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JReleases

What is JRelease?

JRelease is a press release service of AJPA. Our goal is to provide the timely distribution of press releases to all AJPA members. AJPA publications represent an ideal forum for companies and organizations to announce important developments and news. JRelease is the ideal resource for clients who wish to reach the Jewish press and through it the wider Jewish community.

How Do I Submit A Press Release?

JRelease submissions should be emailed to amirah@ajpa.org. Please include "JRelease" in the subject line of your email. Submissions will be reviewed and approved within 48 hours after receipt and distributed upon receipt of payment. Please indicate your preferred date of distribution at the top of your press release submission. Acceptance of submissions for distribution is at the sole discretion of AJPA and as is the case with all material submitted to newspapers, the decision to publish the material is that of the newspaper. It's also a good idea to follow up with editors individually to maximize the number of "hits" for your story. AJPA does not provide direct contact information to member editors.

How Do I Pay?

Payment for distribution is accepted online or in the mail following approval of submitted material for distribution.  We will contact you once the submission has been approved and provide further instructions for payment. Material will not be distributed prior to receipt of payment.

Each press release distributed is only $300. Purchase multiple press releases and each release is discounted. Please email AJPA headquarters for package pricing.


Recent JReleases

  • November 10, 2022 9:00 AM | Laura Herring (Administrator)

    Shalom Hartman Institute Welcomes Dr. Claire E. Sufrin as Editor of  Sources: A Journal of Jewish Ideas featuring informed conversations, and thoughtful disagreement on Jewish issues that matter

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    New York, New York –When the Fall 2022 issue of the Sources Journal hits people’s mailboxes, there will be a new name on the masthead. Sufrin, recently named Editor of Sources, the Shalom Hartman Institute’s scholarly publication of Jewish ideas, is also co-editor of The New Jewish Canon, a collection of the most significant Jewish ideas and debates of the past two generations. 

    This issue of Sources, Sufrin’s first and the Institute’s fourth, opens with essays on Zionism from Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, Dr. Donniel Hartman, Dr. Mijal Bitton, and Dr. Masua Sagiv who delve into topics ranging from political liberalism to Jewish solidarity to Israeli national identity, to Jewish perspectives on power.   

    Also included is a roundtable discussion addressing how a Jewish community might recover after discovering a sexual predator in its midst. The issue closes with a series of meditations on the Shema, the most well-known Jewish prayer, by philosopher Dr. Samuel Fleishhacker.   

    When the opportunity to edit Sources arose, Sufrin’s love of Judaism as an intellectual project led her to say yes: “Just as collections of Midrash preserve multiple conflicting interpretations of biblical stories, Judaism not only tolerates but at times seems to encourage conversation and even disagreement …in pursuit of finding meaning and defining values.” 

    Her unique perspective introduces traditional Jewish ideas to explain the social and emotional ethos of this moment:  

     “The definition of a scholar has expanded to include women and others  whose voices are largely missing from the Talmud... Sources exists to  nurture and curate conversation about the issues motivating and  perplexing Jews today and the ideas that they find themselves  turning over and over."

    Before joining Hartman, Sufrin taught for 12 years at the Crown Family Center for Jewish and Israel Studies at Northwestern University. She holds a BA in Religious Studies from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Stanford University.

    The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. The Institute is committed to the big relevant ideas impacting Jewish communities today and to ensuring that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century. 

    To interview Dr. Sufrin and any Sources contributors, email: Jan.greenfield@shalomhartman.org
  • November 04, 2022 9:35 AM | Anonymous

    Hartman Digital to release Heretic in the House this month - A Groundbreaking Podcast Dismantling Stereotypes About Orthodox Jews Hosted by Naomi Seidman 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    What happens when the biggest thing in your life is the story that you’re trying to put behind you? On Heretic in the House, a limited podcast series, host Naomi Seidman takes us on a deeply moving journey with people who have left the Hassidic community, to uncover their hidden stories.  

    Seidman is a professor, author, and 2016 Guggenheim Fellow. Raised ultra-Orthodox, she “left the path” for the outside world when she was eighteen: 

    "When you leave the Hassidic community, there is a story of leaving and a story of being left behind. People are fascinated by it. On Heretic in the House, we probe why these stories are so captivating for Jews and non-Jews alike and, most importantly, what parts of the story are conspicuously excluded.”  

