{"id":46864,"date":"2019-01-04T18:18:09","date_gmt":"2019-01-05T00:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=46864"},"modified":"2019-01-05T14:53:15","modified_gmt":"2019-01-05T20:53:15","slug":"new-orleans-womens-march-canceled-jewish-groups-disavow-anti-semitism-of-leadership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/new-orleans-womens-march-canceled-jewish-groups-disavow-anti-semitism-of-leadership\/","title":{"rendered":"New Orleans Women&#8217;s March canceled; Jewish groups disavow anti-Semitism of leadership"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"block cols3\">\n<div class=\"fixed-sidebar\">&nbsp;By&nbsp;&nbsp;JACKSON RICHMAN&nbsp;AND&nbsp;SEAN SAVAGE with CCJN reports<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"article-infinite-scroll block cols6\">\n<article id=\"article_38778\" class=\"block cols6 article article-news\" data-next_article_id=\"38777\" data-article_id=\"38778\" data-article_url_http=\"http:\/\/www.jns.org\/jewish-groups-and-activists-disavow-anti-semitism-of-womens-march-leadership\/\" data-article_url=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/jewish-groups-and-activists-disavow-anti-semitism-of-womens-march-leadership\/\" data-article_title_full=\"Jewish groups and activists disavow anti-Semitism of Women\u2019s March leadership | JNS.org\" data-article_title=\"Jewish groups and activists disavow anti-Semitism of Women\u2019s March leadership\" data-article_description=\"While the Women\u2019s March was founded in opposition to U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s policies and views, many involved feel that the leadership has taken the movement in the wrong direction, citing anti-Semitism, support for BDS movement and their close ties of with Nation of Islam head Louis Farrakhan.\" data-image_url=\"https:\/\/cdn.jns.org\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM.png\" data-image_width=\"624\" data-image_height=\"485\" data-author_name=\"By Jackson Richman and Sean Savage\" data-article_can_be_download=\"yes\">\n<div class=\"block cols6 article-body\">\n<aside class=\"block cols2 article-details\">\n<div class=\"sticky-sidebar\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"sticky-sidebar\"><span class=\"dateline\">(JNS.org)<\/span>&nbsp; &#8212; The Women&#8217;s March New Orleans was canceled just before New Year&#8217;s Eve by organizers of the event over allegations of anti-Semitism. In a statement issued yesterday, Thursday, January 3,&nbsp; by National Organization for Women (NOW) Baton Rouge president Angela Adkins, the chair of the event, stated that &#8220;due to unforseen issues,&#8221; the march was being canceled &#8220;due to unforseen issues.&#8221; The statement went on to say that a &#8220;listening tour&#8221; throughout the state during the month of March will ensue wherein opinions will be gathered to determine the future of the march and the women&#8217;s movement behind it.<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div class=\"block cols4\">\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<div id=\"attachment_46866\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46866\" class=\"wp-image-46866 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations.jpg 1632w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/225;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46866\" class=\"wp-image-46866 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW-New-Orleans-Womens-March.-Miriam-Waltzer-and-Barbara-Kaplinsky-stand-with-women-of-diverse-organizations.jpg 1632w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-46866\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Members of the New Orleans Section of the National Council of Jewish Women, left, meet with Muslim women marchers at the 2017 Women&#8217;s March New Orleans, (Photo via Barbara Kaplinsky)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Ever since it took the nation by storm, a dark cloud has been hanging over the Women\u2019s March concerning its leadership\u2019s associations with controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, anti-Semitism, and other troubling speech against segments of the population. On Nov. 19, the movement\u2019s founder&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/womens-march-founder-calls-on-leaders-to-quit-citing-anti-semitism-and-bigotry\/\">called on its leaders&nbsp;<\/a>to quit.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs Founder of the Women\u2019s March, my original vision and intent was to show the capacity of human beings to stand in solidarity and love against the hateful rhetoric that had become a part of the political landscape in the U.S. and around the world,\u201d Theresa Shook wrote in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBob Bland, Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour and Carmen Perez of Women\u2019s March, Inc., have steered the Movement away from its true course,\u201d continued Shook. \u201cI have waited, hoping they would right the ship. But they have not. In opposition to our Unity Principles, they have allowed anti-Semitism, anti-LBGTQIA sentiment and hateful, racist rhetoric to become a part of the platform by their refusal to separate themselves from groups that espouse these racist, hateful beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>The organizing committee for the Women&#8217;s March New Orleans is composed of 16 disparate women&#8217;s groups, all of whom are in charge of fundraising and deciding issues related to the march. They had previously selected January 19 as the date for this year&#8217;s march.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46868\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46868\" class=\"wp-image-46868 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3.jpg 960w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/225;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46868\" class=\"wp-image-46868 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch3.