SF Jewish Film Festival Watch

Major Rift in the Bay Area Jewish Community;

2009-11-22T17:22:00.000-08:00

The SF Jewish film Festival, the SF Federation,
and the Pro-Israel Community

by Lawrence W. White MD

For many years, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF) has run films critical of Israel, often with attitudes bordering on anti-Semitism. This year, the film “Rachel” celebrated the life and death of Rachel Corrie. Rachel was an impressionable young student recruited by the International Solidarity Movement, (ISM), a Hamas-supporting group, who was sent to Gaza to aid in the campaign to demonize Israel. She was accidentally killed when she entered a war zone to try to stop the removal of tunnels used to smuggle arms to Hamas. The ISM loves martyrs, and so Rachel became a glorious sacrifice to the cause of demonizing Israel. And so, one of the many ideologically motivated film makers, made a documentary about the life and death of Rachel. And predictably, the SFJFF decided this rather mediocre film was a must showing for their annual festival.

The film festival compounded this provocation by co-sponsoring the film with two anti-Israel groups, and by inviting Rachel’s mother, Cindy Corrie, a mouthpiece for ISM, to speak. .The showing of the film was welcomed by the most vocal elements of the anti-Israel community, who hailed the screening as a milestone in getting American Jews to break with Israel. Pro-Israel spokespersons, such as Michael Harris who was invited to give a short presentation before the film to mollify critics, were booed and harassed. Larry Goldberg, who attempted to ask a question after the Cindy Corrie soft-ball interview, had the microphone snatched from his hands by SFJFF goons.

And then there was the showing of Defamation by the film festival, a film that ridiculed concerns about anti-Semitism as if a guard at the Holocaust Museum in Washington had not been murdered recently because of Jew hatred, as if a world-wide outbreak of anti-Semitism has not occurred as a result of solidarity with the Arab masses and manipulation by the Arab sheikdoms. Further, “Defamation” ridiculed teaching about the Holocaust, giving respectability to the views of Norman Finkelstein, a professional anti-Semite and Israel hater, who makes his living speaking to conventions of Holocaust deniers, who refers to the Holocaust as an “industry”, and who ridicules Elie Wiesel as the “clown prince of the Holocaust”. The film mocks Abraham Foxman and the ADL, and glorifies Walt and Mearsheimer, the authors of “The Israel Lobby”.

There are Jewish film festivals all over the country; none have been controversial. The difference is that the others are about film, about Jewish culture, about history, about real people and honest problems. The SFJFF is largely about left wing anti-Israel propaganda. The CEO, Peter Stein, and most of his board, are ideologues who are less interested in Jewish film, culture, and history than in anti-Jewish propaganda.

The result? A major rift in the community between those who support the existence of a Jewish state and want a strong US-Israel relationship, and those whose radical proclivities are far stronger than any feelings for Israel or for the survival of the Jewish people.

For those supporting Israel, there are two main targets that have emerged; the film festival and its director, and the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, which has given its imprimatur year after year to the festival, and contributed funds collected from its donors to the festival.

The SF Federation has not acted in good faith. When the controversy exploded, leaders and staffers in Federation initiated a letter writing program defending the showing of “Rachel”. The director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, an arm of Federation, published a column in J, ridiculing film festival critics and implying that they were a tiny, angry, and vocal minority, who were unconcerned with the issues of the greater community. The SF Federation nominated Peter Stein as a hero of the Jewish community in a contest run by the United Jewish Communities.

The Federation CEO, Daniel Sokatch, a founder of the anti-Israel group "J Street" and a member of their advisory board, complained about muzzling of the “progressive” community. Sokatch, who did untold damage to the reputation of Federation in the larger community, compounded the controversy by defending the film festival. As pro-Israel donors began to consider bypassing Federation with their dollars, Sokatch also bailed out by taking the CEO job at the New Israel Fund, another fringe group which, like J Street, is anti-Israel while claiming to be pro-Israel. Why the Federation chose a far-left wing ideologue as CEO says more about the Federation than about Dan Sokatch. At best, it is a demonstration of naïveté, at worst, an indication of the political inclinations of the Bay area Jewish community.

Recently, pro-Israel leaders in the community attempted to find a formula to heal the rift. They asked the Federation to pass a resolution that would deny funds to any organizations that advocated harming Israel via boycotts, divestment and sanctions. At the insistence of Federation, the wording was watered down repeatedly. Zvi Alon, Natan Nestel, and others tried to run an advertisement in the weekly Jewish paper, “J”, advocating for this resolution. Then Federation successfully used its muscle to get “J” to refuse the ad. This time the critics fought back, threatening to expose the behind the scenes censorship by Federation. As a result, “J” backed down and reluctantly ran the ad.

At a contentious meeting on Nov 19, Federation voted against the resolution, promising to reconsider it at their February meeting, and hoping the issue would go away by then. Perhaps they failed to understand that this controversy had now gone international. Media coverage had exposed the rift, and had shown how extreme anti-Israel groups have hijacked both the film festival and the Federation, and acted to accelerate the abandonment of Israel by a growing segment of the American Jewish community.

Rabbi Daniel Gordis, a thoughtful and articulate writer, published an article in the Jerusalem Post on this subject. Pointing out facetiously that the world agrees that “Israel is the primary culprit in the Middle East conflict, the cause of relentless Palestinian suffering and the primary obstacle blocking the way to regional peace” Gordis discusses how the world has instigated a chorus of opprobrium as exemplified by the Swedish organ-snatching blood libel, Norwegian divestment, Turkish severance of military cooperation with Israel, and the US administration notion that the problem in the Middle East can be boiled down simply to the “settlements”, including areas of Jerusalem currently “occupied” by Jews.

And the list seems endless. American Jews have now joined in. According to Gordis, Canadian and American Jews have lashed out at the Toronto International Film Festival for its honoring of Tel Aviv. Two American Jewish sociologists have written that 50% of American Jews under age 35 have stated that the destruction of Israel would not be a personal tragedy for them. And on and on.

As Gordis pointed out:

“In San Francisco, Jewish communal funds were used to support the SF Jewish Film Festival's screening of Rachel, an Israel-bashing "documentary" about Rachel Corrie of International Solidarity Movement fame. Noting that the SFJFF was now effectively in partnership with Jewish Voices for Peace, a well known anti-Israel, pro-boycott organization, many prominent Jews vehemently protested. But the film was shown, anyway.”

So Federation, now an unindicted co-conspirator in the abandonment of Israel, will not agree to withhold funding from those who demonize Israel. And further they hope (expect) that their critics will forget about this by the time of their next meeting. They won’t.

The good news is that this is not a new phenomenon. We have seen this drama many times before. Because Jews from Central Europe preceded Eastern European Jews in immigrating to America by two or three generations, they found themselves suddenly embarrassed by those who clamed to be their fellow Jews. The new arrivals spoke Yiddish, lived in poverty, and were completely unassimilated, while wealthy German Jews, who had fully become a part of the larger American community with leadership positions in government, finance, retailing, and professional life, looked down their noses at their co-religionists as they figured ways to set themselves apart from these aliens..

Then we had the phenomenon of those Jews who put loyalty to Roosevelt ahead of rescue of European Jews. Or Jews who put loyalty to Stalin ahead of saving Jewish intellectuals from show trials and execution.

And again, those elements of the Reform Jewish community who opposed Zionism in the 1940s, formed the American Council for Judaism, and installed Rabbi Elmer Berger as its CEO. Their fear? Accusations of dual loyalty, and a desire to prove beyond any doubt their allegiance to their host nation.

And again, when a fight erupted over community control of schools in New York, wealthy Manhattan Jews wanted to ally with the black community more than they wanted to protect the less influential Jewish teachers and social workers. And again, when Leonard Bernstein and his ilk lionized the black Panthers and radical black anti-Semites.(immortalized by Tom Wolfe in “Radical Chic”). Or recently when Michael Lerner (another anti-Israel propagandist pretending to be pro-Israel) invited the rabid Israel hater Alice Walker to give the Yom Kippur sermon at his temple.

It is hard to pick up a newspaper without reading some evidence of a rift in the Jewish community. Samuel Freedman has written a wonderful book called “Jew vs. Jew” in which he profiles many examples of internecine battles among Jews in America over the last 50 years. Though this is not a new phenomenon, the Bay area excels at the sort of venom in which the far left seems to specialize.

So what now? Those who want SF Federation to declare their clear intent to deny funding or validation of anti-Israel action or talk are here to stay. At the same time, another group, also large, influential, and well connected, is trying to secure the resignation of Peter Stein. If Stein does not resign voluntarily (which seems unlikely) supporters hope to get funders to withdraw support from the film festival.

Federation loudly defends itself, pointing out that it has been active in promoting Israel. And the film festival defends itself by pointing to some of its other cosponsors and non-controversial films. However, as long as Federation does not declare its intent regarding support for those who defame Israel, and as long as Peter Stein remains stubbornly recalcitrant and continues calling the shots at the SFJFF, the rift will remain.

The SF Jewish Film Festival; Latest Actions

2009-11-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

By Lawrence W. White MD

I have previously commented regarding the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the “Rachel” and “Defamation” disasters of 2009, the controversy over the actions of Peter Stein, and the responses of the Jewish Community Federation and the JCRC. Most recently, (10/26/09) I recommended specific steps to resolve this crisis in our community and get the film festival back on track so that it will once again serve the community. Central to this was to secure the resignation of Peter Stein.

Currently, there are two efforts underway to prevent a repetition of this years events, which not only had a clear anti-Israel message, but also trivialized any effort to oppose anti-Semitism

The first effort is aimed at having Federation take a clear stand against funding any group that supports divestment, boycott or sanctions against Israel. This would actually let the SFJFF off the hook, since as an organization they do not advocate these positions. However, by insisting that any recipient of Federation funding not partner with any group that advocates these anti-Israel measures, this would prevent such actions as the partnership with Jewish Voice for Peace, or the invitation to Cindy Corrie who is a messenger for ISM. Those who are supporting this effort will publish an advertisement in this weeks J, and seek to have Federation adopt a measure to accomplish this stand.

The second measure is aimed directly at the Film Festival. It seeks the resignation of Peter Stein. The clear logic and rationale behind this are spelled out in the statement reprinted below. As long as this is a Jewish film festival, it must be pro-Israel. And as long as the SFJFF is a non-profit, they need to be an arts organization, not a political organization.

Why Peter Stein Should Resign

“If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither, let my tongue cleave to my palate if I do not remember you…”

Psalms 137, 5-7

We are a group of pro-Israel supporters who firmly believe that the resignation and departure of Peter Stein from his current position as Executive Director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF) is an essential step to prevent a continuation of the years of films and programs which demonize the State of Israel and its Jewish citizens. This culminated on July 25th with the showing of the film “Rachel” combined with an anti Israel speaker and sponsorship. This is completely unacceptable for an organization which has enjoyed such substantial and generous support from the Jewish community through the 29 years of their existence. The pattern must be changed! No guarantee is possible but we know this is the way to begin.

We do not think that the Federation is the central address for this problem. Rather, we believe that SFJFF and its Executive Director is where the attention should be directed.

It is clear to us that Peter Stein bears personal responsibility for each of the decisions that led to the terrible event at the Castro Theater on July 25th of this year.

In his role as Executive Director of SFJFF, he selected "Rachel" for the Festival in February when he saw the movie in Berlin. He has final and personal authority on the selection of all films shown by the Festival.

Peter Stein decided to build a program around the showing of "Rachel" and selected Cindy Corrie as the speaker.

He decided that the Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee would be co-sponsors of the program as they had been for a number of times previously. These are both well known anti-Israel organizations.

Mr. Stein personally conducted the Question and Answer session after the showing of the film in a manner that gave Cindy Corrie an extended and favorable setting for her anti-Israeli message.

He has admitted that he did “due diligence” before the event and knew that it would stir a controversy but he went ahead with it anyway. An obvious search request on Google concerning Rachel and Cindy Corrie would show over 32,000 entries.

Another film which was also part of the recent festival and almost equally disturbing was “ Defamation.” Attention to it was diminished because of the controversy involving “ Rachel.” The film mocked the efforts of our community to fight anti-Semitism and tried to ridicule the importance of the remembrance of the Holocaust...

Mr. Stein also withheld information about the controversy he was creating from the President of SFJFF and the members of the Board until the Festival program was printed and received in the mail in June.

During the six years of his tenure as Executive Director, he has consistently selected films which have an anti-Israel bias and he has, therefore, nurtured the part of the community which shares this political perspective. The audience that was present on July 25th filled the auditorium and substantially represented this group.

SFJFF is an organization basically run by its Executive Director and the Board plays a supportive but inferior role. They provide no oversight to the Executive Director's authority to select all the films and design the programs. The staff is under Mr. Stein’s personal direction and he exercises final authority and responsibility.

The decision as to whether a film demonizes Israel is a subjective judgment and depends upon the eye of the beholder. If the beholder is Peter Stein, there can be no confidence that the present and past pattern will not be repeated.

To their credit, five members of the SFJFF Board (about one third) including the immediate past President recently resigned. They did so in protest to the actions of Mr. Stein and the other Board members since the current controversy began, as described above.

The remaining SFJFF Board, including a former Acting Executive Director of the Jewish Voice for Peace which was a co-sponsor of the “Rachel” program has a similar political perspective to Mr. Stein and cannot be expected to change either the oversight or his authority. They have been willing partners in the duplicitous and evasive strategy designed by Mr. Stein since the recent controversy occurred.

SFJFF has avoided either accepting responsibility or providing meaningful change from their longstanding pattern of anti-Israel films and programming. Mr. Stein’s strategy, which has been successful so far, is to literally outtalk and outlast those in the community who have expressed deep concern. He obviously wants to stay in control of the film festival so that, with the assistance of a compliant Board, the same political program can be continued in the years ahead.

We cannot ignore the fact that the continuing months of public and private discussion have not led to either an apology by the Festival or reasonable assurance that an event such as this will not occur again.

Therefore, we call for the immediate resignation and departure of Peter Stein from his current position. This is the only way to achieve much needed change. We also believe his resignation would be in the best interest of SFJFF as well as the wider community.

Letter from Tammi Benjamin to Chair of Jewish Community Federation

2009-10-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Koshland,

I would like to bring to your attention the article below, in which Lenny Ben-David poses some excellent questions to J Street director Jeremy Ben-Ami.

In the spirit of Ben-David's article, here are two questions which I would like to pose to the SF Jewish Community Federation Board of Directors:

Do you think that choosing a member of J Street's advisory council to be the Federation CEO was a wise decision?

Do you intend to adopt a resolution ensuring that Jewish communal funds will not go to support any organization or event that demonizes Israel, promotes the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement, or lends support or legitimacy to terrorist organizations?

Mr. Koshland, the Federation's inadequate response to the anti-Semitic demonization of Israel and her supporters engendered by the SFJFF "Rachel" event, coupled with the revelation that your former CEO has strong ties to J Street, have led many Bay Area Jews to lose confidence in the Federation and to question their continuing financial support.

Your Board's answers to the questions I have posed could go a long way to addressing this crisis of confidence. I and the thousands of community members who will read this email look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Tammi Benjamin

Showdown on J Street

Lenny Ben-David

October 20, 2009

J Street’s director, Jeremy Ben-Ami, published an open letter [1] to Israel’s Ambassador Michael Oren in the Jerusalem Post this week insisting that he appear at the J Street Conference at the end of the month. Hopefully, Ambassador Oren will continue to deny the supposed “pro-Israel” organization the legitimacy of his presence.

J Street’s goals and policies were revealed when Stephen Walt, co-author of the venomous The Israel Lobby, recently proclaimed [2], “This is a key moment in the debate. It will be important whether Obama gets enough cover from J Street and the Israel Policy Forum so Obama can say, ‘AIPAC is not representative of the American Jewish community.’”

It’s time to call out Jeremy Ben-Ami, J Street’s director, to answer the following questions:

1: You served as Fenton Communications’ senior vice president until you established J Street, launched in 2008. In early 2009, Fenton signed contracts with a Qatari foundation to lead an 18-month long anti-Israel campaign in the United States with a special focus on campuses. The actual text of the contract [3] called for: “An international public opinion awareness campaign that advocates for the accountability of those who participated in attacks against schools in Gaza.”

Did you sever your ties with Fenton when you began J Street? Do you retain any role or holdings in Fenton today? Did you play any role in introducing Fenton to the Qatari agents or play any role in facilitating the contract? Were you aware of the negotiations or the contract signed on March 12, 2009?

These questions are relevant because it’s important to know if J Street’s refusal to support Israel’s anti-Hamas military campaign was influenced by your ties with Fenton, whose promotional material claims: “We only represent people and projects we believe in.”

Were there discussions with Fenton prior to J Street’s refusal to condemn the Goldstone Report on Gaza, a report that certainly serves the Fenton/Qatari interests? Were there communications with Fenton surrounding J Street’s support for Rep. Donna Edwards who refused to sign a congressional resolution supporting Israeli actions in Gaza?

2: You were recently asked in an interview [4] about funds J Street received from Palestinians, Arab-Americans, and Iranian-Americans, to which you answered: “J Street does have some Arab and Muslim donors — about five. These are individuals, not organizations, corporations or foreign countries. Well over 90 percent of our money comes from Jewish Americans and Christians.”

Did you really say J Street has only five Arab and Muslim donors? A partial listing quickly extracted from the U.S. Federal Election Commission shows [5] more than 30 contributors, many with ties to Arab-American organizations.

So far, only J Street’s Political Action Committee has disclosed its contributors, as mandated by federal law. But who are the donors to the main J Street organization? Make that list public, and these pesky inquiries will probably go away.

When asked about J Street’s funding by the Jerusalem Post — the newspaper that ran the original exposé — you responded [6] “at most 3 percent” of contributors were Muslim or Arab. Now you state that the figure may be closer to 10 percent. One tenth of J Street’s budget of $3 million, or $300,000, is a substantial sum. Why do so many Arabs contribute to an organization that purports to be “pro-Israel?”

3: Do any Israelis support J Street’s agenda? How many? Look at the list of Israeli speakers appearing at J Street’s Conference, all losers in Israel’s political arena: Ami Ayalon, Colette Avital, Amir Peretz, Shlomo Ben-Ami, Yuli Tamir, Amnon Lipkin-Shahak. They have all failed to secure support from the Israeli electorate or even from their own parties, so they take their messages to the U.S. and plead with the U.S. government to pressure Israel’s government, make the Israelis do things that their citizens have already rejected. The tactic is patently anti-democratic.

Two retired senior IDF officers, well-known members of the peace camp, recently went to the U.S. to speak on J Street’s behalf. When they got there they discovered that J Street opposed sanctions against Iran. According to a JTA account, Brig. Gen.(res) Israela Oron called for a “timetable that would be tied to punishing sanctions.”

“The thing that worries me and that worries other Israelis is that [current negotiations are] not limited in time,” Oron said as the faces of her J Street hosts turned anxious, adding [7]“I’m not sure I’m expressing the J Street opinion.”

Maj. Gen. (res) Danny Rothschild discovered that he differed [8] with J Street’s policies on an immediate freezing of settlements, the halting of settlements’ natural growth, and opposing tough sanctions against Iran.

And then Labor MK Ophir Pines-Paz spoke to a Washington gathering in early October sponsored by J Street’s co-founder, Daniel Levy, today of the New America Foundation. When Pines-Paz was told he was wrong in “assuming that everyone on the left is aligned on Iran’s nuclear capabilities and threat, [and in agreement] with Israel’s assessment,” he exploded. [9] “Wake up!” he shouted.

J Street produced a film clip for its site and for YouTube [10] showing prominent Israelis who “speak out in support of a two-state solution and J Street.” But do they actually support J Street? View the clip carefully and discover that only three out of 11 Israelis mention J Street at all — former minister Ami Ayalon and Uri Savir. The third is former MK Colette Avital who is a J Street employee in Israel. Not quite the ringing endorsement J Street had in mind.

Even the leaders of Israel’s opposition have refused to appear at the Conference, according to sources in Jerusalem.

4: How extensive is your interlocking directorship? I believe that is the correct characterization of J Street and its allied organizations. J Street’s contributions from the heads of the Arab American Institute and Iranian lobby NIAC have been documented in these pages. They serve on J Street’s Finance Committee which has a minimum requirement of $10,000. As research continues in the files of various federal agencies, we found that the interlocking relations continue into the second tiers as well.

Take for example, the case of Rebecca Abou-Chedid. She appears in the federal elections records as contributing to J Street’s PAC. Her occupation is listed as “consultant” for “USUS LLC.” But until recently, she was also the national political director at the Arab American Institute where she “was responsible for formulating AAI’s positions on foreign policy … and represented the Arab American community with Congress as well as the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and State.” Today, Abou-Chedid is the director of outreach at the New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force. [11]

J Street co-founder and Advisory Council member Daniel Levy serves as co-director of the Middle East Task Force at the New America Foundation, an institute that benefits from George Soros’ largess and membership on its board.

Heads of other pro-Arab organizations, such as AMIDEAST, and Arab foreign agents are contributors to the PAC. But Mr. Ben-Ami claims that no organizations or foreign governments contribute. They don’t need do; their representatives do.

5: Who drives policy at J Street? It’s difficult to imagine that the unwieldy J-Street 160-member board of advisors directs policy. Some of those members are also foreign agents who worked for Egypt and Saudi Arabia. It also seems unlikely that your big bucks, 50-member Finance Committee provides decision-making guidance. That’s where the heads of the pro-Iranian and Arab-American lobbies sit.

So who directs policy? A hint was provided by a left-wing blogger, Richard Silverstein, who heard the pre-launch spiel in Seattle given by you and “co-founder” Daniel Levy 18 months ago.

“It’s always important with efforts like this to examine the board member names,” Silverman wrote. [12] “There are of course leaders of the main American Jewish peace groups. There are rabbis and academics. But most important there are heavy hitter political donors (Alan Solomont), policy wonks (Rob Malley), U.S. ambassadors to Israel (Samuel Lewis), high level political operatives (Eli Pariser of Moveon), Hollywood liberals (Robert Greenwald), business leaders, George Soros’ top aide (Morton Halperin), and even a former Republican senator (Lincoln Chafee) and former Congressman (Tom Downey). … The group founders believe that Barack Obama and his staff “get” J Street’s perspective while they believe a Clinton candidacy might not advance J Street’s mission as aggressively.” [Note, the briefing was given at the height of the Democratic primaries.]

Soros, the National Journal reported, was present [12] at J Street’s initial strategy sessions.

Anyone reading Soros’ 2007 manifesto, “On Israel, America and AIPAC [13],” will understand that he is the spiritual godfather of J Street, if not its silent sugardaddy.

“I believe that a much-needed self-examination of American policy in the Middle East has started in this country,” Soros proclaimed, “but it can’t make much headway as long as AIPAC retains powerful influence in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Some leaders of the Democratic Party have promised to bring about a change of direction but they cannot deliver on that promise until they are able to resist the dictates of AIPAC. Palestine is a place of critical importance where positive change is still possible. Iraq is largely beyond our control; but if we succeeded in settling the Palestinian problem we would be in a much better position to engage in negotiations with Iran and extricate ourselves from Iraq. The need for a peace settlement in Palestine is greater than ever. Both for the sake of Israel and the United States, it is highly desirable that the Saudi peace initiative should succeed; but AIPAC stands in the way. It continues to oppose dealing with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas.”

So it appears that Soros has created an organization that competes with AIPAC, calls for inclusion of Hamas, and opposes sanctions against Iran. His people sit on J Street’s board, and his other offspring from the New America Foundation and the National Iranian American Council, work in lockstep. It’s a scary scenario that should attract the attention of the best investigative reporters from national news outlets, but the modern day Lotus Eaters have been lulled and ensnared by J Street.

