Latest news with #JewishFederation
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Boulder attack against Jewish demonstrators has local community concerned
The Brief The Houston area has roughly 60,000 Jewish residents. They say recent years have seen a growing and brazen animosity toward them, that's been fueled by October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. The recent murder of a Jewish couple in Washington, D.C., and the Boulder attack are seen as notable escalations in the violence. HOUSTON - Jewish leaders say there are sophisticated security measures in place to keep community events and facilities safe. What we know Houston Police and the Harris County Sheriff's Office both say they are not, currently, aware of any threats, but remain on high alert to keep Jewish residents, and everyone else, safe. What they're saying "Burning people who are engaging in a peaceful gathering; that is just not something that I think any of us expected to see in the Unites States in 2025," says Renee Wizig-Barrios of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, "We want people to be able to participate in Jewish life: to go to synagogue, camp, and know that we, as professionals, are doing everything we can to keep them safe." The Source Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, Houston Police, Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Man accused of distributing antisemitic flyers in Pittsburgh identified
Police have identified a suspect accused of throwing baggies containing antisemitic messages into the front yards in two Western Pennsylvania counties. Around two weeks ago, police collected over 100 fliers just in Squirrel Hill, plus some in Shadyside and Peters Township, Washington County. Now, Jeremy Brokaw, 45, of Zanesville, Ohio, has been issued more than 160 traffic citations. Police said each citation carries a $300 fine, which in total is around $48,000. A spokesperson for Pittsburgh Public Safety said that Peters Township, Washington County, also issued the same citations for violations in that jurisdiction. The spokesperson added that the district attorney was only able to charge for traffic citations, saying that the person did not make threats and was within his First Amendment rights. Last month, witnesses said a Dodge Durango with Ohio license plates and three to four people inside tossed the baggies out of the car window while yelling slurs. The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh said they know the national group behind this, which is known for flyers with a shock factor. The Jewish Federation added that this group usually operates under the cover of darkness, which makes this all the more frightening. 'With this particular group, they were so blatant, they did this in broad daylight, between 6-8 p.m.,' Shawn Brokos with the Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh said. 'People were out, it was a beautiful night. It's disturbing to see them escalating and being so vocal about it.' Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
CBC
26-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Councillor urges Winnipeg mayor to rescind civic award given to Food Fare owner
City police are investigating a video circulating online regarding the Israel-Hamas war which has prompted a Winnipeg city councillor to call for a civic award to be taken away from a local businessman. Coun. Sherri Rollins wrote an open letter to Mayor Scott Gillingham on Sunday about Ramsey Zeid. Zeid, a co-owner of Winnipeg's Food Fare grocery stores and president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba (CPAM), accepted a Mayor's Business Improvement Zone Award on May 15. The award was for the Maryland Food Fare's help with community events in the West Broadway area. "I urge you to rescind this award," Rollins wrote in the letter. Rollins said The Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba (CPAM) recently re-posted a video in their Instagram Stories that talks about actions that Palestinian people could take to advocate for their cause. The Jewish Federation of Winnipeg provided a screenshot of the post, which appears to show that CPAM shared the video in question from its account. The video features a masked figure in a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf calling for non-peaceful action around the globe to "move the needle" and "eventually destroy the status quo." It calls Israel a terrorist foreign entity and refers to "demonic Zionists." A Zionist refers to someone who supports the idea of a Jewish national homeland in Israel. The video then refers to how a group in its infancy is setting up in select cities and are planning to make this global "on a massive scale." It calls for at least one person in every city to lead teams of non-peaceful disruptors. Rollins called the posts "thinly veiled calls to violence" and said they are "not harmless expressions of opinion." In an email to CBC News, Zeid said he is seeking legal advice about what Rollins wrote to the mayor and, as such, can't comment further. As for the award, he said he's honoured because it reflects that "I've always tried, to the best of my abilities, to help those who need it, especially in a time of rising poverty here affecting my fellow Winnipeggers." Awards reception Gilligham wasn't at the awards reception — deputy Mayor Markus Chambers filled in — but repeatedly told media on Monday that Food Fare, not Zeid, was the recipient. "The award was given to a business, not an individual, and the nomination was put forward by the West Broadway Biz, and Coun. Rollins sits on that board," Gillingham said. If Rollins has a problem with the nomination, she