UNITY IN ACTION - HOLIDAY PARTY 2016 AT THE BRIDGE MUTICULTURAL PROJECT

Thursday, December 22, 2016

THE BRIDGE MULTICULTRAL AND ADVOACY PROJECT "UNITY IN ACTION HOLIDAY CELEBRATION"2016

 Kings County Attorney Eric Gonzalez continued to make the rounds throughout Brooklyn last night in receivinga special unity award at the Bridge Multicultural Project’s annual Holiday party, 1894 Flatbush Av

In receiving the award, Gonzalez exhibited both a humility and toughness, showcasing that despite his lack of political acumen, why the

late District Attorney Kenneth Thompson named him as the interim DA just days before Thompson stepped down due to 

his cancer illness and died days later. Gonzalez also has the strong support of Lu-Shawn Thompson, his widow.Acting Kings County

 Attorney Eric Gonzalez continued to make the rounds throughout Brooklyn last night in receiving

 a special unity award at the Bridge Multicultural Project’s annual Holiday party, 1984 Flatbush Avenue.

In receiving the award, Gonzalez exhibited both a humility and toughness, showcasing that despite his lack of political acumen,

 why the late District Attorney Kenneth Thompson named him as the interim DA just days before Thompson stepped down due to his cancer illness and died days later. Gonzalez also has the strong support of Lu-Shawn Thompson, his widow.

THE BRIDGE MCP IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NYC HAITI CONSULATE TO SEND EMERGENCY RELIEF TO HAITI

Brooklyn, NY (October 28, 2016)   An unprecedented show support for the victims of Haiti overtook the Flatbush Brooklyn community last night as Mark Meyer Appel, founder of The Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy Project in collaboration with The Consulate General of Haiti in NY initiated a massive local movement for emergency relief donations of much needed supplies for Haiti. The Bridge Multicultural and Advocacy Project joined together with The Consulate General of Haiti in NY in a partnership to help   the efforts  for supplying emergency relief donations and much needed supplies for Haiti.

"Hurricane Matthew caused much devastation in so many areas of the Country and the out pouring aid from the people of New York is so great, It is an honor to personally thank you all for your generosity and support for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Haiti loves New York!", said Consul General Peter Helder Bernard, Esq. -Hurricane Matthew caused much devastation in so many areas of the Country and the out pouring aid from the people of New York is so great, It is an honor to personally thank you all for your generosity and support for our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Haiti loves New York!",.   A surplus of medial supplies, soap, clothing, and personal hygiene products were donated by community members to support the Hurricane Mathew Relief Mission.In attendance were many community organizations HABNET, Haitian American Caucus, United Jewish Community, The New York Rescue Response Team, MIPO, Yemenite American Association, and The American Council of Minority Women. The Consul General of Haiti Peter Helder Bernard, Esq, Assembly Member Helene Weinstein, Rabbi Andre Malek, and Apostle James Duncan were in attendance to personally place non-perishable items into the Haiti bound relief bins.The Bridge MCP Founder, Mark Meyer Appel, proudly stated,  "when the people in Haiti suffer we all suffer. We will continue to work and collaborate with the Consulate General of Haiti on this important mission."  

The Consul General of Haiti Peter Helder Bernard Esq. praised and thanked Mark Meyer Appel and The Bridge Project for this great partnership.The Consul General ensured the community that special precautions are in place to make sure donations can quickly get through customs.  We are working   to ensure that the bins are delivered to the people of Haiti". This is the importance of working with the government official on global initiatives," said  Bernard.  Authorized drop-off location sites are still receiving donations around the tri-state area. For a government supported donation center contact: Vice Consul Rose Guerrier at 347.546.5242. 

