March 11, 2011 
To the Editor,
 
Thanks for this clear and interesting analysis, Rhonda.

Shabbat Shalom,
Justin Jared Lewis

To The Editor,

March 10, 2010

I think the US internal economic problems are so great that Obama is retreating from foreign policy to solely domestic policy. HE CAN'T  WIN THE NEXT ELECTION UNLESS HIS OWN HOUSE IS IN ORDER BEFORE PUTTING ANY BUDDY ELSE'S HOUSE IN ORDER.

Alan Levy, Assoc. Prof,  Brandon University

March 10, 2011

Hello Rhonda,

Thanks for your great reporting.

Isaac Gutwilik
Two Rivers Design

March 20, 2011
 
Hello, Ms Spivak
 
Thank you very much for this article and keeping people informed as to what is going on re: Israel Apartheid Week and with similar activities.
 
I especially liked your story  "Winnipeg university head fights Israel Apartheid Week" featuring activities at the University of Winnipeg where I teach. A small, but important step forward, I think. It is so depressing walking by an Israel Apartheid Week table manned by students outside of a classroom in which I teach. It is good to know positive things are happening.
 
Allan Appel
Instructor,
Faculty of Education,
University of Winnipeg

March 10, 2011

To the Editor,
 
March 10, 2011
 
Rare chance to buy Israeli produce!
 
JAFFA CLEMENTINES are on sale at Sobeys as of tomorrow.
 
Spread the Word,
 
Eran Plotnik

March 10, 2011

To the Editor,
 
Great job, Rhonda,
 
Ricki Segal, 
Winnipeg

To the Editor,

March 7, 2011

Statement by Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff on Israeli Apartheid Week

OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff made the following statement condemning Israeli Apartheid Week:

"Israeli Apartheid Week is an attack on the mutual respect that holds our society together. It is a dangerous cocktail of ignorance and intolerance, both of which stand in the way of peace. The Liberal Party of Canada condemns Israeli Apartheid Week, in no uncertain terms.

"Recent events in the Middle East offer us an opportunity to build a candid and constructive dialogue about peace and democratic reform in the region. Such a dialogue requires give and take; we must be able to acknowledge criticism as legitimate, while treating with respect those who share our hopes for peace and democratic freedoms for all.

"Israeli Apartheid Week does the opposite. By portraying the Jewish state as criminal, by demonizing Israel and its supporters, and by targeting Jewish and Israeli students for abuse on our university campuses, the organizers and supporters of Israeli Apartheid Week tarnish our freedom of speech.

"The voices of anti-Semitism and intolerance have no place in Canada, in the Middle East, or anywhere in the world. All Canadians - and all university students - have the right to feel safe and secure in our communities, regardless of who they are or what they believe.

"On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada and our Parliamentary caucus, I urge all Canadians to join with us in once again condemning Israeli Apartheid Week here in Canada and around the world."

Sent on behalf of the Liberal Party

To the Editor,

March 7, 2011

I enjoyed your report from Washington.

What is J-Street's mission, membership,and is there a branch in Winnipeg?

Sid Halpern, Winnipeg

Editor's response: J-Street is an American lobbying group [left-wing] that wants to see a two state solution implemented betwreen Israelis and Palestinians as soon as possible. There is no J-Street in Winnipeg or elswhere in Canada.

To best Answer your questions, I refer you to  J-Street's website:  http://jstreet.org/

To the Editor,

I hope you will be interested in mentioning in the Winnipeg Jewish Review the petition against the massive neo-Nazi march scheduled for March 11 in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. Here is the link to the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/lithuanian-ambassador-to-the-united-states-ban-neo-nazis-from-desecrating-the-dignity-of-lithuanias-independence-day

and the link to my article on the subject published on the front page of VilNews a few days ago: http://vilnews.com/?p=12163

The subject of neo-Nazism in Europe is getting increasing attention. In addition to my petition, there are parallel petitions in the works for Hungary and Latvia, as well as a documentary film on the subject being shown in Berlin. Perhaps you might be interested in covering this effort.

