Anti-Semites Attack Ukrainian Jews

Anti-Semites Attack Ukrainian Jews

Written by Thomas Cain

All across Ukraine, Ukrainian Jews are under attack by anti-Semites. The elderly Jews, Ukraine’s most vulnerable, daily encounter physical battery; they are spit upon, assaulted with rotten fruit, bashed with rocks, and attacked by gangs of so-called Ukrainian citizens, while the police, the military, and government turn a blind eye.  The Ukraine police refuse to put an end to these Nazi like atrocities.  Some police are known to have joined with the crowd of anti-Semites, even pelting Elderly Jews with stones.

The whole world decries Russia’s occupation of Crimea. The United Nations had declared Russia’s occupation as a violation of international law. Where is the United Nations outcry of Ukraine’s despicable atrocities against the Jews?

The United States has proffered one billion dollars to the Ukraine government to strengthen their economy, and stabilize the country.  Past experience tells us most of the money will go directly into government officials’ hands.  The impoverished Jews will remain poor, with little hope or no hope of their dire circumstances changing.

Ukrainians have always adopted their prejudice of the Jews as their legitimate hatred to commit unlawful acts against the Jews. Ukrainians take an unusual pride in anti-Semitism. It dates back to the Renaissance era. The Renaissance orthodox Christians believed killing Jews was nothing more than doing G-d’s ordained work. During this period of time, millions of Jews were slaughtered at the hands of the G-d fearing Christians.

Adolph Hitler believed he was given a personal mission by G-d, himself, to wipe the Jews off the face of the earth. He referred to it as “his duty as a Christian.” Ukrainian Christians have formally adopted the same anti-Semite rhetoric as the Nazis: “Jews are enemies of the cross. They murdered the Christ.”

Let your voices be heard, tell your Senator, Congressman, Governor, and President not to financially support Ukraine’s new government until atrocities against all Ukrainian Jews immediately cease. This is an election year. Your vote is most important. You have the power to compel politicians to intervene on Ukrainian Jews behalf. Do not wait, write, or call your Congressman today.

International Fellowship of Christians and Jews - Ukrainian Jews

Dear Friend of Israel,

I landed today in Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, and was greeted with many sobering scenes. The main street of Ukraine’s capital and largest city is heavily damaged and lined with thousands of flowers and memorial candles. A strong sense of fear, mingled with the acrid smell of burning tires, is everywhere.

From the airport we went to a Fellowship-funded kindergarten. The police force has resigned, so the Jewish community has hired private guards to protect the children. A community official explained to me that a third of the city’s Jewish children aren’t coming to school because they are afraid to leave their homes. In one of the plazas that we passed youths shouted anti-Semitic slogans filled with hate. 

The collapse of the authorities has left citizens without paychecks and pensions. Many, who were already struggling, now have no money to buy food, and some parents have decided to send their children to relatives in villages outside of town — it’s calmer there, and for the moment fruits and vegetables are still available. My visit reinforces what I already knew: the “quiet” that we hear about in the news is misleading and doesn’t represent the distress, fear, and hardship that the Jewish community in Ukraine is dealing with.

My friends, I ask that you continue to keep the people of Ukraine in your prayers, and that you continue to pray for me and other Fellowship staff here in Ukraine as we bring hope and comfort, and assess the needs firsthand in this troubled region.

With prayers for shalom, peace,


Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein
Founder and President

Follow Rabbi Eckstein on Facebook to learn more about this and other Fellowship efforts to help Jews in need around the world.

Passover 2014

As we celebrate Passover 2014, let us not forget our impoverished Jews around the world that are in desperate need of our financial help. Rescue My Chosen People has taken on the task to just that. We are committed to help impoverished Jews in their struggle for survival. Please visit their website at www.rescuemychosenpeople.com

Passover in 2014 will start on Tuesday, the 15th of April and will continue for 7 days until Monday, the 21st of April.

In the USA, Passover ends one day later, so in 2014, Passover will end on Tuesday, the 22nd of April.

Note that in the Jewish calendar, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Jews will celebrate Passover on the sunset of Monday, the 14th of April.

Start of Passover

Passover in 2013 will start on Tuesday, the 26th of March and will continue for 7 days until Monday, the 1st of April.

In the USA, Passover ends one day later, so in 2013, Passover will end on Tuesday, the 2nd of April.

Note that in the Jewish calander, a holiday begins on the sunset of the previous day, so observing Jews will celebrate Passover on the sunset of Monday, the 25th of March.

G-d bless the Jews worldwide.

Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors

Charity Navigator  www.charitynavigator.org

1. Be Proactive In Your Giving
   Smart givers generally don't give reactively in a knee-jerk fashion. They don't respond to the first organization that appeals for help. They take the time to identify which causes are most important to their families and they are specific about the change they want to affect. For example, they don't just support generic cancer charities, but instead have targeted goals for their giving, such as providing mammograms to at-risk women in their community.
    
