Fwd:Helen Freedman: Letter to Rabbi Abadie and Safra Foundation, following the cancellation of AFSI's Judea and Samaria Event at Safra Synagogue

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Please write letter of complaint to Safra Foundation for cancelling the event last minute at the Safra Synagogue. http://www.edmondjsafra.org/contact. Please come to this event tonight to show support of Judea and Samaria!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Helen Freedman <helenfreedman18@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 29, 2015 at 3:46 PM
Subject: Fwd: AFSI's programming
To: "rabbi@ejsny.org" <rabbi@ejsny.org>

HELEN FREEDMAN, AMERICANS FOR A SAFE ISRAEL/AFSI; 1751 SECOND AVE., NEW YORK, NY 10128; 212-828-2424; AFSI.ORG

                                                                                                                                                                         DEC. 29, 2015

Dear Rabbi Abadie, 

     Please inform your Foundation members that Americans for a Safe Israel/AFSI is an organization that was created over 40 years ago, dedicated to education and advocacy. We have been publishing the OUTPOST on a monthly basis all these years. Copies of it can be found on the afsi.org website. 

     We also have been conducting semi-annual trips to Israel, designed to inform and educate people about the Israel not seen by the ordinary tourist. 

      An important part of our educational work is holding monthly meetings where visitors from Israel and other speakers are invited to address our members and the community at large. 

       It was just such a meeting that we were planning to hold at the Edmond J. Safra Synagogue on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015 at 7:30 P.M. On Monday, Dec. 28, in the late afternoon, we received a phone call from Safra informing us that our event was cancelled because it was deemed "political." 

       This clearly put us at a great disadvantage since we had to scramble to find another venue for the event, and try to inform people about the change in venue. We did find another venue and we are hopeful that we have succeeded in reaching all those who were planning to attend the meeting. It is interesting to note that many of Safra's members called AFSI to register for tonight's event. They are obviously hungry for information and not afraid of our "politics." 

        Even more important is the false designation that was given to our meeting. If having a former Mayor of Itamar, Rabbi Moshe Goldsmith, and his wife, Lea, as speakers, is considered "political", there is something wrong with our ability to define words. If Yishai Fleischer, spokesman from Hebron, is deemed too political, the Edmond Safra Foundation is doing something wrong.

         As Israel is suffering through the "knife intifada" which has claimed over 100 lives, as well as countless wounded, it is embarrassing and unacceptable for a Foundation that prides itself on being Jewish to discriminate against another Jewish  organization. 

         If we should seek to use the EJS facilities again it would only be with the clear understanding that we do not censor our speakers, fearful that they might say something which would be deemed "political." We insist that the record states that we are a not-for-profit educational organization that is highly respected for its sincere and faithful efforts on behalf of Israel. 

Sincerely,

Helen Freedman

Executive Director

Americans for a Safe Israel

afsi.org 

--

Sincerely,

Robin Ticker

Israel Advocacy Calendar (www.IsraelAdvocacyCalendar.com).

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