Thank you for your consideration.

Olga Zabludoff

Washington, DC

To The Editor

February 22, 2011

Hi Rhonda. Great meeting you tonight and  hearing your presentation at our synagogue [re: your reporting from Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem]. I wanted to invite you to speak at the Jewish Community Relations Council of  Greater  Washington 's  annual community-wide grass-roots Israel advocacy training program, which has  Special briefings with Washington Insiders, plus hands-on breakout sessions! 

(Hopefully you can be one of those"insiders".)

Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011; Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Upper School campus,
11710 Hunters Lane, Rockville, MD   Time:  1-5 PM
 
Regards,

Phil Sinsky   www.jcouncil.org/shapethedebate.

The program  for the JCRC’s community-wide grass roots advocacy training program is below:

                                                   Israel Advocacy Training Institute:
                                        Shaping the Debate
                                      Sunday February 27, 2011
1 pm - 5 pm
Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School (JDS) Upper School Campus
11710 Hunters Lane Rockville, MD
 
                        Opening Plenary featuring keynote speakers:

Dr. Robert Satloff - Executive Director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Jonathan Peled
Spokesperson for the Embassy of Israel to the United States

Hilary Krieger
Washington Bureau Chief for The Jerusalem Post

Steve Rabinowitz
President of Rabinowitz / Dorf Communications

Workshop sessions featuring:
• Israel’s Image in the Media: How to Write Letters to the Editor
with Washington Director of CAMERA Eric Rozenman

• Political Involvement: Building Relationships with Members of Congress beyond Washington
with AIPAC’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Director Brian Shankman

• I Engage: The Liberal Conversation about Israel
with Director of The David Project David Bernstein

 
• Words that Work: Positive Messaging about Israel
with The Israel Project’s Senior Director, Communications and Research Alan Elsner

• On Campus: Supporting our Students in the Fight Against Delegitimization
with Executive Director of the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise and author of Myths and Facts Mitchell Bard and StandWithUs East Coast Campus Coordinator Avi Gordon

• Building Alliances in the Christian Community
with Vice President of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs Ethan Felson and Reverend Katharine

Henderson, President Auburn Theological Seminary 
Registration required. $18. free for students

Editor's response:

Thank you  Phil for this invitation. My appearance at your synagogue on February 22 was arranged  at the request of  an Israeli journalist on learning I would be in town, and I am especially pleased that you found my my reports on visiting Palestinian refugee camps near Bethlehem,  Ramallah and East Jerusalem of interst and my analysis of  the Israeli-palestinian conflict.

I am honoured that you thought  to include me in your tp notch line up on such little notice.

Unfortunately, since I am in Washington to cover the  J-Street Conference my schedule for Sunday Feb 27, 2010 is already completely booked. However, please  invite me again next year  and I will  prepare a complete presentation with photographs and a power point presentation for your community’s Israel advocacy program. 

Hi Rhonda,

Thank you so much for this interesting news! I always enjoy the Winnipeg Review and recently thought I should tell you that in an email. Now is my chance! What an interesting job you have. If you ever have time perhaps you could speak to my Career Prep class about your career. It is a small group of 6 but they are very keen on speakers. Again, I feel fortunate to have access to this news. Diane

Diane Peters
Guidance Counsellor Grades 7-12
Gray Academy of Jewish Education

March 3, 2011

 Rhonda,

 You might want to read Ron Radosh’s 3 part report on the J Street Conference:  Here is his report on day 3.  The day 1 and 2 reports can be accessed at the end of this report:  http://pajamasmedia.com/ronradosh/2011/02/28/j-street-day-3-dennis-ross/

 Bill Narvey

 Editor’s response: Thanks Bill. In fact I met Ron Radosh at the J Street conference where I sat very near him when I was covering  Dennis Ross’s speech.  He  did not seem to  be particularly enthused about the speech.}

March 2, 2011

Rhonda,

J Street is to say the least controversial.  It has been described as far to the left of Obama, thus making Obama appear as a centrist, relative at least to J. Street’s thinking.