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-46868\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Several of the sponsoring groups associated with the Women&#8217;s March New Orleans. (Photo by Angela Adkins)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Adkins admitted that fundraising throughout the state had become problematic, particularly after critics began to demand the resignations of the top national leaders. A T-shirt sales campaign expected to raise the bulk of the estimated $15,000 &#8211; $16,000 costs associated with the march was only able to raise a sum of less than $700 in total.<\/p>\n<p>With funds continuing to dry up, the local organizers felt they had to respond to the critics. An initial&nbsp;cancelation was issued on December 29, but the official news release was not issued until yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>The Women\u2019s March movement began as a reaction to the election of U.S. President Donald Trump in 2016 as opposition to his positions on women\u2019s rights, as well as on other issues such as LBGTQ rights, racial equality, gender equality, disability rights, the environment and other progressive causes. Millions turned out in marches across America the day after Trump\u2019s inauguration, and the movement has since continued with chapters across the United States and the world, organizing and holding events and rallies, as well as celebrities and others continuing to speak on the movement\u2019s ideals.<\/p>\n<p>After the announcement, groups such as the Zioness Movement\u2014a progressive female Zionist organization\u2014applauded Shook\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZioness shares Shook\u2019s sentiment that it is high time for new leadership at a movement created to stand in love and solidarity against hate,\u201d the group said in a statement. \u201cSince our founding in 2017, Zioness has spoken out time and again against the poisonous and deeply hurtful rhetoric and actions of certain Women\u2019s March leaders.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46867\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46867\" class=\"wp-image-46867 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2.jpg 2048w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/200;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46867\" class=\"wp-image-46867 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NOWomensMarch2.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-46867\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mayor-elect LaToya Cantrell at last year&#8217;s Women&#8217;s March New Orleans. (Photo courtesy Angela Adkins.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>After our experience building the Zioness movement for the last eighteen months, we know that the vast majority of American Jewish women agree:&nbsp; it\u2019s not just possible, but essential for Jewish organizations to be both proudly progressive and&nbsp; Zionist. We don\u2019t have stand silent in the face of bigotry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the Women\u2019s March was founded in opposition to Trump\u2019s policies and views, many feel the leadership of the movement has taken it in the wrong direction. In particular, Women\u2019s March co-chair Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian American, has been an outspoken critic of Israel and has supported the BDS movement; the Anti-Defamation League&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.stljewishlight.com\/news\/local\/article_e1e749c2-0f0f-11e7-83d1-97cd126b11d7.html\">says<\/a>&nbsp;her BDS advocacy \u201cencourages and spreads anti-Semitism.\u201d Similarly, Tamika Mallory, another co-chair of the Women\u2019s March, has been closely aligned with Farrakhan.<\/p>\n<p>Both Sarsour and Mallory have been repeatedly&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/opinion\/why-left-wing-anti-semitism-matters\/\">slammed<\/a>&nbsp;for praising Farrakhan, a known anti-Semite whose annual Saviour\u2019s Day was attended last February by Mallory, where Farrakhan said \u201cthe powerful Jews are my enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46869\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46869\" class=\"wp-image-46869 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan-300x191.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan.png 959w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/191;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46869\" class=\"wp-image-46869 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan-300x191.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan-768x489.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/tamikafarrakhan.png 959w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-46869\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tamika Mallory, co-president of the Women\u2019s March, posing with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Credit: Instagram Screenshot.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in October, scrutiny over anti-Semitism within the leadership of the Women\u2019s March began to increase. Actress Alyssa Milano, a prominent member of the #MeToo movement, and actress Debra Messing said&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/alyssa-milano-debra-messing-speak-against-anti-semitic-ties-to-womens-march\/\">they would not speak<\/a>&nbsp;at the next Women\u2019s March because of Sarsour and Mallory\u2019s refusal to distance themselves from Farrakhan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAny time that there is any bigotry or anti-Semitism in that respect, it needs to be called out and addressed. I\u2019m disappointed in the leadership of the Women\u2019s March that they haven\u2019t done it adequately,\u201d Milano&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.advocate.com\/women\/2018\/10\/30\/metoo-activist-alyssa-milano-wont-be-stopped\">said<\/a>&nbsp;in a November interview.