But just because they won’t ask the tough questions doesn’t mean that they don’t have to be answered.

Article printed from Pajamas Media: http://pajamasmedia.com

URL to article: http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/showdown-on-j-street/

URLs in this post:

[1] an open letter: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1255450643490&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

[2] proclaimed: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2009/09/aipac-still-chosen-one

[3] text of the contract: http://www.fara.gov/docs/5945-Exhibit-AB-20090928-4.pdf%20http://www.fara.gov/docs/5945-Exhibit-AB-20090928-3.pdf

[4] an interview: http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/39884/head-of-liberal-jewish-lobby-pushes-back-against-his-critics/

[5] shows: http://jaystreetcontributors.blogspot.com/2009/10/j-streets-exec-jeremy-ben-ami-was.html

[6] you responded: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1249418604334&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

[7] adding : http://jta.org/news/article/2009/09/07/1007638/iran-policy-could-leave-some-jewish-groups-without-israeli-constiuency

[8] discovered that he differed: http://blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2009/09/16/1007930/j-streets-general-doesnt-always-agree-with-j-street

[9] he exploded.: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taylor-marsh/israels-pines-paz-ignores_b_306195.html

[10] YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPBxwTqYPM0

[11] director of outreach at the New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force.: http://www.trumanproject.org/programs/fellowship/people/rebecca-abou-chedid

[12] Silverman wrote.: http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2008/04/17/j-street-new-israel-peace-lobby-launches/

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Statement From the Jewish Community Federation: “Setting the Record Straight”

2009-10-16T12:21:00.000-07:00

by: Jim Koshland. President, Jewish Community Federation, F. Warren Hellman, Chair, Jewish Community Endowment Fund, Jennifer Gorovitz, Acting CEO, Jewish Community Federation

Setting the record straight. October 14, 2009

Months have passed since the Jewish Film Festival’s screening of Rachel and emotions continue to run high. The Jewish Community Federation has been frequently implicated and targeted in the controversies surrounding the film.

We have learned a great deal from this experience and should have more clearly articulated our position sooner and elaborated on steps the Federation has been taking. Although the Federation’s allocation, made many months prior to the 2009 Festival, provided 1.7% of the Film Festival’s funding, some in our community saw the Federation’s participation as having a greater significance.

We are committed to improving our communication, transparency and responsiveness. So, given the barrage of misinformation, let us set the record straight:

• We are unwavering in our commitment to Israel. Last year, $9.5 million was allocated in support of Israel. We were the first Jewish federation to establish its own office in Israel. For more information on our Israel programs, please see http://www.sfjcf.org/howthemoney/programs/#israeloverseas

• We oppose the boycott/divestments/sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.We do not affiliate with or fund groups that advocate for the BDS movement.

• We value the contributions the Film Festival has made to Bay Area Jewish life.The Rachel event should not overshadow the Film Festival’s successful 29 year history.

• We believe that the Film Festival made significant mistakes in its handling of the Rachel event and have conveyed our concerns accordingly.

• We strongly disagree with the Film Festival’s choice of Rachel Corrie’s mother as the event speaker as well as the co-presenters and deplore the rancorous and offensive behavior of anti-Israel attendees at the event.

• The Federation does not, nor should it, participate in the planning of Film Festival programming or in the choice of films. The Federation is a separate legal entity, funding the mission of the Film Festival. We are one of more than 115 organizational contributors to the Festival, including KGO and the Consulate General of Israel.

• We have urged Film Festival leadership to adopt new policies and proceduresto ensure that the specific problems associated with the Rachel event do not happen again, including policies addressing choice

of co-presenters and speakers.

• We believe that the Federation’s many stakeholders can share diverse opinions on how best to support Israel as a secure Jewish democracy, while remaining civil and connected as a community.

• The Federation is surprised and concerned by the counter-productive assertions of a relatively few community members, who, in the name of a pro-Israel campaign, have urged the broader community to discontinue support of the Federation. We have received letters filled with personal insults, some even accusing the Federation of anti-Semitism,

Nazism, or anti-Zionism. If successful, this campaign will seriously undermine the critical programs we support both here andin Israel.We ask you to join us in ending divisive accusations and rhetoric. The abiding mission of the Federation remains a positive and hopeful one: to build and strengthen Jewish education, culture and identity here in the Bay Area and in Israel. With the needs being more acute than ever during these unpredictable economic times, together, and only together, can we rise to the challenge.

Jim Koshland, President, Jewish Community Federation jimk@sfjcf.org

F. Warren Hellman, Chair, Jewish Community Endowment Fund

Jennifer Gorovitz, Acting CEO, Jewish Community Federation Jenniferg@sfjcf.org

The Latest on the SFJFF Controversy

2009-10-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

The ongoing controversy over the actions of Peter Stein and the SFJFF continues to “fester” Below, please find:

1. Letter of Rabbi Doug Kahn, JCRC director, that appeared in J.

2. My comments, deconstructing Rabbi Kahn’s letter.

3. Comments by others, from J web site.

In a later communication, I will make specific recommendations of what is needed to resolve this controversy. These accounts have been posted at SFJFF Watch,

JCRC director says, ‘Rachel’ rousers are off-track with attack on Federation

Even though the “Rachel” event at this year’s San Francisco Jewish Film Festival was more than two months ago, it continues to fester.

Specifically, the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation, one of many institutions that have supported the festival with modest grants, has been targeted by a small group of activists.

It is one of the most unfair attacks against a Jewish institution I have witnessed in my 30 years as a Jewish communal professional — and I must respond.

Although most of our community has not weighed in about the wrong-headed decision of the SFJFF — a remarkable though sometimes uncomfortably edgy cultural institution — to politicize the showing of “Rachel,” this group of activists has decided to beat up on the Federation repeatedly because it did not capitulate to their demands.

As a result of an e-mail campaign and, most recently, a video that distorted the Federation’s role, the Federation has received waves of e-mails from community members expressing their concern about its alleged support for anti-Israel organizations (along with a considerable number of supportive e-mails).

Some of the critical, and too often uncivil, e-mails suggest that the Federation is encouraging or supporting anti-Israel activism.

Let’s get real. The Jewish Community Federation for decades has done everything possible to build support for Israel, mobilize the community to contribute to special funds during times of crisis, grow the connection between younger Jews and Israel, and strengthen Israeli society.

Our Federation was the first in the country to establish an Israel office to deepen the relationship further and the first to create a confirmation class trip to Israel as a rite of passage. It has one of the most active and innovative Israel Centers in the country. And it continues to present Israel in the Gardens at a time when other communities have quietly eliminated the largest annual show of solidarity with Israel.

In addition, the Federation also dispenses millions of dollars each year to local educational, social service, cultural and other community institutions that touch people’s lives from cradle to grave.

But given the subject of the attack, the focus here is on the Federation’s critical role in sustaining our community’s commitment to Israel.

JCRC receives Federation funds that enable us to mount the most ambitious pro-Israel advocacy campaign in the country — critically important in an area inundated with anti-Israel activism.

Hillels receive funds that enable their staffs to reach out to students to participate in Birthright Israel programs. Day schools receive funds and increasingly incorporate Israel into their curriculum. If the Federation is held responsible for the decision of an agency to co-present films with groups whose views and

behavior on Israel most of us find repugnant, then it should also be credited for every pro-Israel action by an agency it supports. That is only fair.

Let’s look at the facts.

• Many mainstream Jewish organizations and foundations sponsor, co-sponsor and co-present at the SFJFF.

• The Federation made clear its strong concerns about the “Rachel” event soon after the program came to light.

• The Federation does not endorse the co-presenters (American Friends Service Committee and Jewish Voice for Peace) of the “Rachel” event or their views on Israel. Indeed, Federation finds the views anathema and vigorously opposes the boycott/divestment/sanctions movement against Israel.

• The e-mail campaign targeting the Federation has resulted in hundreds of wasted hours — hours that could have been devoted to growing the community instead have been used to respond to unfair attacks.

• The Federation is committed to working with SFJFF leadership to ensure that the kind of polarization that resulted from the 2009 festival does not repeat.

Federation leaders represent a broad diversity of views, but in giving of themselves tirelessly, they have a common goal: to grow the strongest possible Jewish community to secure our future here, in Israel and throughout the world.

In fact, Israel activists should embrace the work of the Federation — now more than ever.

So what should happen now? The SFJFF, an important community institution with a strong following, has to take specific steps to repair the breach and rebuild trust with many in the community who were profoundly and rightfully upset.

The Federation has to ramp up its marketing and outreach efforts about the multiple ways in which it promotes a positive image of Israel.

Also, rather than leave the discussion to those with the strongest and loudest views, the voices of moderation in our community need to weigh in much more.

The vociferous e-mailers need to channel their tremendous energy into disciplined pro-Israel activist efforts so that we can put pressure on Israel’s true detractors rather than some of its champions.

Let’s all step back, take a breath and think about how all those who care deeply about Israel — from left to right — can work together in the coming year to achieve common goals. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.

Rabbi Doug Kahn is the executive director of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Relations Council. JCRC is a beneficiary agency of the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federationeration.

Response by Lawrence W. White MD

I am disappointed that Rabbi Doug Kahn found it necessary to use condescending language, as well as to allege non-moderate behavior by those who disagree with Federation failures. In expressing his "outrage", he has unfortunately confused the issues and added to the feelings of frustration of many in the pro-Israel community.

Rabbi Kahn is a highly capable individual, but cleverness and flowery rhetoric will not cover up the errors of omission that Federation has committed. Let us deconstruct his remarks.

He complains that the issue "continues to fester". This is because it has never been dealt with in an honest and effective manner. When there is significant disagreement, the Federation and the JCRC cannot expect the community to simply accept their "wisdom" without demurral. .

“Targeted by a small group of activists". Contrary to his claim, this is neither a small nor a fringe group, but the great majority of Israel supporters in the Bay area who have finally grown weary of having their concerns regarding the film festival ignored year after year. .

"Unfair attacks against a Jewish institution". The involved Jews have been both patient and fair. We are not a bunch of Molotov cocktail throwing crazies. We simply ask the Federation (and the JCRC) to stop obscuring the issues and deliberately missing the point. Rather we ask that you speak to the legitimate concerns of those of us battling the anti-Israel forces in our community.

“the SFJFF — a remarkable though sometimes uncomfortably edgy cultural institution". Sorry, the board members of the film festival have been selected more on political grounds than any other. Indeed, the film festival is more political than cultural. There was no culture or aesthetics in “Rachel” or in the discussion with Cindy Corrie, who has a single minded agenda. Further the film festival CEO has been disdainful of, and has ignored the criticisms that have occurred, year after year.

"To politicize the showing of “Rachel,” Rabbi Kahn, have you seen this film? It is not the critics who have politicized the showing. The last thing the critics are looking for when they attend screenings of the SFJFF is a political controversy. But in this case, “Rachel” itself is a political screed, and the decision to show it and to invite Cindy Corrie was a political act by Peter Stein that was a serious blow to those of us who seek to promote a fair solution to the conflict in the Middle East

“This group of activists has decided to beat up on the Federation repeatedly because it did not capitulate to their demands.” This wording is very unfortunate, and I expect better from a professional in our community. The statement is gratuitous and completely misses the point.

It’s like saying that the black community beat up on the KKK because they did not capitulate to their demands to stop lynching. No, we are frustrated by the actions of Federation because they are unwilling to act as a moral force in the the Jewish community. Federation has held itself out as being the voice of the community. In this case you failed a large segment of the community.

A key point here is that this is not really a demand, but rather a conviction that we will not continue to donate to Federation, when the money is misused in this way. We can accomplish the same goals by giving directly to the organizations that are focused on the issues that matter to us.

"As a result of an e-mail campaign and, most recently, a video that distorted the Federation’s role” There is no explanation of how Rabbi Kahn believes that the video distorted the role of Federation. This is simply an assertion, not an argument with evidence.

"The Federation has received waves of e-mails from community members expressing their concern about its alleged support for anti-Israel organizations" Not alleged. If you give the unfortunate actions of the film festival your imprimatur by donating even a small amount of money, then the support is not “alleged”. The Federation is looked to as a force that showcases the values of the community. (And Federation certainly presents itself as if that is the case) At a time when Israel is being subjected to the worst forms of dishonesty, defamation, and calumny, while the Jewish state is abused with one libel after another, we expect that our Federation will in no way give support to the voices of hatred in our community.

It does no good to say that Federation does not agree with the positions of JVP or ISM, when it supports (and the amount of support is irrelevant) a film festival that has JVP as a sponsor, and invites a representative of the ISM to be an honored guest at a screening.

"Some of the critical, and too often uncivil, e-mails suggest that the Federation is encouraging or supporting anti-Israel activism." There are errors of commission and errors of omission. This is one of deliberate omission. The absence of clear denunciation of the role of JVP and other organizations, and the failure to unequivocally be in the vanguard of those defending the Jewish state, leads to only one conclusion.

"The Jewish Community Federation for decades has done everything possible to build support for Israel” Yes, but past actions are not the point. You are being judged by your failure to react to this issue, one which we consider to be vitally important at a critical time for the Jewish state. No one disputes the good work of Federation in the past. But if Federation also fails in a vital part of its mission, that needs to be judged on its own merits.

“Many mainstream Jewish organizations and foundations sponsor, co-sponsor and co-present at the SFJFF”. Well, yes, and Germany produced Beethoven, Brahms, and Goethe, so why dwell on the National Socialists?

"The Federation made clear its strong concerns about the “Rachel” event soon after the program came to light" No, their concerns were neither strong nor really very clear, and occurred only after criticism came from the community. Federation’s role should be to lead, not react. .

“The Federation does not endorse the co-presenters (American Friends Service Committee and Jewish Voice for Peace) of the “Rachel” event or their views on Israel” Why not say so at the time? Why only now? Why not use your moral standing to get those co-presenters removed?

“The e-mail campaign targeting the Federation has resulted in hundreds of wasted hours.” These wasted hours could have been avoided by being more responsible and less devious"

“The Federation is committed to working with SFJFF leadership" Sorry. We believe these are empty words. The only leadership involved in this fiasco is Peter Stein, who works alone, does not consult his board who were kept in the dark about the two films in question, and has shown no sign of understanding the issues Further, he really doesn't care, as long as you continue to indulge him as you have year after year.

"Federation leaders represent a broad diversity of views" Yes, but there are certain red lines that must not be crossed. . I don’t believe Federation leaders are ready to see Israel go down the tubes, but JVP (whose director was on the board of SFJFF) is willing to. You can’t keep invoking “diversity”.

“So what should happen now? The SFJFF, an important community institution with a strong following, has to take specific steps to repair the breach and rebuild trust “ Unfortunately the film festival CEO believes that it has already done this in their recent mailing containing a non-apology. I have not heard Federation suggest that this falls short. At this point, it is clear that very specific steps are indeed required, the first being to secure Peter Stein's resignation. Anything short of this will only guarantee a repeat further down the line.

Let me be clear. Peter Stein is a decent and intelligent man. But given his actions and inclinations he should not be directing a Jewish film festival.

“The Federation has to ramp up its marketing and outreach efforts about the multiple ways in which it promotes a positive image of Israel." Start by declaring that Federation won’t support in any way those who advocate sanctions boycott, or divestment.

“Also, rather than leave the discussion to those with the strongest and loudest views, the voices of moderation in our community need to weigh in much more”. Most of those who are speaking out on this issue have indeed been voices of moderation. To imply otherwise is an attempt to silence the critics by using pejorative language. That there are many who are displeased by Federation behavior does not make them radicals or extremists. You would be advised to avoid projecting an attitude of scorn and ridicule on those who are concerned about this issue.

“The vociferous e-mailers need to channel their tremendous energy into disciplined pro-Israel activist efforts" More scorn and ridicule being delivered from on high. Well, perhaps you haven’t noticed. The emailers are precisely those persons in the community who have been active in “pro-Israel efforts”. Otherwise they wouldn’t care about this issue.

“Let’s all step back, take a breath and think about how all those who care deeply about Israel — from left to right — can work together in the coming year to achieve common goals. The stakes are too high to do otherwise.” Flowery rhetoric is no substitute for the simple actions that have been urged on Federation. No one has asked for anything unreasonable.

Other Comments

Posted by Abraham Miller

10/10/2009 at 11:40 AM

Let's Get Real

Let’s get real, Rabbi Khan; prior good deeds do not give you license to participation in a program that demonizes Israel (Rachel) and casts aspersions on the work of anti-defamation organizations (Defamation). You compelling logic is equivalent to saying Mussolini got the trains to run on time, so all else is forgiven.

Posted by Zvi_Alon

10/11/2009 at 08:08 PM

Poll the comunity - I will pay

Dear Rabbi Kahn,

I appreciate this type of communication, more than the silence the JCRC and the Federationeration adopted in the last 2 month.

I believe you have made a sincere effort in composing you response – as you said – you had to do it since this issue is “festering” and is driven by a “small” number of “activists”.

So, my dear Rabbi, the use of festering is telling the true story – can you not come out and say – we (I and the JCRC) realize we have made a mistake – this time all lines have been crossed and we did not take the proper action earlier! Hence we are going to fix it once and for all. We now realize what five SFJFF board members who resigned from its board realized that the SFJFF cannot be supported in its current mission and structure and a true change is required.

Let me assure you that this is not a small group of activists, but a large group that wants to work with the JCRC and the Federationeration and jointly set a very clear water mark so that this will NEVER repeat in the FUTURE.

You say most of us find this behavior “repugnant” but you fail to say that YOU (I) find it equality repugnant and you (I) will NOT let this happen again; that YOU will organize the community to stop this and channel the communities energy in the right direction – in other words – apply proper judgment and lead this change personally.

You enumerate the good the Federationeration is doing. Let me share my view, and I am not alone, that I am NOT AGAINST the Federationeration, the SFJFF or the JCRC. All are doing good things – but this is NOT the issue and please stop changing the topic of discussion.

If one ignores a red traffic light only once out of 100 times should they not get a ticket?

If one avoids paying Tax only once out of 1000 times should they not be punished?

If one’s child uses deadly drugs only once in 10000 times should the parents look sideways?

You will answer the above questions the same way we will, the “small” group of “activists”.

Dear Rabbi Kahn,

Start leading, by embracing the fact that a mistake was made. You should lead the effort in getting the Federationeration to adopt a simple resolution that will state very clearly that “The Federationeration should never support organizations, events or participate in funding any activities that demonize Israel or that collaborate with those who call for divestment, boycotts and sanctions against Israel”.

This is not about a marketing campaign you are recommending to lunch, we do not need to get retrained; reprogrammed or re-educated. We need our leaders to have the muscle to do the right thing.

If you think that we represent a small and noisy group, then go ahead and, issue an open poll to the Jewish community which is as simple as the following:

- - - - - - - - -

Dear Jew(?)

Please vote YES or NO on the following question.

Should the Federationeration adopt a simple resolution that reads?

The Federationeration should never support organizations, events or participate in funding any activities that demonize Israel or that collaborate with those who call for divestment, boycotts and sanctions against Israel

Yes ____ No ____

- - - - - - - - -

The results of this poll will help guide you, the Jewish organizations and all of us; if you need help the same resolution can be adopted by ALL Jewish organizations including SFJFF, JCRC and others.

I will finance these efforts and make it very transparent eliminating the need for long approval process by committees etc.

Is this not a true democracy?

Best

Zvi Alon

A very concerned Jew

Posted by john

10/09/2009 at 10:38 AM

Doug Kahn miscasts the issue.

The issue is not the Federationeration it is the Film festival event, and the Federationeration’s lack of proper response.

The Film Festival glamorized the pro-Hamas ISM. It also co-sponsored its Federationeration funded event with the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Those extreme anti-Israel organizations repeatedly call for boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

By virtue of its ongoing support of the Film Festival, the Jewish Federationeration continues to lend legitimacy to those extreme anti-Israel groups with whom the Festival had been collaborating, as well as the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), which is glamorized in the event.

The whole issue would be behind us if the Federationeration would adopt a policy ensuring that it will not fund organizations that demonize Israel or that collaborate with extremist anti-Israel groups advocating boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

The issue is prolonged because the Federationeration leadership fails to respond to the issue.

One would have expected the JCRC Director to lead the effort to stop the support of organizations that defame the Jewish state, and collaborate with groups that call for divestment and boycotts of Israel.

Instead, Doug Kahn is trying to camouflage the Federationeration’s failure to respond in a fashion which will ensure that the Federationeration support will not be misused as is done at the Film Festival.

The Jewish Federationeration is an important institution in our community, and it is essential that it not support any events that involve groups that advocate boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel. We all have the responsibility to speak up when we believe the Federationeration has misallocated our donations.

That is the issue, and Doug Kahn is evading it!

The Jewish community deserves much better from its Federationeration leadership!

Posted by john

10/09/2009 at 10:58 AM

Can one imagine an African

Can one imagine an African American Federationeration supporting a Film Festival with an event glamorizing the KKK, and co-presenting it with the Aryan Nation? How can the Jewish Federationeration continue to justify allocating donations raised from the Jewish community to fund a Film Festival whose programming is glamorizing the Pro-Hamas ISM and is done in collaboration with extreme anti-Israel organizations?

No mainstream Jewish organization should fund an organization or event that demonizes Israel or that collaborates with extremist anti-Israel groups that advocate boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel.

Posted by Ron Feldman

10/09/2009 at 02:06 PM

Irrelevant Response

I’m glad that Doug has at least taken the time to respond in writing which neither he nor Federationeration representatives did to my e-mail.

However, his response amongst others in the SF Jewish Community is not sufficient and is largely irrelevant. The Federationerations other activities in support of Israel are NOT the issue, it is the Federationeration’s lack of a backbone to stand up for Israel within the San Francisco community that’s the issue.

It’s not the first time and the Federationeration is not alone. Most of the area synagogues and Jewish organizations do not stand up for Israel when it is attacked in our community. Instead they leave it to poorly funded small groups like SF Voice For Israel to be the only strident pro-Israel voice in the community.

As the other commenters mention, all that the Federationeration needed to have done in this instance was come out clearly to condemn the SFJFF and to state unequivocally that future funding for that organization and others that pull similar stunts would be at risk. Instead, to mollify the liberal anti-Israel community at large, the Federationeration and other organizations used bland “diplomatic” language that achieved nothing. Israel is under continuous attack in our country and particularly in SF. If the Federationeration can’t stand up for it, then my money will go elsewhere. Doug - your defense of this grave error is sad and embarrassing.

Posted by Jack Kessler

10/10/2009 at 08:02 AM

Answering a Question with a Question

Della D admits, which Rabbi Kahn does not, that the SFJFF “made a mistake” in showing “Rachel” And we should “get over it”. Does Della realize that this is not an isolated event but a persistent decades long pattern at the Film Festival?

The Film Festival has been running the nastiest anti-Israel films it could find year after year. Every year we object and every year Doug Kahn writes these same evasive denials.

Maybe it’s time that the Film Festival stop making the same “mistake” year after year. Maybe it is time for Doug Kahn to either put an end to it or resign.

What difference does it matter who else funds the Film Festival? How does that excuse Federationeration funding the screening of hate-Israel flims?

How does calling those who object, “bullies” and “martyrs”, excuse the Federationeration’s actions?

How is calling names an argument?

Posted by Jack Kessler

10/10/2009 at 06:27 AM

Why Didn't Federationeration Just Say 'No'?

Rabbi Kahn’s response is a masterpiece of evasion, and changing the subject. The fact is that the SFJFF sponsors an anti-Israel film festival. The Film Festival is anti-Israel EVERY YEAR. And every year we get these double-talk denials. It simply does not matter what else the board does if it persists in funding anti-Israel propaganda.

