AJC Podcasts, Op-Ed
Tisha B'Av
Steven Bayme, AJC's director of Contemporary Jewish Life, discusses Tisha B'Av, the holiday commemorating the destruction of the two temples in Jerusalem and other major tragedies in Jewish history. Bayme reviews the holiday's origins, how it has been observed over the centuries, as well as how memory reinforces commitment to Jewish continuity. "Tisha B'Av is a permanent reminder to us of the centrality of Jerusalem to the Jewish people," says Bayme. Listen at: www.ajcarchives.org/ajchomepage/audio/tishabav072307.mp3?tr=y&auid=2856109
Religion in Turkey
Ari Gordon, AJC's assistant director of interreligious affairs, discusses participating in the International Summer School of Religion and Public Life (ISSRP), which took place in Istanbul. "Turkey is a phenomenal place to explore religion in public life," says Gordon, who describes the program, diversity of students from around the globe, and his visit with Turkey's Jewish community. AJC is a partner of the ISSRP. Listen at: www.ajcarchives.org/ajchomepage/audio/arigordon071907.mp3?tr=y&auid=2856110
Fresh Perspectives on Israel
On a recent visit to Israel, Larry Lowenthal, director of AJC's Boston Chapter, found a country and people that defy international perceptions. "Israelis enjoy the most precious of all civilized assets-an asset that no suicide bomb or sniper's bullet or political scandal can extinguish-a genuine sense of communal solidarity, without which no individual can be truly happy," Lowenthal writes in The Jewish Advocate. Read at: ajc.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=1531915&ct=4155863&tr=y&au id=2856111
Ari M. Gordon Assistant Director Department of Interreligious Affairs American Jewish Committee 165 E56th St. New York, NY 10022 (212) 891-6768 (212) 751-4000 x266 www.ajc.org www.engagingamerica.org