<\/p>\n<p><em>Tablet&nbsp;<\/em>recently&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tabletmag.com\/jewish-news-and-politics\/276694\/is-the-womens-march-melting-down\">published an extensive history<\/a>&nbsp;of the Jew-hatred behind the movement.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018Deplores the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel positions\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Betty Ehrenberg, the North America executive director of the World Jewish Congress, condemned the \u201chijacking\u201d of the movement by anti-Semitic vitriol.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe WJC, long a defender of the rights of Jews and minorities, with a deep commitment to gender equality, deplores the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel positions expressed by leaders of the Women\u2019s March, namely Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe that this march meant to advance equality for women has become an issue hijacked by those who have repeatedly subjected Israel to baseless&nbsp;condemnation and blame and emphatically associated themselves with a notorious and unrepentant anti-Semite, Louis Farrakhan,\u201d she continued.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46870\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46870\" class=\"wp-image-46870 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1-300x169.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1.png 880w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/169;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46870\" class=\"wp-image-46870 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1-300x169.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Screen-Shot-2018-11-19-at-8.58.29-PM-880x495-1.png 880w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-46870\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Women&#8217;s March leaders Tamika Mallory, Bob Bland, Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour. (Photo via screenshot)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThis hijacking, part of a syndrome called \u2018intersectionality,\u2019 has sadly been used to mislead and turn people against Israel, the result of a false juxtaposition of the issues of the Middle East conflict and equality for women, leading to the lie uttered by Sarsour, that Zionists cannot be true feminists,\u201d added Ehrenberg. \u201cIsrael is to be commended for its safeguarding of democracy and equality for women, and we remain committed to supporting Israel\u2019s efforts to protect the rights of women at all levels of Israeli society.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While a growing number of Jewish organizations and activists have expressed concern regarding anti-Semitism within the movement, a number of progressive Jewish groups remain firm in their engagement with the Women\u2019s March.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018Honored to continue partnering with the Women\u2019s March\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Progressive Jewish groups such as Bend the Arc: Jewish Action defended the movement and said they continue to work with the Women\u2019s March, despite the anti-Semitism controversy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe Women\u2019s March movement is powerful, inspiring and urgently needed in this political moment, and we are honored to continue partnering with the Women\u2019s March as we enter 2019,\u201d Stosh Cotler, the organization\u2019s CEO, told JNS.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the same time,\u201d she said, \u201cwe recognize the deep pain and frustration that some people in our community are feeling around these recent discussions about anti-Semitism; we acknowledge those raw feelings while also affirming our belief that we can have disagreements with each other or with our allies while continuing to build the intersectional movement this moment requires.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are saddened that the focus on Louis Farrakhan, who is not part of the Women\u2019s March and whose abhorrent views on Jewish and LGBTQ people are wholly outside those of the movement, serves as a distraction from a far bigger threat to all of our safety: the growth of violent white nationalism, emboldened by this president [U.S. President Donald Trump] and his enablers in Congress,\u201d continued Cotler.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBend the Arc believes that we must collectively remain focused on the threat of this expanding white-nationalist movement and recognize that our safety relies on the strength of our intersectional solidarity,\u201d she added. \u201cFor us, this is what the Women\u2019s March represents.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), which strongly&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncjwbcs.org\/ncjw-endorses-womens-march-and-is-mobilizing-jewish-womens-support\/\">endorsed<\/a>&nbsp;the Women\u2019s March in January 2017 and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jpost.com\/Diaspora\/US-Jewish-groups-gear-up-for-2018-Womens-March-538242\">continued<\/a>&nbsp;to support smaller independent women\u2019s marches earlier this year, said it would continue to advise the Women\u2019s March on issues, despite the concerns over anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n<p>NCJW\u2019s agenda \u201cis in complete alignment with the national policy agenda of the Women\u2019s March and the Women\u2019s March movement,\u201d the organization\u2019s CEO, Nancy Kaufman, told the Forward recently.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46874\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46874\" class=\"wp-image-46874 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-1024x660.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington.jpg 1330w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 300px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 300\/193;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46874\" class=\"wp-image-46874 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-300x193.