Joanna Zieger speaking at NJSHF Award ceremony.

Boulder resident Joanna Sue Zeiger, a 2000 Olympian and 2008 World Champion in triathlon and Ph.D. in genetic epidemiology, was inducted with eight other sports figures on April 29, 2012 into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame located at the Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center in Commack, New York. In addition to racing, Joanna uses her athletic experience as coach and mentor to triathletes and runners, and her research skills, to study the relationship of behavior, athletics, and genetics to addiction and other conditions.

Joanna describes on her blog, Fast at Forty, what this honor means to her:

My induction into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame means more to me than a celebration of past achievements. I view this honor as a means to helping other fledgling Jewish athletes succeed in an arena where they may not be encouraged or even worse discouraged. Being a ‘Jewish athlete’ should not be a label; we are athletes who are Jewish.”

If you are interested in learning more about Joanna, you can follow her at http://www.joanna-zeiger.com.

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The gathering will be 13,000 strong (10,000 last year) and will probably be a much larger number for the Monday night Gala Event that hosts the biggest gathering of our US Congressmen and Congresswomen outside of the actual Congress. That, folks, is a measure of the bi-partisan support for Israel in the country and an indication of the importance the subject of Israel has on the minds of America’s leaders, as well as the minds of the American people.

That was not always the case. For instance, the relationship between Israel and US President Lyndon B. Johnson was so rocky that he threatened Israel that “they would be on their own” if they attacked pre-emptively against Arab threats toward the Jewish State in May of 1967. Egypt, under the pan-Arabist Gamal Abdul Nasser, illegally kicked out the peacekeeping UN Emergency Force (UNEF) from the Sinai, moved in troops and tanks and munitions there, closed the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping traffic, and threatened to annihilate Israeli sovereignty  at the hand of joint Arab League attacks. Nasser said, “Our basic objective will be the destruction of Israel.” The world knows well the resulting story whereby Israel on June 5, 1967 pre-empted a possible Egyptian attack, took air superiority and went on to defeat the combined Arab armies in the famously titled “Six Day War.” It was only after that war that US leaders went from visualizing Israel as a liability to Israel as a strategic asset. The American people, on the other hand, have always, by majorities, supported the Israeli State. Support today is stronger than ever.

Since then, an alliance has grown by leaps and bounds in fields as diverse as financial, technology, military, cultural, religious, medical, security and intelligence. AIPAC is partly a gathering of Israeli experts and American experts in many fields, but related to the growing relationship between them; particularly on questions related to the Middle East. This year, that would put the AIPAC Policy Conference on a path to considering the questions of Iranian nuclear development and the upcoming November, 2012 elections. Thus the acute interest in the Washington’s political class to come and speak at the convention.

It is well known that Obama and Netanyahu have had a rocky relationship together, but many have also pointed out, including the Israelis, that President Obama has been a great friend to Israel in the last year. It is apparent that they do not, at least by publicly gleaned information, see eye to eye on the question of whether to use military force against Iran in the near future. Israel today has said it will not give the US government an advance heads up on its decision to attack Iran if and when they come to that line. Also, Netanyahu’s ex-Chief of Staff has said an Israeli attack is imminent. The fear in certain quarters is that the US will allow Iran to get a nuclear bomb and will not take strong enough action to stop it, either in a sanctions regime against Iran or a military strike at Iranian nuclear assets. Iran has already reached uranium enrichment of 20% and is starting to put its nuclear material-producing centrifuges deep underground. The window of opportunity for a military strike is publicly acknowledged by Israel as closing fast.

Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman and 31 other Senators introduced legislation intended to show bi-partisan support for even stronger sanctions against Iran, and specific triggers (dependent on Iranian intentions) that would call for the US to respond with a military strike on Iran. The legislation, called a Sense of the Senate, specifically calls on the President to make it the official policy of the United States NOT to adhere to a policy of containment of Iran. The Policy Conference leaders hope to lobby our Congressional legislators in some 500 meetings on Capitol HIll on Tuesday with Conference attendees, immediately after the end of the Policy Conference itself.

Notable speakers already confirmed for this year’s conference include:

• President Barack Obama
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
• Israeli President Shimon Peres
• Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
• Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
• House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
• Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
• Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT)
• Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
• Republican Candidate for President and Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
• Republican Candidate for President and Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich
• President of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Former Member of Congress Jane Harman
• CNN Contributor Paul Begala
• Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile
• Fox News Contributor Liz Cheney
• Editor of The Weekly Standard William Kristol
• Political Analyst for NBC News Mike Murph

In addition, the German government recently agreed that eligible Jewish survivors of Nazi-controlled ghettos in World War II who worked “without force” are now entitled to receive both German Social Security payments and the Ghetto Fund one-time payment of €2,000. Previously, eligible survivors were not entitled to receive both, but Claims Conference negotiations have resulted in a change to German law on this issue.

Ghetto survivors who have not yet applied to the Ghetto Fund or the Ghetto Pension should do so at once. There is no deadline to apply for the Ghetto Pension or the one-time award of €2,000 from the Ghetto Fund.  The “Ghetto Fund” is administered by Germany’s BADV federal office. The basic prerequisites for the payment are that the survivor (1) was forced to live in a ghetto in an area that was occupied by Germany or allied to it and (2) performed voluntary work.

Ghetto Payments Amendment of 2011
Recent changes to German law now allow eligible Jewish survivors of ghettos who worked “without force” and for some form of remuneration to receive both German Social Security payments and a one-time payment of €2,000. Previously, eligible survivors were not entitled to receive both.