    America has a fascination with Hasidic Jews, whether in shows like Netflix’s Unorthodox, news reports about Orthodox schools, or memoirs but these popular depictions don’t tell the whole story; they just tell the story the public wants to hear. What they hide is a complicated dance between Orthodox Judaism and those who leave it, and a web of stereotypes that trap Hasidim, rebels, and the public alike. 

    The Heretic in the House podcast tells powerful stories about real, complex people, family drama, and challenging personal odysseys. It talks about a truth that you won’t see in popular depictions: when people leave Hasidic communities, the door almost never completely shuts behind them. Join us on Heretic in The House as we open that door for the first time.  

    This podcast is the first in a series of new releases from Hartman Digital, the audio and video production wing of the Shalom Hartman Institute. Included on the slate for later this year; Perfect Jewish Parents podcast, and in early 2023, a new YouTube series, Kosher in America.  

    The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. The Institute is committed to the big relevant ideas impacting Jewish communities today and to ensuring that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century. 

    For all media inquiries and to interview Seidman: Jan.greenfield@shalomhartman.org
  • October 31, 2022 10:40 AM | Anonymous

    Israel’s Election Day: Live Behind the Scenes with New York Times Bestselling Author, Yossi Klein Halevi and Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Jerusalem, Israel – On November 1, at 2:00 pm ET, as the polls close on Israel’s fifth election in less than four years, Hartman and Klein Halevi will offer real-time insights on the big ideas of this complex moment and what it portends for the State of Israel, the future of Zionism, and the Jewish people. 

    Rabbi Dr. Donniel Hartman is president of the Shalom Hartman Institute and the founder of some of the most extensive education, training, and enrichment programs for scholars, educators, rabbis, and religious and lay leaders in Israel and North America. He is joined by  Yossi Klein Halevi, the author of the New York Times bestseller,  Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor, Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation, and other celebrated books. Hartman, Klein Halevi, and Elana Stein Hain co-host Hartman’s chart-topping podcast, For Heaven’s Sake.  

    Reflecting on the public mood, Klein Halevi shares, "There's a great deal of understandable anxiety among many Israelis and friends of Israel abroad about what these elections could mean for the future of Israeli democracy. Our hope is to provide some context and clarity at the most emotionally loaded moment of the election season -- the moment the real results start coming in." 

    This special live election day event is part of Ideas for Today, free curated courses on the most important Jewish issues of the day so we can think and do better. This fall’s course offerings include classes byworld renowned Hartman scholars including Yehuda Kurtzer, Dahlia Lithwick, Michael AviHelfand, Tamara Mann Tweel, and Imam Abdullah Antepli.  

    The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. The Institute is committed to the big relevant ideas impacting Jewish communities today and to ensuring that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century. 

    For all media inquiries and to interview Rabbi Hartman or Mr. Klein Halevi, contact: Jan.greenfield@shalomhartman.org  

    https://www.hartman.org.il/event/israels-election-day-live-behind-the-scenes/ 


  • October 20, 2022 10:36 AM | Laura Herring (Administrator)

    New Nonprofit Focused on 3G’s - Third Generation Holocaust Survivors

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Los Angeles, California (October 2022). If You Heard What I Heard is delighted to announce its newly established nonprofit status, allowing the organization to continue capturing the stories of grandchildren of Holocaust survivors (3Gs) – the last generation to hear survivor stories firsthand.

    Initially launched as an independent project in April 2021, If You Heard What I Heard started in response to a rise in antisemitism. If You Heard What I Heard’s mission is to educate today’s generation and future generations about the Holocaust by making the stories of survivors more relatable for today. The organization seeks to curb antisemitism, create a world that is more empathetic, tolerant, and compassionate towards all groups of people, and live up to the promise to Holocaust survivors everywhere that the world will #NeverForget.

    “As the grandchild of two Holocaust survivors,” explains If You Heard What I Heard Founder & Chair Carolyn Siegel, “it’s very scary to see a rise in antisemitism because they always talked to me about the importance of warning signs leading to the Holocaust being possible - a rise in antisemitism being one of them. When I started If You Heard What I Heard, I thought about the fact that my future children will never get to hear the stories that I heard firsthand, over the course of decades, of what my grandparents lived through, what they lost, and how they rebuilt their lives after all of that. I wanted to do something to make stories like theirs more relatable for today, and I thought, if you could hear the story from someone like me, through social media and online, in a shorter form, we could create awareness about the Holocaust to try and curb hate, not just towards Jews, but towards any group.”

