Mercaz News

Antisemitism Awareness Act before the U.S. Senate

Posted on May 10, 2024

MERCAZ USA is a signatory on this statement issued by the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America. Members of the United States Senate, We write to urge immediate passage of the Antisemitism Awareness Act. The purpose of this legislation is to assist the Department of Education in determining whether investigations […]

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How to Mark Israel’s National Days This Year

Posted on May 10, 2024

This year, in the aftermath of the devastating October 7 attacks and ensuing war, the act of honoring our fallen IDF soldiers and terror victims carries new weight. Tragically, our list of individuals we must remember and pay tribute to this Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, has grown much longer. The recognition of Israel’s establishment […]

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Torah for this Hour | May 9, 2024

Posted on May 10, 2024

They who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy.” (Ps. 126:5) Somehow that statement lacks of full comprehension of the depth of the pain. Sometimes sorrow simply colors everything, to the point that there is no joy in the outcome. In the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Ta‘anit, the Rabbis explained the verse as referring […]

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Shadows of Fear: Jewish Students Branded as Outsiders

Posted on May 7, 2024

BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES Israeli and Jewish communities around the world solemnly commemorated the 6,000,000 Jews killed in the Holocaust on May 6 – Yom HaShoah. They also honored the heroism of survivors and rescuers. This year’s theme of destroyed Jewish communities resonates with the Israelis traumatized by the Iran-backed 10/7 Hamas attack and American […]

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Torah for this Hour | May 2, 2024

Posted on May 2, 2024

“The world is in sorrow from Pesaḥ to Shavu’ot because of the crops and the trees. Therefore the Blessed Holy One commanded us to count those days…” (Abudraham). As long as the ripe crops were not harvested there was good reason for concern! Every moment was put to use to get to the end of […]

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Tribute to a Historic Jewish-American Figure: Sen. Joseph Lieberman

Posted on May 1, 2024

by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Rabbi Alan Silverstein (1995). The recent, tragic passing of Sen. Joseph Lieberman leaves a void in Jewish advocacy. As recently as mid-March, the Senator published a column criticizing Chuck Schumer’s interference in the Israeli election process. Then, at the very end of his days, Lieberman joined […]

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Campus Chaos: Violent Protesters Disrupt University Life Across America

Posted on May 1, 2024

BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES Pro-Hamas protestors at more than 50 universities – from Yale to Arizona State, from Minnesota to Texas and Canada to Australia – are engaged in major anti-Israel protests often with tent encampments aimed at disrupting campus life for all Americans. The protests are part of […]

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Antisemitism Awareness Act before Congress

Posted on May 1, 2024

MERCAZ USA is a signatory on this statement issued by the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America.     Members of the United States House of Representatives, We write to urge immediate passage of H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act. The purpose of this legislation is to […]

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Torah for This Hour | April 25, 2024

Posted on April 25, 2024

“How is a song born?” That’s what the singers ask in the Israeli children’s classic, The Sixteenth Lamb. And it’s actually a good question: How is a song written? How is the music composed? A song becomes popular when it is simple and easy to learn, when it brings different worlds together, music and words, […]

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‘Let My People Go’: Israeli Hostages and Passover Celebration of Freedom

Posted on April 21, 2024

BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING MYTHS ‘Let My People Go’ Passover is the sacred holiday when Jews gather annually with their families to commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The thought of celebrating this year’s holiday is unbearable for the Jewish families whose loved ones are still being […]

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