What’s nu? January 2018 | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

What’s nu? January 2018

Grants and scholarships available

MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Jewish Federation has several grants and scholarship opportunities:

  • One Happy Camper provides grants up to $1,000 for first-time campers at Jewish overnight camps.
  • Scholarships available for Jewish overnight camps and summer Israel programs for young people.
  • Semester or year in Israel from the Sarah B. and Louis M. Kesselman Israel Program Scholarship Fund.
  • Hecht Family Memorial College Scholarship Fund to outstanding Jewish high school seniors to help fund the college freshman year.

Learn more at MilwaukeeJewish.org/Scholarships.

Nominees sought for social justice award

MILWAUKEE – The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation is seeking nominees for its fourth annual Robert H. Friebert Social Justice Award.

The award will be given to an individual who has demonstrated leadership, courage and compassion as a social justice advocate, while working to eliminate discrimination and injustice in the greater Milwaukee area. Nominees’ professional and personal contributions to social justice will be considered. Previous honorees are James H. Hall, Danae Davis and José A. Olivieri.

The honoree will be recognized at the JCRC’s Annual Meeting on June 21, 2018. Nomination forms can be found online at MilwaukeeJewish.org/Friebert. The deadline for submission is March 12, 2018.

This award was created in memory of Milwaukee attorney and activist Robert H. Friebert.

Council issued statement on Jerusalem

MILWAUKEE – The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation issued the following statement soon after President Donald Trump announced U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on Wednesday, Dec. 6.

“Since 1949, when Israel established its capital in those parts of West Jerusalem under its sovereignty, nations of the world have refused to recognize it. This refusal has singled out Israel amongst all nations, denying Israel the right that every other sovereign nation has to determine the location of its own capital within its sovereign territory.  The Israeli government, its parliament, courts, and prime minister, have been located in Jerusalem since just after the birth of the State. Claims that there is no Jewish connection to Jerusalem and the refusal to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish people negate 3,000 years of history. This deserves correcting.

“Many in our Jewish community are deeply concerned that Wednesday’s announcement will make it harder to achieve the goal of peace, and further divide Israelis and Palestinians. There is a sense that the potential for bilateral negotiations can only be aided by the Administration reminding all parties of their commitments to achieve a two-state solution.

“The path to peace is challenging. We have no crystal ball that tells us which steps complicate or smooth the way forward.

“The Jewish community is made up of nearly 25,000 diverse people in Milwaukee. While there is great variety of views regarding tactics and strategies to achieve a lasting and just peace, there is overwhelming consensus for a two-state solution and for the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the democratic and Jewish state.

“The Jewish community is committed to working with our partners to become more educated, more understanding, and more compassionate of each other, our authentic narratives, histories, sensitivities, and values. While we care deeply about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we are committed to not acting out the conflict here at home in Milwaukee.”