    In an effort to offer a different way of educating about the Holocaust, If You Heard What I Heard hopes to reach new audiences and leverage the power of storytelling to make this part of Holocaust education feel a lot more personal. As a nonprofit, the hope is to be able to scale efforts in a larger way, so that every grandchild of a Holocaust survivor who wants to share their story through If You Heard What I Heard, can do so, continuing to create widespread awareness about the Holocaust.

    This is the first nonprofit of its kind to focus on capturing the stories of 3Gs - third generation Holocaust survivors - by filming 30 minute interviews, which are available for free at www.ifyouheardwhatiheard.com.

    About If You Heard What I Heard

    If You Heard What I Heard is a collection of interviews of grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, recounting the pain, loss, and physical and emotional scars of their grandparents. What you’ll hear is a secondhand account of Holocaust survivors’ harrowing journeys, devastating loss and inspiring resilience. This is the first time in over 20 years that a project of this nature this has been produced.

    For additional details please contact
    Samantha Moray
    samantha@moraygency.com

  • September 13, 2022 9:54 AM | Anonymous

    Shalom Hartman Institute Expands to Boston

    Boston is the newest of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America’s seven regional hubs with a professional staff presence. 

    The Shalom Hartman Institute (SHI), the leading center of applied Jewish thought and education serving Israel and North America is excited to announce the opening of a new regional office in Boston.

    Hartman will partner with Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) and local organizations alongside lay and professional leaders to bring relevant ideas and conversations to the community through cohort experiences, public programs, and educational seminars with Hartman scholars. Boston serves as the newest of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America’s seven regional offices with a professional staff presence.

    “We live in challenging times and face many threats to our Jewish future. Hartman learning offers us a way to face those challenges and secure our future. I am thrilled CJP and Hartman have launched this partnership to bring Hartman to Boston.” Amy Klein, Hartman Institute Board Member

    Working to understand the specific regional questions and challenges while helping to shape the Jewish communal conversation is an essential part of Hartman’s core mission. “We are grateful for the close partnership and relationship that we have cultivated with CJP to help move this work forward in Boston,” noted Rebecca Starr, Hartman’s Director of Regional Programs.

    The decision to expand to Boston was made possible, in large part, by the Institute’s longstanding positive relationship with CJP.

    “After more than two years of disconnection during COVID, we are thrilled to partner with the Hartman Institute as we launch Spark, a multi-year communitywide initiative to connect to each other, our Boston Jewish community, and to Israel on her 75th birthday,” said Kimberlee Schumacher, Vice President of Partnerships and Services at CJP. “Spark will offer an opportunity for participants to learn from and with Hartman scholars and to participate in conversations that have the power to animate our Jewish future.”

    Rabbi Emily Goldberg Winer will head the Boston operations and manage local programming. A Wexner Graduate Fellow and 92nd Street Y Jewish Innovation Fellow, Winer received her ordination from Yeshivat Maharat in Riverdale, NY. She moved to Boston earlier this summer and is already immersing herself in the community.

    “The Boston Jewish community feels simultaneously robust and tight knit. There are movers and innovators creating real change in our communal discourse here, and I feel so humbled to be a part of it.” Emily Goldberg Winer

    “CJP is excited to partner with the Shalom Hartman Institute as we invest in a deeply engaged Jewish community and a vibrant, creative, Jewish future,” said Marc Baker, President and CEO of CJP. “We hope to inspire courageous leaders to find meaning and strength in the relevance and depth of our Jewish tradition and ensure that dynamic Jewish ideas empower our diverse community. Together we will wrestle with the most pressing issues of our time: Jewish Peoplehood, Zionism, democracy, and pluralism.”

