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M AY T H E E A RT H H E A R T H E WO R D S O F M Y M O U TH
July 31st, 2009 | 10 Av 5769
Moroccan King Calls For Holocaust Awareness In Muslim World
Vol. 10, Iss. 28
Pg 40
www.JewishVoiceNY.com
Protestors At Netanyahu’s Home: Say “No” To US Settlement Pressure
BY ALAN P. SOLOW The recognition by His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco of the Holocaust as “one of the most tragic chapters of modern history” and his endorsement of the Parisbased Aladdin Project, which aims to spread awareness of the genocide among Muslims, was lauded by Alan Solow, Chairman, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman, of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. ing Mohammed VI’s acknowledgment of the Holocaust was read in a speech in his name at the opening ceremony of the Aladdin Project, an initiative of the Paris-based Foundation for the Memory of the Shoah. According to AnneMarie Revcolevschi, director of the Shoah foundation, this is the first time an Arab head of state has taken “such a clear stand on the Shoah.” “This courageous act by His Majesty King Mohammed VI to recognize the historical truth and universal signif icance of the Holocaust and the need to educate the Arab and Moslem world about its impact on mankind is especially remarkable. We hope that the King’s endorsement of this important initiative will encourage others to do the same. The Conference of Presidents with Yad Vashem and the Claims Conference has undertaken to train educators in Moslem countries to teach about the Holocaust. The King’s stand is in sharp contrast with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who has made Holocaust denial a central theme of his extremist ideology,” said Solow and Hoenlein. The Jewish leaders added that this same advocacy of tolerance has been in evidence in His Majesty’s treatment of the Jewish community of Morocco, which boasts a 2,000-year history in the country.
Marrano Roots Discovered: Judaism Flourishes
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BY REYNA SIMNEGAR
Thousands of protestors called on Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to reject US pressure on a settlement freeze. BY TOVAH LAZAROFF Close to a thousand people rallied outside Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's Jerusalem home, calling on Israel to simply say "no" to US pressure to freeze settlement activity and to divide the capital. eople tell us that it is impossible to stand up against American pressure; there is no bigger lie," yelled out Dani Dayan, who heads the Council of Jewish Communities of Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip, which helped to organize the event. It was timed to coincide with US envoy George Mitchell's visit to Israel. Netanyahu's government should be concerned with its election promises to support the settlements, rather than with its obliga-
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tions to the US, Dayan said. This government has an obligation to return Israel to the Zionist path of settling the land, he said. Prior to the rally Dayan told The Jerusalem Post he hoped "Netanyahu will learn lessons from those who preceded him." He added that "David Ben-Gurion founded Israel in spite of American pressure... Menachem Begin destroyed Osirak in spite of American opposition, and Yitzhak Shamir rejected American demands to stop construction." Demonstrators held signs that said, "Yes to Israeli Independence! No to American Demands!" Other signs read, "Israel will not fold." Holding aloft a banner bearing the legend "Stop Screwing Israel," Zvi November of Ramat Eshkol in Jerusalem said: "All of the land of Israel belongs to Am Yisrael... There
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The day of my conversion to Judaism was the ultimate cosmic link between my past, my present and my future. Although it was 12 years ago, I remember it as if it happened a few hours ago. I can still feel the acceleration in my heart, the knot of tears trapped in my throat, along with the nervous breathing from the overwhelming commitment I was undertaking. I can still hear the words "kosher, kosher, kosher" echoing in my mind and the warm waters of the mikvah embracing my body, transforming me into a new being.
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ometimes reality is stranger than fiction. I grew up in the city of Caracas, Venezuela, in a wonderful, close-knit family surrounded by cousins, aunts and uncles. We spent more time with my mother's side of the family, perhaps because we lived right next door to my maternal grandmother, a woman of great stamina and control over every little detail of her family. I was raised with excellent family values, tremendous respect for authority and a great fear of heaven. I was also raised as a Catholic.
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