News Release
August 16, 2009
WASHINGTON – On the eve of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s visit to the White House, one hundred American Jewish leaders have criticized Mubarak for recently hosting a visit by Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the Darfur genocide.
One hundred Jewish leaders signed a letter of protest to Mubarak, which was sent to the Egyptian embassy in Washington on the eve of Mubarak’s August 17 visit to the White House.
“Bashir should be behind bars, not treated as if he is a respected international leader, ” said Dr. Rafael Medoff, director of The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, in Washington, D.C., which organized the Jewish leaders’ protest.
The Jewish leaders urged Mubarak “to declare that Bashir will no longer be welcome in Egypt, and that Egypt will cooperate in efforts to implement the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.” They also wrote that “the warm welcome Bashir was given in Egypt evokes painful memories of the sheltering of fugitive Nazi war criminals in Egypt after the Holocaust.”
The Jewish leaders’ letter is part of the Wyman Institute’s “Bashir Watch,” a project that tracks Bashir’s travels and urges governments to treat Bashir as a pariah and cooperate in efforts to arrest him.
The signatories on the letter, representing a broad religious and political cross-section of the American Jewish community, include senior leaders of the Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Reconstructionist movements; senior past or present officials of the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the National Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism, the Foundation for Jewish Culture, the Jewish Educators Assembly, and other organizations; and prominent rabbis from coast to coast.
The text of the letter, and the complete list of signatories, follows below.
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The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies
August 16, 2009
Hon. Hosni Mubarak
President of Egypt
c/o Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt
3521 International Court NW
Washington, DC 20008
via fax 202-244-4319
Dear Mr. President,
We wish to express our deep concern that Sudanese president Omar Hassan al-Bashir recently visited Egypt, despite the fact that the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the genocide in Darfur.
As Jewish leaders living in the aftermath of the Holocaust, we are keenly aware of the need for swift action against the perpetrators of genocide. Bashir should be brought to justice, not treated as if he is a respected international leader. The warm welcome he was given in Egypt evokes painful memories of the sheltering of fugitive Nazi war criminals in Egypt after the Holocaust.
We urge you to declare that Bashir will no longer be welcome in Egypt, and that Egypt will cooperate in efforts to implement the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.
Cordially,
Rabbi Dr. Haskel Lookstein
Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, New York NY
Rabbi Dr. David Golinkin
President, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem
Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm
Chancellor, Yeshiva University
Rabbi Dr. Irving Greenberg
Founding President, CLAL: National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership
Founding President, Jewish Life Network
Chairman (emer.), United States Holocaust Memorial Council
Elise Bernhardt
President and CEO, Foundation for Jewish Culture
Rabbi Peter M. Knobel
President (emer.), Central Conference of American Rabbis
Beth Emet the Free Synagogue, Evanston, IL
Lawrence M. Katz
President, Jewish Educators Assembly
Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff
President (emer.), Central Conference of American Rabbis
Vice President for Special Projects, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Rabbi Paul Menitoff
Executive Vice President (emer.), Central Conference of American Rabbis
William E. Rapfogel
CEO / Executive Director, Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (NY)
Cantor Dana Anesi
Temple Beth El, Chappaqua NY
Rabbi Allen B. Bennett
Temple Israel, Alameda CA
Executive Director (emer.), Northern Pacific Region, American Jewish Congress
Executive Director (emer.), Jewish Community Relations Council, Oakland
David I. Bernstein, Ph.D.