    To learn more about our expanding work in Boston and to partner with us contact Emily Winer, Manager of Boston at emily.winer@shalomhartman.org or (954) 980-0401.

    https://www.hartman.org.il/shalom-hartman-institute-expands-to-boston/

  • August 29, 2022 10:53 AM | Anonymous

    “Unspools like a not-so-minor miracle. It’s a work of poetry, power and ruminative grace.” - Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post

    "A transfixing film that evokes a vanished world, explores historical memory and ponders film's ability to bring the past to life.” - Fresh Air, NPR

    "A snapshot, a memorial, a knotty philosophical detective story, and a devastating account of Nazi atrocities. It’s also an extended rumination on the illusory, entropic nature of the cinematic medium itself." - The Los Angeles Times

    "A Holocaust film like no other, Stigter’s non-fiction work speaks volumes, in only 72 minutes, about loss, time, tragedy and remembrance, all of it expressed in grainy color and black-and-white footage whose origins are mundane but whose lasting impact proves extraordinary." - The Daily Beast

    Now Playing in Select Theaters
    Find theaters at www.threeminutesfilm.com.

    Email threeminutes@superltd.com to request a link for review coverage or inquire about group tickets or to host a screening for your organization.
  • June 27, 2022 3:28 PM | Anonymous

    NEXT SECRET CHORD CONCERTS EPISODE SHOWCASES KLEZMER-ROCK BAND

    MEDIA ADVISORY

    Sarah Maiellano, Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, (267) 598-5401; sarah@broadstreetcomms.com

    Beth Kraemer, Lowell Milken Center, (310) 825-3650; bdkraemer@schoolofmusic.ucla.edu

    Mostly Kosher Reconstructs Judaic and American Cultural Music

    When: Wednesday, July 6
                12:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m. ET

    What: The next episode of Secret Chord Concerts, a brand new coast-to-coast series spotlighting top Jewish musicians worldwide today, will feature Mostly Kosher.

    Mostly Kosher is an acclaimed Klezmer-rock band that boldly redefines Judaic and American cultural music. This performance will highlight their new album, “This World is Yours,” which takes listeners through modern protest music, challenging them to topple norms of intolerance and indifference.

    Video Preview of Episode 2

    The Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music (Lowell Milken Center) in Los Angeles and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) partnered to create this cross-country offering.

    Secret Chord Concerts is a free on-demand video series featuring 15-25 minute performances from celebrated Jewish musicians representing a broad range of styles, heritages, and histories and recorded live in front of intimate audiences in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

    Season 1 episodes will air the first Wednesday of every month from June until October.

    Episode 2 Program:

    Et Dodim (Hebrew)
    Hail to the King (English, Ladino)
    Go Away (English)
    You Slay Me (English, Yiddish, Hebrew)

    How to watch:

    Episodes will premiere on their release dates on The Weitzman’s Facebook Page and the Lowell Milken Center’s YouTube page. The series will be available on-demand after the event on those sites as well as The Weitzman’s website.

    Learn more in this press release https://theweitzman.org/press-releases/secret-chord-concerts-announcement/

    Download High-Resolution Photos and Credits


  • May 25, 2022 11:01 AM | Anonymous

    Amidst Growing Demand for an ‘Ethic of Inclusion’ in Chicago Jewish Communal Life, The Shalom Hartman Institute Launches a Regional Office

    For Immediate Release:

    May 25, 2022

    Amidst Growing Demand for an ‘Ethic of Inclusion’ in Chicago Jewish Communal Life, The Shalom Hartman Institute Launches a Regional Office

    Chicago, Illinois – On June 1, at 7pm, The Shalom Hartman Institute hosts an inaugural event for its new Chicago Regional Office, “What Do We Mean by a ‘Big Tent’?” at Lakeview’s Anshe Emet Synagogue.

    The American Jewish community has long used the metaphor of a “big tent” to describe its aspiration to welcome a broad spectrum of viewpoints on Israel. This idea originated as a way of being inclusive, but it often functions with the opposite effect: as a policing of boundaries that designates some views outside the acceptable communal discourse.

    On June 1st, Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America, will explore the challenges and opportunities of ideological pluralism, and how to foster an ethic of inclusion in the Chicago Jewish community, in partnership with Anshe Emet Synagogue, Temple Sholom of Chicago, and Anshe Sholom B’nai Israel.

    The event will be moderated by Jason Rosensweig, the inaugural Director of Chicago at the Shalom Hartman Institute of North America. When asked about his vision for how the Institute plans to build a vibrant Jewish peoplehood for the 21st century in Chicago, he shared,

    We are here to learn the landscape of organizational and institutional life, to identify the key challenges with which Chicago leaders are grappling, and to empower them to speak and lead on major issues of Jewish concern by providing the tools to lead communal conversations on Israel and Jewish life. In essence, we are here to imagine and build a future Jewish Chicago in which the various parts of our diverse community are connected to each other, through learning and conversation.”

