with a degree in PBS!
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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Idiot Update

    When I was in yeshiva, I remember there were many English speaking students who came from "conservative" backgrounds.  For one reason or another, they felt it necessarily to "make tsuvah," or to repent and come back to Torah Judaism.  However, over the years, after having interacted with more Jews from non-"Orthodox" backgrounds, I now understand some of the strange views that some of them held.
    Recently I came across a site posted by Barnaby Yeh, who, ironically was one of the first individuals I covered in Taming Korach.  His on-line journal assamite36 list a collection of the likes and dislikes of a liberal's champion. 
    Barnaby (and Silverstein) originally pegged me as a kind of Southern conservative Bible-Belt type.  Defying all stereotypes, I started Taming Korach.  Having recently come across Barnaby's online opinions, it jogged my memory.  Now I realize, as someone who stepped into a Conservative synagogue one time (before I was a Jew) in my life, where people like Barnaby learn their hatred for "Orthodox" or Torah Judaism and Israel.
    Looking below at the words I have boxed in red (click on the picture), being conservative means being "anti-haredi." 




Now, if you've read previous postings, you'll remember Yeh's sarcasm towards the Torah world:
B.BarNavi:
Tigers do not change their stripes, and if he came from an ultra-conservative Virginian background, he’d find a home in the black-hat world.
This is the same "conservative convert" who is giving me (and others) mussar (moral chastisement) about how to be a Jew!  He is also "anti-aish."  Ironically, the Rabbi at the Orthodox synagogue he sometimes attends, sends his kids to Aish Ha-Torah.  This is simply his blind hatred towards Aish for supporting The Clarion Fund-probably a bias Barnaby picked up from his mentor in Israel-hate, Richard Silverstein.  Another testimony to Barnaby's stupidity is that Matisyahu is a baal-tsuvah and is "haredi" himself.
    Of course the profile of a would-be liberal American Jew wouldn't be complete unless:
-it lists anti-nazism (and traditionalists aren't).
-it mentions Shlomo Carlebach.  Carlebach is the accepted-by-all Jewish entertainer. 
-it mentions the word Torah.  Apparently Barnaby doesn't like Torah enough to capitalize it-or to remove all of the vulgarity and profanity from his "journal."
    Finally, I'd like to point out that Jon Stewart (Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz), who Yeh describes as "my President, but also my Secretary of State and UN Secretary General," studied at  the College of William and Mary-in Virginia.  So, his hero, like Yeh himself, was schooled by Virginia!
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Friday, October 23, 2009

From Jews To Christians

    The following Jerusalem Post article is very timely.  I friend from college told me this past week that his 37 year old sister married a non-Jew.  They went to a Conservative synagogue, but I think it makes no difference-both "movements" were a rebellion against Torah Judaism, and not we see the consequences!

Yishai: Reform US Judaism assimilating

Interior Minister Eli Yishai on Thursday accused Reform Judaism of assimilating.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai.
Interior Minister Eli Yishai.
Photo: Ariel Jerozolimski [file]


"Look at what's happening with the reform because of assimilation. They're disappearing," Yishai said to a chorus of boos in a speech at the presidential Facing Tomorrow conference at Jerusalem's International Convention Center. "Those are merely the figures that I have received. I'm not making it up. There's huge assimilation and it's very severe. We're losing the Jewish people in the US."

Yishai called for the rapid immigration of Jews from the US and elsewhere in the Diaspora to prevent more assimilation.

When asked whether a Reform or Conservative Israeli chief rabbi should be appointed, Yishai answered, "In essence, in the halachic framework, there are a series of leniencies… but we cannot break the rules and the values that have been here for years, destroy them and make new ones that cause assimilation. Instead of preserving those values, it will lead to doubled assimilation."
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Thursday, October 22, 2009

The Writing of Torah Shebal Peh (the Oral Law)


Many Jews that I have talked to are quite confused regarding the history and purpose of the "Oral Law" (Mishna, Gemara, ect).  I am posting this Torah Lab article in order to clarify this issue.

The Writing of Torah Shebal Peh (the Oral Law)

Based on Halichos Olam
Torah Shebal Peh is not allowed to be written down (Gittin 60b)

The reason for this is that this ensures an accurate transmission from generation to generation because one will have to study from a master who will ensure that he is understood correctly. (Ritva Ibid).