“Corrie” isn’t “edgy” as Rabbi Kahn so cutely and dishonestly put it. It is a deliberate statement of hatred of Israel.

Since Rabbi Kahn either can’t or won’t take responsibility for his actions, perhaps it is time for someone else to head the JCRC

Jewish Community Heroes; Vote for Larry Goldberg

2009-09-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

This just in; Lisa Cohen has sent the following message;

Vote for Larry Goldberg - Please VOTE for Larry!!!!!!!! He deserves it! Jewish Community Heroes

From: bob & lisa cohen blcohen@sbcglobal.net

http://www.jewishcommunityheroes.org/nominees/california

Shalom. Hope your fast was an easy one if you observed Yom Kippur last year. I opened this link up today and thought I would send it because one of the many deserving recipients of this award is Larry Goldberg. Larry had the courage to speak up for Israel while surrounded by the Israel hating islamo-nazis that filled the auditorium at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. At the very least, Larry should have more votes than the undeserving Michael Lerner or Peter Stein. I am pretty sure you can only vote once so please,take the time to honor a real hero-Larry Goldberg!

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I second the message, and ask you to go to the site and vote NOW. Lisa is also nominated, so vote for her also. We need to beat Peter Stein.

Federation Statement and Response via Open Letter

2009-09-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

The Federation Statement (a response to the recent video)

For a century, the Federation has worked diligently as the face of collective Jewish philanthropy. As ever, the abiding mission of the Federation remains a positive and hopeful one: to aid the poor, the hungry, the infirm – and to build and strengthen Jewish education, culture and identity here at home and in Israel. To that end, the Federation has supported the Film Festival for 25 years. The Federation objected to the recent Film Festival event that featured Rachel Corrie’s mother as a speaker. The Federation expects its grantees to exercise responsibility and respect with regard to sensitive program choices. We have communicated these concerns to the Film Festival, and expect that they will take them seriously and respond accordingly.

We are many communities with diverse opinions, but we are one people. Rancor and vitriol cast a dark shadow on our commonalities, including our support of Israel. The Federation does not support boycott, divestment, sanctions or delegitimization of Israel. On the contrary, the Federation grants more than $10 million annually to projects designed to strengthen Israel.

Our core beliefs are anchored by a moral obligation to repair the world; toward that great and just end, as we prepare for Yom Kippur, let us begin to repair the breach in our own community and return the community’s attention to our vital work of tzedakah and tikkun olam.

------------------------------------------------------------

An Open Letter to Federation
regarding problems with the statement

Dear Ms Gorowitz;

I have read the statement from the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, and find myself displeased with what is not said, and the unfortunate tone of moral equivalence

While the statement is clear that the Federation does not support boycott, divestment, sanctions or delegitimization of Israel, it makes no mention that the co-presenters of films shown by the SFJFF, such as Rachel and Defamation, do support these measures designed to undermine and destroy the Jewish state. .

You refer to such groups as having “diverse opinions”, as if this is simply a friendly disagreement within the family. In fact, some positions are simply “outside the tent”. Do you really believe that there are no red lines that should not be crossed?

One example; The Jewish Voice for Peace, (JVP), which was a co-presenter of Rachel, is not a supporter of Israel by any criteria.

The JVP lobbies for elimination of US aid to Israel

The JVP demonstrates at anti-Israel events, often with signs that say “Kill the Jews”.

The JVP is the Jewish arm of ISM, a radical, anti-Israel organization that recruits westerners to travel to Israel to obstruct Israeli security operations, and justifies Palestinian terrorism against Israeli civilians

The JVP believes that the occupation of Arab lands applies to all of Israel

The JVP believes that any attempt by Israel to defend itself is simply a perpetuation of an unjust occupation

The JVP believes that the only obstacle to peace is Israel

Your statement supports the false belief that all those who debate these issues have “commonalities” including support for Israel. The commonalities to which you refer simply do not exist, and it is time to stop trying to fit this into a neat gumbuya/we are all one formulation.

Further, the “rancor and vitriol” to which you refer is a direct consequence of the support and legitimacy given to the SFJFF by not declaring clearly that you will not support financially or in any other way groups that demonize Israel and work against the survival of the Jewish state.

It is time for the Federation to cease and desist from giving any kind of legitimacy to those whose goal is the destruction of the Jewish state. Organizations such as ISM and JVP must be held accountable, not subsumed under the rubric of “commonalities”

JVP (and other organizations that the film festival courts and collaborates with) is not a part of our “one community”. It is, in fact, a disgrace to our community, and this needs to be made clear in a forthright manner. And lest you believe that you need to be diplomatic to avoid antagonizing your donors, I can assure you that JVP acolytes will not be among the donors to Federation.

Your challenge now is to do those things required to prevent losing a large segment of the pro-Israel community from your donor rolls. Many Jews, unhappy with your actions regarding the SFJFF, have already decided to earmark their contributions and give directly to selected organizations outside of the Federation banner.

You certainly are aware of the problem. By now, you know that the Jewish Film Festival expects that your objections regarding the Cindy Corrie invitation are meaningless; they will do as they wish. It is time for Federation to make a simple declaration that you will not support, financially or otherwise, any individual, organization or event that supports boycott, divestment, sanctions or delegitimization of Israel.

The Video; SFJFF Exposed ; Action Needed

2009-09-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

The video highlighted in the post from Ploni Ben-Ploni has been creating a major sensation. Both Federations, who have provided financial support to the SFJFF, are considering statements regarding future support. Prior to the video, many within the Federation communities had hoped that this would die down, but such is not to be. The SFJFF will have a statement out next week (more on that later)

This is a story with implications far beyond the Bay area. Should Jewish organizations be funding propaganda designed to destroy Israel via boycotts, divestment, sanctions, and incitement (right out of the Julius Streicher playbook?)

A Call to Action

This issue has some urgency. By virtue of its ongoing support of the Film Festival, the Jewish Federation continues to lend legitimacy to the extreme anti-Israel groups that co-presented or provided other means of support to the Corrie event.

These include Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the Rachel Corrie Foundation (RCF), and the International Solidarity Movement (ISM)

The damage caused by the Jewish Federation's granting of respectability to these extreme organizations can only be undone when the Federation unambiguously states that it will not support organizations or events that demonize Israel or that collaborate with those who call for divestment, boycotts, sanctions against Israel or banning aid to Israel.

We all have the responsibility to speak up when we realize that our donations to the Jewish Federation are being misallocated. The Jewish Federation is an important institution in our community and it is vital that the Federation remains true to its mission.

Contact:

* The San Francisco Jewish Community Federation:

Jim Koshland, President - jimk@sfjcf.org
Jennifer Gorovitz, Acting CEO - Jenniferg@sfjcf.org
Rabbi Doug Kahn, Exec Dir JCRC - dkahn@jcrc.org

* The East Bay Jewish Federation: Rabbi James Brandt CEO - James@jfed.org

Tell them:

The Federation that you fund should never support events or organizations that advocate boycotts, divestment, sanctions against Israel or banning aid to Israel, and it shouldn't collaborate with those who do.

We can continue to donate to the Federation only when it stops its involvement with the SF Jewish Film Festival (and any other such events or organizations that defame and demonize Israel or Jews).

Shocking video: the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival - Exposed

2009-09-23T16:07:00.000-07:00

This two-part short film about the 2009 SF Jewish Film Festival speaks more eloquently than a 100 blog posts about what is wrong with the Film Festival and how important it is that organized Jewish community act to ensure that something like this never happens again under Federation auspices.

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival - Exposed (Part 1)

San Francisco Jewish Film Festival - Exposed (Part 2)

There are many shocking moments in this film. To my mind, perhaps the most obscene is the treatment of the sole pro-Israel questioner, who was jeered, manhandled and bullied as he tried to, as some are fond of saying, speak truth to power.

The Sokatch Saga

2009-09-18T16:30:00.000-07:00

As we all know, Dan Sokatch and The Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco have parted ways. Mr. Sokatch is leaving and taking a position as CEO of the New Israel Fund.

Many questions are being asked. Did this have anything to do with the Film Festival fiasco? Or with other controversial matters? Is he leaving of his own volition or was he pushed?.

After talking to several people and connecting the dots, here is my assessment of what has happened.

Dan Sokatch is a young, capable, and idealistic man who once studied for the rabbinate, but switched to public advocacy and administration where he thought he could be more effective.

Sokatch founded the Progressive Jewish Alliance (PJA) about a decade ago as a vehicle to “bring the Jewish community into the 21st century” Sokatch can best be situated among those Jews who believe that social justice should be the central organizing principle of American Jewry. And with the PJA he was able to realize many of his core passions.

A little over a year ago, the SF Federation was seeking a new Executive Director. Three features hovered over Federations background that helped color subsequent events

First, donations had been steadily declining, from a peak of 17 thousand families to al little under 11 thousand, in a community of 250,000 Jews. Some way need to be found to turn this around.

Secondly, for the past 20 plus years the San Francisco Federation had developed a reputation as being more left-leaning than comparable Federations in other cities. Some of their allocations went to organizations of the sort that more likely to be supported by the New Israel Fund. Further, the commitment to Israel had been declining, much to the dismay of other Federations around the country, .

Despite this, progressive Jews in the Bay area were suspicious of Federation as being too “old guard”, too committed to Israel with a reluctance to criticize the Jewish state, and demonstrating a long-standing failure to address their concerns. In fact, Federation has always sought consensus and tried to meet the needs of the entire community.

It made some kind of sense to think that someone like Sokatch would be comfortable with the changing philosophy of Federation, would allay the suspicions of the progressive community, and would lead to the involvement of significant numbers of progressives, both financially and personally. And so the job was his.

Sokatch was welcomed into the Federation family with much enthusiasm. Universally, there was good feeling about the hire. But there were two red flags that were ignored.

First, it is never prudent to have a broad based organization like the Federation run by a political operative who represents only one part of the political spectrum. Sokatch’s background was clearly in liberal advocacy, albeit in a Jewish context. When a Federation CEO is not identified with a political bias, the various members of the Jewish community can each project their own personal beliefs and values onto the director.

Secondly, and more specifically, prior to his hiring he had been involved in the founding of J Street, and was on their advisory board. J Street is a progressive political group founded as a vehicle to challenge the strong political support for Israel that had been nurtured for many years by such organizations as AIPAC. In addition, J Street viewed itself as the Jewish cheerleaders for Barack Obama. When the President wanted to lean on Israel, J Street gave them cover within the Jewish community.

While mainstream Jewish activist groups had used their clout to lobby on behalf of the American-Israel relationship in such areas as foreign aid and Iran sanctions, J Street took contrary positions However, for the leaders at the SF Federation, wishful thinking trumped any real consideration that this might be a problem. It was accepted at face value when J Street labeled itself as pro-Israel, despite the fact that it was perceived by many as an alternative to AIPAC, an organization that represents the entire spectrum of pro-Israel orientation. Further, J Street had been organized by persons who had marginal commitments to the welfare of Israel. .

Over the past year, a number of things have happened that caused tension between Sokatch and the lay leaders of Federation.

The first, and the most important of these, was the community-wide outrage at the actions of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF). The festival, under the directorship of Peter Stein, has had a history of showing films that were often considered anti-Israel, and has come under heavily criticism for this. But this year, criticism reached a fever pitch with the decision to show the film “Rachel”. This is a political polemic designed to enhance the martyrdom of Rachel Corrie, a young woman accidently killed by a bulldozer while attempting to stop the IDF from destroying a home in Gaza that was protecting smuggling tunnels.

The problem was magnified by the fact that the festival arranged to have the Jewish Voice for Peace, an outspoken anti-Israel group, and the American Friends Service Committee, as cosponsors

To compound this, the film festival showed a second film, “Defamation”, which mocked concerns about anti-Semitism, ridiculed the Anti-defamation league and Abe Foxman, trivialized the Holocaust, and lionized such figures as Norman Finkelstein, Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. The final blow was an invitation from the Film Festival to Cindy Corrie, mother of Rachel and a propagandist for the International Solidarity Movement, a radical group with ties to Hamas.

These poorly conceived decisions by the SFJFF sparked vigorous and broad based outrage, which quickly spread into the national media. . Since Federation was one of the financial sponsors, there was a call for them to defund the festival. Both Peter Stein and the Federation leadership responded to this controversy in a way that can only be described as tone-deaf. They insisted that this was simply an example of “diversity”, and defended the decisions of the SFJFF on\ the basis of catering to a broad range of opinions.

Sokatch was placed in a difficult position. If he spoke out against the Festival, he would antagonize his progressive supporters. But if he failed to do, he risked alienating many of those who considered this to be a moral issue.

Federation and its supporters were determined to hang tough. They were not going to give in to what they thought was simply one more group complaining with little cause about Federation. Further, they attempted to garner support for the film festival director, encouraging letter writing campaigns. One additional piece of support for Stein came when he was nominated for an award by the United Jewish Communities as a community “hero”. All indications are that the nomination originated from within the walls of Federation.

The film festival critics were persistent, and criticism of Stein and the Festival board quickly evolved into a threat to boycott Federation. It appeared that Sokatch might replace Stein as the villain-in-chief.

Secondly, the J Street connection rankled. AS the year went by, J Street was exposed as an anti-Israel lobby group despite their pro-Israel claims. They helped raise money for lawmakers who took critical positions on Israel, and they vocally opposed the Gaza war. The last straw for many came when it was revealed that J Street donors included individuals who had been associated with pro-Palestinian and pro-Iran groups,

At the same time, Sokatch did not entirely sever his connections with J Street, and is slated to be a speaker at their convention in October. It almost seemed as if he were testing the limits of what was acceptable.

Finally, significant donations from the progressive Jewish community did not materialize. Since this was one of the main reasons for his hire, this failure was not helpful.

Despite the fact that there was tension, and that Sokatch became progressively more controversial, his leaving appears to be his own decision. The position as CEO of the New Israel Fund became available; he initially turned it down, but as things became more sticky, he accepted it. There is no reason to believe that he was pushed out,,and he is leaving with considerable good will.

Dan Sokatch is a decent and highly capable person. He is sincere about his commitments, and believes strongly that he is doing the right thing for the future of American Jewry. However, I believe that there are significant problems with Sokatch’s thinking.

The first has to do with his belief that social justice should be the core organizing principle for American Jewry. There is little dispute that social justice is an important component of Jewish thought and action. But if it is to be the central principle, then the question can be asked; why be Jewish? There are many secular organizations that do excellent work in the realm of social justice. And while we must be aware of and attend to social justice as an important feature of Judaism, there are other enduring features, such as religious belief, study of Torah and other texts, and a commitment to the existence of the Jewish state as part of our heritage. We are a diverse people, and not all Jews will be comfortable with all these roles. But without any of these things, and with only a strong commitment to social justice, why not simply join “Ethical Culture” or be active in the ACLU?.

In addition, Sokatch appears to be a man who is unable to recognize that those who disagree with him on some matters are not all simply reacting reflexively and without thought in the name of support for outmoded policies There is reflexive uncritical thinking across the entire political spectrum, and brilliant ideas come from individuals of both the left and the right. If Dan Sokatch can absorb this, he will go far.

JTA blog: "Sokatch not pushed", but was offered new gig 4 months ago and declined

2009-09-15T16:19:00.000-07:00

Jacob Berkman at the JTA Fundermentalist blog claims that Sokatch was not pushed out but goes on to say

Sokatch, according to insiders, found himself in the middle of a few major controversies in San Francisco, including the heated debate this past summer over the decision by organizers of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival to screen a movie about Rachel Corrie, the pro-Palestinian activist who was killed when she lay down in front of an Israeli bulldozer as it was about to raze a Palestinian house. Several foundations were outraged by the decision and then pushed to the brink when the film festival decided to invite Corrie’s mother to speak.

Sokatch had to put out a fire between a hyper liberal San Francisco Jewish populous and major foundations that were upset with the film festival. In the end, he publicly said that he thought the festival should have invited a wider range of speakers, not just Corrie’s mother.
He later irked some of the community’s more conservative factions by agreeing to speak at the upcoming conference of J Street, a new organization that has lobbied for U.S pressure on Israel (and the Palestinians) and criticized Israel's invasion of Gaza.

and adds

Sokatch, according to one insider very close to the situation, was offered the NIF job four months ago and turned it down. But only recently had a change of heart.
We’ll see if this version of the story holds as more people weigh in over the next day or so.

Yup.

In any case, good riddance!

Breaking: Sokatch out at Federation!

2009-09-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Has the SFJFF fiasco claimed its first victim? Daniel "J Street" Sokatch is out at the Federation. It will be interesting to learn if he jumped, or if he was pushed.

Here's the email from Federation prez Koshland and from Sokatch regarding the departure:

From: Jim Koshland <JimK@sfjcf.org>
Date: Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 3:19 PM
Subject: Important letters from Daniel and me

Dear Agency Presidents and Executives,

It is with real regret that I announce today that the Officers of the Federation have accepted Daniel Sokatch’s resignation. Daniel is to become the leader of the New Israel Fund, allowing him to have a global impact at this most critical juncture in Israel’s history.

We have dearly appreciated the leadership and vision that Daniel brought to the Federation, and take great comfort in knowing that we’ve accomplished so much in such a relatively short time. Among these myriad achievements: We raised more than $22 million from the community—no mean feat in these difficult and challenging economic times; our Endowment Committee provided crucial funding to fill the gap where the need was greatest; and, we launched the JCF Catalyst, which not only provided emergency funds to the neediest in our community, but also strengthened our synagogues and began the innovative series of projects that take us into the future with optimism and an abiding spirit of hope. From a more international perspective, our Federation, Endowment Funds and Supporting Foundations sent more than $160 million toward important and deserving projects in our local community and throughout the world.

We are pleased to announce that the able and talented Jennifer Gorovitz, who has been with the Federation for five years—most recently as Chief of Staff—will become Acting CEO. Prior to her already distinguished tenure at JCF, Jennifer practiced law for a decade and is a first-rate manager and leader. She has our confidence and trust; we look forward to working with her. We welcome her and wish her very good luck, indeed.

Please also join me in thanking Daniel Sokatch and wishing him the best of luck in his new position. Please see his letter to the community below.

Sincerely,

Jim Koshland, President

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Enclosed please find important announcement letters from Daniel and myself.
Dear Friends and Colleagues:

I am writing to let you know that I will be resigning my post as CEO of the JCF in order to assume the leadership of the New Israel Fund. This was not an easy decision for me, as I am genuinely sad to be leaving the Federation and its rich history of 100 years of tikkun olam and tzedakah, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lead a global organization at a particularly critical time for Israel.

Still, I feel completely confident that I leave the organization in capable and passionate hands . I am so very proud of the Federation and all we have accomplished together over the past year. I take great pride in our mutual and committed efforts to accomplish our goal that the Federation—and our Jewish community—remain relevant, vibrant and dynamic in the 21st Century. It is my hope that our meaningful progress continue ever onward.

Thank you so much for sharing in this most-important and vital cause; you should all be justly proud. I will miss each and every one of you.

Sincerely, and with heartfelt appreciation,

Daniel Sokatch

Letter to Peter Stein from Tammy Benjamin

2009-09-14T19:45:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Stein,

I have just seen a recent e-solicitation of yours (forwarded below), extolling the virtues of independent Jewish films and exhorting members of the community who appreciate the value of such films to donate to the SFJFF. In your letter, you also indicate that one of the reasons you are asking donors "to step up" their donations now is that "our detractors are calling for us to be defunded," implying that your "detractors" are motivated by a desire to stifle independent Jewish films.

As one of the many members of the Jewish community who has been calling for the SFJFF to be defunded, I would like to respond to your egregiously disingenuous solicitation.

Far from a desire to stifle independent Jewish films, we are calling for the SFJFF to be defunded because of your disgraceful mishandling of the "Rachel" event. Permit me to remind you of why we feel this way:

1) You refused to cancel the screening of "Rachel" and the talk by Cindy Corrie, despite the fact that many members of our community, including several Holocaust survivors, described how enormously hurtful and offensive this program would be to them and to the entire Jewish community.

2) You refused to cancel the "Rachel" event, despite knowing that "Rachel" director Simone Bitton and Cindy Corrie had engaged in efforts to harm the Jewish State, including the following:
Simone Bitton signed a petition in January of this year calling on the UN and EU to impose immediate sanctions against Israel.
Cindy Corrie has called for an end to all U.S. aid to Israel, and she is closely allied with the International Solidarity Movement, a group which has aided and abetted Palestinian terror against Israel.
The Rachel Corrie Foundation, which Cindy Corrie heads, promotes divestment and boycotts against Israel; attacks mainstream Jewish organizations such as AIPAC; and funds "Birthright Unplugged," which, according to the ADL, "counters the Taglit-Birthright Israel trips...providing a distinctly anti-Israel view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

3) You refused to disavow the Jewish Voice for Peace and American Friends Service Committee as co-presenters of the "Rachel" event, despite knowing of the numerous actions that both of these organizations have taken to harm the Jewish State and her supporters, including the following:
JVP supports divestment, boycott and sanctions against Israel; engages in anti-Israel political lobbying; encourages Israeli youth to refuse to serve in the IDF; viciously attacks major Jewish organizations that combat anti-Semitism, such as the ADL, CAMERA, the American Jewish Committee, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Stand With Us; was a major sponsor of the virulently anti-Semitic Sabeel conference in 2007; and marched at an anti-Israel rally in San Francisco alongside groups holding banners calling for the destruction of the Jewish State. (Just recently the JVP issued a statement supporting the boycott of Israeli films celebrating Tel Aviv at the Toronto International Film Festival. I guess the JVP isn't keen on independent Jewish films, except those that demonize Israel).
AFSC calls for and supports divestment, boycotts and sanctions against Israel, and the organization's Bay Area leadership -- including "Rabbi" Lynn Gottleib, co-director of Middle East Programing for AFSC Pacific Mountain Region and a member of the National Advisory Board of JVP -- has called for vandalizing Israeli products at local stores such as Trader Joe's.

4) You refused to acknowledge that the "Rachel" event indeed turned out to be an unmitigated anti-Semitic, anti-Israel hatefest:
The audience at the event was, overwhelmingly, virulently anti-Israel and anti-Semitic, and it included some of the most vicious enemies of the Jewish State in this country, such as ISM and SBM leaders Paul Larudee and Donna and Darlene Wallach, who openly support Hamas and work towards the destruction of Israel.

Virulently anti-Israel organizations used the event as an opportunity to recruit new members from among festival attendees.
Members of the audience behaved like hooligans and thugs, booing, hissing and heckling token pro-Israel speaker Mike Harris, perversely applauding the mention of boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel, and cheering the mention of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's name. One person even yelled out "Seig Heil" twice during Harris' talk, each time accompanied by full Nazi salute.
When JCRC board member Larry Goldberg attempted to ask the only question that was critical of the event, an SFJFF staff member tried to grab the microphone away from him. According to Goldberg's own account: "We wrestled for the microphone as a second member of the staff advanced on me. The crowd immediately started booing me and yelling as I struggled to keep my grip on the microphone. I could hear a woman's voice across the aisle yelling, 'Shut him up, shut him up.'" Goldberg concluded: "The afternoon was simply the worst experience for our community in many years."

For these reasons, until you:
publicly admit that the "Rachel" event was an egregious lapse in judgement on the part of you and the SFJFF board, and apologize to the Jewish community for the hurt and anguish you have caused in the community;
produce and publicize a written policy statement indicating that you will never in the future show films or bring speakers that demonize Israel or her supporters;
publicly repudiate JVP, AFSC and any other organization which seeks to harm the Jewish state or her supporters, and ensure that these groups will never be allowed to participate in future SFJFF events in any way;

I will continue to:
encourage the hundreds of people bcc'd on this email, and the thousands more who will read it on the internet, to withhold any and all financial support to the SFJFF, as well as to the Jewish organizations that fund the festival;
call for your resignation and the resignation of the entire SFJFF board.