2. Hang Up The Phone / Eliminate The Middleman
   Informed donors recognize that for-profit fundraisers, those often used in charitable telemarketing campaigns, keep a large portion (in some cases all) of each dollar they collect (read our report about  telemarketing for more specifics on the costs affiliated with this form of fundraising). Wise donors never give out their personal information – like credit card accounts, social security numbers – over the phone. If they like what they hear in the pitch, they'll hang up, investigate the charity on-line and send their contribution directly to the charity, thereby cutting out the middleman and ensuring 100% of their donation reaches the charity. Taking it a step further, donors may want to reconsider supporting a charity that uses an inefficient telemarketing approach and instead identify a charity that does not use telemarketing to raise funds.
    
3. Be Careful Of Sound-Alike Names
   Uninformed donors are easily confused by charities that have strikingly similar names to others. How many of us could tell the difference between an appeal from the Children's Charity Fund and the Children's Defense Fund? Their names sound the same, but their performances are vastly different. Would you be surprised to learn that the Children's Charity Fund is a 0-star charity while the Children's Defense Fund is a 3-star charity? Informed donors take the time to uncover the difference.
    
4. Confirm 501(c) (3) Status
   Wise donors don't drop money into canisters at the checkout counter or hand over cash to solicitors outside the supermarket. Situations like these are irresistible to scam artists who wish to take advantage of your goodwill. Smart givers only support groups granted tax-exempt status under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator meet this basic requirement.
    
5. Check The Charity's Commitment To Accountability & Transparency
   In 2011, Charity Navigator added an Accountability & Transparency dimension to its rating system. It tracks metrics such as whether the charity used an objective process to determine their CEO’s salary, whether it has an effective governance structure, and whether it has a whistleblower policy. This data is critical because charities that follow good governance and transparency practices are less likely to engage in unethical or irresponsible activities. So, the risk that such charities would misuse donations is lower than for charities that don't adopt such practices.
    
6. Obtain Copies Of Its Financial Records
   Savvy donors know that the financial health of a charity is a strong indicator of the charity's programmatic performance. They know that in most cause areas, the most efficient charities spend 75% or more of their budget on their programs and services and less than 25% on fundraising and administrative fees. However, they also understand that mid-to-large sized charities do require a strong infrastructure therefore a claim of zero fundraising and/or administrative fees is unlikely at best. They understand that a charity's ability to sustain its programs over time is just as important as its short-term day-to-day spending practices. Therefore, savvy donors also seek out charities that are able to grow their revenue at least at the rate of inflation, that continue to invest in their programs and that have some money saved for a rainy day. All of this analysis is provided on Charity Navigator's website for free, but when considering groups not found here, savvy donors ask the charity for copies of its three most recent Forms 990. Not only can the donor examine the charity's finances, but the charity's willingness to send the documents is a good way to assess its commitment to transparency.
    
7. Review Executive Compensation
   Sophisticated donors realize that charities need to pay their top leaders a competitive salary in order to attract and retain the kind of talent needed to run a multi-million dollar organization and produce results. But they also don't just take the CEO's compensation at face value; they benchmark it against similar-sized organizations engaged in similar work and located in the same region of the country. To help you make your own decision, Charity Navigator's analysis reveals that the average CEO's compensation of the charities we evaluate is almost $150,000. In general, salaries tend to be higher in the northeast and at arts and education charities. Sophisticated donors also put the CEO's salary into context by examining the overall performance of the organization. They know it is better to contribute to a charity with a well-paid CEO that is meeting its goals than to support a charity with an underpaid CEO that fails to deliver on its promises. (Check out our CEO Compensation Study for more benchmarking data.)
    
8. Start A Dialogue To Investigate Its Programmatic Results
   Although it takes some effort on their part to assess a charity's programmatic impact, donors who are committed to advancing real change believe that it is worth their time. Before they make a contribution, they talk with the charity to learn about its accomplishments, goals and challenges. These donors are prepared to walk away from any charity that is unable or unwilling to participate in this type of conversation.
    
9. Concentrate Your Giving
   When it comes to financial investments, diversification is the key to reducing risk. The opposite is true for philanthropic investments. If you've really taken the time to identify a well-run charity that is engaged in a cause that you are passionate about, you should then feel confident in giving it a donation. Spreading your money among multiple organizations not only results in your mail box filling up with more appeals, it also diminishes the possibility of any of those groups bringing about substantive change as each charity is wasting a percentage of your gift on processing expenses for that gift.
    
10. Share Your Intentions And Make A Long-Term Commitment
    Smart donors support their favorite charities for the long haul. They see themselves as a partner in the charity's efforts to bring about change. They know that only with long-term, committed supporters can a charity be successful. And they don't hesitate to tell the charity of their giving plans so that the organization knows it can rely on the donor and the charity doesn't have to waste resources and harass the donor by sending numerous solicitations.