Rabbeinu HaKadosh (also known as Rebbi and Rav Yehuda Hanasi) (165-220CE) lived in the last generation of Tannaic scholars, and realized that due to the series of tyrannical rulers over Israel, and the laws and edicts forbidding Torah study, Torah Shebal Peh was being forgotten.
 
Due to Rebbi’s unique relationship with Antoninus, the Roman Emporer, there was a brief respite from the Jews troubles. Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi took advantage of the opportunity to, with the agreement of his contemporaries, convene a meeting of all the receivers of the mesorah of the Oral Law. They all recalled their teachings and it was written down and organized by Rebbi.

This work, known as the Mishnah (literally review) included anything that was transmitted from Moshe Rabbeinu on Mt Sinai and all their practical applications and disputes in theory practical applications. It also included later edicts, rules and safeguards that were enacted by the Rabbis.

The Mishna has six sections:
a) Zeraim – deals with the laws of agriculture
b) Moed – deals with calendrical events
c) Nashim – laws of marriage, divorce, levirate marriage and other marriage and vow related issues
d) Nezikin – laws of damages and monetary law
e) Kodshim – laws of sacrifices and other Temple related laws
f) Taharos – laws of Ritual purity and impurity

As the Mishnayos were typically precisely worded and cryptic, several of Rebbi’s students wrote parallel texts explaining the Mishanayos with additional reasoning and textual sourcing. These are known as Braisos or Tosefta.

Several generations later, a need was once again established to write down the Torah Shebal Peh by Rav Ashi, this time with much more detail and in greater length. This work, known as the ‘Gemara’, is based on the Mishnah but is an all-encompassing work and much broader in scope than the Mishnah.

The Gemara, or Talmud, has four objectives:

1) To fully explain the Mishnayos in their entirety and to add any additional dialogue that may have postdated the Mishna. To this end, the Gemara will often bring in Braisos to help elucidate the Mishnayos.
2) To issue a definitive ruling in the case of a dispute
3) To add any gezeiros or edicts that had been issued since the Mishna
4) To add various moral and ethical lessons to the masoretic tradition

This work was largely done by Rav Ashi in two editions (Baba Basra 157b) it was then added to very minutely by the Rabanan Sovrai, at which point (498CE) it was closed to further annotations.

For a more over-arching view of Torah Shebal Peh please read Rabbi Fink’s excellent article. Make sure to read the comments as well.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Israeli Doctors Barred From Conference In Egypt

Here is a message from Z Street founder Lori Marcus:

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Lori Lowenthal Marcus <lorilowenthalmarcus@yahoo.com >
To: BCasey@komen.org
Sent: Wed, October 21, 2009 1:59:11 PM
Subject: BC conference in Egypt

Ms. Casey,

I was dismayed when I heard that Israeli doctors were barred from attending the Susan G. Komen conference in Egypt.  I understand that it was the government of Egypt and not Komen that banned them, but you must realize that allowing such discrimination sets a terrible precedent.  I cannot imagine that any organization in the world - and I hope there are none - would allow the barring of Blacks or Muslims or Lebanese, etc. to take place under their name.

Having seen emails in which you explain why you chose to go forward and given that the conference is already underway, I have a suggestion.  The foundation should make a statement, both written and oral, in which it deplores the banning of the Israeli doctors and expresses the intent of the foundation to hold another conference in Israel.  This conference has already been politicized in a reprehensible way, regardless of the role you have played.  

Please at least address the issue in a forthright way, one that makes clear that the Susan G. Komen For the Cure truly supports "cooperation" and inclusion, and did not intend to be a tacit endorser of racism and discrimination.

Most sincerely,

Lori Lowenthal Marcus
Philadelphia, PA  USA
Breast Cancer Survivor
--
Lori Lowenthal Marcus
Philadelphia, PA  USA
http://ziostreet.wordpress.com

Lori Lowenthal Marcus
Z STREET co-founder
http://ziostreet.wordpress.com
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National Securiy Advisor Gen. James Jones And J Street

AIAC.jpg

AMERICANS IN ISRAEL CALL UPON PRESIDENT OBAMA TO RESTRAIN U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR GEN. JAMES JONES FROM APPEARING AT J STREET CONFERENCE 
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - OCTOBER 21, 2009
For more information, contact  Aaron Tirschwell  aaron@aiacoalition.org  
 
The American Israeli Action Coalition (AIAC) today urged U.S. President Obama to direct his National Security Advisor General James Jones not to appear at J Street’s conference scheduled to be held in Washington DC next week. J Street had previously announced that General Jones will be the conference’s keynote speaker. 
 
