January 24, 2024
Jewish Washingtonians gather at Qatari Embassy to push for hostage release
Jewish Insider
On a gray, chilly morning on the edge of Washington D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood, around 200 members of the D.C.-area Jewish community, toting U.S. and Israeli flags, the now-familiar hostage posters and a few handmade signs, gathered outside the Qatari Embassy to push for the release of the hostages being held by Hamas.
January 14, 2024
Israel-Hamas War reaches 100th day
ABC7 WJLA
For Ron Halber, the executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, the 100th day was a somber occasion. “I keep thinking about the terrible agony that the families of the hostages are feeling,” Halber told 7News.
January 14, 2024
JCRC Statement on 100 Days Since the October 7 Massacre
JCRC of Greater Washington
Today marks 100 days following the worst atrocity committed against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. October 7 will forever be a date of mourning; the searing pain of that day will always be with us. We continue to mourn alongside the families of the 1,200 victims who were massacred by Hamas and pray for the full recovery of those who were wounded. We hold in our hearts the more than 130 people still held hostage by Hamas, and reaffirm our total commitment to ending their trauma and getting them home. We grieve for the innocent loss of life in Gaza over the past months and the more than 500 heroic IDF soldiers who have sacrificed their lives to protect the Jewish state. And we pray for an eventual and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
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January 12, 2024
JCRC Statement on Codepink’s “March on Washington for Gaza” Event
JCRC of Greater Washington
This weekend, people of good conscience will take the time to mark and reflect on one hundred days since Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,200 innocent people on October 7 and raped and sexually assaulted over 200 Jewish girls and young women. Codepink, by contrast, is choosing to organize a hate-filled, anti-Semitic gathering of extremists calling for the destruction of Israel.
January 2, 2024
Embattled Harvard President Claudine Gay resigns just six months into her tenure
USA Today
Ron Halber, the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, told USA TODAY he believes Gay "should have resigned immediately" after her congressional testimony.
December 29, 2023
Security, Antisemitism and Israel Spotlighted at JCRC Annual Legislative Breakfast
Washington Jewish Week
A crowd of prominent Jewish community members and elected officials from the local, state and federal levels converged on Ohr Kodesh Congregation in Silver Spring on the morning of Dec. 21 for the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington’s annual Maryland legislative breakfast, which was highlighted less by typical legislative agendas and more so through a large showing of support for Israel.
December 28, 2023
At a D.C. school, proposed film event sparks outrage amid Israel-Gaza war
The Washington Post
A group of D.C. parents and teens have accused leaders at Jackson-Reed High School of censorship after an Arab student club said it was barred from hosting a screening of a documentary about the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
December 23, 2023
Holocaust denialism among some younger Americans alarms experts as post-10/7 antisemitism
Fox News
Since Hamas' October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, which left 1,200 Jews dead and resulted in the capture of over 240 civilians, there has been an uptick in antisemitic attacks and pro-Hamas protests across the United States, specifically on college campuses.
December 21, 2023
Calls for Increased Security Grants, Support for Israel at Lox & Legislators Breakfast
mymcm
U.S. Congressmembers, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, state senators and delegates and county council members expressed their strong support for Israel and against hate during the Jewish Community Relations Council’s (JCRC) 2023 Lox & Legislators breakfast Thursday.
December 18, 2023
‘I was afraid': DC rabbi talks about antisemitic attack outside Georgetown synagogue
NBC Washington
New details emerged Monday on a suspected antisemitic assault outside a D.C. synagogue on Sunday. Police responded to Kesher Israel, in Georgetown, just before 9:30 a.m. Sunday after a man allegedly shouted “Gas the Jews” and sprayed people with a foul-smelling substance.
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December 18, 2023
JCRC Statement on Recent Threats Against Jewish Institutions
JCRC of Greater Washington
In the past 48 hours, at least ten synagogues and other Jewish institutions across the DMV received bomb threats and were subjected to other forms of harassment. Cries of ‘gas the Jews' are being directed toward our children and families. We are experiencing a stunning increase in antisemitic words and actions directed at local Jewish families and institutions.
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December 15, 2023
JCRC Statement on MCPS Teacher Discipline
JCRC of Greater Washington
Over the last three weeks, at least four Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) educators have been placed on administrative leave for sharing antisemitic images and messages on their social media accounts and, in one case, in an MCPS email signature block. It is deeply disturbing to see professionals tasked with educating and nurturing our children endorsing and spreading such hateful messages.