That controversy is underlined when even leftwing Rabbi Sapperstein as you report, was critical over J Street’s prompting the U.S. not to veto the anti-Israel/anti-Semitic UN resolution. 

The U.S. however, did the next best thing by Amb. Rice endorsing the resolution, but vetoing it saying it could dampen efforts for negotiations.

Will you be reporting on the crowd’s reaction to the various speakers? 

Given the views of J Street, it is not surprising that few if any speakers or members of the audience during the q and a, would be expressing any views critical of  J Street’s views. 

It is reminiscent of the Goldstone inquiry where Goldstone reached his conclusions against Israel based only on the testimony and facts that supported the reasoning for the UN to convene the inquiry in the first place.  That advance conclusion is what kept Israel from participating in what obviously was a UN kangaroo court.

I look forward to your further reports on what you heard and learned.

Will you at the conclusion of your report of events at the J Street conference take off your pure journalism hat of reporting what you heard and learned and don your advocate hat in terms of what you found good or bad about J Street and this conference?

In the interim, two items from Stephen Plaut should be of interest and use to your readers if you choose to post it to the WJR or at least to those whom you included in this e mail to assist in taking the measure of what J Street is about.

1.     Twenty-Six Reasons J Street’s Demise Shouldn’t Be Mourned - Acompendium of their falsehoods, misdirections, and anti-Israel activities.

February 22, 2011 - by Lenny Ben-David

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/twenty-six-reasons-j-street%E2%80%99s-demise-shouldn%E2%80%99t-be-mourned/?singlepage=true

 2.    Steven Plaut broadcast an e mail the other day regarding those speakers invited to address the upcoming J Street conference.  In his e mail he identified numerous Muslims and Jewish advocates, some of whom are part of the BDS movement.  The “J” in “J Street” seems to stand for “Jihad”

Scroll down to Plaut’s posting Posting #2  2/22/2011 02:05:00 PM

http://stevenplaut.blogspot.com/

Regards,

Bill

To the Editor,
March 1, 2011
Excellent and informative article.  Wow what experiences you have.  Thanks for the reporting.

Danita

To the Editor
 
Re: A Nite Of Jewish Humor
 
February 28, 2011

Hello,

My name is Chandra Mayor, and I'm writing from Aqua Books (www.aquabooks.ca).  I want to let you know about the Night of Jewish Humour that we're presenting at 7 pm, March 10, here at the bookstore.  The event is free. The evening features Michael Nathanson, Daniel Thau-Eleff, and Alix Sobler, and promises to be a fantastic, one-of-a-kind event (also, in part, promoting Nathanson's new play).  I hope that your readers will be interested in this.  I've included more information below; please contact bookstore owner Kelly Hughes ([email protected]) for more info.  Thanks very much, and continued best wishes with the Wpg Jewish Review,

Regards,
Chandra Mayor
Aqua Books (www.aquabooks.ca)
274 Garry St.
943-7555
 

 To the Editor,
 
February 27,2010

As you know, senior Ashley Faintuch is the StandWithUs Emerson Fellow at the University of Winnipeg.  She is countering Israel Apartheid Week by organizing "Israel Peace Week: In the Name of Democracy," beginning March 14.  The week-long event contrasts Democracy and human rights in the Middle East, showing that Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Hezbollah and Iran are not partners for peace.  She will table at  the Universities of Winnipeg and Manitoba utilizing StandWithUs materials from 10am-2pm every day (primarily the Apartheid brochures).  At  the University of Winnipeg, she'll be at the main building, 2nd floor escalators.
  
Thanks and please call me anytime,
Jennifer Kutner
StandWithUs Publicist

To the Editor,
 
 Fri, Feb 25, 2011, 12:01 AM

Hi Rhonda

Beautiful article by Alan Dershowitz. - Apartheit Week

Are you going to the anticipated U/M again ?
 
Phil Spevack, Wpg