    The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America and has a strong connection to the Chicago Jewish community. Chicago area rabbis have been part of Hartman’s Rabbinic Leadership Initiative from its inception and they serve as leaders in sharing the important and big relevant ideas impacting Jewish communities today.

  • May 25, 2022 10:55 AM | Anonymous

    New Coast-to-Coast Series Brings Trailblazing Jewish Musicians to Audiences Everywhere

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Contact:

    Sarah Maiellano, The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, (267) 598-5401; sarah@broadstreetcomms.com

    Beth Kraemer, Lowell Milken Center, (310) 825-3650; bdkraemer@schoolofmusic.ucla.edu

    NEW COAST-TO-COAST SERIES BRINGS TRAILBLAZING JEWISH MUSICIANS TO AUDIENCES EVERYWHERE

    Bicoastal partnership focused on American Jewish experience premieres short-form Secret Chord Concerts this June

    PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (May 25, 2022): On Wednesday, June 1, the first season of Secret Chord Concerts, a new series spotlighting top Jewish musicians worldwide today, will launch.

    Secret Chord Concerts is a free on-demand video series featuring 15-25 minute performances from celebrated Jewish musicians representing a broad range of styles, heritages, and histories and recorded live in front of intimate audiences in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Season 1 episodes will air the first Wednesday of every month from June until October.

    A cross-country partnership between The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (The Weitzman) on historic Independence Mall in Philadelphia, and the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music (Lowell Milken Center) in Los Angeles, generated this new online offering. Both presenting organizations are committed to inspiring in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience. This season’s episodes were filmed at The Weitzman, against the striking backdrop of Independence Hall, and in UCLA’s beautiful recording studio.

    “I’ve had the idea of a Jewish ‘Tiny Desk’ style series in my head for years,” said Dan Samuels, The Weitzman’s Director of Public Programs. “When people think of ‘Jewish music’, they tend to think of klezmer, which is deeper, more nuanced and less monolithic than many believe. With the expertise and support of the Lowell Milken Center, Secret Chord Concerts will spotlight the latest in Jewish music across genres, which truly reflects the diversity and nuanced cultural landscape not only of the Jewish community, but of America.”

    Concerts will air live via Facebook on the pages of The Weitzman, the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The series will be available on-demand after the event on the above Facebook pages, The Weitzman’s website, and on the Lowell Milken Center’s YouTube page.

    “We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with The Weitzman once again in presenting this new endeavor,” said Lorry Black, Associate Director of the Lowell Milken Center. “Our shared vision of how music reflects all aspects of the American Jewish experience, from East Coast to West, guides this joint effort. We’re excited to expand audiences for these outstanding musical artists and introduce new people to their incredible music.”

    Inaugural Season Line-Up

    Episode 1
    June 1
    New Moon Rising, a trio of powerhouse female voices in Jewish music. Original spiritual music with lush, powerful harmonies interwoven with violin, mandolin and guitar. The audio from which will be released as a debut album this summer.

    Program: “The Other Side of Fear” by Elana Arian, “Dodi Li”, by Deborah Sacks Mintz, “What If” by Chava Mirel, “Sunrise Nigun”, by Deborah Sacks Mintz, and “Oseh Shalom” by Elana Arian

    Details of subsequent episodes will be included when they launch.

    Episode 2
    July 6
    Mostly Kosher
    Jewish cultural revival music

    Episode 3
    August 3
    Neta Elkayam
    Moroccan-Jewish fusion
    Community partner

    Episode 4
    September 7
    Anthony Mordechai Tzvi Russell with the Baymele ensemble
    Yiddish art and folk songs

    Episode 5
    October 6*
    Andy Statman
    NEA National Heritage Award Winning Klezmer and Bluegrass multi-instrumentalist
    *Wednesday, October 5 is the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur so this month’s episode will be released on Thursday, October 6.

    How to watch

    On Wednesday, June 1 at 12:00 p.m. PT / 3:00 p.m. ET, the first Secret Chord Concert will air live via Facebook on the Facebook pages of The Weitzman, the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience and the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. The series will be available on-demand after the event on the above Facebook pages, The Weitzman’s website, and on the Lowell Milken Center’s YouTube page.