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December 12, 2023
LTE Chris Van Hollen scolds the wrong side in the Israel-Gaza war
The Washington Post
I welcome the support of Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) for Israel’s military campaign to dismantle Hamas. I also agree that civilians in war zones should be protected. Mr. Van Hollen’s focus, however, was on the wrong target.
December 7, 2023
Menorah vandalized outside Olney synagogue hours before Hanukkah celebrations set to begin
FOX 5
Montgomery County Police are investigating a Menorah vandalized outside a synagogue in Olney hours before Hanukkah celebrations were set to begin Thursday night.
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December 6, 2023
JCRC Statement on Reinstatement of Zainab Chaudry to MD Attorney General’s Hate Crimes Task Force
JCRC of Greater Washington
Zainab Chaudry believes that Hamas’ coldblooded murder of Israeli babies during its terrorist massacre on October 7 was fake and compares Israel to Nazi Germany. We wholeheartedly supported Attorney General Brown’s decision to temporarily suspend her from the commission in light of these vicious and antisemitic lies and wish it could be permanent.
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November 30, 2023
JCRC Statement on “Emergency Protest” Outside the Israeli Embassy
JCRC of Greater Washington
The Greater Washington Jewish community would welcome a firm and lasting peace for Israel and Gaza. Israelis and Palestinians deserve nothing less. Peace will come when Hamas no longer has the means to behead innocent children, rape innocent women, slaughter innocent civilians, and destroy innocent families. Peace will come when Hamas no longer governs Gaza. We unequivocally support Israel’s military campaign to permanently dismantle Hamas, which will strike a blow for freedom in the Middle East and around the world.
November 29, 2023
JCRC of Greater Washington raising money, staffing up in wake of Oct. 7 and rising antisemitism
eJewish Philanthropy
The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington has been “quietly” raising money in order to hire new staff and expand its activities in the wake of the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, the ensuing war and the concurrent rise in antisemitism in the United States and around the world, the organization’s executive director told eJewishPhilanthropy this week.
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November 29, 2023
Building Pro-Israel Momentum in the Local Community
Washington Jewish Week
Jewish leaders in the greater Washington community anticipate that momentum will continue building following the massive pro-Israel rally in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 14, and the first hostage releases under an Israel-Hamas agreement.
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November 28, 2023
JCRC Statement on Funds Being Made Available in Maryland for Faith-Based Institutions and Nonprofits
JCRC of Greater Washington
The following is a statement from Ron Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Greater Washington, on state and local officials in Maryland announcing more than $1.3 million in security grants for faith-based institutions and nonprofits:
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November 22, 2023
JCRC Statement on Deal to Release 50 Hostages
JCRC of Greater Washington
For 46 days, Israeli civilians have longed to hold their children and other relatives who were abducted during Hamas’ terrorist rampage. We share their tears of joy that they will soon be reunited and pray that families will never be separated again.
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November 21, 2023
Member of Md. hate-crime task force suspended for anti-Israel remarks
The Washington Post
The Maryland attorney general on Tuesday suspended a member of Maryland’s Commission on Hate Crime Response and Prevention for posting messages on social media that harshly criticized the actions of the Israeli government in the Palestinian territories.
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November 16, 2023
JCRC of Greater Washington Condemns Violent Anti-Israel Protest Outside DNC Headquarters
JCRC of Greater Washington
The JCRC of Greater Washington condemns in the strongest terms possible the violent demonstration that occurred Wednesday evening outside Democratic National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill. We greatly appreciate U.S. Capitol Police for removing the unruly protesters and find it unconscionable that six officers were injured by protesters as they attempted to break up the crowd.
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November 15, 2023
Historic Pro-Israel Rally in DC Draws Massive Crowd
Washington Jewish Week
People from across the United States converged on the nation’s capital on Nov. 14 for a historic event in support of the state of Israel.
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November 8, 2023
JCRC and ADL Washington Statement on CASA Anti-Israel Social Media Post
JCRC of Greater Washington
The Washington Jewish community has for decades enjoyed a strong alliance with the area’s Latino population and advocacy organizations, so it was particularly alarming to read CASA’s post concerning Israel that was hurtful and full of falsehoods. Although the post has been deleted, it does not erase the untrue accusation that Israel is engaging in ethnic cleansing or suggesting that Israel should not be able to defend itself from terrorism, among other inaccuracies.
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November 1, 2023
D.C.-area schools report more bias incidents against Jews, Palestinians
The Washington Post
Students on K-12 campuses throughout the Washington region have reported finding antisemitic graffiti in bathrooms, hallways and parking lots since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, and Palestinian students recount being called terrorists and feeling unwelcome in their school communities.