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"193\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-300x193.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-768x495.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington-1024x660.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/NCJW_Washington.jpg 1330w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-46874\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nancy Kaufman (center-left), the chief executive officer of the National Council of Jewish Women is pictured with supporters at the January 2017 Women\u2019s March in Washington, DC. (Photo from NCJW via Facebook)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In late November following the resignation by Shook and amid growing concerns over anti-Semitism, Kaufman convened a phone call with dozens of Jewish leaders over the issue and ultimately decided to stand by the Women\u2019s March.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a deep concern among Jewish leaders of, \u2018How do we manage this?\u2019 \u201d she said, as reported by&nbsp;<em>The Washington Post<\/em>. \u201cWhat does it mean to be clear in our fight against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia and women\u2019s rights while also fighting division in (the Women\u2019s March) movement?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NCJW did not respond to multiple requests for comment on whether it continues work with the Women\u2019s March.<\/p>\n<p>However, Shoshana Bryen, senior director of the Jewish Policy Center, said that the anti-Semitism in the movement cannot be tolerated; therefore, Jewish women and organizations should disassociate from it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is no room for anti-Semites in a group that claims to advance rights for all women. Jewish women, Zionist women and Israeli women must be included,\u201d she said. \u201cFarrakhan has demeaned, diminished and debased Jewish women, and so should be ousted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bryen added, \u201cBut if his followers, including Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory, remain and do his work outside the March itself, the March remains tainted and Jewish women should remove their support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2018We view these developments with feelings of great trepidation\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Some liberal Jewish groups and activists are taking action.<\/p>\n<p>The Women\u2019s International Zionist Organization, a progressive Jewish group, expressed criticism on the Women\u2019s March and announced that on Jan. 9, it will \u201chold a special meeting on the subject,\u201d according to its founding president.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are appalled at the anti-Semitism of some of the leadership of the Women\u2019s March,\u201d said Evelyn Sommer. \u201cAs an organization that has been involved in the women\u2019s movement since its inception in the 1970s, we view these developments with feelings of great trepidation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann Lewis, a board member of Zioness, told JNS that they will no longer participant in events with the Women\u2019s March leaders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs Maya Angelou said, when someone shows you who they are, believe them. Zioness will not participate in events associated with the co-chairs of the national Women\u2019s March, Inc. or anyone else who spreads anti-Semitism or associates with anti-Semites.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe care deeply about progressive issues, and are working closely with others who share our values in social justice spaces, including by hosting a series of teach-ins later this month.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Jewish Democratic Council of America said that while it supports the broad goals of the Women\u2019s March, such as gender and racial equality, economic justice, civil rights, religious tolerance and LGBTQ rights, the \u201cclear bias and anti-Semitic views espoused by some of its leaders has unfortunately tainted the effectiveness and inclusivity of the March.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe views expressed by the leadership of Women\u2019s March Inc. are diametrically opposed to JDCA\u2019s unequivocal rejection of anti-Semitism, hatred and bigotry in all its forms.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Citing the close ties of the leaders of the Women\u2019s March to Farrakhan, the group encouraged those who support the ideals of the march \u201cto join in solidarity with other organizations sponsoring women\u2019s marches across the country that have no affiliation with or ties to Women\u2019s March, Inc.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Susan Tuchman, director of the Center for Law and Justice at the Zionist Organization of America, told JNS \u201cIt\u2019s unfathomable that any organization, especially a Jewish organization, could support the Women\u2019s March at this point, given the evidence of its national leaders\u2019 anti-Semitism, Israel-bashing, and tolerance for Jew-hatred \u2013 including an alliance with the vicious anti-Semite Louis Farakkhan who compared Jews to termites.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tuchman continued: \u201cUnless the current national leaders of the Women\u2019s March are replaced by individuals who make it crystal clear that there will be zero tolerance for anti-Semitism, Israel-bashing and other forms of bigotry, it\u2019s incomprehensible that Jews \u2013 or non-Jews \u2013 would endorse participating in the Women\u2019s March.