    Download High-Resolution Photos and Credits

    ABOUT THE WEITZMAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY

    Established in 1976, and situated on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History is the only museum in the nation dedicated exclusively to exploring and interpreting the American Jewish experience. The Weitzman presents educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America. Its purpose is to connect Jews more closely to their heritage and to inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire. For more information, visit: https://theweitzman.org/virtual-museum/

    ABOUT THE LOWELL MILKEN CENTER FOR MUSIC OF AMERICAN JEWISH EXPERIENCE AT THE UCLA HERB ALPERT SCHOOL OF MUSIC

    Established by a gift from philanthropist Lowell Milken in 2020, the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience is dedicated to exploring American Jewish music through research, publications, performance, educational programming and community engagement in Los Angeles and beyond. The Lowell Milken Center builds upon the activities of the Lowell Milken Fund for American Jewish Music, established at UCLA in 2017, to expand the reach of the Milken Archive and its vast holdings of recordings, scores and historical materials to students, scholars and the public. With the establishment of the Lowell Milken Center, American Jewish music has its first permanent dedicated academic home, allowing it to expand the reach of its scholarship and performance through academic offerings, public programs, concerts and recordings. Committed to expanding audiences for this music beyond the UCLA campus, much of the programming happens through partnerships with local, national and international organizations, and features artists from UCLA and around the world. For more information, visit: https://schoolofmusic.ucla.edu/resources/lowellmilkenmaje/
  • April 25, 2022 1:26 PM | Anonymous

    Jewish Memory and This Moral Moment 

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    Monday, April 25, 2022

    A Virtual  Conference and Commemoration for Yom HaShoah hosted by the Shalom Hartman Institute   

    NEW YORK CITY, New York – On April 28, The Shalom Hartman Institute hosts a virtual conference and commemoration on Yom HaShoah, connecting lessons of the Holocaust to the current crisis in Ukraine, home to one of the largest thriving populations of Jewish communal life pre-WWII. 

    Leading scholars and luminaries will relate the themes of Yom HaShoah to the Ukraine-Russia war to inspire a Torah of Action. As the world witnesses the ongoing toll of the war in Ukraine and the refugee crisis in Eastern Europe continues, Jews are confronted by memories from World War II that are tragically familiar. 

    At the Jewish Memory and This Moral Moment Conference, Dr. Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute, along with Mark Hetfield, the President and CEO of HIAS, Roman Shmulenson, Executive Director of COJECO - the central hub for the Russian-speaking Jewish community in New York tri-state area, Dr. Tal Becker, legal adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dara Horn, author and two time winner of Jewish Book Award, legal adviser of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with other leading scholars on Holocaust and Jewish Studies explore the unique moral responsibilities Jewish people have in light of the Shoah.

    “With this year’s commemoration of Yom HaShoah, the Jewish community is struggling with big moral questions considering our long, difficult history in Eastern Europe. For over 70 years since the Holocaust, Jews have vowed “never again.”– Dr. Kurtzer    

    Dr. Kurtzer will deliver the keynote address, Never Again, Revisited. Later, he will be joined on a panel The Mobilization of Memory - Activating an Emergency Response in Crisis by Mark Hetfield, the President and CEO of HIAS, the global refugee agency of the American Jewish community. Founded in 1881, HIAS is the oldest organization in the world that is dedicated to refugees.  

    Roman Shmulenson, the Executive Director of COJECO - the central hub for the Russian-speaking Jewish community in New York tri-state area, will lead a panel Voices of Russian Speaking Jews and at noon, a Yom HaShoah Commemoration will be led by Rabbi Avram Mlotek, co-founder of Base and the rabbi-in-residence at the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan.

    The conference hosted by the Shalom Hartman Institute will look back in remembrance of the Holocaust while addressing the complex moral questions of power and responsibility in today’s world. The Shalom Hartman Institute is a leading center of Jewish thought and education, serving Israel and North America. Our mission is to strengthen Jewish peoplehood, identity, and pluralism; to enhance the Jewish and democratic character of Israel; and to ensure that Judaism is a compelling force for good in the 21st century.

    For all media inquiries and to arrange interviews please contact: Jan.Greenfield@shalomhartman.org 

    For a full list of panelists and sessions: https://moralmemory.hartman.org.il/agenda 

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