AIAC is a non-partisan, non-political, issue-oriented NGO which was formed in Israel to represent the united voice of the more than 250,000 American citizens living in Israel on issues pertaining to the continued safety and security of Israel and the Jewish people worldwide. 
 
AIAC Chairman Harvey Schwartz stated: "Although J Street describes itself as a 'pro-Israel' organization, the American-Israeli community is well aware  of the truth: that J Street is a far left, radical, anti-Israel group, at least partially funded by Arab and Moslem sources, whose purpose is to undermine the safety, security and continued vitality of the State of Israel. Accordingly, the overwhelming majority of the American-Israeli community views any supporters or expeditors of J Street as unfriendly to them, the State of Israel and, indeed, the Jewish community living in the United States.” 
 
“Numerous U.S. Senators and Congressmen, upon becoming apprised of the truth about J Street and the strong anti-J Street views of the American-Israeli community, as well as those of the Israeli government and a large majority of America's Jewish population, have already withdrawn their consent to appear at this conference,” Schwartz continued.  “The American-Israeli community--in the strongest possible terms--- urges President Obama to direct General Jones to do the same.  Indeed, the appearance at the conference of any U.S. government official will be viewed as a most unfriendly act and an impediment to peace, not only by the American-Israeli community but by worldwide Jewry as well.” 
 
AIAC urges the Obama administration to do the right thing in this instance. 
 
AIAC is devoted to effectively recruiting and activating the more than 250,000 expatriate American citizens in Israel in order to create a united voice that will be heard by the governments and people of the United States and Israel on issues that pertain to the continued safety and security of Israel and the Jewish people worldwide.  
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Urge Legislators To Change J Street-Here's How

This is an email from Lori Marcus (lorilowenthalmarcus@yahoo.com) of Z Street. 
Please send a fax or make a phone call (or, last choice, send an email) to your elected official if on the list below.  The members of congress on this list are endorsing the J Street conference by lending their good name to an organization which claims to be "pro-peace and pro-Israel," but is nothing of the kind.

Here is my letter.  Please produce your own version - it can be as few as 3 - 5 lines long.
Thanks,
Lori
*******
Sen/Rep. ______,

The relatively new organization J Street, is currently using what it boasts is your endorsement to promote itself as a mainstream vehicle for positive change in the Middle East.  The policies being promoted by J Street are not, as it claims, “pro-peace and, pro-Israel.”   But you can use the strength of your good name to influence positive change, rather than appear to support negative policies.

By linking your name to its conference, J Street implies you support the following people and policies.

Muslim Public Affairs Council leader Salam al-Marayati will deliver a lecture at the J Street conference being held October 25 - 28th.  Al-Marayati publicly claimed that Israel attacked the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, and he has also publicly praised Hezbollah, a group on the official U.S. terrorist list.  Is this a “pro-peace” or “pro-Israel” organization?

J Street seeks effectively endless “negotiations” over Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, and refuses to identify a time when that tactic should be replaced with, as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for, “crippling sanctions.”  Iran poses a direct and immediate threat to Israel and only later, but most assuredly, one to the US.

J Street also wants Jews banned from living in certain parts of Jerusalem, a policy that would be in flagrant violation of the Civil Rights laws if imposed in the United States. 

There is good news, however.  Removal of your name can produce positive results.  In just the past few days nearly a dozen lawmakers have removed their names from the J Street Host Committee.  Once that happened, J Street removed from its lineup Josh Healey who was set to perform his “poetry.” Healey’s “performance art” equates the US with the Nazi regime.  A quick search of Healey clearly reveals his animosity towards Israel and the United States, so presumably the J Street organizers were well aware of Healey’s version of “poetry.”  But it was only after elected officials removed their names that any action took place.

Your good name is your most important asset; don’t let that be damaged by an association with J Street’s wrong-headed policies.  In fact, undo any harm already caused and use the withholding of your name to promote positive change.