What do you say, Mr. Stein? Will you do the right thing?

Many of us look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Tammi Benjamin

Disingenuous: Peter Stein, CEO of the SFJewish Film Festival

2009-09-08T20:08:00.000-07:00

Disingenuous; –adjective

1. Not straightforward or candid; insincere, cynical, or calculating
2. Pretending to be unaware or unsophisticated; faux-naïf.
3. Unaware or uninformed; naïve.

Peter Stein has just sent out a fundraising letter on behalf of the SF Jewish Film Festival. I reprint it here;
------------------------------------------------

Dear

What does independent film mean to you?

If you answer the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, you’re not alone. Here’s why:

SFJFF films explore themes that humanize the Jewish experience -stories
of what it feels like to be a misunderstood bat mitzvah, of the process of learning to accept yourself for the size and shape that you are, of the delicate dynamics of a Holocaust survivor's family

SFJFF films tell little-known Jewish stories- tales of Ethiopian Jews caught between tradition and assimilation, of a group of Jewish alumni from Newark who cared enough to restore their high school to its former glory, of how young Orthodox filmmakers document their experiences.

‘SFJFF films entertain- stories of brazen and hilarious civil disobedience, spontaneous mid-life adventures and cutting-edge animation from Israel.

SFJFF films ask challenging Jewish questions- whether idealism can make a difference in the Middle East conflict, of what solace can be found when a loved one is held captive, of the Jewish response to anti-Semitism.

It is precisely for these reasons --- for being an arena for art, d\dialogue, and independent ideas, that SFJFF is renowned as a world leader. It is why we are able to attract the highest quality films and the respect of filmmakers.-.why we are the only Jewish film festival that the National Endowment for the Arts regularly supports. and why our audience is among the most discriminating. Unfortunately, it is also for these reasons that our critics are threatening to defund us. Today, more than ever, we must rely on people like you for support.

If this year's San Francisco Jewish Film Festival left you feeling entertained, touched, intellectually, stimulated or positively moved, please take this moment to support us financially.

Gifts from people like you make up 75% of our budget. Please reach deep and give all you can. Gifts can be made through our website- fest.sffiorg/about/membership or via the enclosed.

With profound gratitude,

Peter L. Stein
Executive Director
-------------------------------------------------------

Either Peter Stein doesn't get it, (or he gets it but assumes that his audience is too dense to get it)

Does he really believe that these are the reasons why some are working to remove his funding? Those who wish to see him cut off from community funds base their commitment on deeply held principles, and not on the trivial reasons given by Mr. Stein.

The film festival has always been free to do as it wishes artistically. However, when the films it shows cross the line into partisan politics, use dubious arguments, and rely on polemics, then the festival is no longer serving up art but rather is in the business of indoctrination.

And when that indoctrination is contrary to the interests of the Jewish community and our core values, it is very appropriate to sit up, take notice, and work to fix the problem.

To understand the real reasons for opposing funding for Peter Stein, all one needs to do is read through the offerings on SFJFF watch , or read the articles by Jennifer Rubin, Abraham Miller, Ronald Radosh, Jamie Glazov, David Hornik, and others. These writers have explained clearly why many of us wish to deny community dollars to Peter Stein and his questionable agenda. Stein would certainly be advised to educate himself on these issues; he owes the community no less.

The film “Rachel”, directed by Simone Bitton, has a political agenda, and is fundamentally dishonest. It is designed to glamorize the work of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) and to use an unfortunate young woman as a martyr to oppression of the Palestinians by Israel. Along with the accompanying visit by Rachel’s mother, who tours the country on behalf of ISM, it helps spread the gospel of hatred.

Peter Stein invited Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s mother, to speak after the screening in San Francisco. Because of strong protests, Stein brought in Dr. Michael Harris, who was given five minutes before the screening to make the case against the film, and more importantly to give the appearance of fairness. As many predicted, the film attracted a disproportionate share of Israel bashers, who were there to worship Rachel and the ISM. As one would expect, Dr. Harris was booed, while the Iranian dictator Ahmadinejad was applauded. By contrast, Cindy Corrie answered softball questions for over an hour from an obsequious Peter Stein.

Dr Abraham Miller has revealed the real agenda as follows;

"the documentary tours film festivals along with Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s mother and a propagandist for the likes of Hamas and the International Solidarity Movement — groups committed to Israel’s destruction.
Peter Stein, the festival’s director, knew exactly what he was doing in selecting this film. Stein was familiar with both Bitton’s work and her politics. He invited the American Friends Service Committee, now helping with the boycott of Israeli goods, to participate in the showing. Stein also had on his board Rachel Pfeffer, the interim director of Jewish Voice for Peace — a group committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. (Since Rachel Pfeiffer’s outing as JVP director, her biography on the festival web site has been thoroughly cleansed.)"

The other problematic film, “Defamation”, is in many ways an even more dangerous film. It is a diatribe against Holocaust memorializing, and makes the fight against anti-Semitism seem like a small-minded endeavor, pursued by foolish and petty people. . It trivializes those concerned with these matters, depicting the ADL and its staff as buffoons, showing those Israelis who are concerned about the Holocaust as dinosaurs living in the past, and strongly suggesting that Yad Vashem exists to make Jews angry so that they will persecute Palestinians.

The heroes of the film are John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, the two individuals who attacked the “Israel lobby”, indirectly raising issues of dual loyalty, and implying that it was impossible to have a rational discussion about Israel. (This is the same message given by Jimmy Carter, who schleps his book all over the country and has a forum wherever he wishes)

Walt and Mearsheimer are portrayed as calm, rational academics, shown in serene book filled offices, working against the hysteria of those who uncritically support Israel.

The film lionizes Norman Finkelstein, a man who once suggested that Elie Wiesel was the clown prince of the Holocaust and has written a book to the effect that the Holocaust is simply an "industry" rather than the central tragedy, physical and psychic, for Jews born in the 20th century.

Finkelstein, though not a Holocaust denier, has become the darling of deniers, and of a gaggle of anti-Israel groups who love to hire him to speak at their functions (Speaking of an industry; Finkelstein is doing very well at this endeavor)

Many of us grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust. The fears thereby engendered are not ancient history. We believe fervently in the survival of a Jewish state. We consider this to be a moral issue. And while those who work against that goal are free to have their beliefs, we are not obligated to have them promote those messages on our dime.

The issue here was framed by Jamie Glazov who asked:

“Why is a Jewish film festival giving a platform to a documentary and to an individual that serve the cause of anti-Jewish hate?”

Why indeed. And herein lies the real reasons why we believe the community should not fund the SFJFF, not the reasons given by the ever duplicitous Peter Stein.

The Affection of the Wife Beater

2009-09-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

Many of the organizations devoted to demonizing to Israel claim to be motivated by concern. Their constant attacks are nothing more than an expression of love and a desire for improvement.

This is bunk. They are, in fact, the affection of the wife beater, who demonstrates his warm feelings for his mate with his fists.

We've recently seen how the SFJFF expresses its love for Israel: by sponsoring films and presentations by Israel-bashers and by facilitating a verbal pogrom against the Jewish state.

The SFJFF is not the only "pro-Israel" organization which can only hurt the one it loves. J Street, the anti-AIPAC lobby with which Federation CEO Daniel Sokatch is associated, has raised Israel-bashing as pro-Israel activism to a high art, as explained by Jennifer Rubin on Commentary's Contentions blog:

Myths?
Jennifer Rubin - 09.08.2009 - 5:21 PM

J Street has apparently gotten so much flack about its perpetual criticism of Israel and cheerleading for every Palestinian propaganda point that the J Street team has been forced to come up with a “Myths and Facts About J Street” crib sheet. Let me just say that if a Jewish organization has to put out a statement denying that it is anti-Israel, pro–Mary Robinson, is funded mostly by Arabs, and has defended a nuclear-armed Iran, then they might as well pack it in. Suffice it to say, you don’t see the ADL or AIPAC or any other genuinely pro-Israel group in such a defensive crouch.

Moreover, some of its “defenses” are rather, well, pathetic. Let’s take just two. On Mary Robinson, J Street says it never defended the choice of Mary Robinson for the Medal of Freedom Award. The “defense”? They were mute! Only their friends defended her. No, really:

J Street never issued a single statement related to Mary Robinson. Individuals associated with J Street’s public relations firm may have done some personal work on the issue — but that had nothing to do with J Street, just as the firm’s work for dozens of other clients is completely unrelated to J Street.

Wow, that sure settles that.

Then there is Iran. J Street denies it has defended Iran’s nuclear program. Well, they haven’t defended it. They just don’t think we should, you know, do anything about it:

As of the early fall of 2009, we are not of the opinion that the time has come for Congress to move ahead with further sanctions. We agree with those who are calling for ’strategic patience’ at this moment of unrest and uncertainty in Iranian domestic politics and continue to urge Congress to give the diplomatic and political processes currently underway more time to unfold.

I think the mullahs are the one’s calling for more and more and more time to “unfold.”

And so it goes: J Street doesn’t support U.S. negotiation with Hamas; it just thinks Hamas is too important to ignore:

Ultimately, a political resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will require Palestinian political reconciliation and we support efforts by third parties to achieve reconciliation and a unity government, whose officials will work within a diplomatic process to achieve an acceptable two-state solution. Further, we would not oppose a decision by the Israeli government, the United States, or other countries to find unofficial, indirect ways to engage Hamas in order to advance U.S. and Israeli interests.

Sort of easy to see how these “myths” take hold. It seems that crack team at J Street’s PR firm that defended Mary Robinson isn’t very good at its job. But then it has an impossible task—trying to convince the Jewish community that they really, deep down, support a strong and secure Jewish state.

It's time for the wife-beaters among us to fess up: they've got a problem, and their habit of taking it out on Israel is simultaneously ugly and psychologically revealing.

JPost: Aiding the Destroyers Among Us

2009-09-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

"Really, Mrs. Corrie -- Israeli Jews make matzah

out of Palestinian babies? How interesting!"

Hmmm. Sound like a situation that we might be familiar with here?

Israeli and Jewish Israel-bashers constitute a major, perhaps insuperable, obstacle to any attempt to defend Israel in the court of world opinion. Anyone attempting to defend Israel abroad will inevitably be confronted with some statement characterizing Israel as a racist, apartheid state, perpetrating war crimes against the Palestinians, from the mouth of an Israeli academic or journalist. The fact that the source is Jewish or Israeli is assumed to provide credibility.
Sadly, many Jews who care deeply about Israel's existence help fund its delegitimization.

More here: Think Again: Aiding the Destroyers Among Us.

Open Letter to Dan Sokatch, CEO SF Jewish Community Federation

2009-09-05T12:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. Sokatch;

I am writing because I am disturbed at the direction that the Federation has taken in its support for the SFJFF, of Peter Stein, and of their programs.

I will not recount the damage done by the screening of "Rachel" and of "Defamation", the use of Cindy Corrie, the sponsorship by JVP, and the unfortunate use of language by you, as well as attempts to reframe the issue by Peter Stein. Others have gone over these issues in great depth.

To claim, as you have, that the SFJFF is independent and that you do not interfere in their programming may be technically true, but misses the point. This would be true de facto if no money from the Federation, or any other form of support, was given to them. However, as this is not the case, you are in part responsible for their actions and any harm that they do to our community. And this being America, you of course can do as you wish; you have only to accept the consequences.

It is certainly true that the SFJFF has done much good over the last 29 years, including reaching out to unaffiliated Jews. However, if they are not careful, all of the good done over 29 years will be annulled by a few bad choices. And I speak of really bad choices, not just films that are edgy or present a somewhat marginal point of view.

If the festival selects films based on the politics of their director and executive committee, they have a responsibility to display caution and due diligence. Not every film that elicits opposition is automatically provocative and deserving of a "discussion". I doubt that we would agree to screen a film that defended the practice of lynching (Birth of a Nation), or glorified Hitler (Triumph of the Will). Would Peter Stein claim that these are wonderful films, with outstanding directors (as they were considered at the time), and though controversial, should provide food for thought?. There are some things that are simply beyond the pale, no matter how many persons may want to see them. . The fact that some may like these films is irrelevant; morality is what matters.

You have received many letters from Federation donors expressing their strong feelings, and their determination to withhold support from Federation. I understand you believe that the Federation can tap the pocketbooks of "progressive" Jews who have not previously been involved, thereby expanding your base of donors. Anyone who has been involved in community work, in politics, or in non-profit fundraising, knows that ignoring your base is always a mistake. I suspect that you will lose far more than you will gain from the few, if any, progressives who decide to support Federation.

What to do?

First, you need to stop using buzz words like "diversity", or "depth of feelings and convictions", and start treating members of the community as adults.

Secondly, you need to stop taking actions to defend and promote Peter Stein. Recently, the UJC recieved a nomination for Peter Stein as a community hero; there are strong reasons to believe that the nomination came from Federation. This, along with a letter writing campaign by staffers, must stop. Federation must not take sides in such a volatile dispute, especially when the side that you take is that of persons who do not wish our commuhnity well.

These issues are too important. Your choice of hanging tough rather than recognizing this as the serious crisis that it is serves no one.

I understand that you believe that this is just another instance of a sour dissident group unhappy with Federation, who are balanced by those who support the SFJFF. Let me assure you that those who are upset with your actions are thinking persons of substance, and that this is a much larger crisis than you seem to believe. It is one which you ignore at your peril. Pandering to our enemies (I am not overstating the case) will achieve a loss of respect for you personally, and ultimately a loss of dollars for Federation.

Lawrence W. White MD

Where is the Outrage; Hatred Comes to the Bay Area Jewish Community and it Comes From Some Jews

2009-09-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

I have lived in the Bay area since 1995. I have seen many instances of anti-Semitism coming from Jews, including demonstrations by members of Jewish Voice for Peace, Women in Black, and others, often in collaboration with Palestinian groups. I remember how some of these groups shut down a speech by Benjamin Netanyahu in Berkeley about eight years ago, and the claim by a Jewish leader of one of these organizations (MECA) that “not everyone deserved free speech”. I remember demonstrations in front of the Israel consulate which threatened to turn violent. I have read anti-Semitic diatribes in the pages of the Berkeley Daily Planet.

But for the first time, the larger community has reacted vigorously to these outrages. The catalyst was the showing of the film “Rachel” by the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and co-sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). The JVP has nothing to do with peace and is questionably Jewish; it has become an ostensibly Jewish mouthpiece for the allies of Hamas. Along with the showing of Rachel, Cindy Corrie, a flak for the International Solidarity Movement, was gently interviewed by Peter Stein, the Jewish film festival director. You will read below how that showing degenerated into a hate fest.

Despite the clear outrage, the SFJFF believes that they simply started a dialogue about something with two presumably equally valid points of view. (By their reckoning, Birth of a Nation, which defended the Ku Klux Klan, or Triumph of the Will, which glorified Hitler, might also be merely controversial and deserving of discussion). The Jewish weekly, “J” ran a point-counterpoint spread presenting both sides of the argument (see Larry Goldberg’s article below). “J” saw no need or value in taking sides. The Film Festival, controlled by a director and board who are far left ideologues, has issued no apology and defend their actions on grounds of aesthetics and free speech (The film was a political polemic, not a well crafted documentary with aesthetic value)

And the Federation of SF? They are not taking sides either. Their new CEO comes from a progressive background, and is one of the founders of the far-left “J Street”. Presumably he does not wish to alienate his base. Perhaps he really believes that there is nothing wrong in showing propaganda put out by a pro-Hamas group. Perhaps he believes that progressive Jews who hate Israel will suddenly start giving money to the Federation.

Federation’s minimal response consisted of carefully chosen non-committal words, along the lines of ‘Hey, not us. We have no control over what they do’ Well, never mind that the Federation gives partial funding to the SFJFF. And never mind that the community donates its dollars to that same Federation. And never mind that we expect some leadership on moral issues that affect our community. Is there not some reason to expect our leaders to express some judgment regarding this anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hate fest? Where is the outrage?

Memo to Peter Stein; SFJFF Screening for 2010

2009-09-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

To: Peter Stein;
From: Lawrence White;

Subject; It is not too early to consider screening for next year.

I recommend that for 2010, SFJFF consider the film described below. There is no downside to doing this.

Jewish Voice for Peace, which advocates talking to Hamas, will support it. The Corrie family, who spend a lot of time in Gaza, will love it. The ISM, active in hiding terrorists, will co-sponsor it along with Women in Black. This will serve to expand the ranks of our viewers, garner more controversy, more publicity, and more viewers. .

And for the rest of the Jews? Federation will not get involved, except to throw money raised from the community at us. They will tell us that SFJFF is an independent organization, they will not tell us what to screen,

A little discussion/dialogue within the community is a healthy thing, and this movie will certainly accomplish this. We need to get past bland pro-Israel programming and look at the issues that divide our community. These differences must be aired. Not everyone is pro-Israel, and we need to accept that we are American Jews, not Israeli Jews, and our concerns are different.

It is time to look at other voices. This film was made in Palestine. The director is a gifted young man educated in Germany. It has received applause and praise from viewers in Gaza. It will likely be shown at Cannes,

We have shown many films made in Israel. What's wrong with one film from Palestine?

Perhaps we can invite someone from CAIR or the Muslim Brotherhood to discuss the movie in a Q and A led by you (Peter Stein) , (microphone to be carefully guarded so comments only from those who love the movie.) And oh yes, if those pesky Zionists make a lot of noise, we will let them have a few minutes before the film to air their tired grievances. (What's wrong with those people? Don't they have lives?)

See you at the movies.

Hamas goes to the movies
From The Independent
By Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza

The audience in the Gaza Strip clapped and cheered as the actor delivered the movie's most memorable line – "To kill Israeli soldiers is to worship God".
Imad Aqel, which premiered at the weekend, is the first feature film produced by the Islamist Hamas movement and the title is the name of a Palestinian militant whom Israel held accountable for the deaths of 13 soldiers and settlers.
Director of Hamas feature film hopes it will air at Cannes Film Festival
ALEX SORIN and JPOST STAFF , THE JERUSALEM POST
Hamas's first dramatic feature film depicting the life top Hamas operative Emad Akel was aired publicly on Monday to cheering crowds in the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported.
The film's director Majid Jundiya who studied film in Germany said that he hopes the film will be shown in the Cannes Film Festival, and added that the film is one of Hamas's first attempts at breaking into the media industry.
The film received applause and praise from the viewers in Gaza.
The $200,000 budget movie tells the story of Emad Akel, commander of the Hamas military wing, who was killed in a firefight with Israeli troops in Gaza in 1993.
Akel, 23 at the time, was known as "the ghost" for his many disguises, including dressing up as a Jewish settler with a skullcap. In the early 1990s, he topped Israel's wanted list for his suspected role in killing 11 IDF soldiers, an Israeli civilian and four Palestinian informers in a series of attack.

After the Stain, What is to be done?

2009-09-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

In 1915, D. W. Griffith presented "Birth of a Nation", a blockbuster film that presented a positive view of the Ku Klux Klan. The film was hailed for its pioneering innovative camera techniques, for its special effects and artistic techniques. It was widely viewed, breaking all existing box office records. Unfortunately, it was also dishonest. It claimed reconstruction was a disaster, that blacks could never be integrated, and that the Clan's violent actions were justified. The film was filled with fabrications, and lack of accuracy. More importantly, it promoted white supremacy and gave sustenance to American racism. It was the catalyst for riots in major American cities as gangs of whites attacked and murdered blacks. Despite this, President Woodrow Wilson described the film as "all so terribly true" Thus we saw the power of film to influence public policy and morality.

I suspect that in 1915 there were well-meaning folk who defended showing "Birth of a Nation" it on the grounds of esthetics, free speech, and the promotion of "healthy dialogue" around "divisive issues". The Cindy Corrie's and Peter Steins of the day undoubtedly claimed that the film promoted healthy dialogue and promoted social justice.

Fast forward to the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (SFJFF). As the French say, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, (the more things change, the more they remain the same). As most of my readers know, the festival chose to screen a documentary film about Rachel Corrie, a young member of the ISM who was accidentally killed after she chose to enter a war zone in which the Israeli army was operating to destroy the infrastructure hiding smuggling tunnels. In addition, the festival invited her bereaved mother, who has been on the lecture circuit preaching hatred, to come and talk about the film. Further the film is not subtle in its condemnation of Israel, presents no context to explain why Israel was destroying the tunnels, or how the ISM deliberately creates “martyrs”. Further, the film is directed by a person well-known for her anti-Israeli bias.

Thus, a film that promotes a point of view both dishonest and dangerous, that uses the tragic death of a naïve and uninformed young woman to further an amoral agenda, has now been shown at a Jewish film festival. Like its predecessor of 1915, it is filled with fabrications, and like its predecessor, it is designed to provoke and inflame the darkest of passions. And the response was, predictably, a near riot resembling a gathering of brown-shirts in 1930s Germany.

I have previously written about the role of Peter Stein, director of the SFJFF, in this sordid affair. Stein’s presence at the helm of the festival has been the major problem. With more astute guidance, this blunder never would have occurred.

Let me be clear. Peter Stein is not an evil man. In fact, I believe that he is well-meaning. He is knowledgeable about the esthetics and the production of film. Unfortunately, Stein is out of his depth as director of the SFJFF. . He has not a clue about community and group dynamics, and lacks any understanding of the historical and sociological background of the films that he is screening or the audiences to whom he is presenting. He fails to appreciate how film can be used (and often misused or abused) as a polemical device, one that has been dangerous historically. And he is completely unsophisticated about the ethical and moral requirements of a civilized society

Screening this film, inviting Cindy Corrie, and appealing to an audience of anti-Israel folks, were all errors of judgment. And there were many individuals who warned him of these errors. Rather than examining the arguments on their merits, or engaging his critics, he chose to go into lockdown mode, trying to reframe the debate as an issue of free speech, or of esthetic freedom, or of healthy dialogue between different points of view. It never occurred to him that there are some points of view that are simply too abhorrent to be discussed.

Quite apart from the message of hate, this has cast a serious cloud over the Jewish Film Festival. After all, it is the board and funders of this organization who selected Peter Stein and did little to guide him in the need for caution and circumspection

Consider the many mistakes he made. For starters, the selection of the film showed no ability to distinguish between a one-sided political polemic and a serious and informative film. To not understand that this is a propaganda piece designed to discredit the Jewish state, is to fail to be attuned to the needs of the Jewish community.

Secondly, Stein wrote a publicity piece about the film in which he took the inflammatory words of Jewish Voice for Peace and disseminated them as fact in order to promote the film. This material, presumably representing his own point of view, runs contrary to any concept of truth and justice. His positive statements about Rachel Corrie, and about the film director Simone Bitton, his claim that at worst Rachel was "perhaps naive", while on the other side there was an "inadequate military investigation", show an ignorance and bias inappropriate for the director or a major film festival.

Third, after the controversy erupted, he remained oblivious to the consequences of his insistence on showing the film, and of inviting Rachel Corrie’s mother, an activist representing forces of hatred and division. He demonstrated a willful ignorance of the moral implications of his actions.

Fourth, Stein refused to give serious consideration to the many admonitions from community leaders. Most advised against showing the film, and almost all advised against inviting Cindy Corrie. Stein stonewalled, claiming to be an honest broker in trying to promote a dialogue, and insisting that the show must go on. That this would become a hate filled event was no secret to those who warned Stein about the wisdom of showing the film and inviting Cindy Corrie. That he chose not to listen led to the predicted fiasco, one which might have been avoided.