The Bridge Multicultural Advocacy Project (MCP) is a nonprofit organization created to promote inter-group and intra-group collaboration among diverse communities across New York City and the entire nation. A program sponsored by the Voice of Justice, the Bridge MCP was formed to address the many serious social issues facing society today. Our organization aims to unite and energize the skills of every racial, ethnic, cultural and religious group across NYC and the United States to respond to these very important issues. The Bridge MCP’s mission will be accomplished through the ongoing creation of working relationships and joint task forces made up of people from various cultural and religious backgrounds. By creating a strong coalition of constituencies, and joint tasks forces, The Bridge MCP will work towards solving complex, emerging problems in American culture. For more information,

 visit www.thebridgemcp.com                  

Haiti Relief Project | The Consul General of Haiti Peter Helder Bernard Esq     PROGRAM VIDEO     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCKSUitqQ1c ;                                    

  

Monday, Nov. 9, marks the anniversary of Kristallnacht in 1938, when Nazi hordes ran wild throughout Berlin, as well as in other German cities. Jewish houses of worship were torched and burned

KRYSTALNACHT GERMANY

• CONTENTS

• PRINT
• CITE

On November 9 to November 10, 1938, in an incident known as “Kristallnacht”, Nazis in Germany torched synagogues, vandalized Jewish homes, schools and businesses and killed close to 100 Jews. In the aftermath of Kristallnacht, also called the “Night of Broken Glass,” some 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. German Jews had been subjected to repressive policies since 1933, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) became chancellor of Germany. However, prior to Kristallnacht, these Nazi policies had been primarily nonviolent. After Kristallnacht, conditions for German Jews grew increasingly worse. During World War II (1939-45), Hitler and the Nazis implemented their so-called “Final Solution” to the what they referred to as the “Jewish problem,” and carried out the systematic murder of some 6 million European Jews in what came to be known as the Holocaust.

• Play video
  Adolf Hitler5min
• Play video
  Arnold Ropeik on the Concentration Camps3min
• Play video
  Concentration Camp Liberation3min

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Google

HITLER AND ANTI-SEMITISM

Soon after Adolph Hitler became Germany’s chancellor in January 1933, he began instituting policies that isolated German Jews and subjected them to persecution. Among other things, Hitler’s Nazi Party, which espoused extreme German nationalism and anti-Semitism, commanded that all Jewish businesses be boycotted and all Jews be dismissed from civil-service posts. In May 1933, the writings of Jewish and other “un-German” authors were burned in a communal ceremony at Berlin’s Opera House. Within two years, German businesses were publicly announcing that they no longer serviced Jews. The Nuremberg Laws, passed in September 1935, decreed that only Aryans could be full German citizens. Furthermore, it became illegal for Aryans and Jews to marry or have extramarital intercourse.

Did You Know?

Shortly before Kristallnacht, U.S. aviator Charles Lindbergh toured Germany and was given a medal by Hermann Göring, commander of the German air force. After Kristallnacht, Lindbergh declined to return the medal. This, plus his ensuing anti-Semitic comments, stained his status as an American hero.

Despite the repressive nature of these policies, through most of 1938, the harassment of Jews was primarily nonviolent. However, on the night of November 9, all that changed dramatically.

FROM HARASSMENT TO VIOLENCE

In the fall of 1938, Herschel Grynszpan (1921-45), a 17-year-old ethnically Polish Jew who had been living in France for several years, learned that the Nazis had exiled his parents to Poland from Hanover, Germany, where Herschel had been born and his family had lived for years. As retaliation, on November 7, 1938, the agitated teenager shot Ernst vom Rath (1909-38), a German diplomat in Paris. Rath died two days later from his wounds, and Hitler attended his funeral. Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945), the Nazi minister for public enlightenment and propaganda, immediately seized on the assassination to rile Hitler’s supporters into an anti-Semitic frenzy.

Kristallnacht was the result of that rage. Starting in the late hours of November 9 and continuing into the next day, Nazi mobs torched or otherwise vandalized hundreds of synagogues throughout Germany and damaged, if not completely destroyed, thousands of Jewish homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and cemeteries. Nearly 100 Jews were murdered during the violence. Nazi officials ordered German police officers and firemen to do nothing as the riots raged and buildings burned, although firefighters were allowed to extinguish blazes that threatened Aryan-owned property.