Sincerely............
  • Last week the following members of congress withdrew their names from the host committee for the J Street Conference Gala:

The Honorable Chuck Schumer (NY)
The Honorable Thad Cochran (MS)
The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand (NY)
The Honorable Blanche Lincoln (AR)
The Honorable Leonard Boswell (IA-03)
The Honorable Michael Castle (DE-AL)
The Honorable Michael McCaul (TX-10)
The Honorable Mike Ross (AR-04)
The Honorable John Salazar ((CO-03)
The Honorable Ed Towns (NY-10)
************
First phone #, then fax #, then email (very limited, only those within official's jurisdiction can send an email) at least some of the following:

United States Senate
The Honorable Daniel Akaka (HI)
The Honorable Sherrod Brown (OH)

202-224-2315
202-228-6321

The Honorable Roland Burris (IL)
202-224-2854             202-228-3333  http://burris.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm
The Honorable Maria Cantwell (WA)
202-224-3441  202-228-0514  http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
The Honorable Tom Carper (DE)
202-224-2441  202-228-2190 http://carper.senate.gov/contact/
The Honorable Bob Casey (PA)
202-224-6324  202-228-0604  http://casey.senate.gov/contact/
The Honorable Chris Dodd (CT)
The Honorable Byron Dorgan (ND)

202-224-2551
202-224-1193

The Honorable Russ Feingold (WI)

202-224-5323
202-224-2725
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein (CA)
202-224-3841  202-228-3954 
The Honorable Kay Hagan (NC)
202-224-6342  202-228-2563 
The Honorable Tim Johnson (SD)

202-224-5842
202-228-5765
The Honorable John Kerry (MA)
202-224-2742  202-224-8525 
The Honorable Herb Kohl (WI)

202-224-5653
202-224-9787

The Honorable Mary Landrieu (LA)

202-224-5824
202-224-9735

The Honorable Patrick Leahy (VT)
202-224-4242  202-224-3479  senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov

The Honorable Mark Pryor (AR)

202-224-2353
202-228-0908

The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen (NH)

202-224-2841
202-228-3194

The Honorable Jon Tester (MT)

202-224-2644
202-224-8594

The Honorable Mark Udall (CO) 
202-224-5941  202-224-6471  http://markudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
The Honorable Tom Udall (NM)

202-224-6621
202-228-3261
The Honorable Jim Webb (VA)
202-224-4024  202-228-6363 http://webb.senate.gov/contact/
The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

202-224-2921
202-228-6362

United States House of Representatives
The Honorable Neil Abercrombie (HI-01)


202-225-2726
202-225-4580

The Honorable Jason Altmire (PA-04) 
202-225-2565  202-226-2274        https://forms.house.gov/altmire/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

The Honorable Michael Arcuri (NY-24)

202-225-3665
202-225-1891

The Honorable Brian Baird (WA-03) 
202-225-3536  202-225-3478 

The Honorable Tammy Baldwin (WI-02)

202-225-2906
202-225-6942

The Honorable Brian Bilbray (CA-50) 
202-225-0508  202-225-2558  http://www.house.gov/bilbray/contact.shtml

The Honorable Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
202-225-4811 
202-225-8941 


The Honorable Charles Boustany (LA-07)

202-225-2031
202-225-5724

The Honorable Bruce Braley (IA-01)

The Honorable Corrine Brown (FL-03)

The Honorable Lois Capps (CA-23)
202-225-3601  202-225-5632  http://capps.house.gov/send-an-email.shtml

The Honorable Michael Capuano (MA-08)

The Honorable Russ Carnahan (MO-03)

202-225-2671
202-225-7452
The Honorable Chris Carney (PA-10)

202-225-3731
202-225-9594

The Honorable Andre Carson (IN-07)

202-225-4011
202-225-5633
The Honorable Yvette Clarke (NY-11)

The Honorable James Clyburn (SC-06)

202-225-3315
202-225-2313

The Honorable Howard Coble (NC-06)
202-225-3065  202-225-8611  howard.coble@mail.house.gov

The Honorable Gerry Connolly (VA-11)


The Honorable Jim Cooper (TN-05)

202-225-4311
202-226-1035


The Honorable Elijah Cummings (MD-07)

202-225-4741
202-225-3178

The Honorable Danny Davis (IL-07)

202-225-5006
202-225-5641
The Honorable Susan Davis (CA-53)
202-225-2040  202-225-2948  http://www.house.gov/susandavis/contact.shtml

The Honorable Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

202-225-6416
202-225-0032

The Honorable Dianna DeGette (CO-01) 

The Honorable William Delahunt (MA-10)
202-225-3111  202-225-5658  william.delahunt@mail.house.gov

The Honorable Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)

The Honorable Lloyd Doggett (TX-25)

The Honorable Mike Doyle (PA-14)

202-225-2135
202-225-3084

The Honorable Anna Eshoo (CA-14)



