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Peace and Justice Commission, the ZOA wrote to the city manager and the mayor of Berkeley,
urging them to address other efforts by Davila to use someone’s views on Israel as a litmus test
for serving the city. Neither official responded. With Bazian’s appointment to the commission,
the ZOA charged – in an op-ed published in the J., The Jewish News of Northern California
– that the mayor and city manager were turning a blind eye to anti-Semitism within city government.
Thanks to ZOA pressure, Mayor Jesse Arreguin issued a statement that he does not support
Bazian’s appointment to the commission and is frustrated that he does not have the authority
to block Bazian’s appointment. He went on to say that Bazian is not qualified to serve as a public
official due to his “anti-Semitic statements and actions.” ZOA will continue to work with
community activists in the East Bay to oppose BDS and all other anti-Semitic and anti-Israel
activities.
Long Island
It’s official – ZOA Long Island has been rebooted! As 2018 was coming to a close, ZOA Long
Island was getting a reboot, and it started on the North Shore.
Bringing ZOA to the Classroom
In anticipation of ZOA Long Island’s kickoff
event in Kings Point, Deborah Peretz, the
associate director of the NY Metro region, and
Susan B. Tuchman, Esq., director of ZOA’s
Center for Law and Justice, led a program
about campus anti-Semitism for high school
seniors at the beautiful North Shore Hebrew
Academy High School in Great Neck, New
York. The program’s goal was to arm high
school seniors with the tools they will need if
they face anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on
their prospective college campuses.
Vice Chair of ZOA National Board and
Chairman of ZOA’s Long Island region Dr.
Alan Mazurek was the driving force behind
this program and connected the ZOA to the
school. North Shore Hebrew Academy is a
beautiful and impressive facility, both physically
and spiritually. The school is already
preparing students for the future, committing
resources to building students’ Jewish identities
and their connections to Israel, and giving
them the tools they need to advocate for
Israel.
Our program was both educational and interactive.
We gave students a framework for
identifying when criticism of Israel crosses the
line into anti-Semitism and when anti-Semi-
With Bazian’s
appointment
to the commission,
the ZOA
charged – in
an op-ed published
in the
J., The Jewish
News of Northern
California –
that the Mayor
and City Manager
were turning
a blind eye
to anti-Semitism
within city
government.
Susan B. Tuchman, Esq. and Deborah Peretz
rd and giving a presentation at a Long Island event
on behind
my h physalready
mitting
identind
givcate
for
inork
for
sses the
-Long Island