In the immediate aftermath of Kristallnacht, the streets of Jewish communities were littered with broken glass from vandalized buildings, giving rise to the name Night of Broken Glass. The Nazis held the German-Jewish community responsible for the damage and imposed a collective fine of $400 million (in 1938 rates), according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Additionally, more than 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to the Dachau, Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen concentration camps in Germany–camps that were specifically constructed to hold Jews, political prisoners and other perceived enemies of the Nazi state.

U.S. REACTION TO KRISTALLNACHT

On November 15, 1938, Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945), the American president, responded to Kristallnacht by reading a statement to the media in which he harshly denounced the rising tide of anti-Semitism and violence in Germany. He also recalled Hugh Wilson, his ambassador to Germany.

Despite Roosevelt’s condemnation of the Nazi violence, the U.S. refused to ease the immigration restrictions it then had in place, constraints that prevented masses of German Jews from seeking safety in America. One reason was anxiety over the possibility that Nazi infiltrators would be encouraged to legally settle in the U.S. A more obscured reason was the anti-Semitic views held by various upper-echelon officials in the U.S. State Department. One such administrator was Breckinridge Long (1881-1958), who was responsible for carrying out policies relating to immigration. Long took an obstructionist role in granting visas to European Jews, and maintained this policy even when America entered World War II after the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

A WAKE-UP CALL TO GERMAN JEWS

The violence of Kristallnacht served notice to German Jews that Nazi anti-Semitism was not a temporary predicament and would only intensify. As a result, many Jews began to plan an escape from their native land.

Arthur Spanier (1899-1944) and Albert Lewkowitz (1883-1954) were two who wanted to come to the U.S.; however, their task was not a simple one. Spanier had been the Hebraica librarian at the Prussian State Library and an instructor at the Hochschule für die Wissenschaft des Judentums (Higher Institute for Jewish Studies), both located in Berlin, Germany. After Kristallnacht, he was sent to a concentration camp, but was released upon receiving a job offer from the Cincinnati, Ohio-based Hebrew Union College. Spanier applied for an American visa, but none was forthcoming. Julian Morgenstern (1881-1976), president of the college, traveled to Washington, D.C., for an explanation. Morgenstern was told that Spanier was denied the visa because he was a librarian and, according to U.S. State Department rules, a visa could not be issued to an academic in a secondary educational position even if a major American educational institution had pledged to support him.

Lewkowitz, a philosophy professor at the Breslau Jewish Theological Seminary, was granted a visa. He and Spanier traveled to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, but were trapped there when the Germans invaded in May 1940. Lewkowitz’s visa was destroyed as the Germans bombarded the city. Bureaucrats at the American consulate suggested that he acquire another visa from Germany. Given the circumstances, this would be impossible. Both men soon found themselves in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Spanier lost his life there, while Lewkowitz was released in 1944 during a prisoner exchange. That year, he settled in Palestine.

A WAKE-UP CALL TO NON-JEWS

Not all those who were impacted by Kristallnacht were practicing Jews. Edith Stein (1891-1942), a German philosopher and nun, was born a Jew but converted to Catholicism. In 1933, she was accepted as an initiate at the Carmelite convent in Cologne, Germany, and took the name Teresa Benedicta a Cruce. She was joined there by her older sister Rosa, who had also become a Catholic.

After Kristallnacht, the Steins left Germany and resettled in a Carmelite convent in Echt, the Netherlands. In 1942, as the Germans began deporting Jews from the Netherlands, Edith Stein successfully applied for a visa that would allow her to move to a convent in neutral Switzerland. However, Rosa was unable to obtain a visa and Edith declined to leave the Netherlands without her.

In August 1942, the Nazis arrested both women and dispatched them to a concentration camp at Amersfoort, the Netherlands. Shortly afterward, they were sent to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp where they perished in a gas chamber. In 1987, Edith Stein was beatified as a Catholic martyr by Pope John Paul II (1920-2005).

Nov. 8, 2015 4:45 p.m. 