202-225-8104
202-225-8890
The Honorable Eni Faleomavaega (American Samoa-AL)
202-225-8577  202-225-8757 faleomavaega@mail.house.gov

The Honorable Sam Farr (CA-17)
202-225-2861  202-225-6791 

The Honorable Bob Filner (CA-51)

The Honorable Bill Foster (IL-14)
202-225-2976  202-225-0697  http://foster.house.gov/Contact/

The Honorable Barney Frank (MA-04)

The Honorable Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08)

The Honorable Charlie Gonzalez (TX-20)
202-225-3236  202-225-1915 

The Honorable Raul Grijalva (AZ-07)

The Honorable Luis Gutierrez (IL-04) 
202-225-8203  202-225-7810 

The Honorable John Hall (NY-19)

202-225-5441
202-225-3289

The Honorable Jane Harman (CA-36)

The Honorable Jim Himes (CT-04)
202-225-5541  202-225-9629  http://himes.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=54

The Honorable Maurice Hinchey (NY-22)

202-225-6335
202-226-0774

The Honorable Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) 

The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) 
202-225-4906  202-225-4987




The Honorable Rush Holt (NJ-12)
202-225-5801  202-225-6025  http://holt.house.gov/contact.shtml

The Honorable Mike Honda (CA-15)
202-225-2631  202-225-2699  http://www.honda.house.gov/contactmike.shtml

The Honorable Jay Inslee (WA-01)

202-225-6311
 202-226-1606
The Honorable Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-02) [no email available]

The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
202-225-3816  202-225-3317  http://www.jacksonlee.house.gov/contact.shtml

The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)
202-225-8885  202-226-1477 

The Honorable Hank Johnson (GA-04)

202-225-1605
202-226-0691

The Honorable Steve Kagen (WI-08)

202-225-5665
202-225-5729

The Honorable Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)http://www.kaptur.house.gov/index.php?

The Honorable Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI-13)

202-225-2261
202-225-5730

The Honorable Mary-Jo Kilroy (OH-15)http://kilroy.house.gov/contact/email.shtml

The Honorable Ron Kind (WI-03)

202-225-5506
202-225-5739

The Honorable John Larson (CT-01)

202-225-2265
202-225-1031

The Honorable Barbara Lee (CA-09)Representative Barbara Lee (D – 09) 

The Honorable David Loebsack (IA-02)

202-225-6576
202-226-0757

The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03)

202-225-6190
202-226-1528
The Honorable Stephen Lynch (MA-09)

The Honorable Carolyn Maloney (NY-14)
202-225-7944  202-225-4709 

The Honorable Betsy Markey (CO-04)
202-225-4676  202-225-5870  http://betsymarkey.house.gov/Contact/

The Honorable Ed Markey (MA-07)
202-225-2836  202-226-0092 

The Honorable Eric Massa (NY-29)

The Honorable Betty McCollum (MN-04)

202-225-6631
202-225-1968
The Honorable Jim McDermott (WA-07)

202-225-3106
202-225-6197

The Honorable James McGovern (MA-03)

202-225-6101
202-225-5759

The Honorable Gregory Meeks (NY-06)

The Honorable Brad Miller (NC-13)
202-225-3032  202-225-0181 

The Honorable George Miller (CA-07) 

The Honorable Harry Mitchell (AZ-05)
202-225-2190  202-225-3263 

The Honorable Dennis Moore (KS-03)

202-225-2865
202-225-2807

The Honorable Gwen Moore (WI-04)

202-225-4572
202-225-8135

The Honorable James Moran (VA-08)

202-225-4376
202-225-0017

The Honorable Chris Murphy (CT-05)

The Honorable Scott Murphy (NY-20) 

The Honorable Richard Neal (MA-02)

The Honorable Glenn Nye (VA-02)

The Honorable John Olver (MA-01)
202-225-5335  202-226-1224  http://www.house.gov/olver/contactme.html

The Honorable Solomon Ortiz (TX-27)
202-225-7742  202-226-1134  http://www.house.gov/formortiz/issue.htm

The Honorable Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
202-225-4671  202-225-9665  http://www.house.gov/pallone/contact.shtm

The Honorable Bill Pascrell (NJ-08)
202-225-5751  202-225-5782  http://pascrell.house.gov/contact/

The Honorable Ed Pastor (AZ-04)
202-225-4065 

The Honorable Donald Payne (NJ-10)
202-225-3436  202-225-4160  http://www.house.gov/payne/IMA/email.shtml

The Honorable Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)

The Honorable Tom Perriello (VA-05)

202-225-4711
202-225-5681

The Honorable Chellie Pingree (ME-01)

202-225-6116
202-225-5590

The Honorable Jared Polis (CO-02)

The Honorable David Price (NC-04)

The Honorable Nick Rahall (WV-03)

202-225-3452
202-225-9061

The Honorable Charlie Rangel (NY-15)

The Honorable Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23)
202-225-4511  202-225-2237  http://www.rodriguez.house.gov/index.php?


The Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-3)
202-225-1766  202-226-0350  http://roybal-allard.house.gov/Contact/


The Honorable Bobby Rush (IL-01)
202-225-4372  202-226-0333  http://www.house.gov/rush/zipauth.shtml



The Honorable Loretta Sanchez (CA-47)

The Honorable Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
202-225-2111  202-226-6890  http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/email.shtml

The Honorable Adam Schiff (CA-29)
202-225-4176  202-225-5828 

The Honorable Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)


202-225-5456
202-225-5822

The Honorable Louise Slaughter (NY-28)
202-225-3615   202-225-7822 

The Honorable Jackie Speier (CA-12)
202-225-3531  202-226-4183 

The Honorable John Tanner (TN-08)

202-225-4714
202-225-1765

The Honorable John Tierney (MA-06)

The Honorable Mike Thompson (CA-01)
202-225-3311 

The Honorable Paul Tonko (NY-21)

The Honorable Nikki Tsongas (MA-05)
202-225-3411  202-226-0771 

The Honorable Diane Watson (CA-33)
202-225-7084  202-225-2422 http://www.house.gov/watson/zipauth.shtml

The Honorable Henry Waxman (CA-30)
202-225-3976 

The Honorable Lynn Woolsey (CA-06)
202-225-5161  202-225-5163 

The Honorable David Wu (OR-01)
202-225-0855  202-225-9497       http://www.house.gov/wu/email.shtml

The Honorable John Yarmuth (KY-03)


202-225-5401
202-225-5776
  

United States Senate

The Honorable Daniel Akaka (HI)
The Honorable Sherrod Brown (OH)

202-224-2315
202-228-6321
The Honorable Roland Burris (IL)
202-224-2854             202-228-3333 
The Honorable Maria Cantwell (WA)
202-224-3441  202-228-0514 
The Honorable Tom Carper (DE)
202-224-2441  202-228-2190 
The Honorable Bob Casey (PA)
202-224-6324  202-228-0604 
The Honorable Chris Dodd (CT)
202-224-2823  202-224-1083 

The Honorable Byron Dorgan (ND)

202-224-2551
202-224-1193

The Honorable Russ Feingold (WI)

202-224-5323
202-224-2725

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein (CA)
202-224-3841  202-228-3954 
The Honorable Kay Hagan (NC)
202-224-6342  202-228-2563 
The Honorable Tim Johnson (SD)

202-224-5842
202-228-5765
The Honorable John Kerry (MA)
202-224-2742  202-224-8525 
The Honorable Herb Kohl (WI)

202-224-5653
202-224-9787
The Honorable Mary Landrieu (LA)

202-224-5824
202-224-9735
The Honorable Patrick Leahy (VT)
202-224-4242  202-224-3479  senator_leahy@leahy.senate.gov
The Honorable Mark Pryor (AR)

202-224-2353
202-228-0908

The Honorable Jeanne Shaheen (NH)

202-224-2841
202-228-3194

The Honorable Jon Tester (MT)

202-224-2644
202-224-8594
The Honorable Mark Udall (CO) 
202-224-5941  202-224-6471  http://markudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
The Honorable Tom Udall (NM)

202-224-6621
202-228-3261
The Honorable Jim Webb (VA)
202-224-4024  202-228-6363 http://webb.senate.gov/contact/
The Honorable Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)

202-224-2921
202-228-6362
United States House of Representatives
The Honorable Neil Abercrombie (HI-01)

202-225-2726
202-225-4580
The Honorable Jason Altmire (PA-04) 
202-225-2565  202-226-2274        https://forms.house.gov/altmire/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm
The Honorable Michael Arcuri (NY-24)

202-225-3665
202-225-1891
The Honorable Brian Baird (WA-03) 
202-225-3536  202-225-3478 
The Honorable Tammy Baldwin (WI-02)

