Open Letter to Senate
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
January 05, 2018 Chairman Bob Corker Senator Benjamin L. Cardin Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations Ranking Member, Committee on Foreign 425 Dirksen Senate Building Relations United States Senate 509 Hart Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Corker and Ranking Member Cardin: We, the undersigned Jewish organizations, institutions, and community leaders, strongly urge you to pass the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act of 2017 (S. 2060), which is currently before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Passing this legislation through your committee and the full Senate would send a powerful message to the Burmese military and the global community that the United States will not be silent or inactive in the face of mass atrocities. We are horrified by the Burmese military’s relentless persecution of the Rohingya, particularly since the recent outbreak of violence began on August 25. In the past four months, the Burmese military has engaged in a scorched earth campaign, razing entire Rohingya villages. Soldiers have indiscriminately massacred Rohingya men, women, and children, and an estimated 600,000 people have fled on foot or by boat—a three-day trek from their burned villages—to refugee camps in Bangladesh. The Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act would mandate targeted U.S. sanctions to help end the Burmese military’s atrocities against the Rohingya people, provide refugee assistance for the Rohingya, and establish a mechanism to address accountability around crimes committed against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities in Burma. We urge the Senate to act now. Last month, the House of Representatives sent a resounding message, with its near unanimous vote on a resolution (H. Con. Res. 90) condemning the violence against the Rohingya and calling for an immediate restoration of humanitarian access. It is time for the Senate to build on this momentum by passing the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act. We cannot remain silent as Jews, for whom the words “never again” require us to act, nor as global citizens, in the face of senseless acts of brutality. Many of our organizations have called on the United States and the international community to intervene on behalf of the Rohingya people, and to join our efforts to provide desperately needed aid to those who have fled to Bangladesh. We believe that Congress condemning the ethnic cleansing and mandating strong economic sanctions and humanitarian assistance is a crucial first step in stemming the violence. The United States must act now to ensure the survival, safety and dignity of the Rohingya people. Please join us in condemning the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya--in saying never again--by passing the Burma Human Rights and Freedom Act of 2017. Sincerely, Ameinu Jewish Women International (JWI) Gideon Aronoff, Chief Executive Officer Loribeth Weinstein, CEO American Conference of Cantors Jewish World Watch (JWW) Rachel Roth, Chief Operating Officer Susan Freudenheim, Executive Director American Jewish Committee (AJC) The Orthodox Union (OU) Jason Isaacson, Associate Executive Director Mark Bane, President for Policy and Managing Director, Government and International Affairs Rabbinical Assembly (RA) Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, CEO American Jewish World Service (AJWS) Robert Bank, President and CEO Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA) Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Rabbi Elyse Wechterman, Executive Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director Director Reconstructionist Rabbinical Central Conference of American Rabbis College/Jewish Reconstructionist (CCAR) Communities (RRC/JRC) Rabbi David Stern, President Rabbi Deborah Waxman, President The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding The Shalom Center Rabbi Marc Schneier, President Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Executive Director The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights Advancement of Human Rights Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director Felice Gaer, Director Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) JACOB: Jewish Alliance of Concern Over Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President Burma Rabbi Simkha Weintraub, Founder United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ) Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) Rabbi Steve Wernick, CEO David Bernstein, President Uri L'Tzedek: Orthodox Social Justice Jewish Labor Committee Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, Founder and Jonathan Rosenblum, Executive Director President Women of Reform Judaism Community Relations Council of the Jewish Rabbi Marla Feldman, Executive Director Federation of San Antonio (San Antonio, TX) The