Monday, Nov. 9, marks the anniversary of Kristallnacht in 1938, when Nazi hordes ran wild throughout Berlin, as well as in other German cities. Jewish houses of worship were 

in flames as some night.

shop had been looted and painted with vile Jew-hating slogans. Uniformed Nazis and their sympathizers 

THE BRIDGE JOINS ALL AMERICANS IN PROCLAMING "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH " OCTOBER IS NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARNESS MONTH

PRESIDENTS STATEMENT ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Domestic violence impacts women, men, and children of every age, background, and belief. Nearly 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men in the United States have suffered severe physical violence by an intimate partner. Victims are deprived of their autonomy, liberty, and security, and face tremendous threats to their health and safety. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we reaffirm our dedication to forging an America where no one suffers the hurt and hardship that domestic violence causes -- and we recommit to doing everything in our power to uphold the basic human right to be free from violence and abuse.

While physical marks may often be the most obvious signs of the harm caused by domestic violence, the true extent of the pain goes much deeper. Victims not only face abuse, but often find themselves left with significant financial insecurity. And children who witness domestic violence often experience lifelong trauma. These heinous acts go against all we know to be humane and decent, and they insult our most fundamental ideals. We all have a responsibility to try to end this grave problem.

Prior to the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), many did not view domestic violence as a serious offense, and victims often had nowhere to turn for support. VAWA significantly transformed our Nation -- it enhanced the criminal justice response to violence against women and expanded survivors' access to immediate assistance and long-term resources to rebuild their lives. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act is another important piece of legislation that improved our public health response to domestic violence and increased the availability of critical services for victims.

My Administration has worked hard to build on the progress of the past several decades and improve domestic violence prevention and response efforts. We have extended protections and prevention measures to more victims, including in Native American and immigrant communities, and worked to break down barriers for more people seeking help. And the reauthorization of VAWA I signed in 2013 prohibits -- for the first time -- discrimination based on sexual orientation and identity when providing services. Additionally, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, most health plans must now cover preventive services, including screening and counseling for domestic violence, at no additional cost. My Administration has also sought to secure greater workplace protections by requiring Federal agencies to develop policies that address the effects of domestic violence and to provide assistance to employees experiencing it. And I recently signed an Executive Order to establish paid sick leave for Federal contractors, which enables them to use it for absences resulting from domestic violence.

Though we have made great progress in bringing awareness to and providing protections against domestic violence, much work remains to be done. In that spirit, Vice President Joe Biden launched our 1is2many initiative, which aims to raise awareness of dating violence and reduce sexual assault among students, teens, and young adults. And earlier this year, we reaffirmed our Nation's commitment to addressing domestic violence at all stages of life by holding the White House Conference on Aging, which addressed elder abuse as a public health problem that affects millions of older Americans. These initiatives will help advance our efforts to ensure no person is robbed of the chance to live out their greatest aspirations.

Safeguarding and opening doors of opportunity for every American will remain a driving focus for our country -- and we know that crimes like domestic violence inhibit our Nation from reaching its fullest potential. This month, let us once again pledge our unwavering support to those in need and recognize the advocates, victim service providers, and organizations who work tirelessly to extend hope and healing to survivors and victims every day. I encourage all people in need of assistance to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit www.TheHotline.org.

Presidential Proclamation MAY, 2015 JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2015

Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release April 30, 2015 Presidential Proclamation --Jewish American Heritage Month, 2015 JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, 2015 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION From our Nation's earliest days, Jewish Americans have been a critical part of our story.  In the face of unspeakable discrimination and adversity, they have fought tirelessly to realize their piece of the American dream and the promise of our founding, holding tight to the belief that a better day lies ahead.  Their relentless spirit and remarkable achievements have enriched our country, stirred our conscience, and challenged us to extend the miracles of freedom and security.  This month, we honor the vast contributions Jewish Americans have made to our world, and we recommit to standing up for the traditions we believe in and the values we share. As we celebrate the rich heritage of the Jewish American community, it is impossible to separate their accomplishments from the struggles of Jewish people around the world.  American Jews have worked to strengthen the promise of religious freedom because their ancestors were tested from the moment they came together and professed their faith.  Today, they continue to teach us empathy and compassion, inspired by the lessons of their parents and grandparents who knew how it felt to be a stranger, and to stand up for a more perfect Union for all -- relentlessly pursuing tikkun olam -- because they have always understood that we must recognize ourselves in the struggles of our fellow man.  This year, Jewish American Heritage Month begins as the world commemorates the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau by American soldiers, and we are once again reminded that the vibrant culture of the Jewish people has not always been embraced.  As tragic events show us all too often, Jewish communities continue to confront hostility and bigotry, including in America.  Our Nation shares an obligation to condemn and combat anti-Semitism and hatred wherever it exists, and we remain committed to standing against the ugly tide of anti-Semitism in all its forms, including in the denial or trivialization of the Holocaust. In celebrating the contributions of the Jewish people to the progress of our country, we also reaffirm America's unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel and the close bonds between our two nations and our peoples. For centuries, Jews have reached for the blessings of freedom and opportunity in the United States.  Today -- as pillars of their families and leaders in their communities -- Jewish Americans represent a link in an unbroken chain of perseverance.  During Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate the hard-fought progress won through struggle and sacrifice, and we rededicate ourselves to building a world where diversity is cherished and faith is protected. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim May 2015 as Jewish American Heritage Month.  I call upon all Americans to visit www.JewishHeritageMonth.gov to learn more about the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans and to observe this month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.   IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of April, in the year two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-ninth.

THE BRIDGE MISSION TO ALBANY LOBBY DAY FIGHTING FOR SCHOOL TUITION TAX CREDITS AND PASSAGE OF "THE CHILD VICTIM ACT"

APRIL 22.2015

Dozens of volunteers from the Bridge Multicultural Project joined hundreds of advocates on lobby day in Albany on April 22, 2015. Joining the advocates were various elected representatives, which included Assemblypersons,Margaret Markey, Rodneyse Bichotte, Helene Weinstein, Stephen Cymbowitz, Dov Hikind,Joseph Lentol and State Senators Brad Hoylman, and Kevin Parker.  Our mission in Albany was to promote tax credit initiatives to private and parochial schools.  These schools educate over 2 million children in New York City alone and are facing a deepening crisis with the steady increase of tuition. A tax credit would greatly help the parents of these students by bringing fairness and financial relief due to the increasing cost of education.

During the past six years, we have strongly advocated for “The Child Victims Act” (A2872), which would increase the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse.  We stand shoulder to shoulder with Assemblywoman Markey, who is leading the fight in New York State to increase the statute of limitations.  We also welcomed State Senator Brad Hoylman, who is the prime sponsor of THE CHILD VICTIMS ACT in the New York State Senate.

We were joined by USA Speed skating champion Bridie Farrell, Kevin Thomas Mullhearn Esq, who has recently represented victims from Yeshiva University, Prevent Child Abuse New York, Catholics Coalition of Conscious Faithful NY, Dignity/NY, Horace Mann Action Coalition, and our own Mark Meyer Appel Founder  of The Voice of Justice, as well as two brave survivors, Vanessa DeRosa, and Tino Flores.

Mark Meyer Appel founder of THE BRIDGE in his remarks at the press conference, equated the problem of child abuse with victims of terror all over the world.  “New York State has the weakest laws in the United States in the area of Child Abuse.”  “2015,” proclaimed Appel, “is our year and we must continue to fight for the passage of this historic bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey.” 

ANYA SHIPILOVSKAY,IZZY KUPPFERSTEIN,DAVID SPIR,,ARON GRUNSTEIN,DORINDA BAGWELL-ANGELLUCCI,,ASSEMBLYWOMAN HELENE WEINSTEIN,MARK MEYER APPEL,ASSEMBLYWOMAN RODYNESE BICHOTTE.BILL TINGLING

Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte, escorted the Bridge volunteers into the New York State Assembly Chamber, where we were warmly received and acknowledged by the entire New York State Assembly.

New York State currently ranks among the very worst of all states in America in how it deals with victims of child sexual abuse crimes, right at the bottom of all 50 states along with Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Indiana, according to a survey by the Cardozo Law School. Under current law victims in New York must come forward to bring criminal or civil charges within five years of their 18^th birthday or lose the opportunity to ever bring charges against their abuser. Many other states either have no or extended statute of limitations, including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Delaware and Connecticut.