202-225-2906
202-225-6942
The Honorable Brian Bilbray (CA-50) 
202-225-0508  202-225-2558 
The Honorable Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
202-225-4811  202-225-8941 
The Honorable Charles Boustany (LA-07)

202-225-2031
202-225-5724
The Honorable Bruce Braley (IA-01)
The Honorable Corrine Brown (FL-03)
The Honorable Lois Capps (CA-23)
202-225-3601  202-225-5632 
The Honorable Michael Capuano (MA-08)
202-225-5111 
202-225-9322 
The Honorable Russ Carnahan (MO-03)

202-225-2671
202-225-7452
The Honorable Chris Carney (PA-10)

202-225-3731
202-225-9594
The Honorable Andre Carson (IN-07)

202-225-4011
202-225-5633

The Honorable Yvette Clarke (NY-11)
202-225-6231  202-226-0112 
The Honorable James Clyburn (SC-06)

202-225-3315
202-225-2313
The Honorable Howard Coble (NC-06)
202-225-3065  202-225-8611 
The Honorable Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
202-225-1492  202-225-3071 
The Honorable Jim Cooper (TN-05)

202-225-4311
202-226-1035

202-225-4311
202-226-1035
The Honorable Elijah Cummings (MD-07)

202-225-4741
202-225-3178
The Honorable Danny Davis (IL-07)

202-225-5006
202-225-5641
The Honorable Susan Davis (CA-53)
202-225-2040  202-225-2948 
The Honorable Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

202-225-6416
202-225-0032
The Honorable Dianna DeGette (CO-01) 
202-225-4431  202-225-5657 
The Honorable William Delahunt (MA-10)
202-225-3111  202-225-5658 
The Honorable Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)
202-225-3661  202-225-4890 
The Honorable Lloyd Doggett (TX-25)
202-225-4865  202-225-3073 
The Honorable Mike Doyle (PA-14)

202-225-2135
202-225-3084
The Honorable Anna Eshoo (CA-14)


202-225-8104
202-225-8890
The Honorable Eni Faleomavaega (American Samoa-AL)
202-225-8577  202-225-8757 
The Honorable Sam Farr (CA-17)
202-225-2861  202-225-6791 
The Honorable Bob Filner (CA-51)
202-225-8045  202-225-9073 
The Honorable Bill Foster (IL-14)
202-225-2976  202-225-0697 
The Honorable Barney Frank (MA-04)
202-225-5931  202-225-0182 
The Honorable Gabrielle Giffords (AZ-08)
202-225-2542  202-225-0378 
The Honorable Charlie Gonzalez (TX-20)
202-225-3236  202-225-1915 
The Honorable Raul Grijalva (AZ-07)
202-225-2435  202-225-1541 
The Honorable Luis Gutierrez (IL-04) 
202-225-8203  202-225-7810 
The Honorable John Hall (NY-19)

202-225-5441
202-225-3289
The Honorable Jane Harman (CA-36)
202-225-8220  202-226-7290 
The Honorable Jim Himes (CT-04)
202-225-5541  202-225-9629  http://himes.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=54
The Honorable Maurice Hinchey (NY-22)

202-225-6335
202-226-0774
The Honorable Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15) 
202-225-2531  202-225-5688 
The Honorable Mazie K. Hirono (HI-02) 
202-225-4906  202-225-4987



The Honorable Rush Holt (NJ-12)
202-225-5801  202-225-6025  http://holt.house.gov/contact.shtml
The Honorable Mike Honda (CA-15)
202-225-2631  202-225-2699 
The Honorable Jay Inslee (WA-01)

202-225-6311
 202-226-1606
The Honorable Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL-02) [no email available]
The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
202-225-3816  202-225-3317 
The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)
202-225-8885  202-226-1477 
The Honorable Hank Johnson (GA-04)

202-225-1605
202-226-0691
The Honorable Steve Kagen (WI-08)

202-225-5665
202-225-5729
The Honorable Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)http://www.kaptur.house.gov/index.php?
The Honorable Carolyn Kilpatrick (MI-13)

202-225-2261
202-225-5730
The Honorable Mary-Jo Kilroy (OH-15)http://kilroy.house.gov/contact/email.shtml
The Honorable Ron Kind (WI-03)

202-225-5506
202-225-5739
The Honorable John Larson (CT-01)

202-225-2265
202-225-1031
The Honorable Barbara Lee (CA-09)Representative Barbara Lee (D – 09) 
202-225-2661  202-225-9817 
The Honorable David Loebsack (IA-02)