Dean, Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies, Jerusalem
Cantor Arianne Brown
Sinai Temple, Los Angeles CA
Rabbi Meryl M. Crean
Martins Run Senior Residential Community, Media PA
Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Diamond
Associate Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Rabbi Mark Dratch
Yeshiva University
Vice President (emer.), Rabbinical Council of America
Rabbi Yitzchok Feldman
Congregation Emek Bracha, Palo Alto CA
Rabbi Reuven Fink
Young Israel of New Rochelle, NY
Instructor of Talmud, Yeshiva University
Rabbi Dov Fischer
Young Israel of Orange County, Irvine CA
Board Member, Hillel Council of Orange County
Rabbi Adam D. Fisher
Temple Isaiah (emer.), Stony Brook NY
Founder and past president, Shalom Interfaith Project
Stephen M. Flatow
Past Chair, Community Relations Committee
United Jewish Communities of MetroWest, NJ
Rabbi Anthony Fratello
Temple Shaarei Shalom, Boynton Beach FL
Board Member, Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County
Vice President, Palm Beach County Board of Rabbis
Rabbi Allen I. Freehling
Deputy Chief of Staff, Council District 6, City of Los Angeles
President (emer.), Pacific Region, American Jewish Congress
President (emer.), Board of Rabbis of Southern California
Rabbi Daniel Friedman
Beth Israel Synagogue, Edmonton AB
Vice President, Jewish Family Services
Rabbi Mark Friedman
Congregation Sha’ar Shalom, Chomedey, Laval, QC
Rabbi Stephen Fuchs
Congregation Beth Israel, West Hartford CT
Member, National Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
Rabbi David Gelfand
Temple Israel of the City of New York
Co-chair, Rabbinic Cabinet, World Union for Progressive Judaism
Rabbi Dr. Gershon C. Gewirtz
Young Israel of Brookline, Brookline MA
Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg
Congregation Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek, Chester CT
Board Member, Rabbis for Human Rights – North America
Rabbi Alan Goldman
Director, Ramah Programs in Israel
Mikah Goldman
PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values, Washington DC
Rabbi Lt. Andrew A. Goodman
Temple Beth Israel, Plattsburgh NY
Rabbi Mel Gottlieb
President, Academy of Jewish Religion, California
Rabbi Laurie Green
Aspen Jewish Congregation, Aspen CO
Rabbi C. Michelle Greenberg
Temple Jeremiah, Northfield IL
Board Member, Anti-Defamation League, Chicago
Rabbi Yonah Gross
Young Israel of Phoenix AZ
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman
Temple Beth El, Stamford CT
Member, National Rabbinic Cabinet, United Jewish Communities
President (emer.), Stamford Board of Rabbis
Rabbi Maurice Harris
Temple Beth Israel, Eugene OR
Director (emer.), Holocaust Oral History Project, San Francisco
Rabbi Dr. Robert A. Harris
Chair, Department of Bible, Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Rabbi Shmully Hecht
Executive Director, Eliezer – The Jewish Society at Yale University
Rabbi Joel Hecker
Associate Professor of Jewish Mysticism
Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
Rabbi Herzl Hefter
Yeshivat Hamivtar – Torat Yosef, Efrat
Rabbi Sidney M. Helbraun
Temple Beth-El, Northbrook IL
President, Chicago Region, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi Jason Herman
Executive Director, International Rabbinic Fellowship
Rabbi, West Side Jewish Center, New York NY
Nancy Hersh
Education Director, Congregation Beth Hatikvah, Summit, NJ
Rabbi Daniel Horwitz
Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Houston TX
President (emer.), Mid-Continent Region, Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbi Mitchell M. Hurvitz
Temple Sholom, Greenwich CT
President, Greenwich Fellowship of Clergy
Collette Kaplan
Chair, Social Action – Congregation Shir Ha-Ma’alot, Irvine CA
Rabbi Dr. Dana Evan Kaplan
Temple B’nai Israel, Albany GA
Rabbi David Klatzker
Temple Ner Tamid, Peabody MA
Rabbi Allen Krause
Temple Beth El (emer.), Aliso Viejo CA
Rabbi Levi D. Lauer
Founding Executive Director, ATZUM, Jerusalem
Rabbi David C. Levy
Temple Shalom, Succasunna NJ
Chair, National Jewish Coalition for Literacy
Chair (emer.), Hartford Jewish Community Relations Council
Rabbi Stan Levy
Vice Chair, Academy for Jewish Religion
Congregation B’nai Horin-Children of Freedom, Los Angeles CA
