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Sandy Wasserman

Grass roots rally against biased media: August 7, 2014 Columbus Circle, 6pm -9pm

‘We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,’ applies to everyone on this earth, but the Jewish version is from the story of Honi the Circle Maker- in which Honi meets an elderly man planting a carob tree – about whose fruit the man explains so – “Now, I am planting for my children, so they will remember me and will plant for their children.”

In the oft referenced Pew study the state of our Jewish youth is bemoaned – regarding Israel (interest in Israel, or not,) Judaism (interest in affiliation, or not.) And the pundits continue with dire consequences. We are sick and sickened by both the anti-Semitism and the lack of pro-Israel support in the media. Several rallies around the US were planned by ‘the establishment’ among Jewish organizations, and we know we desperately need young blood, that interested youth that the Pew study decries we lack for a Jewish future.

Regardless of our position on the political spectrum, the issue of MEDIA BIAS against Israel is the focus of the rally!

Jeremy Dery, one of the rally organizers, who at the ripe old age of 27, has for the past week with only about 6 co-organizers, young people like himself , arranged this rally in Manhattan for August 7th, 2014 at Columbus Circle from 6pm – 9pm. This is a “grass roots” rally and its Facebook page is:

SUPPORT ISRAEL RALLY AGAINST BIASED MEDIA.

The focus is Israel’s ‘hasbarah’ and its goal to address Israel’s struggle for a positive public image in the world. Jeremy’s background: he was born in the US, made aliyah, has a graduate degree in Conflict Resolution from Tel Aviv University, and is back in the US working on improving Israel’s image. He has been able without the establishment’s help, to invite this sizeable and admirable list of speakers, which may change by the time of the rally:

Helen Freedman- Executive Director Americans for a Safe Israel
Morton Klein-Head of the ZOA
Rabbi Steven Burg- Simon Wiesenthal Center
Dr. Charles Jacobs- President, Americans for Peace and Tolerance
Chloé Simone Valdary – Consultant for CAMERA
Joe Hyams- Honest Reporting
Daniel Mael-TruthRevolt.org
Avi Melamed- Middle East Strategic Intelligence Analyst
Yishai Goldflam- CAMERA and former IDF Soldier
Lauri Regan- EMET

What can you do? Trust the youth! Trust people like Jeremy and attend the rally. SHARE this article and SHARE the Facebook page. Create and bring signs! It is up to EACH ONE OF US, to BE the change and to CHANGE the media’s perception of Israel. Grass roots can happen right on the concrete that is Columbus Circle!

About the Author
Sandy Wasserman is a wife, mother, grandmother- LOVER of Israel and all things Jewish! She is a retired teacher and children's author.