Fifth, Stein did not understand what was happening the night of the showing of the film. It is instructive to watch video of the presentation by Mike Harris prior to the film, to understand how completely this event was simply another hate fest. The people who treated Dr. Harris with rude jeers are reminiscent of the same people who shouted down Dan Pipes when he was in Berkeley and who prevented Benjamin Netanyahu from speaking to a group here a few years ago

Despite the one-sided display by much of the audience packed with Zionophobes, despite the hatred received by Dr. Harris as he attempted to give some balance to the film, Stein chose to lob softball questions at Cindy Corrie after the film, showing no thoughtfulness or reflection about what had just happened.

Finally, anyone can make errors of judgment. But after seeing unequivocal evidence of the error, Stein could not bring himself to acknowledge that he may have made a mistake and suggest positive steps to prevent a recurrence.

What Stein did say was the following;”This has become a lightning rod for a tremendous controversy: Is it appropriate for a Jewish film festival to screen a movie critical of the Israeli government?” (Italics added)

These few words show that either he is attempting to reframe the issue or totally fails to understand the problem. Changing the terms to "critical of the Israeli government", thereby treating it as a legitimate political debate, can best be labeled as "nice try" But he still doesn't get it. The movie is not about the point of view of the Israeli government (at the time of Corrie's death it was a left of center government).

The movie glorifies a woman and organization that were dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish state, not the replacement of the government. These are people who support organizations that glorify suicide bombers, and worship a man (Ahmadinejad) who has promised to commit a second Holocaust,

It cannot be ignored that a board member of the festival, Rachel Pfeffer, was the national director of Jewish Voice for Peace, and wrote a letter to "J" referring to the showing of the film as part of the film festival’s message of "social justice"

Let me be clear. Contrary to Stein's claims, this is neither an artistic nor a political issue. Neither is it a “teachable moment”. It can only be described as a moral issue. The pro-Corrie people support organizations that favor annihilation of the Jewish state. The other side seeks a lasting peace for all those living in the Middle East. What is there to debate?

I applaud Michael Harris for being willing to enter the belly of the beast and face the derision of modern day yahoos and ISM groupies, The hostile crowd might have become violent at any time. Dr. Harris’ words after the event bear repeating. As he put it

"The question that this poses to the Film Festival, and its supporters and funders, is this: Is it appropriate programming for the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival if it attracts an audience that not only boos a pro-Israel speaker, but applauds not only at the mention of boycotts/divestment/sanctions against Israel but even worse, at the mention of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad?"

That is the key question that should be addressed. Instead Peter Stein is still making excuses.

If the perpetrator is Peter Stein and those on his board and staff who supported him, the victim is the Jewish film festival. An annual event that ought to be grounds for celebration has been badly stained. Not every controversy merits discussion; a civilized society does not debate the pros and cons of racism, of slavery, of genocide. . Sometimes dialogue lends credibility to matters that should be kept under a rock.

Stein’s bad judgment and obstinacy have brought discredit to the SFJFF. The festival board, the Jewish community, the San Francisco and East Bay federations, the funders and the various organizations that support the festival need to ask themselves how they permitted this to happen and more importantly how they can rectify it to prevent any continued deterioration in the reputation of the film festival

An initial step would be to replace Peter Stein and consider changing the composition of the film festival board

Peter Stein as a "hero" of the Jewish community

2009-09-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

As we all know, Peter Stein is the director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. It was he who decided to screen "Rachel" and "Defamation". And he was the one who invited Cindy Corrie, mother of Rachel and supporter of ISM, to appear with the film "Rachel".

Now there appears to be a desperate rogue operation to honor Peter Stein. The United Jewish Communities, the umbrella group for the various Federations as well as successor to the UJA, is running a competition for heroes within the community. This year, Peter Stein, director of the SFJFF has been nominated.

See http://www.jewishcommunityheroes.org/nominees/profile/peter-l.-stein/
(In response to demands from the community, by the time you read this the nomination may have been removed)

On the UJC website, it appears that the nomination came from the East Bay Federation. However, the CEO of the EB Federation states they had nothing to do with the nomination, and indeed his other statements about the film festival confirm that. At this point, no one knows where the nomination came from.

I was one of those who mistakenly sent out emails about this, that held the East Bay Federation responsible. This was based on the entry on the UJC website, as well as the funding for the film festival by both the East Bay and the SF Federations. Mea culpa, I apologize, The question now is how did this happen?

Here is what the nomination says:
"Peter L. Stein directs the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the oldest and largest Jewish film festival in the US. He has brought the festival through countless storms. Most recently, he stood his ground in introducing a controversial film, "Rachel," to the festival's audiences. Stein deserves to be celebrated because he sees the role of a Jewish community organization and its leader as grappling with the complexity of modern Jewish life, not circling the wagons in defense against it. Peter Stein has been a peacemaker. When the Jewish community was divided politically, as it often is, he has refused to take sides but has been willing to bring people -- and ideas -- together."

Can you believe this?

Stein and some of the powers within the SF Federation have been busy getting people to write letters in support of Stein, the film festival, and the Federation. (See recent issues of "J") So the question is, did some of these same supporters enter this nomination as a desperate measure, basically attempting to "make a purse out of a pig's ear", (pardon the metaphor), i.e. to turn a deteriorating situation into something brave and "heroic"?

Both Federations have known of this since last week, but as of this morning have not removed the nomination or tried to learn who was responsible. Some persons in the community suspect that one or both CEOs are trying to have it both ways.

Federation is bleeding donors as a result. This is tragic, since with the exception of the film festival, the Federations do outstanding and important work. But the CEOs have mishandled this. Even though it appears to be a rogue operation, they have been slow to respond, raising further suspicions. Nothing will stop this except full candor and full disclosure.

SFJFF: Brutus, and Jewish Voice for Peace.

2009-09-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

In Shakespeare’s "Julius Caesar” Mark Antony gives the famous "Friends, Romans, Countrymen" funeral oration. In this speech he repeatedly condemns Brutus, but each condemnation is followed by "But Brutus is an honorable man" implying that Brutus' actions are virtuous.

As we all know, the now infamous showing of "Rachel" was cosponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). This organization routinely describes itself as a "supporter of Israel." This is the same distortion used by J Street. The formula is to take the most dangerous positions on Israel, then add "but we are pro-Israel" I refer to this as "the Brutus disclaimer".

The words and actions of JVP show this to be grossly inaccurate. The JVP has been pushing for boycotts, sanctions, divestment, and withdrawal of US aid to Israel. This is a strange form of "support". The JVP regularly delegitimizes, demonizes, and slanders Israel. It makes common cause with Hamas. It provides a platform to avowed anti-Zionists and anti-Semites who wish for annihilation of the Jewish state. It routinely collaborates with the most extreme anti-Israel organizations, including ISM and ANSWER.

By co-sponsoring Rachel with JVP, the film festival is collaborating with Israel haters. It is of interest that selections of persons to serve on the film festival board are not based on knowledge of film or of Jewish culture, but rather whether one has sufficient left wing credentials. Zionists are not allowed.

Funding by the San Francisco and the East Bay Jewish Federations provides the imprimatur of community support. In addition to a waste of our valuable dollars, they are thereby providing respectability and legitimacy.

Anyone who doubts the role of Federation should go to the following website;

http://www.jewishcommunityheroes.org/nominees/profile/peter-l.-stein/

Surprised? Shocked? I was. I will have more to say on this. Stay tuned.

A question for those circling the wagons

2009-08-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Generally the members of the local Jewish bureaucracy cover for each other when one of their tribe comes under attack. Most recently, we saw this in the case of the outrageous goings-on at UC Berkeley Hillel, where "community" organizations united to smear pro-Israel student activists and stick up for a clearly incompetent and wrong-headed Hillel leadership.

The reaction of the Jewish nomenklatura at 121 Steuart Street this time around is no different. They're sticking up for the SFJFF, with at most a head shaken sadly at the "mistake" of not better paving the way for communal acceptance of Israel-bashing at the Film Festival.

Here's an open letter from a pro-Israel activist calling out the head of the local JCRC, the self-styled experts in "community relations," on their egregious failure of leadership with regard to the SFJFF. It will be interesting to see how he responds.

Dear Doug,

As someone who has been quite vocal about her opposition to the “Rachel” event and the failure of Jewish communal leadership to properly address it, I would like to respond to your recent report (forwarded below) documenting the JCRC’s role in handling the event. Then, I would like to ask you a couple of questions.

Although the JCRC was not “a sponsor, endorser, funder or co-presenter of the Festival,” the organization you direct does play an important leadership role in the community. As you have noted in your report, JCRC is respected for the guidance it gives other Jewish agencies regarding controversial community issues. Therefore, having recognized early on that the “Rachel” event was an egregiously inappropriate SFJFF program that could do tremendous harm to the Jewish community, in your respected advisory capacity, I believe you should have advised Peter Stein to do the right and honorable thing, and cancel the event. Of course Mr. Stein did not have to take your advice, but for you not to have offered this advice and urged Stein to accept it, is, from the perspective of many of us in the Jewish community, a major failure of leadership.

In justifying your decision to not press the Festival leadership for the cancellation of the event, you offered a few reasons, chief among them the idea that canceling the film would backfire and lead to accusations of censorship. It seems to me this is an extremely disingenuous claim. For had the SFJFF wanted to show a Holocaust denial movie produced by an “Israeli” follower of Neturei Karta, invited David Irving to speak after the film and partnered with “Jewish Friends of Ahmadinejad” for the event’s promotion, I am certain you would have acted swiftly and decisively to have the event canceled, cries of “censorship” notwithstanding. Such an event would clearly have “crossed the line of Jewish legitimacy,” and been extremely destructive to our community.

So, too, if you thought the virulently anti-Israel “Rachel” event and the participation of organizations that vilify and demonize the Jewish State had “crossed the line of Jewish legitimacy” and would bring harm to our Jewish community, you would have ignored the accusation of censorship and pressed for the cancellation of the event. That you did not, suggests that, as distasteful as you found the “Rachel” event and its co-presenters, you still considered them to be acceptable within the “big tent” of our Jewish community.

And therein lies the heart of the problem: I believe the vast majority of Jews in our community understand that this event and the organizations which promoted it indeed “crossed the line of Jewish legitimacy.” Furthermore, they see your unwillingness to articulate this truth as another major failure of Jewish leadership, one which has certainly backfired, bestowing legitimacy to an anti-Israel, anti-Semitic program, and the groups who promoted it.

I for one feel that if the virulently anti-Israel “Rachel” event is considered a legitimate form of expression in our community, and if organizations which demonize Israel and her supporters, such as the Jewish Voice for Peace (see below for the latest example of JVP’s disgraceful behavior), are considered legitimate in our community, then it is a Jewish community that I neither want to be part of, nor support. Moreover, you would be seriously mistaken if you were to think that my position represents a right-wing, pro-Israel fringe in our community; I truly believe that most Bay Area Jews feel as I do.

This recent controversy has demonstrated to many of us the need for a clearly articulated statement from our Jewish communal leaders about what constitutes legitimacy within our Jewish community. In this regard, I would like to ask you, as director of the JCRC, the following 2 questions, which I would be most grateful if you could answer:

1) Do you believe the “Rachel” event constituted a legitimate form of artistic expression within our Jewish community?

2) Do you believe the Jewish Voice for Peace is a legitimate organization within our Jewish community?

I and the hundreds of blind-copied individuals on this email, as well as the thousands of people to hom this email will be forwarded or who will read it on the internet, look forward to hearing your answers to these questions.

Thank you and Shabbat shalom.

Sincerely,
Tammi Benjamin

August 3, 2009

-------------------

BEHIND THE SCENES AT JCRC CXIII

A candid frequent briefing by Rabbi Doug Kahn,
JCRC Executive Director,
for Jewish Community Leadership

THE CONTROVERSY OVER “RACHEL” AT THE
JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL AND THE ROLE OF JCRC IN RESPONSE –
A SPECIAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES REPORT

Introduction

One of JCRC’s core functions is developing consensus within the organized Jewish community on issues of vital concern, and then representing those consensus views to the broader community. In carrying out this function, JCRC works closely with Jewish agencies and synagogues to assist them on sensitive community relations issues. JCRC’s expertise is called on regularly and routinely– by our Federations, JCCs, Hillels, cultural institutions, day schools, summer camps, synagogues and other valued institutions.

We are proud that agencies know that they can count on us for guidance at difficult times, and that they can trust that our goal is not publicity but achieving results – most often behind-the-scenes. Agencies also know that we respect the boundaries of decision-making – that the organizations we work with ultimately make and are responsible for their own decisions.

The “Rachel” film and event at this year’s Jewish Film Festival exposed a significant rift within our community and resulted in several hundred emails opposed to and in support of the JFF’s program. Several emails raised questions or made suggestions about the JCRC’s role in responding to the controversy. Because of the unprecedented community reaction to the Jewish Film Festival’s “Rachel” film and program, we thought it would be helpful to share with key community leadership this report on JCRC’s response to the controversy.

“Rachel” and the JCRC Response

This memo documents our efforts – largely in coordination with the Jewish Community Federation – to address the concerns around “Rachel.” It should be noted that JCRC was not a sponsor, endorser, funder or co-presenter of the Festival. It should also be noted that the Film Festival is no stranger to strong criticism over some of its selections in years past, including from JCRC, but this year the criticisms clearly reached a new decibel level.

1) Shortly after learning about this program, JCRC’s Executive Director Doug Kahn called Peter Stein, Executive Director of the Jewish Film Festival, to convey strong concerns about the program and to alert the Festival leadership that there would surely be significant criticism.

2) Extensive conversations with Peter Stein and Shana Penn (who subsequently resigned as President of the Board of the Film Festival) ensued. JCRC had significant concerns about the film itself. At the same time, because 1) we had not reviewed the film;2) it was clear that the Film Festival planned to proceed with the film; 3) efforts to press the Festival to cancel the film would backfire and lead to a major battle over claims of “censorship;” and 4) we believed that it was not the film in isolation but the film combined with the invitation to Cindy Corrie to speak that shifted the program into a more highly politicized event, we focused on the overall “Rachel” program. In the first J Weekly story on the controversy, Doug Kahn was quoted as saying that he had not seen the film but that he believed that inviting Cindy Corrie was a serious mistake. Throughout this period, JCRC worked closely with the Jewish Community Federation and the JCF of the Greater East Bay.

3) Conversations with the Festival confirmed the wisdom of focusing on the overall program. The Festival is an independent organization that is immersed in both the Jewish and the cultural arts community. It has prided itself on presenting a broad range of films that touch on the many aspects of Jewish life in Israel and throughout the world, sometimes critically and pro-actively. Based on our assessment of our community’s general openness to a big tent approach, including through the medium of film and artistic expression, and of what actions might be achievable, we proposed three specific steps to the Festival leadership. We believed that these proposed steps, consistent with our community’s longstanding support of responsible free expression, would help demonstrate that the Festival acknowledged and heard the legitimate criticism with respect to the construction of the “Rachel” program:

a. To offer an alternative viewpoint – one that would convey the extent of concern about the role of groups such as the International Solidarity Movement of which Rachel Corrie was a part;

b. To apologize for not fully appreciating how polarizing the program would be;

c. To acknowledge that lessons had been learned from this experience and that controversial programs would be addressed with much better care in the future.

4) To their credit, the Festival responded positively to all three suggestions, issuing a statement that explicitly addressed these points, and extending an invitation to Dr. Mike Harris, co-founder of San Francisco Voice for Israel, to speak before the film. Mike agreed to do so.

5) For the sharpest of critics, this action was deemed too little too late. We believe, however, that these steps were significant.

· Mike Harris made a forceful statement about the role of Palestinian terrorism and ISM in the conflict. Though some in the audience were offensive in their taunts and boos, Peter Stein made a strong call for civil discourse and returned to the microphone several times so that Dr. Harris could continue his statement.

· The Festival acknowledged that it had learned important lessons. The biggest question is how the Film Festival will address controversial subjects in the future. In that regard, we are pleased that the Festival has asked JCRC along with the Federation to help convene meetings with key leaders to talk through the difficult issues that came to the surface this year and next steps.

6) JCRC played a critical role in persuading the JFF to respond to the criticism of “Rachel.” We could not have played that role effectively had we engaged in a public campaign aimed at forcing the Festival to do something that it was not about to do – cancel the film – or at encouraging community members to boycott the Festival. We are a fellow Jewish communal institution and we want the Film Festival to solicit our advice – as do dozens of other organizations in the community – on key community relations issues. And we want to and will work actively with the the Festival leadership to address programs on controversial issues with much greater care in the future – something that they have already committed to doing.

7) As an organization that promotes civil discourse in our community, we are concerned that too many communications on the subject of the Festival went way beyond the boundaries of civil discourse. As lines are sharply drawn and polarization increases, such communications not only detract from otherwise legitimate criticisms but make it harder to really accomplish the changes that we seek. JCRC is committed to every reasonable effort to protect civil discourse – including vigorous but respectful disagreement. The Festival is an important institution within our community. It does remarkable outreach work and has earned an international reputation as a serious film festival. At the same time, it can do much better in being sensitive to and responsive to our community. And we can elevate the level of civil discourse in our community -- even on issues about which we are so passionate.

8) This entire chapter in our community’s life demonstrates something that JCRC has been observing for some time – that we are in a period of increased polarization and heated passionate debate. From booing by individuals during Mike Harris’s comments, to calls to withhold funds from the Federation even though Federation is not and cannot be responsible for JFF’s individual programming decisions, passions exploded. As we move beyond this year’s Festival, the hard work ahead remains. Our community relations work – including our efforts to expand civil discourse and our broad-based Israel advocacy efforts – has never been more important.

Rabbi Doug Kahn
Executive Director, JCRC
121 Steuart Street, Suite 301
San Francisco, CA 94105

JCRC: Pursuing a Just Society and Secure Jewish Future

The JVP fundraising email that Tammi refers to may be found here.

Jennifer Rubin: Repercussions of Bay Area Outrage

2009-08-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

Daniel "J Street' Sokatch and Peter Stein appear to have bitten off a bit more than they can chew. Here's another piece by the formidable Jennifer Rubin about the fallout from SFJFF anti-Israel fiasco:

Repercussions of Bay Area Outrage
Jennifer Rubin - 08.07.2009 - 8:25 AM

On Sunday I wrote about the San Francisco Jewish Federation–sponsored Jewish Film Festival, which featured the Palestinian propaganda film Rachel and descended into a display of anti-Israel venom. If the letters to the editor in this week’s JWeekly.com are any indication, there are plenty of very upset Jews in the Bay Area. One writes:

Many people think that the recent showing of “Rachel” at the SFJFF was meant to stir controversy in the Jewish community over Israeli policy. It has accomplished more than that. Some people wanted to see the film for what it was and did not anticipate the repercussions; i.e. the intolerable rudeness toward Dr. Mike Harris and the stomping out of his opposing point of view. They thought that Cindy Corrie’s presence would add credibility to the film, not knowing that she is a pro-Palestinian propagandist who was photographed smiling next to Arafat.

Some other accomplishments were:

1. That changes will be made on the SFJFF board;

2. That people are annoyed with what seems to be spinelessness in Jewish leadership;

3. That a major contradiction is “free speech” and discussion are for some, but not for others — an issue to be examined;

4. That there are “peaceniks” who have disdain for any peace, but instead, behave like violent thugs.

It’s an accomplishment that the broader Jewish “community” has woken up here and elsewhere in the States and world.

Another writes:

In donating to the federation I trusted and empowered a group to manage my contribution in a responsible way. They agreed to use proper judgment with any investment. The federation has no right to use diversity as an excuse to justify their support of predictable behavior similar to Hamas or KKK as demonstrated by some anti-Israel organizations.

Holding an anti-Israel, hate-fest film festival with our federation donations is not what I would consider Jewish behavior. Nevertheless, the film festival has the right to screen any film or invite Cindy Corrie to be a speaker — all of which I strongly oppose.

Following several failed attempts to influence the federation to reconsider their position and instead apply good judgment and leadership, I finally understood that they have deliberated, considered all sides carefully and made a final decision. One which, with my minimal wisdom, I cannot support.

I had no choice but to stop all my donations to the federation. I will be redirecting my funds, as well as additional money, to pro-Israel groups who demonstrate better judgment and have no difficulties leading.

And Natan Nestel writes of the federation:

Federation CEO Daniel Sokatch camouflages the Federation’s failure to oppose the incessant ideological assault on Israel by invoking buzzwords like “diversity” and “depth of feelings and convictions.” He ducks the real issue — how best to counter extremists, their propaganda and their political machinations.

The anti-Zionist crowd cheered Ahmadinejad, anti-Israel boycotts, divestment and sanctions and screamed “Sig Heil” — all with Federation (your) funds and its tacit approval.

This “debate” is about life-and-death issues regarding our brethren in Israel, not a local dispute with friendly disagreements. Sokatch’s failure to see that distinction is indeed disturbing; Federation leaders don’t seem to get it.

Federation’s misguided effort to grant legitimacy to anti-Israel organizations must stop. Simply put, the Federation shouldn’t support organizations or events that promote anti-Israel venom and that collaborate with anti-Israel groups and individuals.

Perhaps the Jewish Film Festival and its federation sponsors misread their greater audience beyond the netroot film crowd. If so, some good may come of this horrendous lapse of judgment.

Mike's Place bombers attended a Rachel Corrie memorial

2009-08-02T00:48:00.001-07:00

In late April 2003, two Muslim British citizens attacked the Mike's Place pub in Tel Aviv. One attacker's bomb exploded, which the second attacker's bomb failed to detonate. The result: three dead and more than 50 wounded.

What did the bombers do prior to the attack? They attended a memorial service for Rachel Corrie.

Abraham Miller: Fear and Self-Loathing at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

2009-08-02T00:26:00.001-07:00

A fantastic piece by Abraham Miller from Pajamas Media:

Killer quote:

Quickly justifying its clumsiness in dealing with this event, the organized Jewish professional community has issued a statement that gives new meaning to the term “sophistry.” The organized community claims to be “working behind the scenes,” at which they are so adept that no one ever knows what they are doing or can see any consequences of their work.
What few in the organized community want to acknowledge publicly is that this community is inundated with a sizeable group of leftist, self-loathing Jews who are Jews when it is convenient to propagate their leftist agenda.
As a non-Jewish acquaintance of mine, who is familiar with the people who run the festival, put it: “Most of these people don’t give a damn about Israel and wish it would disappear. To them, Israel is an embarrassment.” He, incidentally, shares that vision.

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/self-loathing-at-the-san-francisco-jewish-film-festival/

Fear and Self-Loathing at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival

The festival screens a laudatory film on Rachel Corrie and invites Rachel's Hamas-supporting mother to speak. (Also read Ron Radosh: Rachel Corrie: Endless Martyr for Anti-Israel Hatred)

July 29, 2009- by Abraham H. Miller

Simone Bitton is a French-Israeli director who numbers among the 479 Israelis who called for a complete boycott of Israel during the Israel Defense Forces incursion into Gaza to stop rockets from exploding in Sderot.

Obviously, Bitton exempted her own endeavors from the call.

Bitton has now directed the film Rachel, a documentary on Rachel Corrie. If there is any doubt regarding Bitton’s politics or the film’s slant, note that the documentary tours film festivals along with Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s mother and a propagandist for the likes of Hamas and the International Solidarity Movement — groups committed to Israel’s destruction.

One would expect Bitton’s work to be showcased by the usual gaggle of progressives and ultra-liberal church groups intent on destroying the Jewish state.

But in the San Francisco area? The Jewish Film Festival shows Bitton’s work.