Rabbi Dennis Linson
Temple Judea, Laguna Hills CA
Rabbi Norman Lipson
Temple Dor Dorim, Weston FL
Rabbi Stephen Listfield
Tree of Life Congregation, Pittsburgh PA
Rabbi Randy Mark
President, North Jersey Board of Rabbis
Congregation Shomrei Torah, Wayne NJ
Rabbi Bernard H. Mehlman
Senior Scholar, Temple Israel, Boston MA
Professor of Homiletics, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
Rabbi Amy L. Memis-Foler
Temple Judea Mizpah, Skokie IL
Co-chair, Women’s Rabbinic Network Conference
Prof. Jonathan Milgram
Jewish Theological Seminary of America
Rabbi Avis D. Miller
President, Open Dor Foundation, Chevy Chase MD
Rabbi Jason Miller
Congregation T’chiyah, Oak Park MI
Rabbi Joshua Minkin
Temple Emanu-El of Canarsie, Brooklyn NY
Rabbi Dr. David Oler
Congregation Beth Or, Deerfield IL
President, North Shore Fellowship of Rabbis
Rabbi Schachar Orenstein
The Spanish & Portugese Synagogue, Montreal QC
Rabbi Laura Owens
Congregation B’nai Horin – Children of Freedom, Los Angeles, CA
Rabbi Barbara Penzer
Temple Hillel B’nai Torah, Boston MA
President (emer.), Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
President (emer.), Massachusetts Board of Rabbis
Rabbi Dr. Richard Plavin
Beth Sholom B’nai Israel, Manchester CT
Rabbi Eric Polokoff
B’nai Israel, Southbury CT
Member, National Commission, Anti-Defamation League
Rabbi Reuben Poupko
Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation, Montreal, QC
Rabbi Philip “Flip” Rice
Congregation Micah, Brentwood TN
Glenn Richter
National Coordinator, Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry
Rabbi Ronald S. Roth
Fair Lawn Jewish Center / Congregation B’nai Israel, Fair Lawn NJ
President (emer.), Nashville Association of Rabbis, Priests, and Ministers
Rabbi Hanan Schlesinger
Director of Community Education, Community Kollel of Dallas TX
Rabbi Menachem Schrader
Director, Alisa Flatow Program – Nishmat, Jerusalem
Rabbi Dr. Barry Dov Schwartz
Temple B’nai Sholom, Rockville Centre NY
Past President, Rabbinical Assembly of Long Island
Rabbi Sid Schwarz
Founder, PANIM Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values
Executive Director (emer.), Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington
Rabbi Ari Segal
Head of School, Robert M. Beren Academy
Congregation Ahavat Yisrael, Houston TX
Rabbi Ahud Sela
Sinai Temple, Los Angeles CA
Rabbi Diana R. Siegel
Congregation Beth Yeshurun, Houston TX
Rabbi Yedidya Sinclair
Jewish Climate Initiative
Rabbi Ross Singer
Beth Tfiloh, Pikesville MD
Rabbi Suzanne Singer
Temple Beth El, Riverside CA
Dr. Hesch Sommer
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple Beth Tikvah, Madison CT
Director of Rabbinical Placement, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi David Spitz
Temple Menorah, Chicago IL
Rabbi Andrew Straus
Temple Emanuel of Tempe, Tempe AZ
President (emer.), Board of Rabbis of Greater Phoenix
Rabbi Joshua Strom
Temple Shaaray Tefila, New York NY
Rabbi Dr. Jeremiah Unterman
Director Emeritus, Association of Modern Orthodox Day Schools
Rabbi Chaim Wasserman
Council of Young Israel Rabbis
Editor, The Rabbi’s Letter
Rabbi Mayer Waxman
Associate Director
Yachad / The National Jewish Council for Disabilities
Dr. Racelle Weiman
Vice President, Dialogue Institute, Temple University
Rabbi Elchanan J. Weinbach
Principal, Shalhevet School, Los Angeles CA
Rabbi Elie Weinstock
Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun, New York NY
Rabbi Michael A. White
Temple Sinai of Roslyn Heights, NY
Vice Chair, National Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism
Rabbi David Wise
Hollis Hills Jewish Center, Flushing NY
Vice President for Special Programming (emer.), New Jersey Rabbinical Assembly
Rabbi Stephen Wise
Shaarei-Beth El Congregation, Oakville, ON
Rabbi Michael Zedek
Emanuel Congregation, Chicago IL
CEO (emer.), Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Rabbi Daniel G. Zemel
Temple Micah, Washington DC
President, Mid-Atlantic Region, Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman
The Jewish Center of the Hamptons, East Hampton NY
President (emer.), Central Conference of American Rabbis
and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion
(Institutions listed for identification purposes only.)