202-225-6576
202-226-0757
The Honorable Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03)

202-225-6190
202-226-1528
The Honorable Stephen Lynch (MA-09)
202-225-8273  202-225-3984 
The Honorable Carolyn Maloney (NY-14)
202-225-7944  202-225-4709 
The Honorable Betsy Markey (CO-04)
202-225-4676  202-225-5870 
The Honorable Ed Markey (MA-07)
202-225-2836  202-226-0092 
The Honorable Eric Massa (NY-29)
202-225-3161  202-226-6599 
The Honorable Betty McCollum (MN-04)

202-225-6631
202-225-1968
The Honorable Jim McDermott (WA-07)

202-225-3106
202-225-6197

The Honorable James McGovern (MA-03)

202-225-6101
202-225-5759

The Honorable Gregory Meeks (NY-06)202-225-3461 
202-226-4169 

The Honorable Brad Miller (NC-13)202-225-3032 
202-225-0181 

The Honorable George Miller (CA-07) 
202-225-2095 
202-225-5609 

The Honorable Harry Mitchell (AZ-05)202-225-2190 
202-225-3263 

The Honorable Dennis Moore (KS-03)

202-225-2865
202-225-2807
The Honorable Gwen Moore (WI-04)

202-225-4572
202-225-8135
The Honorable James Moran (VA-08)

202-225-4376
202-225-0017
The Honorable Chris Murphy (CT-05)
202-225-4476  202-225-5933 

The Honorable Scott Murphy (NY-20) 
202-225-5614  202-225-1168 

The Honorable Richard Neal (MA-02)

The Honorable Glenn Nye (VA-02)
202-225-4215  202-225-4218 

The Honorable John Olver (MA-01)
202-225-5335  202-226-1224 

The Honorable Solomon Ortiz (TX-27)
202-225-7742  202-226-1134 

The Honorable Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
202-225-4671  202-225-9665 

The Honorable Bill Pascrell (NJ-08)
202-225-5751 202-225-5782  http://pascrell.house.gov/contact/

The Honorable Ed Pastor (AZ-04)202-225-4065 
202-225-1655 

The Honorable Donald Payne (NJ-10)202-225-3436 
202-225-4160 

The Honorable Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
202-225-2645  202-225-5278 

The Honorable Tom Perriello (VA-05)

202-225-4711
202-225-5681

The Honorable Chellie Pingree (ME-01)

202-225-6116
202-225-5590

The Honorable Jared Polis (CO-02)202-225-2161 
202-226-7840 

The Honorable David Price (NC-04)

The Honorable Nick Rahall (WV-03)

202-225-3452
202-225-9061

The Honorable Charlie Rangel (NY-15)

The Honorable Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23)
202-225-4511  202-225-2237  http://www.rodriguez.house.gov/index.php?


The Honorable Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34)202-225-1766 
202-226-0350 


The Honorable Bobby Rush (IL-01)202-225-4372 
202-226-0333 



The Honorable Loretta Sanchez (CA-47)202-225-2965 
202-225-5859 

The Honorable Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)202-225-2111 
202-226-6890 

The Honorable Adam Schiff (CA-29)202-225-4176 
202-225-5828 



The Honorable Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)

202-225-5456
202-225-5822
The Honorable Louise Slaughter (NY-28)
202-225-3615   202-225-7822 

The Honorable Jackie Speier (CA-12)
202-225-3531  202-226-4183 
The Honorable John Tanner (TN-08)

202-225-4714
202-225-1765

The Honorable John Tierney (MA-06)
202-225-8020  202-225-5915 
The Honorable Mike Thompson (CA-01)
202-225-3311  202-225-4335 
The Honorable Paul Tonko (NY-21)
The Honorable Nikki Tsongas (MA-05)
202-225-3411  202-226-0771 
The Honorable Diane Watson (CA-33)
202-225-7084  202-225-2422 http://www.house.gov/watson/zipauth.shtml
The Honorable Henry Waxman (CA-30)
202-225-3976  202-225-4099  http://waxman.house.gov/Contact/
The Honorable Lynn Woolsey (CA-06)
202-225-5161 
202-225-5163 

The Honorable David Wu (OR-01)
202-225-0855  202-225-9497       http://www.house.gov/wu/email.shtml

The Honorable John Yarmuth (KY-03)

202-225-5401
202-225-5776


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