Peter Stein, the festival’s director, knew exactly what he was doing in selecting this film. Stein was familiar with both Bitton’s work and her politics. He invited the American Friends Service Committee, now helping with the boycott of Israeli goods, to participate in the showing.

Stein also had on his board Rachel Pfeffer, the interim director of Jewish Voice for Peace — a group committed to the destruction of the Jewish state. (Since Rachel Pfeffer’s outing as JVP director, her biography on the festival web site has been thoroughly cleansed.)

Despite protests which have further fractured a sharply divided Jewish community, Rachel and the film festival are moving forward with the film in the name of free speech and open debate. Typically worthy aspirations, but in this case? A smoke screen.

Cindy Corrie has been up and down this community more times than the Hayward geological fault. Name an Israeli-bashing leftist group, and you’ll find its headquarters lies somewhere within five miles of the Berkeley campus.

For several years, Berkeley’s Hillel didn’t celebrate Passover, but it did celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that is not even celebrated throughout Mexico. But for leftist Jews, it’s better to align oneself with the revolt of the oppressed masses in Puebla, Mexico, than with Jews throwing off Pharaoh’s yoke of slavery.

Berkeley Hillel, under the ever-vigilant eye of the Jewish community, brought in the anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine, a lead organization in the anti-Israel boycott, to disseminate its propaganda to impressionable and naïve Jewish students. Berkeley Hillel could not have better served the bidding of the anti-Israel left and their Muslim allies than if it had turned over the organization to them.

If you want to get a forum in the San Francisco Bay Area Jewish community, you need to be anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, or preferably both. Cindy Corrie is not the only Cindy to get access to the community calendar here — Cindy Sheehan has also been a popular speaker. Yes, the Cindy Sheehan who said that her son died because the Iraq war was fought for Israel and orchestrated by neocons. This is a message she now denies but which others persist in claiming she wrote. Cindy Sheehan got a platform at the Berkeley-Richmond Jewish Community Center.

When the members of San Rafael’s Osher-Marin Jewish Community Center were not embracing the delicate bouquet of a good Sonoma pinot noir, they were sniffing after Cindy Sheehan, giving her a platform for a book reading and signing. You might not be able to get Obsession — the video about radical Islam — shown in some of the synagogues here (it is too pro-Israel). But you will get Sheehan.

So no — the local Jewish community is screening Rachel not out of free speech concerns, but due to strong support for its message. Why the Jewish community would choose to subsidize propaganda directed at the destruction of Israel is the real issue. Why would they play fast and loose with lies designed to undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish state? Why would they welcome people whose political mission is the killing of Jews?

Quickly justifying its clumsiness in dealing with this event, the organized Jewish professional community has issued a statement that gives new meaning to the term “sophistry.” The organized community claims to be “working behind the scenes,” at which they are so adept that no one ever knows what they are doing or can see any consequences of their work.

What few in the organized community want to acknowledge publicly is that this community is inundated with a sizeable group of leftist, self-loathing Jews who are Jews when it is convenient to propagate their leftist agenda.

As a non-Jewish acquaintance of mine, who is familiar with the people who run the festival, put it: “Most of these people don’t give a damn about Israel and wish it would disappear. To them, Israel is an embarrassment.” He, incidentally, shares that vision.

Cindy Corrie traffics in sympathy for her daughter, but I have not read a single interview where she shows the slightest compassion for the mothers of the other dead Rachels whose deaths were brought about by people her daughter sought to protect and whom she venerated. Nor does Cindy Corrie display the slightest insight into her daughter’s role as a facilitator of mass murder of innocents. Maybe Cindy Corrie should look in the mirror and ask herself why she let her daughter walk into a war zone run by terrorists, where there were daily confrontations between people trying to kill Jews and the Israeli military trying to stop them. Maybe Cindy Corrie should turn some of her anguish toward Evergreen State University, which provided academic credit for this indulgent stupidity. In continuing her daughter’s work, Cindy Corrie is not promoting peace, she is promoting human carnage.

To someone like me who remembers being taken by my grandmother to a storefront in Chicago’s Lawndale so I could help her cull through the lists of death camp survivors looking for the names of her sisters (we found one of four), I am unable to comprehend the behavior of these leftist Jews. As someone who remembers the pride that ignited a room of immigrant Jews and displaced persons when the first newsreels were shown of Jews (then called “Palestinians”) fighting for a homeland, I am incapable of imagining how these leftist Jews have been permitted to control a major community event.

They are propagating the seeds of their own destruction. Neither their leftist politics nor their pathetic condemnation of everything Israel does to defend itself will save them if the ideology, politics, and people they so mindlessly support should ever come to power.

Enamored of Marx, they should remember one of Marx’s most insightful and prophetic statements (probably taken from Georg Buchner): “Like Saturn, the revolution devours its own children.”

Abraham H. Miller is an emeritus professor of political science and a former head of the Intelligence Studies Section of the International Studies Association.

Jennifer Rubin: Bay Area Outrage

2009-08-02T00:08:00.001-07:00

The estimable Jennifer Rubin of Commentary's Contentions Blog and Pajamas Media is on the case:

Bay Area Outrage

JENNIFER RUBIN - 08.02.2009 - 1:52 AM
Abraham Miller gives us a peek in the descent into anti-Israel and anti-Semetic Leftism, which has gripped the Jewish community of the San Francisco Bay area. The latest outrage was the Jewish film-festival at which the latest work of Simone Bittone, Rachel, was featured. Bitton called for boycotting Israel during the incursion into Gaza in order to put an end to the rocket attacks into Israel. Miller explains the background and the scene at the anti-Israel propaganda fest:
Simone Bitton is a French-Israeli director who numbers among the 479 Israelis who called for a complete boycott of Israel during the Israel Defense Forces incursion into Gaza to stop rockets from exploding in Sderot.
Obviously, Bitton exempted her own endeavors from the call.Bitton has now directed the film Rachel, a documentary on Rachel Corrie. If there is any doubt regarding Bitton’s politics or the film’s slant, note that the documentary tours film festivals along with Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s mother and a propagandist for the likes of Hamas and the International Solidarity Movement — groups committed to Israel’s destruction.One would expect Bitton’s work to be showcased by the usual gaggle of progressives and ultra-liberal church groups intent on destroying the Jewish state.
But in the San Francisco area? The Jewish Film Festival shows Bitton’s work. Peter Stein, the festival’s director, knew exactly what he was doing in selecting this film. Stein was familiar with both Bitton’s work and her politics. He invited the American Friends Service Committee, now helping with the boycott of Israeli goods, to participate in the showing.
(AFSC, you may recall, hosted a dinner in New York for Ahmadinejad in September 2008.) Those who attended the event report that it predictably turned into a virulently anti-Israel and anti-Semitic crowd. The audience jeered a pro-Israeli speaker and rooted for those boycotts and sanctions against Israel. A friend relates via email that there were Nazi salutes and “Sig Heil” screams. (Ron Rodash has more here.)
To be clear, this was an event sponsored by the Jewish Federation. Needless to say, the Federation in San Francisco has been inundated by complaints. Yet the Federation continues to defend its participation in the event and has refused to pull funding. The Federation leadership instead continues to laud the Film Festival. It is all about the wonderful “diversity” of the Jewish community, the Federation tells its critics.
But this is not an isolated event in the San Francisco Bay area. As Miller and others have documented, with the full encouragement and support of the local Federation and the Northern California Hillel, the Berkeley Hillel has become a hotbed of anti-Israel propaganda. Miller again explains:
For several years, Berkeley’s Hillel didn’t celebrate Passover, but it did celebrate Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that is not even celebrated throughout Mexico. But for leftist Jews, it’s better to align oneself with the revolt of the oppressed masses in Puebla, Mexico, than with Jews throwing off Pharaoh’s yoke of slavery.
Berkeley Hillel, under the ever-vigilant eye of the Jewish community, brought in the anti-Israel Students for Justice in Palestine, a lead organization in the anti-Israel boycott, to disseminate its propaganda to impressionable and naïve Jewish students. Berkeley Hillel could not have better served the bidding of the anti-Israel left and their Muslim allies than if it had turned over the organization to them.
Other lowlights from the Berkeley Hillel: smearing Orthodox Jews in its Valentine’s Day invitation posted on Facebook, participation in “Israel Apartheid Week,” holding a dance party on Yom Ha’Shoah, and actively discouraging students from marching in support of Israel and displaying the Israeli flag during the Gaza incursion.
This is the “Jewish Left” in all its glory — embracing those who would destroy Israel, reveling in the camaraderie of Palestinian extremists, and determined to ostracize and vilify Israel. Why those in the Bay Area Jewish community who do not share these views have not risen up to put an end to this charade remains a mystery. But clearly, the enemies of Israel have no greater friends than those who are helping carry out their aims – all in the name of the “Jewish community.”

Anti-Israel ISM activist Paul Larudee on Rachel event: anti-Israel point of view is now respectable

2009-08-01T23:38:00.001-07:00

Our friend Dusty writes to say: "Paul Larudee, formerly of International Solidarity Movement, sent out the following email report".

Emphasis below is mine.

The showing of Simone Bitton’s film, Rachel, at the Castro theater in San Francisco on July 25, 2009, as part of the Jewish Film Festival, was a landmark event in changing attitudes toward Israel. Although the film itself is deserving of the attention given to it by both the press and the public, the real story was audience itself.

Around 1000 people attended the showing of the film. The line of theater-goers went around the block. I and my two companions were unable to find three seats together in the 1400-seat theater, and we were by no means the last in line. (The balcony went largely unused for some reason). People were actually standing in the aisles. It was the largest audience I have seen at any film festival. Attendees came from as far away as Sacramento and perhaps farther.

My first thought was that the supporters of Israel had turned out in force. In an unprecedented decision for any film, Michael Harris of San Francisco Voice for Israel had been given five minutes to speak at the beginning, to raise his objections. Perhaps he had turned out a lot of his community to drown out Palestinian rights advocates.

I was wrong. As Michael began to speak of Israel’s right to defend itself, the misguided motives of Rachel, the "other Rachels" and all the other tired arguments against the film, the audience audibly moaned, then began to raise its own objections, punctuating Michael’s every phrase louder and louder. At that point, the festival organizer stepped in to ask the audience to be more tolerant and pointed out that Rachel’s mother, Cindy, who would be speaking at the end of the film, deserved such courtesy, as well.

The audience settled back into subdued groans for a few phrases, but when Michael accused Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee of being backers of terrorism, the audience erupted into applause at the mention of each name. It’s a good thing it wasn’t traditional Yiddish theater, where the audience armed itself with tomatoes. Anyone but Harris would have been humiliated by the experience.

The concern for respectful treatment of Cindy Corrie’s presentation at the end of the film was also unwarranted. The audence was so completely supportive of her, her daughter and Palestinian rights that there was not a hint of the hateful messages with which the organizers had been deluged prior to the showing.

It was astonishing. Although the audience was by no means all Jewish, a large number clearly were, and the sense of many of the attendees was that their relative immunity from the charge of anti-Semitism gave them license to be more vocal.

The significance of the event was unmistakable. We were witnessing a major shift in attitudes toward Israel, even (or especially) within the Jewish community. The rose-colored glasses were coming off, and Israel was clearly no longer immune from standards to which other nations had long been held.

To keep things in perspective, community attitudes are far from being reversed. It’s hard to believe that this audience represents even a majority of the community from which it comes. However, for it to be so dominant and numerous in this setting is something of a milestone, and potentially constitutes something of a sea change in the way Israel is perceived.

Take heed. The "other" view of Israel is now respectable.

Many thanks to Peter Stein and Daniel Sokatch for respectively putting on and backing an event at which anti-Israel, pro-Hamas activists feel comfortable.

J'lem Post: Outrage at Corrie film in San Francisco

2009-07-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

The crazy goings-on at the SFJFF are now international news:

Outrage at Corrie film in San Francisco
Jul. 30, 2009
abi goodman , THE JERUSALEM POST
Emotions ran high at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival over the showing of Rachel, a film that looks at the International Solidarity Movement activist Rachel Corrie and her death in Gaza in March 2003.
The controversy had been brewing for some time, concerning both the showing of the film and the invitation to Rachel's mother, Cindy Corrie, to speak at the festival.
In the wake of protests against the showing of the film last Saturday, Peter Stein, the festival's executive director, invited Dr. Mike Harris, one of the leaders of the local Stand With Us chapter, to speak in order to put across his objections. Stand With Us is a pro-Israel advocacy organization based in Los Angeles.
In his speech Harris, to give some context to the film, talked about the spate of suicide bombings that took place leading up to Rachel's death. He referred to the other "Rachels" who died as a result of terrorist attacks preceding Rachel Corrie's death.
Harris was heckled throughout most of his speech. Cries of "not true" followed his accusation that the ISM had aided terrorists who took over Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity in 2002, and mocking laughter ensued when he said: "That's why the young IDF soldier was operating the bulldozer in Rafah... It was to destroy the tunnels used to smuggle explosives for murdering Israelis."
When Harris criticized the choice of sponsor for the film, saying the "American Friends Service Committee supports boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel," his words were followed by hoots of support for the AFSC.
Harris went on to mention the AFSC's decision to host a dinner for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, which drew more cheers of support from the audience.
In his blog following the incident, Harris wrote that he was not surprised by the responses from the audience. "Stand With Us fully supported [my] appearance, realizing that this was a unique opportunity to present our viewpoint, even knowing that the majority of the audience would be hostile."
On July 20, five days before the screening, the president of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival board, Shana Penn, resigned over the issue. "Healthy differences on how to approach sensitive issues" was her reason for resigning, she said, according to j., a San Francisco area Jewish newsweekly.
Standing by its decision to show the film and to invite Cindy Corrie, the festival released the following statement: "We are presenting the views of the filmmakers and their subjects in what we hope is an atmosphere that encourages free expression and public debate.
"We believe that the best artists, including documentary filmmakers, create work that makes us think and sparks a dialogue both within the Jewish community and the greater community of the Bay Area."
The film's director Simone Bitton has put together interviews with eyewitnesses, IDF soldiers and spokespeople to try to bring new information to the table regarding Corrie's death.
The film was protested for its anti-Israel nature, which was seen as unsuitable for a Jewish film festival. Rachel has already been shown at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival in New York.

Federation President to donors: don't pester us about mistakes, just keep paying for anti-Israel propaganda

2009-07-31T16:59:00.000-07:00

Here's an astonishing email from SF Federation President Jim Koshland to a donor who expressed concern about the recent propaganda-fest at the SFJFF.

Note that Mr. Koshland can't even bring himself to condemn the showing of the Corrie film at the SFJFF! He blandly refers to "mistakes" made by an unnamed "wonderful program[s]" and goes on to describe the SFJFF in glowing terms: "a cultural event that shines brightly upon our whole community."

Note too that Koshland praises the SFJFF as an institution which has "served to connect thousands of otherwise disconnected Jews to our community for the past 29 years." Apparently, to his way of thinking, alienated anti-Israel Jews are an important constituency for the SFJFF!

Given Koshland's attitude and his commitment to continue Federation funding for anti-Israel events, it's hardly surprising that increasing numbers of clear-thinking donors like Mr. Alon are deciding they have better places to send their donations

From: Koshland, Jim [mailto:Jim.Koshland@dlapiper.com]
Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 6:52 AM
To: Zvi Alon
Cc: daniels@sfjcf.org
Subject: Re: JFF and more

Zvi, we appreciate your strong concerns and your taking the time to communicate these concerns. However, for the reasons explained below, we cannot take the actions you are recommending.

Sincerely,
Jim Koshland

Thank you for adding your voice to the many we are hearing.

The emotion swirling around the Jewish Film Festival this year has generated a great number of emails from those angry with the Festival, and, in some cases, by implication, with the Federation. And we have also received an equal number of messages, just as passionate, in support of the Festival. This is clearly a reflection of the diversity of opinion in the Bay Area Jewish community, as well as the strength of our commitments and convictions.

Every few months we at the Federation are confronted with a campaign like this, in which a vocal segment of our community sees the Federation as being on “the wrong side” of an issue in the community. Sometimes, those who are angry with us threaten to suspend their support of the Federation.

We understand. Federation is indeed a steward of community dollars and therefore an expression of the Bay Area Jewish community. And there are so many good things in our community that would simply not exist if it weren’t for the Federation’s investment. Last year, Federation sent almost $270,000,000 in philanthropic funding into both the Jewish and general communities, dollars that strengthened our Jewish community, helped individuals and families in need, built and supported vital institutions, funded education, environmental research, health care, community centers, senior transportation, synagogues, and museums, supported a strong and vibrant Israel, and promoted Jewish life and culture here in the Bay Area and throughout the world.

The Federation supports hundreds of programs, organizations and agencies. And we support their freedom of expression as a reflection of the diversity of our Bay Area Jewish community. Our continued investment in the programs that make up the fabric of our unique and dynamic community also ensures that Federation’s voice is heard. While we can – and indeed do -- offer our beneficiary agencies advice, counsel and guidance, we do not attempt to control them or censor them. Rather, we work with them, listen to them, and insist that they listen to us when we voice community concerns.

We have found, over the last 100 years, that this approach works very well. Indeed it built the community about which we all care so much today. We also believe that this is the best approach to achieve our mission: to connect Bay Area Jews to Jewish life, to our community and to Israel.

In a diverse community like ours, of course we don’t always all agree. And I welcome civil discourse and constructive criticism, and always want to hear what community members are thinking, even when they strongly disagree with us, or with any other community group. But I have to say that I am dismayed at the tone of many of the emails I have received from a small (but vocal) minority. I am disheartened to read the personal attacks on dedicated men and women who have tirelessly devoted themselves in service to the Jewish community. I understand that people’s passions sometimes get the better of them, but there is nothing to be gained by Jews attacking other Jews – especially in the guise of being pro-Jewish. It makes me very sad; it damages us as community, and diverts our attention from addressing the critical issues we do face.

We believe that the Jewish Film Festival is a cultural event that shines brightly upon our whole community, and indeed our entire Bay Area. It has also served to connect thousands of otherwise disconnected Jews to our community for the past 29 years. For every challenging movie in the program (and every year the Festival’s program challenges some part of our community), there are so many more to see that stimulate, inspire, and educate, and just as many that leave us touched and moved and filled with pride.

And, yes, sometimes even wonderful programs make, in our judgment, mistakes. When this happens, we make our concerns known. But this does not negate their value and importance.

We appreciate your passionate commitment and your support of the things that matter to you. Working together in a respectful and civil manner, we can build a stronger and more vibrant Jewish community, a more dynamic Bay Area community.

Fear and Loathing at the SF Jewish Film Festival

2009-07-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

This is a must-read for anyone who desires to understand the SFJFF-Hamas dynamic:

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/self-loathing-at-the-san-francisco-jewish-film-festival/1/

Hat-tip to Abraham

JVP and the "Progressive" Attack on Reason

2009-07-28T23:33:00.001-07:00

As all sane Jews who have encountered Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) activists know, any attempt to understand their reasoning is futile. Try Lincoln Shlensky's July 28 blog entry on for size. Her ranting arguments are so convoluted and so absolutely confused, that ultimately her logorreah will only make sense to the post-60s hippies and "progressive" Hamasniks who are at the core of her pathetic and angry group of anti-Israel ideologues.

What Shlensky and her misguided comrades fail to comprehend is that it is not the fact of the "Rachel" screening that offends us the most; it is the participation of JVP, its presence on the SFJFF Board, its co-presenting with the American Friends Services Committee, and its tacit support with Federation funds. JVP is a disgrace to our community and a blight on our people, and we will not rest until it is utterly purged from our cultural institutions.

Commentary on SFJFF "Rachel" Screening

2009-07-28T22:54:00.000-07:00

[...] The big issue for me was the predictable and unacceptable behavior of the anti-Israel members of the audience and the festival’s role in their presence at the screening. The festival associated itself with the Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Services Committee, two organizations which demonstrate a sophisticated, cloaked hostility to Israel. Their stated objective is peace but their criticism is leveled almost exclusively at Israel. They ignore Arab anti-Semitism, terrorism and intransigence in proposing solutions to the conflict, proposals whose implementation would inevitably weaken Israel and endanger her citizens. In my opinion, they are a threat to Israel and, by extension, the Jewish people.

The Film Festival either asked or allowed the JVP and AFSC to be the only co-presenters for “Rachel.” As such, they were to promote the film in an attempt to sell more tickets. As one would expect, they did so by encouraging their membership to attend. The result was a very large number of their members in the audience, people who are, at best, profoundly skeptical of Israel’s intentions and who, with complete disregard to the feelings of other members of the community, behaved quite poorly. They booed, hissed and mocked Michael Harris of S.F. Voice for Israel at multiple points while he spoke before the film, (you can hear examples at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k66uGD5nuk, 1:30 – 2:00 and 3:00 – 4:15). Unbelievably, someone actually yelled out “Sieg Heil” twice during his speech (4:06 of the YouTube video – this person was somewhere behind me and I have a better recording of him if you would like to hear it more clearly to be certain). [NB: I should point out that I cannot say definitively that this person was a member of either of these groups so perhaps it is unfair of me to blame them for this] Whether this person is an anti-Semite or trying to draw an analogy between Israeli and Nazi policies is immaterial; such language is unacceptable, particularly at a Jewish communal event. Furthermore, as you can see in the attached pictures, many of these people wore clothing which clearly demonstrated their sympathies. There was no shortage of keffiyehs and t-shirts with “We’re All Palestinians” or “End the Occupation.” A friend of mine said that a person in front of her had a button on that said “Yes to Hamas.” Policy disagreement is one thing; suppressing the voice of a mainstream pro-Israel activist and sartorially identifying with Israel’s enemies are another.

Quite frankly, I think it is the Jewish Voice for Peace which is instigating the Jew against Jew dynamic that none of us wants to see and I think it is unfair to say that people who respond are causing the rift. Critical responses to their policies and behavior are not just reasonable but necessary if we want to support the community. That said, I agree with David that private, frank discussions should be the first step. However, if as Jonathan suggest, this has been tried many times to no avail, a different approach should be considered. I don’t know the history of this debate and don’t feel qualified to advocate a specific communal approach. However, I can say that I consider the JVP and AFSC to be hostile to the interests of the majority of the Jewish community and that the aggressive and immature actions of their members at the festival disgusted me. I don’t think they should have any role at the event and that the Festival leadership should not be encouraging their presence.

I have been attending the film festivals for the last few years and have really, really enjoyed the experience. I think SFJFF offers excellent independent film and serves as a great communal meeting ground. I want it to continue in more or less its current form, offering film that entertains, educates and challenges the community. I want it to offer the safe, mainstream perspective as well as the uncomfortable, difficult point of view. Along with this, though, I want it to be a place where mainstream Jews who openly support Israel can feel comfortable and not intimidated or harassed. That is what I want. I think that is what the film festival wants as well but I am not sure and I certainly don’t think they draw the same line as many, though not all, of us do between acceptable and unacceptable. I would like to hear the film festival’s views on this subject. They have every right to maintain their current policies, policies which I believe create an environment hostile to Jews at an event for the Jewish community, but, should they chose to do, I will no longer support them.

Best,

PS Something I just learned tonight. The SFJFF screened "The Yes Men Fix the World." It was to be shown in the Jerusalem Film Festival as well but Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno, who made the film, withdrew it in solidarity with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign targeting Israel (http://www.bdsmovement.net/?q=node/10). Given that this decision was published no later than July 1 (http://www.tikkun.org/article.php/20090701080625471), I have to assume the Film Festival knew it was screening a movie whose producers were in league with an organization that considers Israel to be a colonial, racist, apartheid state, an organization that advocates a right of return for Palestinians which would likely destroy Israel as a Jewish homeland.

