anti-Israel statements<\/a> during his campaign.\u00a0<\/p>\nA third Democratic contender for the seat, Dr. Ala Stanford, was not invited because only elected officials were.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Republican William Small is mounting a write-in campaign.<\/p>\n
Bishop Wilfred Speakes, director of Philadelphia\u2019s Faith-Based and Interfaith Affairs, said, \u201cThe diversity of our community is one of our greatest strengths. In times of division (when some) seek to separate us, gatherings like this remind us of the power of unity, respect, and shared humility.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize the preservation and the enduring spirit of the Jewish people,\u201d Speakes said.<\/p>\n
Michael Balaban, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, said that Philadelphia has long been home to \u201ca vibrant and civically engaged Jewish community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
While the U.S. is celebrating 250 years, the federation is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. In the corridors leading to the event, posters showcasing famous Jewish leaders, scientists, and cultural figures were displayed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jessica Shapiro, an associate deputy mayor, brought the mayor\u2019s kind wishes for Jewish American Heritage Month. She also spoke about the bonds between Jewish and Black Americans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first Jewish family arrived in Philadelphia before the United States was even born,\u201d said Shapiro. \u201cJust a short block from here is Congregation Mikveh Israel, a synagogue built in the 1740s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Haym Salomon helped finance the Revolutionary War. And Rebecca Gratz, another Philadelphia resident, founded the first Jewish Sunday school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must also remember that Jewish Americans faced violence, discrimination, and antisemitism throughout history,\u201d she said. \u201cDespite those challenges, we, the Jewish community, continued to persevere with determination, faith, and strength,\u201d said Shapiro.<\/p>\n
The Hon. Abraham J. Gafni, a retired Philadelphia judge who taught at the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, <\/strong>was honored for his strong commitment to justice, community, and the rule of law, grounded in Jewish ethical tradition and civic responsibility.<\/p>\nCouncil Member Rue Landau presented a proclamation and spoke about the Jewish value of \u201ctikkun olam,\u201d or the mandate to help repair the world, which has spurred her work as a public servant.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is our responsibility as leaders in Philadelphia, to address inequities, to support the vulnerable and foster justice in our community,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The event was hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia\u2019s Jewish Community Relations Council, the Mayor\u2019s Office of Faith-Based Initiatives and Interfaith Affairs, and Rabbi David Kushner, one of its founders.<\/p>\n
Linda Stein is an award-winning journalist who\u2019s written for newspapers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Arizona. Before joining Fideri News Network, she was the news editor for Delaware Valley Journal. She holds a master\u2019s degree in journalism from Temple University and earned her undergraduate degree from Arcadia University. Contact her at lstein@fiderinews.com.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"State Sen. Sharif Street, a Democratic candidate for Congress in District 3, spoke Thursday at the Second Annual…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":804821,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5132],"tags":[327661,134768,5229,12648,114076,327662,7033,327663,103081,55843,327664,1448,2830,1311,114079,67,586,132,5230,68,2969,327665,327666],"class_list":["post-804820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-abraham-j-gafni","tag-ala-stanford","tag-america","tag-antisemitism","tag-chris-rabb","tag-david-wecht","tag-democrats","tag-jessica-shapiro","tag-jewish-american-heritage-month","tag-jewish-federation-of-greater-philadelphia","tag-michael-balaban","tag-pa","tag-pennsylvania","tag-philadelphia","tag-sharif-street","tag-united-states","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-unitedstates","tag-unitedstatesofamerica","tag-us","tag-usa","tag-wilfred-speakes","tag-william-small"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116595029155713331","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=804820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/804820\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/804821"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=804820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=804820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=804820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}