Workman’s Circle Ellen Ollervidez, Director Ann Toback, Executive Director Congregation B’nai Yisrael (Armonk, NY) Rabbi Joshua Strom, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS Congregation Beth Shalom (Clearwater, FL) Rabbi David Weizman, Americans for Democracy in the Middle- East Congregation B'nai Torah (Trumbull, CT) Rabbi Dr. Daniel M. Zucker, Chairman Rabbi Colin Brodie, Association of Rabbis and Cantors Congregation Tehillah (Bronx, NY) (Cleveland, OH) Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn, Rabbi Rabbi Enid C. Lader, President Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Baltimore Jewish Council (Baltimore, MD) Council (Indianapolis, IN) Howard Libit, Executive Director David Sklar, Assistant Director Beth Israel - The West Temple (Cleveland, Interfaith Action for Human Rights OH) (Washington, DC) Rabbi Enid C. Lader, Rabbi Rabbi Charles Feinberg, Executive Director Buffalo Jewish Federation/ Holocaust Jewish Community Relations Council/AJC, Resource Center of Buffalo (Buffalo, NY) Detroit (Bloomfield Hills, MI) Rob Goldberg, CEO/Executive Director David Kurzmann, Executive Director Cincinatti Jewish Community Relations Jewish Community Relations Council, Council (Cincinnati, OH) Milwaukee Jewish Federation (Milwaukee, Walter Spiegel WI) Elana Kahn, Director Columbia Jewish Community Relations Council (Columbia, SC) Jewish Community Relations Council of Ilene King, Co-Chair Colorado (Denver, CO) Janet Sherman, Director Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater Metro West Jewish Community Relations Council of (Whippany, NJ) Greater Boston (Boston, MA) Linda Scherzer, Director, CRC Jeremy Burton, Executive Director Jewish Community Relations Council of the Sonoma, Alameda and Contra Costa Greater Miami Jewish Federation (Miami, Counties (San Francisco, CA) FL) Abby Porth, Executive Director Carol Brick-Turin, Director Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Community Relations Council of Tampa (Tampa, FL) Greater Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA) Michelle Gallagher, JCRC Coordinator Abbey Frank, Assistant Director Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans Jewish Community Relations Council of (Metairie, LA) Greater Phoenix (Phoenix, AZ) Dr. Caroline Good, Director of External Karolyn Benger, Executive Director Affairs Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Greater Washington (Pittsburgh, PA) Guila Franklin Siegel, Associate Director Joshua Sayles, Director, Community Relations Council Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester Anita Zusman Eddy, Executive Director (Rochester, NY) Meredith Dragon, CEO Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley (Orlando, FL) (Lehigh Valley, PA) Ben Friedman, Director Aaron Gorodzinsky, Director of Outreach and Community Relations Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee Chicago (Chicago, IL) (Sarasota, FL) Steven Dishler, Assistant Vice President, Jessi Sheslow, Director, Community International & Public Affairs Relations Jewish Community Relations Council of Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley (Los Louisville (Louisville, KY) Gatos, CA) Matt Goldberg, Director Diane Fisher, Director, Community Relations Council Jewish Community Relations Council of New York (New York, NY) Ma'yan Tikvah (Wayland, MA) Noam Gilboard, Director, Israel and Rabbi Katy Allen International Affairs Memphis Jewish Federation Jewish Community Relations Council of Bluma Zuckerbrot-Finkelstein, Director, San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, Community Impact The New York Board of Rabbis (New York, INDIVIDUALS NY) Institutional affiliation is provided for Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice identification purposes only and does not President constitute institutional endorsement. Romemu (New York, NY) Rabbi Laura Abrasley, Temple Shalom Rabbi David Ingber, Founder and Senior (Newton, MA) Rabbi Rabbi Rachel Adler, Ellenson Professor of Sha'ar Communities (Closter, NJ) Modern Jewish Thought, Hebrew Union Rabbi Adina Lewittes, College-Jewish Institute of Religion (Los Angeles, CA) Tampa JCCs and Federation (Tampa, FL) Michelle Gallagher, JCRC Coordinator Rabbi Katy Allen, Ma'yan Tikvah (Wayland, MA) Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills (Los Angeles, CA) Rabbi Adina Allen, Creative Director, The Rabbi Sarah Bassin, Associate Rabbi Jewish Studio Project (Berkeley, CA) Temple Emanuel of Tempe (Tempe, AZ) Rabbi Neil Amswych, Temple Beth Shalom, Rabbi Dean Shapiro, Senior Rabbi Santa Fe (Santa Fe, NM) Temple Isaiah (Palm Springs, CA) Rabbi Camille Angel, University of San Rabbi David Lazar, Spiritual Leader Francisco (San Francisco, CA) Temple Or Hadash (Fort Collins, CO) Rabbi Sharon Cohen Anisfeld, President, Brooke Freeman, President Hebrew College (Boston, MA) Tivnu: Building Justice (Portland, Oregon) Rabbi Erica Asch, Temple Beth El (Augusta, Steve Eisenbach-Budner, Executive