should talk to her fellow board members and executive, he added. In an interview on Monday, Rollins said Gillingham needs to take his own accountability for an award that comes from his office. Free speech is important but "Words matter. And that's why I think it is really appropriate for a rescinding of this award," she said. "I do want to see people learn, people understand the harm, and as council we have a role to play on convening peace," she said. In her letter, Rollins cited another post, made earlier this year by an Instagram account called Zionists in Winnipeg, which featured her image. An image of Gillingham was posted by the same account. Rollins pointed to the "real-world consequences" specifically the fatal shooting last week of couple Sarah Milgram and Yaron Lischinsky in Washington, D.C., as they were leaving the Capital Jewish Museum where they attended an event promoting peace in the Middle East. Washington Metropolitan Police chief Pamela Smith has said the shooter was chanting "Free Palestine, free Palestine" as he was being taken into custody. Gillingham said Monday morning he had not yet spoken to Rollins about her concern. "I sat across the table from her on Saturday night at an event. She said nothing of this. And then Sunday I get a letter from her," he said. "I think, as a matter of good faith, she could have raised it Saturday night, pulled me aside at the event we were at, sitting across the table breaking bread together." As for the video, Gillingham has seen it and calls it concerning. It has been forwarded to the police, he added. A spokesperson for the Winnipeg Police Service confirmed it is investigating the video being circulated "calling for global violent intifada," and that those types of investigation are complicated and will take time. "There is no room for antisemitism in this city, I've been clear on that before," Gillingham said. "There's no room for the rhetoric that would incite antisemitism or Islamophobia, for that matter as well." Winnipeg councillor wants civic award to business owner rescinded 19 minutes ago Duration 2:25 Winnipeg police confirm they are investigating a video circulating online that has prompted a city councillor to call on the mayor to revoke a civic award given recently to a local businessman.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Funeral services planned in Overland Park for Sarah Milgrim
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Funeral services for Sarah Milgram will be held in the Kansas City area on Tuesday. Milgram was killed last week in a suspected antisemitic double homicide in Washington, D.C. The Louis Memorial Chapel and the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City shared details over the holiday weekend. Johnson County woman among victims shot near DC Jewish museum Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday morning at the Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park. A private family burial will follow. The funeral is not open to the public, but it will be livestreamed on the Congregation Beth Torah YouTube Channel. Contributions in Milgrim's name may be directed to the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. 'We call upon our wider community, no matter the denomination, to join us in rejecting violence in all forms and to seek unity with compassion and understanding,' The Jewish Federation of Kansas City said in a news release. 'Zichronam livracha. May Sarah Milgrim's memory be a blessing and may we continue to strive for a world of peace, as she did.' Milgrim was killed in a suspected antisemitic double homicide outside a Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., last week. Download WDAF+ for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV Her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, was also shot during the antisemitic attack. The FBI is investigating the attack as a hate crime. Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter told the Associated Press that the couple was about to be engaged, saying the man had purchased a ring the week of the shooting with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem. Milgrim graduated from Shawnee Mission East and the University of Kansas. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Security ramps up in Pittsburgh's Jewish communities following deadly shooting in Washington D.C.
Security is ramping up in Pittsburgh's Jewish community in response to a deadly shooting in Washington, D.C. A young couple, employed at the Israeli Embassy, were gunned down after leaving an event at a Jewish museum. The suspect reportedly yelled 'Free, free Palestine' after being arrested. 'It seems like one thing after another,' Shawn Brokos said. She's the Director of Security for the Jewish Federation. Brokos tells Channel 11 the response is two-fold. Local law enforcement is increasing patrols and additional armed security has been stationed at locations and events. 'It hits home in Pittsburgh and it kind of scrapes back away at the wounds we've worked so hard to move past since the synagogue shooting,' Brokos said. Pittsburgh is home to the deadliest attack on Jewish people in American history. PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Antisemitic fliers spread throughout Squirrel Hill neighborhood The incident in D.C. comes days after antisemitic fliers were dropped in Squirrel Hill and a week after a woman pleaded guilty to vandalizing a synagogue. Brokos calls it 'crisis fatigue.' 'My role is to ensure it is a safe and secure community. I can tell people that, but sometimes it just doesn't feel that way,' she said. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