The fund’s one-time payment of €2,000 was created to acknowledge ghetto survivors who had been rejected for German Social Security payments and it came as a response to intense international pressure spearheaded by the Claims Conference.

For information on criteria and how to apply: http://www.claimscon.org/index.asp?url=badv

PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE NOT CLAIMS CONFERENCE PROGRAMS. CLAIMANTS MUST APPLY TO THE RELEVANT GERMAN GOVERNMENT OFFICES LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE.

Mirella Schreiber, JFS SOS coordinator, is available to answer questions and provide information about the application process. Please contact her at (720) 248-4640 or mschreiber@jewishfamilyservice.org. The application and instructions are available on the JFS Web site.

Ghetto Payments Amendment of 2011

Recent changes to German law now allow eligible Jewish survivors of ghettos who worked “without force” and for some form of remuneration to receive both German Social Security payments and a one-time payment of €2,000. Previously, eligible survivors were not entitled to receive both.

German government Social Security pensions, widely known as “Ghetto Pensions,” have been available since 2002 to Holocaust survivors who were employed for some form of wages during their internment in Nazi ghettos annexed to the Third Reich. The law, formally known by its German acronym of ZRBG, was enacted in June 2002.

The fund’s one-time payment of €2,000 was created to acknowledge ghetto survivors who had been rejected for German Social Security payments and it came as a response to intense international pressure spearheaded by the Claims Conference.

The one-time payment of €2,000 is known the “Ghetto Fund” and is administered by Germany’s BADV federal office.

For information on criteria and how to apply: http://www.claimscon.org/index.asp?url=badv

PLEASE NOTE: THESE ARE NOT CLAIMS CONFERENCE PROGRAMS. CLAIMANTS MUST APPLY TO THE RELEVANT GERMAN GOVERNMENT OFFICES LISTED ON THE CLAIMS CONFERENCE WEBSITE.

Mirella Schreiber, JFS SOS coordinator, is available to answer questions and provide information about the application process. Please contact her at (720) 248-4640 or mschreiber@jewishfamilyservice.org. The application and instructions are available on the JFS website.

About Jewish Family Service of Colorado

Founded in 1872, Jewish Family Service of Colorado is a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency serving metro Denver and Boulder, helping seniors age in place, providing mental-health counseling to individuals and families in distress, offering training and placement services to those with barriers to employment, and providing crisis intervention and food to people in need. Every year, JFS benefits more than 20,000 people of all ages, faiths and incomes. For more information, call(303) 597-5000 or visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

JFNA CEO Jerry Silverman

DENVER, CO — The 2011 General Assembly of The Jewish Federations of North America wrapped up today with a rousing call from JFNA President and CEO Jerry Silverman for the participants to go out and keep working towards “a vibrant and fresh future for the Jewish people.”

Silverman said the GA has been “the singular platform for current and emerging thought leaders” for eight decades, and urged the Jewish community to make room for young Jewish leaders in MASA and Taglit-Birthright to become activists and advocates in every community.

The GA reminds us of our collective strength as a Jewish people. But despite all we have to celebrate, there is so much more we can do, and we have to do it,” said Silverman.

l-r: Wayne Firestone, Ami Eden, Peter Beinart, Julie Bernstein

There were several great sessions today, including “Israel: Have We Lost That Loving Feeling?,” a panel with Peter Beinart (yes, the author of the scathing essay in the NY Review of Books last spring); Julie Bernstein, Associate Managing Director, JFNA/JCPA Israel Action Network; Wayne Firestone, President and CEO, Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life; and nimbly moderated by Ami Eden, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of JTA.  The audience had a very broad mix of elder statesmen to college students, and featured a very lively discussion of variations on the theme “can we love Israel without loving the government and its policies?”

BJN will have more stories and pictures over the next few days as we catch our collective breath. Meanwhile, here is a photo collage of day two from BJN photographer Bruce Shaffer:

Ambassadors Oren and Shapiro held an onstage dialogue, led by former IDF and Israeli government spokesperson, Col. (Ret.) Miri Eisen. The discussion touched on everything from the diplomats’ shared heritage of American Jewish summer camps and youth groups to their joint dream that, as Oren put it, the time is not distant from “that day when Dan and I can witness a signing ceremony” at the White House for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians.

There were many intense and diverse topics covered at today’s GA session: integration of the Haredi and Arab-Israelis into the mainstream of Israeli society (two different sessions); Welcoming Interfaith Families (which featured Denver/Boulder’s Stepping Stones program, featuring Rabbi Steven Foster); and the Jewish Futures Conference, exploring trends and new approaches to Jewish education, which included Boulder’s Chidush Program materials, just to name four sessions.

We continue to be surprised and proud at the number of Boulder community members attending the GA.  Here are some of today’s pictures from Bruce Shaffer, David and Cheryl Fellows:

Here are Bruce Shaffer’s pictures from Sunday night’s Matisyahu concert:

In addition to soundbites, many of the tweets today included links to videos, websites, slideshows and other resources online. These links should work in the display below – if it starts with http:// you can click on it and it will go to additional content. This is one of the most-used features of Twitter – the ability to share a link with others (similar to sharing on Facebook). The link in the first tweet is to a video that was played during the session – and we’ve added it at the bottom of this article (after the tweet sections) – enjoy!

The first section is “meta” – the social media from a session on social media. After that are tweets from the session on Jewish Futures, cosponsored by 18 Pomegranates Foundation. We look forward to comments from other attendees!