GANGSTERS IN BLUE: ASSAULT ON AMERICA’S HOMELESS – PART 2

GANGSTERS IN BLUE: ASSAULT ON AMERICA’S HOMELESS – PART 2

Written by Thomas Cain

The State of Utah passed draconian laws that prohibit the homeless from any form of panhandling.  Panhandlers are either given a citation to appear in court or are arrested and thrown into jail. 

In March of this year the 10^th circuit court of appeals ruled that Salt Lake City, Utah anti-panhandling laws are unconstitutional.  All across Utah the homeless are filing lawsuits proclaiming their Constitutional rights are being violated by law enforcement agencies.  Fortunately for the homeless they are seeing a myriad of victories.  However, the biggest perpetrator targeting the homeless is Provo City’s police department (Gangsters In Blue). 

Even though the Chief of Police Rick Gregory, has been advised by the Justice Department, that Utah’s anti-panhandling laws are unconstitutional, he has ordered his officers to harass, terrorize, and intimidate the homeless with threats of false arrested, false criminal charges, and other forms of mental and physical police abuse.

What is most unsettling, Chief of Police Rick Gregory’s mandate to harass the homeless comes directly from the high archery of the Mormon Church leaders.  While the Mormon Church’s public edifice is one of sympathy and kindness for Utah’s impoverished souls, behind the scenes there is volatile mean-spirited revulsion for the Utah’s weakest down-an-outers.  All Utah law enforcement agencies are under the complete dictate of Thomas S. Munson, President of the Mormon Church.

Rescue My Chosen People is a Jewish organization looking out for the needs of impoverished Jews worldwide.  However, after much consideration, we decided to take an unprecedented step to join forces with legal firms that protect the rights of Utah’s most impoverished souls, Jews and non-Jews alike.  This will be discussed in more detail in Part 3 of this series.

America’s homeless are in much need of protection from police abuse.  Americans have a moral and legal duty to defend her weakest citizens from police atrocities. In Part 3 you will be given an opportunity to voice your concerns of homeless police abuse in Provo, Utah and elsewhere.  It is our responsibility to stop this unwarranted police assault on America’s most defenseless citizens.

GANGSTERS IN BLUE: ASSAULT ON AMERICA’S HOMELESS

GANGSTERS IN BLUE: ASSAULT ON AMERICA’S HOMELESS

By Thomas Cain

Series One

For the last few months, RMCP has been investigating allegations of Police abuse against America’s homeless.  What we discovered is most disturbing.  Homelessness in America is on a high time rise.  Food banks, homeless shelters, church charities, are facing a catastrophe crisis in supplying the meager demands of the homeless.

With America encountering a double dip recession, more families are losing their homes.  Homeless shelters nationwide have reported a huge increase in families with small children either living on the streets or in their vehicles.  With no jobs or money, these once thriving, hardworking men and women are force to “panhandle” for their survival.

America’s image has always been one of a prosperous nation, a benevolent people whose generosity reaches beyond its borders to the needy, or at least this is the portrait we have painted of ourselves.  The fact is, as America’s economy declines, with more and more families being evicted from their homes, the homeless are being rounded up by the police and carded off to jail.

City after city have demanded their police run off the vagrants from their communities.  In some instances the homeless are beaten, thrown into jail while deprived of food, or medicine.  They have been murdered, mocked, subjugated to insults, sneered at, given false promises of help, their wives and daughters have been raped, even forced into prostitution. 

In the State of California, Florida, New York, and elsewhere, homeless women have been raped by police officers in the backseat of their police cruisers.  The sad part is that these atrocities were not performed in secret.   In Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah where the Mormonism is the leading faith, it is reported that homeless women are subjugated to police strip search, fondled, forced intercourse, and jailed, for no other reason than being homeless.

Recently, a homeless woman was fondled by a Utah County Sheriff Jailer, while custody in Provo, Utah.  When the woman complained to jail officials the jailer was given a slight reprimand, the woman was charged with false drug charges.  The charges were later dropped; the woman was forced to leave the area or encounter further false charges.

Our investigations lead us to one state to another as the homeless shared their stories of police abuse.  In most cases their pleas for help have fallen upon deaf ears.  As American states face the worst economical crisis in its history, the homeless are “undesirables” with little or no chance of escaping their financial impoverishment.  

The second wave of the Grapes of Wrath is upon us.  During the dust bowel area, farmers assaulted the migrants, refused to pay them their meager wages, and used private security guards to whip and beat the poor souls into submission: all for the mighty American dollar.  In today’s Grapes of Wrath, it’s not the farmers plundering the poor, its big corporation.  The poor are strong armed into submission by state and local law enforcement agencies.  Again, all for the American all mighty dollar.