T-shirt of one of the attendees

Photos of ISM Screening

2009-07-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Katzpaugh@earthlink.net, who attended the ISM screening of "Rachel", we have photos of some of the wonderful supporters of Israel who showed up at the event. Be sure to see also the VIDEO of Voice for Israel leader Mike Harris attempting to win sympathy for Israel while being booed and heckled. For some reason, Ahmadinejad, Nasrallah and Haniyeh couldn't make it. Obviously they felt they didn't need to, since Jewish Voice for "Peace", the American "Friends" Services Committee, the Rachel Corrie Foundation, and the International Solidarity Movement were out in force, and evidently had everything completely under control. All of Israel's friends were there, including:

Donna (left) and Darlene (right) Wallach,
aka "Warlock Sisters" (who met with Hamas in Gaza on Aug. 24, 2008, and personally received medals from Haniyeh)

Darlene Wallach in tears as she applauds.
Notice her "Hamas" cap--a gift from Haniyeh perhaps?

Women in Black (or "Walruses in Black"--we're not sure which)

"The Grim Reaper".
SF radical chic fashion at its best.
Sorry ladies, he's probably not available on JDate.

Don't we all feel better knowing that Peter Stein and the SF Jewish Federation saw to it that the screening was balanced and culturally sensitive?

Jewish Voice for Peace statement on the "Rachel" Screening

2009-07-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

The JVP, whose Interim National Director, Rachel Pfeffer, is on the Board of Directors of the SFJFF, has made a statement about yesterday's "Rachel" Screening. Given the virulently anti-Zionist ideology of the ultra-"progressive" Jewish group, it comes as no surprise that its leadership bitterly criticizes the appearance of pro-Israel activist Mike Harris at the event:

http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_1205.shtml

SF Federation money + JCRC support = JVP + ISM

Video of Dr. Mike Harris at the "Rachel" Screening

2009-07-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

If you wish to understand just how low the SF Jewish Film Festival has sunk under the leadership of Peter Stein and the current Executive Board, see this video clip from yesterday (July 25) of Dr. Mike Harris of Voice for Israel at the "Rachel" screening:

The room was completely filled with anti-Semitic and anti-Israel extremists, who booed and yelled during Harris' talk, deriding him viciously every time he showed any support for Israel. In fact, they expressed absolutely no sympathy for the Zionist cause whatsoever.

The screening of this film, co-presented by the extremist groups Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Services Committee (the crowd cheered loudly at their mere mention), is a disgrace that will never be forgotten in this community.

No self-respecting Jew will EVER donate money to the SF Jewish Federation again after seeing this video and understanding what kind of politically-correct, culturally-sensitive crap it stands for. Every Bay Area Zionist must feel ashamed after this repulsive debacle.

Cindy and Mr. Corrie with Arafat.
Yes, why not invite her to speak at a Jewish film festival?

SF Chronicle: "Documentary sparks uproar at Jewish film fest"

2009-07-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Documentary sparks uproar at Jewish film fest

Matthai Kuruvila, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, July 25, 2009

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival has come under siege after deciding to show a documentary about Rachel Corrie, a Washington state 23-year-old killed in 2003 while trying to prevent an Israeli military bulldozer from demolishing a Palestinian's home.

Whether Corrie naively put herself in harm's way in support of terrorists or was intentionally killed by the Israeli military is the nexus of the controversy.

Compounding the issue, festival organizers invited Corrie's mother, Cindy, to speak after today's showing at the Castro Theatre of the film "Rachel." It is one of 71 films at this year's festival, which includes two films profiling kidnapped Israeli soldiers.

The reaction has been outrage. The festival board's president stepped down from her role, opening-night ceremonies were boycotted by some, and Israel Consul General Akiva Tor said it was a "big mistake to invite Mrs. Corrie."

Read more here.

Two comments:

1) While Akiva Tor did say it was a mistake to invite Mrs. Corrie, he has been very helpful to the SFJFF, making a public statement supporting the Festival which is being trumpeted by the new head of SFJFF board. To our knowledge, he has not made any public statement condemning the Film Festival for sponsoring the Corrie film, and any claim that the Israeli Consulate has pushed hard to stop the showing of the film is, unfortunately, laughable.

2) The comments section of the Chron article is quite something. Have a look if you've got a strong stomach.

Congratulations, Peter Stein and Daniel Sokatch!

2009-07-25T22:58:00.000-07:00

We understand that there was a heavy anti-Israel turn-out for the Corrie event, and the JVP, Women in Black and other Israel haters engaged in quite a bit of recruiting there.

We're sure that Federation donors are very happy that you have provided such a valuable service for the local anti-Israel community. Further, Jews through out the SF Bay area look forward to the higher level of anti-Israel activism that you have helped facilitate.

Kol HaKavod!

Anti-Semitic Website Supports "Rachel" Screening

2009-07-25T19:09:00.000-07:00

Among the supporters of the SFJFF Board's decision to screen the controversial film is Stormfront.org, whose slogan is "White Pride Worldwide." The comments posted on their website say it all. Nice.

Boycott Divestment Sanctions: The SFJFF Connection

2009-07-24T23:06:00.000-07:00

The Executive Director and Board of the SFJFF have invited the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Rachel Corrie Foundation (RCF), and International Solidarity Movement (ISM) to participate in the "Rachel" screening on July 25 at the Castro. All of the latter organizations actively support the Boycott Divestment Sanctions (BDS) movement against the state of Israel, and many among them have actively worked to boycott and even physically tamper with Israeli products in Bay Area Trader Joes stores during the last two months. See the local BDS Facebook page, and if you have the stomach for it, see the local sabotage-Trader-Joes website. Finally, see the letter (scroll to bottom) that the local BDS people, supported and aided by SFJFF invitees, sent to Don Bane, President and CEO of Trader Joes.

Judge them by their friends.

Help identify the ISM vandals

2009-07-24T18:48:00.000-07:00

Several comments have been left identifying two of the ISM vandals depicted in this post. Please leave comments here if you recognize more of them. If you wish, please email pbenploni@gmail.com with your contact information so we can arrange for you to testify when this matter makes it to court.

ISMers: don't worry, we've downloaded the video, so don't bother trying to remove it. Just relax and enjoy your film festival! We in the Jewish community are happy to help!

SF Federation Under Fire

2009-07-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I am forwarding the email that my friend Dr. Max Grossman sent to Peter Stein and the festival board. It contains some very disturbing information about recent Bay Area activity of the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), which is supported by all three of the organizations involved in the SFJFF "Rachel" event -- the Rachel Corrie Foundation, the Jewish Voice for Peace, and the American Friends Service Committee. Perhaps most disturbing of all is the YouTube video of anti-Israel activists descending on a Bay Area Trader Joe's, vandalizing the Israeli products there and harassing TJ's customers so that they, too, will join in the boycott of Israel. Make no mistake: these anti-Israel vandals and thugs are the same ones with whom the SFJFF is partnering to put on the "Rachel" event, and who will be filling the seats in the Castro Theater tomorrow, the Jewish Sabbath, and cheering for a movie and a speaker that encourage the destruction of the Jewish State.

While Peter Stein and the Festival board bear the primary guilt for this abomination, the leaders of the San Francisco Federation, which is a key supporter of the festival, bear some culpability. If they wanted to, they could do what was right and ensure that this anti-Semitic event was excised from our Jewish film festival. Until now, they have refused to do so. Therefore they, too, are guilty of abdicating their responsibility as Jewish leaders, and failing the community they are charged with serving.

The film festival debacle indicates that there is clearly a crisis of leadership in our Jewish community. But if we do not hold our leaders accountable, then we are as culpable as they are.

Please contact the SF Federation President Jim Koshland (jimk@sfjcf.org). Let him know how angry you are that the Federation has not intervened to stop this event, and explain to him that Federation's inaction will undoubtedly result in a similar inaction on the part of outraged community members, when it comes time to donate to Federation.

Please be sure to copy your emails to the following:

daniels@sfjcf.org, James@jfed.org, dkahn@jcrc.org.

Please, too, forward this email widely.

Shabbat shalom,

Tammi

Call for Resignations of the SFJFF Board and Executive Director

2009-07-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a letter that Dr. Grossman recently submitted to Stein and the SFJFF Board:

Dear Mr. Stein and Board of Directors,

I wish to add my voice to the growing chorus of Jews in our community who demand that you cancel the "Rachel" screening and submit your resignations. As is well known, the Rachel Corrie Foundation (RCF), the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the American Friends Services Committee (AFSC) are major protagonists of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions Movement (BDS) http://www.bdsmovement.net/. Indeed, the AFSC is directly implicated in BDS actions in the Bay Area, as one may read in the minutes from the group's last meeting on July 14, which not only includes a discussion of the "Boycott, divestment, sanctions initiatives," but also plans for their implementation in local Trader Joes stores! In this recent video, in which anti-Zionist activists walk the aisles of Trader Joes and interfere with Israeli products while intimidating consumers into not purchasing them, one can see their strategy in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN1-OUP62CQ

Do any of you have any idea of what you are actually supporting? Do you even realize what JVP, AFSC, ISM and RCF stand for? Based on your recent actions, I am inclined to believe that you do.

We are well aware, Mr. Stein, that almost since the moment you began your tenure with the Festival, the JVP and American Friends Services Committee have participated regularly at SFJFF screenings. That neither group has contributed financially or operationally to your enterprise, as you indicated in your most recent apologia, does not reassure us. Indeed, your explanation that your "program staff" invites "promotion partners to assist in [your] outreach efforts to diverse communities of interest who may wish to attend" worries us even more. To whom are you reaching out? The ISM and other philo-terrorists who work tirelessly for our demise? The bottom line is that you and your colleagues have invited the JVP, AFSC, ISM (Simone Bitton) and RCF (Cindy Corrie) to participate in an official capacity, and thus you have have honored and legitimized them through your efforts, while significantly enhancing their status.

The presence on your Board of Dr. Rachel Pfeffer, who has served as Interim National Director of Jewish Voice for Peace from late 2007 through at least this past May (if we believe her SFJFF bio before you abridged it on July 20), is absolutely intolerable to a great number of Jews in both the Bay Area community and, as you are no doubt discovering, the United States. That you should admit such a woman among your ranks, along with others who have had ties to the JVP, represents more than a weak-minded desire to admit viewpoints from a wide political spectrum into a cultural dialog about Israelis and Palestinians; it is symptomatic of a demonic strategy on the part of a fringe group of "progressive"-minded Jews for admitting anti-Israel extremists into mainstream Jewish organizations, who then work stealthily to undermine our Jewish ancestral homeland.

In summary, it is evident to every proud and self-respecting Jew in our community that you are aiding and abetting the enemies of the Jewish people--you who occupy the Directorship and Board of an important San Francisco Jewish cultural institution with international standing.

I strongly urge you to cancel the "Rachel" screening, publicly apologize, and resign your positions.

Respectfully yours,

Max Grossman, Ph.D.

Film suggestion for next year's Festival

2009-07-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

Attention Peter Stein: Jonathan Tobin reports that there's a new movie that you'd probably enjoy showing at the SFJFF:

If you like Palestinian terrorism then you’ll love the new Hamas-produced movie now premiering in Gaza. In today’s New York Times, Ethan Bronner writes that the film (shot in a media center built in what used to be the Israeli settlement of Gush Katif) profiles the life of Emad Akel, a Hamas leader killed in 1993. According to the article, the film is part of a new Palestinian cultural renaissance aimed at building a “culture of resistance.” The artistic boom in Gaza includes movies, plays, art exhibits, poetry, and television series.

As long as you don't invite any of Akel's relatives to speak at the event, I'm sure that Daniel Sokatch and all the rest will approve.

Kristallnacht in the grocery aisle: SFJFF partners vandalizing Israeli products at Trader Joe's

2009-07-24T11:32:00.001-07:00

In this video you will see members of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS), an anti-Israel group which is supported by all three of the organizations involved in the SFJFF "Rachel" event -- the Rachel Corrie Foundation, the Jewish Voice for Peace, and the American Friends Service Committee, descend upon a local Trader Joe's grocery store, vandalize Israeli products, and try to bully customers into boycotting Israeli goods.

If you look carefully at the video, you will see that the slogan on the back on the black t-shirts that the vandals are wearing matches the slogan displayed by the JVP at the anti-semitic rally we reported on earlier.

These are the people that the SFJFF has allied themselves with. Charming, no?

Pathetic

2009-07-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

From the J article:

Another festival funder raising objections is the S.F.-based Jewish Community Federation. CEO Daniel Sokatch disagreed with the decision to invite Corrie to speak but otherwise supported the festival and its showing of “Rachel.”

With "leaders" like this, it's no wonder we're in such a mess.

"J": Rachel Inferno Gets Even Hotter

2009-07-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

The J: ‘Rachel’ inferno gets even hotter for S.F. festival

It sure does: the SFJFF board president resigns, calls for the removal of SFJFF Exec Director Peter Stein mount, coverage spreads world-wide, and donors start getting nervous.

Here's the beginning of the most recent J coverage of the controversy:

If the Academy handed out an Oscar for community turmoil, the Rachel Corrie flap at this year’s San Francisco Jewish Film Festival would win handily.

Dissension in the local Jewish community continued unabated over the festival’s upcoming screenings of “Rachel,” a film that investigates the death of anti-Israel activist Rachel Corrie, and its invitation to her mother, Cindy Corrie, to speak afterward.

On July 20, festival board president Shana Penn resigned from her post, citing “healthy differences on how to approach sensitive issues,” with five months left on a two-year term.

This came as a pro-Israel speaker was hastily added to the Saturday, July 25 screening in San Francisco and as some sponsors criticized the festival’s program.

Somononia: "And now, Strike Two"

2009-07-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

From the excellent Solmonia blog:

Another Anti-Israel Film at the SF Jewish Film Festival
Strike One.

And now, Strike Two: Another Israel-bashing film at the SFJFF!

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is the anti-Israel, anti-semitic (there, we said it) gift that keeps on giving!

Not willing to settle for merely assaulting the Jewish state with the one-two punch of the screening of the hagiographic flick "Rachel" followed by a live presentation by the mother of the no-longer-with-us pro-terror activist, the ever-transgressive SFJFF is also presenting a charming documentary called "Defamation"...

More.

FrontPage Mag: "Jew-Hate at Jewish Film Festival"

2009-07-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Coverage of the controversy in FrontPage Magazine:

Jew-Hate at Jewish Film Festival
By: Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, July 23, 2009

Why is a Jewish film festival giving a platform to a documentary and to an individual that serve the cause of anti-Jewish hate?

This Saturday, July 25, organizers of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival plan to show “Rachel,” an anti-Israel propaganda film. The documentary is based on the life and death of Rachel Corrie, an anti-Israel, anti-American activist who was killed in Gaza in 2003 when she deliberately ran in front of an Israeli bulldozer to protect a home that was sheltering terrorists. And not just content with showing the propaganda film, the organizers have invited Rachel’s mother, Cindy Corrie, also an Israel-basher, to speak at the screening and to participate in a question-and-answer session after the viewing.

Read more here.

No amount of phony "balancing" of the Corrie event is going to make this story go away. It's time for the event to be canceled and for SFJFF Executive Director Peter Stein to resign.

Breaking: SFJFF Board President resigns

2009-07-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

We have it on good authority that Shana Penn, President of Board of the SF Jewish Film Festival, has resigned. We expect more interesting developments in the next few days.

Another Israel-bashing film at the SFJFF!

2009-07-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival is the anti-Israel, anti-semitic (there, we said it) gift that keeps on giving!

Not willing to settle for merely assaulting the Jewish state with the one-two punch of the screening of the hagiographic flick "Rachel" followed by a live presentation by the mother of the no-longer-with-us pro-terror activist, the ever-transgressive SFJFF is also presenting a charming documentary called "Defamation".

To get an idea of what this film is about, let's have a look at the what the East Bay Express has to say about "Defamation":

... Israeli writer-director Yoav Shamir has a potentially touchier sociopolitical axe of his own to grind in his documentary Defamation, which plays the Castro on July 26 and the Roda, August 6. Shamir asks: What is anti-Semitism today, two generations after the Holocaust?

Good question. To answer it, keen-eyed filmmaker Shamir (Checkpoint, Flipping Out) jets back and forth across the globe, from an Israeli-sponsored student tour of the death camps at Auschwitz to Crown Heights, Brooklyn to a Moscow synagogue to the Vatican to the offices of the Anti-Defamation League, which is where the investigation starts producing heat. More than one observer is suspicious of the ADL's motives in keeping track of even the smallest anti-Semitic incidents around the world, and of the ADL's cozy relationship with the Israeli military.

One thing seems to bother such commentators as Israeli peacenik Uri Avnery, blackballed historian Norman Finkelstein, and political scientists John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt: that the "Israeli Lobby" of neo-cons in the United States is using charges of anti-Semitism to silence critics of Israeli policy, especially toward Palestine. Avnery goes so far as to say that, "The phenomenon of anti-Semitism only exists in the Israeli media and in the minds of the Jewish big shots of the world who make a living fighting anti-Semitism."

Are people who criticize Israel really anti-Semites in disguise? No, say Shamir's subjects, who see the rise of the "anti-Semitic and Holocaust industries" in the United States and elsewhere — Auschwitz in particular has become a macabre theme park where Israeli paramilitary groups parade — as the leading edge of attempts by Israeli and American rightwing Jews to shut down objections to Israel's aggression toward Palestinians. Defamation (Hashmatsa), yet another example of the Jewish Film Festival's fearless refusal to play it safe, is sure to provoke discussion, especially after the scene in which a weary-looking Israeli man visiting Auschwitz speaks his mind: "We perpetuate death, and that's why we will never become a normal people, because we emphasize death and what happened."

"Fearless refusal to play it safe?" More like "neurotic tendency to hate one's self!"

Can we please skip this year's Festival and use the generous community funding normally spent on this hate-fest to send SFJFF honcho Peter Stein and his pals off for the therapy they so clearly require?

Blockbuster: Koret and Taube Foundations slam SFJFF

2009-07-22T10:35:00.001-07:00

Hats off to the Koret and Taube Foundations for taking a stand on this important issue! They have spoken out at a time when much of the local organized Jewish community, preferring "shah, shtil" to "acharai", have either covered for the SFJFF, working behind the scenes to help them defuse the crisis, or have offered tepid words of mild disapproval while studiously avoiding taking any real action.

Here's the text of a statement recently issued by Jeffrey Farber, CEO of the Koret Foundation Funds:

As staunch champions and allies of Israel, the Koret and Taube Foundations do not support any organization that promotes or provokes anti-Israel sentiment; nor do we provide funding to any organization whose mission runs counter to our position. In this instance, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival has made three egregious errors in its upcoming presentation of the film, “Rachel”:

It is partnering with Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee, two virulently anti-Israel, anti-Semitic groups that support boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel. Both are closely associated with the International Solidarity Movement and other groups that aid and abet terror against the Jewish State. These groups cross the line for inclusion in the Jewish community.

The film festival made a conscious choice to present a film that lays blame for the accidental death of a civilian at the door of the State of Israel. We are deeply saddened by loss of life, most notably the countless Israeli lives lost and interrupted by virtue of service to their country. Presenting the story of a girl who put herself in harm’s way in no way advances our community dialogue. In fact, it threatens our community purposes.

Finally, we are appalled at the film festival’s decision to invite Cindy Corrie into our community. This bereaved mother cannot help but have a negative bias toward Israel. Why would a Jewish organization hand her a microphone and a soapbox from which to condemn Israel as Jewish audiences are expected to sit and listen politely? There is no possible counterbalance to an emotional, grieving mother.

Those who cavalierly fling Israel’s future into the grasp of those who would destroy it betray a mainstay of the mainstream Jewish community to support Israel and to counteract anti-Israel propaganda events, speakers and organizations. In this case, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival has aligned itself with the wrong side.

Jeffrey A. Farber
Chief Executive Officer
Koret Foundation Funds
jfarber@koretfoundation.org
www.koretfoundation.org

Federation CEO Sokatch: problem is "not offering a range of perspectives"

2009-07-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

This note by Daniel Sokatch, CEO of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties (man, that's a mouthful) is revealing. Pull out your shovel before reading his message --- you're going to need it!

Emphasis mine:

In my judgment, the Festival, for which I have a very high regard as a major cultural institution within and beyond the Jewish community, made a mistake in inviting her without offering a range of perspectives on the film’s controversial subject of the role of the International Solidarity Movement. I have conveyed these concerns to their leadership while fully respecting the fact that the Festival has the right as an independent organization to make and be responsible for its decisions.

I am pleased to report that the Festival has done the following in response to the legitimate criticisms about this program (see the attached statement):

1) Mike Harris, co-founder of San Francisco Voice for Israel, has been invited to speak and will make remarks immediately prior to the showing of the film;

2) The Festival has apologized for not fully anticipating how divisive the program was likely to be;

3) The Festival’s leadership has recognized the importance of learning from this experience with the intent of approaching potential controversies in the future with greater sensitivity and care in planning.

Under the leadership of Festival Director, Peter Stein, the Festival continues to set a very high standard for outstanding films and programming and this year’s overall program again provides an extraordinary array of films on subjects of Jewish interest, including more than 30 about Israel. I very much hope that the decisions undertaken by the Festival in response to the criticisms about the “Rachel” program will help begin to restore your confidence in this important institution.

Thank you again for your interest and concerns,

Best,
Daniel Sokatch
Chief Executive Officer
Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties

Shovel ready? Let's break this down:

In Sokatch's view, the problem here is the fact that the otherwise excellent SFJFF leadership failed to provide a "range of perspectives" on the ISM. What, did they fail to also invite a Klansman and a Hamas member to round out the discussion of exactly how Israel should be destroyed?
Get real. This has nothing to do with not offering "a range of perspectives." Inviting a token pro-Israel activist at the last minute is nothing but a side-show intended to distract the rubes. The real issue is the fact that a Jewish institution which receives (according to the SFJFF web site) "major support" from the Jewish Federation sees absolutely nothing wrong with using that "major support" to propagandize against Israel.
SFJFF leadership is to be faulted not for showing an anti-Israel film and inviting a vicious anti-Israel activist to speak but for not "fully anticipating how divisive the program would be."
Translation: It's cool to host Israel-bashers. Just keep your eyes open and do it gingerly.
The SFJFF needs to learn to deal with "potential controversies in the future with greater sensitivity and care in planning."
No, they need to learn to not abuse Israel with Jewish communal funds.

Of course, coming from a guy who has a reputation for being a "useful idiot" accustomed to defending Israel-hating whack jobs, this pathetic rationalization of SFJFF bad behavior is hardly surprising.

Word is getting out (updated!)

2009-07-21T14:50:00.001-07:00

The word about this scandal is getting out. We're starting to see blog entries, action alerts from pro-Israel organizations and press reports coming in from around the world regarding the use of Jewish communal resources to smear Israel here in Baghdad by the Bay.

Here are just a few links to SFJFF coverage.

StandWithUS: Action of the Week: A Disturbing Addition to the Jewish Film Festival in San Francisco

Elder of Ziyon: Rachel Corrie Propaganda at SF Jewish Film Festival

Solomonia: SF Jewish Film Festival to Show Rachel Corrie Movie

Middle East Papers: The SF Jewish Film Festival Collaborates with Extreme Anti-Israel Groups, Promotes Anti-Israel Propaganda

BlueTruth: The San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Hosts Cindy Corrie: What's Wrong with This Moving Picture?

Israel Matzav: San Francisco's 'Jewish film festival' becomes an Israel-bashing fest

Israellycool: Moonbats Incorporated

We're quite certain that there will be many more in the coming days. Stay tuned!