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are many other ways to come together and express our support for women\u2019s equality, that aren\u2019t tarnished by hatred of Jews and Israel,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Time to end the patriarchal leadership of the \u2018Farrakhan Four\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, other Jewish women are taking their own initiative.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_46889\" style=\"width: 240px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_7372.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46889\" class=\"wp-image-46889 size-medium lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_7372-230x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"230\" height=\"300\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_7372-230x300.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_7372.jpg 737w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 230px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 230\/300;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46889\" class=\"wp-image-46889 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_7372-230x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"230\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_7372-230x300.jpg 230w, https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/IMG_7372.jpg 737w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px\" \/><\/noscript><\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-46889\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">WoMen For All founder Nisi Jacobs. (Photo courtesy Nisi Jacobs)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>An offshoot group called the WoMen For All was founded this year by Nisi Jacobs in response to the anti-Semitism allegations against the original Women\u2019s March, \u201cas an inclusive, grassroots, women\u2019s rights movement advocating against all forms of bigotry, hate and prejudice, and advocating for equality for all,\u201d according to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/women4all.org\/about-wmfa\/\">WMFA\u2019s mission statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>We are working to \u201csolidify the original cause of the Women\u2019s March movement, which was focused on women\u2019s rights, the movement was never about the Israel or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now it seems that it has become all about that because of the bigoted leadership,\u201d Jacobs told JNS. \u201cOriginally, it was all about women\u2019s equality and that is what we are working for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jacobs said that leadership of the Women\u2019s March, whom she dubbed the \u201cFarrakhan Four\u201d has been \u201ctaking a patriarchal model of using women\u2019s work, taking credit for it, and not paying them for their work and time. Then leaving them to be invisible. It is a very old part of the patriarchy that we are trying to change.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolitary women who are grouping together in an unglamorous sisterhood network that are doing tremendous about of labor. They are taking care of their family, working and doing this activism for free. Their work gets co-opted by these four leaders who collect all the merchandise money from the branding. The branding has been the one message they used to silence these women up till now because it has brought status and professionalism in eyes of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As such, WoMen For All has created a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/women4all.org\/sister-march-network\/\">\u201csister march network<\/a>\u201d for local leaders to advertise their marches. Her group has also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/women4all.org\/no-to-antisemitism-petition\/\">launched a petition<\/a>&nbsp;calling on the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee to officially adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur group is saying that grassroots and local leaders of the Women\u2019s March are how we have flipped the House [of Representatives] and gotten more woman than ever into office. It wasn\u2019t by a top-down structure, but a bottom-up structure. Let\u2019s flip the paradigm; let\u2019s cut out this patriarchal paradigm of Women\u2019s March national taking credit, and instead shine the light on these local groups who are out there taking a chance and standing by their morals and values.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:20px; padding-top:10px;\" class=\"hupso-share-buttons\"><!-- Hupso Share Buttons - https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/ --><a class=\"hupso_toolbar\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hupso.com\/share\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/buttons\/share-medium.png\" style=\"border:0px; padding-top: 5px; float:left;\" alt=\"Share Button\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><script type=\"text\/javascript\">var hupso_services_t=new Array(\"Twitter\",\"Facebook\",\"Google Plus\",\"Pinterest\",\"Linkedin\",\"Tumblr\",\"Email\");var hupso_background_t=\"#EAF4FF\";var hupso_border_t=\"#66CCFF\";var hupso_toolbar_size_t=\"medium\";var hupso_image_folder_url = \"\";var hupso_url_t=\"\";var hupso_title_t=\"New%20Orleans%20Women%27s%20March%20canceled%3B%20Jewish%20groups%20disavow%20anti-Semitism%20of%20leadership\";<\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/static.hupso.com\/share\/js\/share_toolbar.js\"><\/script><!-- Hupso Share Buttons --><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":46866,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[9809,9810,8790,8387,8788,9320],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46864"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46864"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46864\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46891,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46864\/revisions\/46891"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}