The disappearing hairy gray elephant

2009-07-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Note to the SFJFF staff: remember, it's often the cover-up that gets you.

It appears that the SFJFF is trying to play down the radical background of their board member Rachel Pfeffer, the Interim National Director of Jewish Voice for Peace. Sorry, guys -- the Internet is forever, and it's impossible to shove things like this down the memory hole. Nice try, though!

Here's my friend Max G's explanation:

The hairy gray elephant (Rachel Pfeffer, Ph.D.) I identified in my previous email has attempted to morph into Cindarella. In the wake of my realization that the Jewish Voice for Peace leader is on the SFJFF Board, and the inevitable community rage that resulted, Peter Stein and his people evidently abridged and utterly modified Pfeffer's bio on the SFJFF website: http: //fest.sfjff.org/about/our-team/board-amp-advisors#rachel But thanks to the wonders of modern technology, a cached version of the original survives on zoominfo.com! I have cut and pasted both the original and current versions below for your general amusement. Could it be that the Board is trying to hide something (e.g. that there is an anti-Zionist extremist among their ranks)? You be the judge.

Max

P.S. Please note that the original bio was uploaded to Pfeffer's zoominfo website on 5/10/09, and that references to her as Interim Director of JVP litter the internet, and date from November 2008 to the present. We know EXACTLY who she is and what she stands for.

ORIGINAL VERSION (until 7/20/09):

Rachel Pfeffer is Interim National Director of Jewish Voice for Peace. Rachel is a Brooklyn native with over 15 years of experience as an executive director and 30 years as a grassroots activist. She served as Interim Executive Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a 93 year old peace organization that does important work on behalf of peace in the Middle East, Colombia and Anti-Military Recruitment work globally.

Rachel has published a number of articles and a book on gender specific youth development, including Surviving the Streets: Girls living on their own; one of the first US ethnographies celebrating Punk identified young women. Partnering with young women was the jumping off point in founding the first of many award winning non-profit organizations including the Center for Young Women's Development in San Francisco, Young Women United for Oakland and co-founder of the Queer Youth Training Collaborative in San Francisco.

Rachel received the Women's Prison Association Award for years of work in the juvenile injustice system and Union Square Award in 2001 for co-founding Sister Outsider in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Supporting progressive leadership is Rachel's passion and her contribution to progressive/radical politics. No one has worked herself out of more jobs while advocating for power sharing, training and supporting new leaders than has Rachel. Over the course of 30 years Rachel was active in the following movements: anti-nuclear, women's consciousness raising, central America, ACT-UP, women's health, Israel/Palestine to name a few.

Rachel has been an avid film supporter. In the past, she has been known to take a week off from work to attend the Jewish Film Festival, and the International Film Festival. She also supports friends who are film makers and most recently she organized the Kids Movie Salon, a monthly East Bay hot spot for 5-8 year olds to watch and discuss movies while eating pizza and ice cream without parents.

CURRENT VERSION (since 7/20/09):

After founding and co-founding award-winning youth development organizations and transitioning out with skilled young people directing the organizations, Rachel began a consulting business to support progressive organizations and leadership. Rachel advises young leaders in particular and facilitates social change locally nationally and internationally. Rachel's consulting business includes executive management transitions. She has served as interim executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, GirlSource, Inc, Jewish Voice for Peace and Nuestra Casa

Action alert!

2009-07-20T17:51:00.000-07:00

Here's an alert that's circulating about the Corrie event. Please read it and take action.

The continued support of the Festival by the Jewish Federation could have serious national ramifications (as described below).

The Jewish Federation must not legitimize virulently anti-Israel groups!

San Francisco's leading Jewish community organization should not lend its name and hard won reputation to the Jewish Film Festival which is legitimizing extremist groups!

The Jewish Festival is co-presenting the “Rachel" propaganda event with two virulently anti-Israelextremist groups, the Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Both organizations unabashedly call for and support divestment from, boycotts of and sanctions directed against Israel.

The JVP routinely demonstrates against AIPAC and Israel and encourages boycotts and isolation of both.

On January 10, 2009 JVP (a co-presenter of the Jewish Festival "Rachel" event) participated in an anti-Israel hate protest in SF

For more pictures of this nasty demonstration see HERE.

On September 25, 2008 the AFSC, (also a co-presenter of the Jewish Festival "Rachel" event), hosted Iranian President Ahmadinejad at a celebratory dinner in NY.

Cindy Corrie (president of the Rachel Corrie Foundation -RCF) has been invited by the Jewish Festival to speak at this propaganda event. Cindy Corrie has been relentless in her smear and de-legitimization campaign against Israel and in her promotion of the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel, International Solidarity Movement (ISM). Cindy Corrie's RCF site hosts posts like Who Will Stop the AIPAC Jews Before it is Too Late?

Unfortunately, the Jewish Federation has not withdrawn its support from the Film Festival despite the fact that Peter Stein, the Festival’s Director, has cavalierly dismissed out of hand all the community complaints, and intends to continue with this troubling propaganda event.

If the Jewish Federation continues its support of the Festival it will not only bear responsibility for the Festival conduct, but it will have lent credibility and legitimacy to the virulently anti-Israel groups that are involved-- JVP, AFSC, ISM, Cindy Corrie's Foundation and the movie itself. This legitimization could have national ramifications as these groups point to the Festival and its co-sponsors as evidence of their "acceptability".

The JVP, AFSC, ISM, RCF are unambiguously anti-Israel extremist groups. Why should a mainstream organization like the Jewish Federation be cleaning up their tainted reputations?

Please Take Action Now by:

Contacting the S.F. Jewish Federation [Jim Koshland, President - (jimk@sfjcf.org), Daniel Sokatch, CEO - (daniels@sfjcf.org) and Rabbi Doug Kahn - dkahn@jcrc.org ] and in the East Bay [Rabbi James Brandt CEO- James@jfed.org ].

Tell them that:

You are appalled to learn that the Jewish Film Festival has become a vehicle for anti-Israel venom and that its propaganda is made possible because of Jewish Federation funds (i.e. your donations).

If the Festival proceeds with this event, it will be the Federation, a mainstream organization, that will havesupported the Festival and indirectly legitimize these virulently anti-Israel extremist groups and the promotion of anti-Israel propaganda.

You don't want the Jewish Federation--- which you fund--- to support organizations or events that help propagate anti-Israel venom and collaborate with anti-Israel groups and individuals.

You will withhold donations to the Federation unless and until it stops its support of the Festival if it proceeds with this irresponsible propaganda event.

Please send a copy (bcc) to: reformjff@gmail.com

National head of Israel-bashing Jewish Voice for Peace: SFJFF board member

2009-07-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Jewish Voice for Peace participating in an anti-semitic rally in SF

Surprise, surprise, surprise.

Peter Stein, Executive Director of the SF Jewish Film Festival, has been trying to imply that the relationship between the odious Jewish Voice for Peace, a "co-presenter" of the Corrie propaganda event, and the Film Festival is innocuous. He says that such co-presenters "have no role in programming the films" and simply help promote the films they "co-present".

Odd, then, that Mr. Stein -- who we are sure is trying his very best to honestly communicate exactly the relationship between the SFJFF and local Israel-bashing crazies -- forgot to mention that SFJFF board member Rachel Pfeffer is Interim National Director of Jewish Voice for Peace.

Just an oversight on his part, we're sure.

Teacher's union chat list msg: Support the SFJFF, Israel supporters disloyal

2009-07-20T13:53:00.000-07:00

More friends of the SFJFF speak up! This was posted to a local teachers's union chat list. Thanks to Dusty for passing this along.

By the way, it's good to know that according to the filmmaker, "the festival is bravely holding up." I wonder how Simone Bitton knows this. It would be interesting to know what exactly is the relationship between SFJFF director Peter Stein and this anti-Israel filmmaker.

Emphasis in the message below is mine.

To: Every American proud of our public schools and schooling, proud of our cultural diversity and multi-ethnic democratic governing tradition, and with commitment to free speech and equality of opportunity for all, PLEASE JOIN US.

Protect the film-maker and festival presenters from intolerance and bigotry. Come defend independent media.
This is the link to buy the ticket:

http://fest. sfjff.org/ film/detail? id=4732

Please support this movie - if the Israeli Consular general is daring to interfere with Americans' free press by trying to get it canceled, we must be there to defend Cindy Corrie and the film-maker and the festival's right to present a film critical of Israel and Israeli policies.

Many Americans rationally or irrationally fond of Israel forget their loyalty is supposed to be to our Constitution, and not to another state which lacks a constitution and refuses to define its geographic borders (for the reason its agenda is to expand until it's driven all Palestinians off the Palestinians' lands, which Israeli leaders have coveted since Israel was just an idea in a small band of zealots' heads a century ago). Americans need to realize we are sending billions of dollars a year to a state that's murdered scores of Americans and gotten away with it, to date. (Google U.S.S. Liberty, for instance.) Why are we sending a single dime to Israel for its massive arsenal when California is gutting public education??? ??

GREETINGS TO ALL
There was a post on my Facebook page. I don't know how many of you in the South Bay are willing to drive up to San Francisco to attend this new film on Rachel Corrie. Cindy Corrie is attending and will be available for Q & A after the film. She needs as much support as she can get. Please read below.

in solidarity
Donna Wallach

Important note from creator of film about Rachel Corrie:

"Dear Friends,

Some troubles in San Francisco, where Rachel Corrie's mother, Cindy, might have to face some hostility on July 25. She is invited for a Q&A session after the screening of my film RACHEL at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. The festival is under heavy pressure from Pro-Israeli lobbies and directly from the Israeli Consulate to cancel the screening and the invitation. Peter Steiner, SFJFF executive director, received hundred of stereotyped hostile mails and phone calls. The festival is bravely holding up, although there is a serious threat on their sources of funding. Of course, none of the censors have seen the film.

Please, publicize the screening to whomever you know in the Bay Area, ask them to book tickets online a.s.a.p. We hope that a large audience will be there to enjoy the film and welcome Cindy.

Merci
Simone Bitton"

The film is showing at the Castro Theater in San Francisco at 1:30pm on Saturday 25th July 2009

Israel-basher Cindy Corrie appreciates the SFJFF, asks for her friends to attend

2009-07-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Hat tip to "Dusty" for this comment, which we are posting as a blog entry. Emphasis in the message below is ours.

Cindy Corrie has put out an appeal for friendly faces at her appearence and blames the controversy regarding this film on the Zionist conspiracy. She clearly regards the aiding and abetting of terror as legitimate "resistance"

Her email follows:
From: cindy@rachelcorriefoundation.org

Dear Friends,

A week from today at 1:30 PM, at the Castro Theater in San Francisco, the film Rachel will screen in the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival--the largest Jewish film festival in the country. The film was created by a well-known French-Israeli documentary filmmaker, Simone Bitton. Some of you may have seen other of her numerous films--most recently Wall. I have attached a link to the page about the current film at the festival's website: so I won't go into detail about it here; but
it is a film that focuses foremost on the circumstances of Rachel's killing and on issues surrounding investigation of the case. It, also, I feel, provides penetrating views of others who were present at the time of Rachel's killing or directly impacted, and powerful insight into what compels resistance.

The filmmaker is not able to be at the festival, and upon invitation I agreed to attend and to engage in a thirty-minute post-screening Q&A session. The film has now screened at festivals around the world, and both Craig and I attended Tribeca screenings in New York and participated in post-screening Q&A sessions there with Simone Bitton.

During the past weeks, it has come to my attention that the screening of the film and my participation at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival has come under serious and prolonged attack from the Consul General from the Israeli Consulate [Editor's note: we wish! Unfortunately, the Consul General has put out a very weak and pathetic statement calling the Corrie film presentation a mistake but supporting the SFJFF] and other segments of the Bay Area Jewish community. It may come as no surprise to you that the festival is under extreme pressure to cancel the film and/or my appearance. The festival is standing firm in its commitment to bring the film and me while, also, constructing responses to their critics.

I am writing to encourage you to attend the screening in San Francisco, if possible, and, also, to extend whatever support you can to the festival for taking a firm stand against censorship. It will be very helpful to me to see some friendly faces in the crowd. Please pass the information along to others. Filmmaker Simone Bitton is encouraging her San Francisco friends to attend and to avoid being provocative. I, of course, also encourage decorum and thoughtful, constructive interaction.

Thanks in advance for any support.

Here is a link to the festival page about the film and ticket information.

http://fest.sfjff.org/film/detail?id=4732

Sincerely,
Cindy Corrie

P.S. Please feel free to forward to those who might want to come to the film or to support the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival for standing firm.

Additional comment from the the blog editor: the claim that not wanting to have a beneficiary of the SF Jewish community engage in anti-Israel propaganda is "censorship" is nonsense. Cindy Corrie and others of her ilk are perfectly free to rant about the evil you-know-who's on their own dime. They don't have the right to have their bile subsidized by the community they are undermining.

The Jewish Community Expresses Outrage over SFJFF's "Rachel" Event

2009-07-14T23:47:00.000-07:00

Thousands of members of the Bay Area Jewish community are outraged over the SFJFF's presentation of a virulently anti-Israel and anti-Semitic event which includes a screening of the movie "Rachel;" a talk after the film by Cindy Corrie and co-presentations by Jewish Voice for Peace and the American Friends Service Committee.

Hundreds of people have contacted the festival's executive director Peter Stein to explain why this event is so deeply offensive to them. For example one man, a professor of history and Holocaust survivor, wrote to Stein:

"This is reminiscent of self-destructive appeasement responses of German Jews, and 'see no evil' behavior of American Jews, in 1938-39 to Nazi genocidal policies targeting Jews. To paraphrase Lenin speaking of Communist-leaning capitalists, these "useful fools" will hand us the rope with which to hang them. It is truly sad to see this history repeat itself."

Another wrote:

"Your organization’s decision to show this film and provide a live forum for activists of anti-zionism has saddened and disheartened me. I wish the showing could be explained away as the result of naivete and misinformation, were it not so self-destructive. Your organization is actively participating in a campaign of disinformation and demonization of Israel."

And another:

"It is disgraceful that the SFJFF would show a film in praise of Rachel Corrie. It is beyond belief that the SFJFF would compound this despicable act by bringing Corrie's mother to speak at the screening. I don't think you can top this for an anti-Israel, anti-Semitic event unless perhaps you can find a genocidal monster like Ahmadinejad to make an appearance. How could the SFJFF staff support a group that blatantly calls for the destruction of Israel? How can the SFJFF give support and comfort to the anti-Semites (Jews and non-Jews) who manage to hide their hatred under an anti-Zionist banner!"

To each email he has received, Stein apparently has sent the same pathetic boilerplate response, which completely ignores the depth of the anger and the seriousness of the concerns of his correspondents. Dismayed by his cavalier attitude and egregious lack of sensitivity to our Jewish community, I sent the following email to Stein and the SFJFF senior staff and board of directors, and copied prominent Jewish communal leaders and festival sponsors:

From: Tammi Benjamin
Date: July 10, 2009 2:27:14 PM PDT
To: pstein@sfjff.org, jewishfilm@sfjff.org, info@sfjff.org, olevin@sfjff.org, nfishman@sfjff.org, jmoore@sfjff.org, kerri@sffjff.org, szucker@sfjff.org, dblakeley@sfjff.org, allyson@sfjff.org
Cc: Doug Kahn , Jonathan Bernstein , Mervyn Danker - AJC , jfarber@koretfoundation.org, daniels@sfjcf.org, ckirschner@aipac.org, concal.sec@sanfrancisco.mfa.gov.il, asataloff@paloaltojcc.org
Subject: Re: A response from SFJFF about the film RACHEL

Dear Mr. Stein,

Thank you for your email. I have read it and the attached statement of the SFJFF Executive Board and Senior Staff very carefully, and I would like to bring to your attention several concerns that neither you nor the Festival leadership have adequately addressed:

1) Simone Bitton, Director of the film "Rachel," signed a petition in January of this year calling on the UN and EU to impose immediate sanctions against Israel, because "that is the only way to stop the insatiable Israeli violence." It is hardly surprising, then, that the documentary she produced is an unambiguously anti-Israel film, whose purpose is to provoke animosity towards the Jewish State and to encourage activism against it. What is surprising, and extremely troubling for many in our Jewish community including longtime Festival supporters, is that the SFJFF would be the first Jewish film festival in the country to show this film, which seeks to demonize and delegitimize the Jewish State and is, in both intent and effect, anti-Semitic.

2) Equally troubling is the fact that you have invited Rachel Corrie's mother to speak at this event. Cindy Corrie is well-known for her anti-Israel animus and her support of organizations and projects whose goal is to harm the Jewish State. For instance, if you go to the website of the Rachel Corrie Foundation (RCF), of which Cindy Corrie is president, you will see the following:

Cindy Corrie's organization endorses groups which call for divestment and boycotts against Israel, and is a member organization of U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation, which, according to the ADL, "promotes divestment from Israeli companies, organizes anti-Israel events and lobbies the U.S. Congress to end American support for Israel."

The current lead story on the RCF website, by Code Pink founder Medea Benjamin, is entitled: "Who Will Stop the AIPAC Jews Before it is Too Late?

The RCF is a financial backer of "Birthright Unplugged," a program which, according to the ADL, "counters the Taglit-Birthright Israel trips by bringing tourists into Palestinian cities and villages and providing a distinctly anti-Israel view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

Participants of Birthright Unplugged are encouraged to also participate in the program Birthright Unplugged Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions against Israel and Investment in Palestine (BDS + I), which the Birthright Unplugged website describes as follows:

"In light of the Palestinian call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel, we have designed an institute as a complement to our travel program to support organizers and activists to be better able to apply their knowledge to campaign work. We plan to work with student activists, faith-based organizers, and community leaders to develop and strengthen their campaigns of BDS against Israel."

The founder of the Birthright Unplugged program, Hannah Mermelstein, claims that Israel stole the land from the Palestinians in 1948 and that there can be no peace with Israel without the Palestinian right of return

In addition, Cindy Corrie is on the Board of the Rebuilding Alliance, an organization which accuses Israel of oppressing and abusing the Palestinian people, engages in anti-Israel political lobbying and is closely allied with the International Solidarity Movement, a group which has aided and abetted Palestinian terror against Israel.

You can also hear Cindy Corrie calling for "an end to U.S. military, economic, diplomatic and corporate support for the Israeli occupation," in this YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEI2REIcpkc.

3) Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), who are advertised on your website as co-presenters at the "Rachel" event, are well-known in the local Jewish community for being two of the most virulently anti-Israel organizations in the Bay Area:

JVP supports divestment, boycott and sanctions against Israel; engages in anti-Israel political lobbying; encourages Israeli youth to refuse to serve in the IDF; and through its official blog, Muzzlewatch, viciously attacks major Jewish organizations that combat anti-Semitism, such as the ADL, CAMERA, the American Jewish Committee, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Stand With Us. In addition, JVP was a major sponsor of the October 2007 conference of Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian organization that embraces an anti-Zionist theology which claims that the founding ideology of the Jewish State is based on a false reading of the Bible, is unjust, and stands in opposition to God. Indeed, the pictures emailed to you by a professor at San Jose State University -- showing the JVP marching at an anti-Israel rally in San Francisco alongside groups holding banners bearing the slogans "Smash the Jewish State," "Zionism = Naziism; Naziism = Zionism" and "Jews are Terrorists" -- say it all. (See attached).

The AFSC, too, calls for and supports divestment, boycotts and sanctions against Israel (see the forwarded email below from the SF AFSC to its members and allies, calling them to a meeting next week to discuss "boycott, divestment, sanctions activities"), and the AFSC honored Ahmadinejad at a dinner when he was in NY.

Given that almost all of this information is a matter of public record, and you were presumably aware of it before planning this event, I can only assume that the Festival leadership condones the event's anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic thrust. Moreover, given your unwillingness to address the numerous concerns that many have already raised, including the fear that holding this event at a Jewish film festival will lend much legitimacy to its anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic message and be a significant source of incitement against Jews in our area, I can only assume that the Festival leadership is completely insensitive to these Jewish fears and concerns, and feels no sense of responsibility towards the community it claims to serve.

Therefore, I ask the Jewish community leaders and sponsors who are copied on this email, as well as the hundreds of Jewish community members who have been blind copied, to reconsider your support for this year's Festival.

Sincerely,

Tammi Benjamin

Here is an email from the San Francisco office of the American Friends Service Committee to their partners and allies:

Dear Palestine Solidarity Partners and Allies,

On JULY 14TH, the American Friends Service Committee Middle East Program invites you to a meeting with the purpose of 'Convening the Network'. The goal of this meeting is to bring together all groups, organizations and networks working on Middle East peace issues in the Bay Area. During a time when our activism is vital and resources are becoming scarce, we would like to provide an opportunity for organizations with common goals to develop better mechanisms for communication, share information and support each others work.

AFSC will also be providing more details on the 'Citizen Hearings on the Impact of US Weapons on Civilians in Gaza' program we recently held with our Interfaith Network, as well as follow up steps on how to introduce the program to your community. Additional topics being organized by various local groups and individuals, that we intend to cover during this meeting, are as follows:

- Boycott, divestment, sanctions activities

- Lobbying

- Advocacy/Education

- A strategy for addressing the corporate media

- Discuss the possibility of a joint campaign...and more!

*WE INVITE YOU *to bring forward your related projects, ideas and energy, and encourage others to join in your work. Also, please suggest any names of those you think would be interested in joining this network, to the emails below. *

Please RSVP by July 10th to Michelle (our fabulous intern for the summer!) at 415.565.0201 ext.28 or email Lynn at: lgottl...@afsc.org or Noura at: nkho...@afsc.org with any questions, or if you would like to add, or make a presentation of your work to the agenda...and/or to add you to the listserve we started specifically for those interested in this work: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Palestine_Solidarity_Network/

*MEETING INFO
American Friends Service Committee
65 Ninth Street, San Francisco
Tuesday, July 14th - 6:30PM (light snacks provided) *
Thank you!
The Middle East Peace Team
Noura, Lynn and Michelle

The ISM: Corrie's Pro-Terror Posse

2009-07-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

ISM tools: Hey, these guns are cool! Can we kill some Jews now?

Rachel Corrie, the apple of the SFJFF's eye, was an activist with the International Solidarity Movement. The ISM functions as a kind of Palestinian terror youth auxiliary, working with the likes of Hamas in order to frustrate IDF efforts to keep Israeli citizens safe.

The SFJFF online program refers to Corrie as a "22-year-old American peace activist." This, of course, is a lie. Corrie was not a peace activist, and the ISM is not a peace group. It is a group which supports what it calls "legitimate armed struggle" in order to liberate Palestine from the wicked you-know-whos.

Shown above are several other ISM "peace activists" posing proudly with AK-47s handed to them by their Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade pals. Ah, youthful idealism -- it's a beautiful thing!

It's "let's hate on Israel day" at the SFJFF!

2009-07-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

The new poster girl for the SF Jewish Film Festival:
Rachel Corrie burns the American flag at a Hamas rally in Gaza

For reasons that are unclear, someone at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival thought it would be a good idea to present a film lionizing terrorist tool Rachel Corrie.

Corrie, as you may recall, was accidentally killed while trying to obstruct IDF operations aimed at stopping the smuggling of weapons and explosives to be used to murder Jews. Not content with merely presenting a film which paints a sympathetic portrait of a young lady who was -- let's not beat around the bush -- an accomplice to terror, the SFJFF decided to add insult to injury by having Cindy Corrie, Rachel's egregious Israel-bashing mother, speak after the screening. It's a two-fer: enjoy defamation of Israel on the big screen and live, in person!

Keep your eyes on this blog as we continue to follow this interesting exercise in Jewish self-abasement.