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[NEW YORK, NY - November 30, 2022] "50 years, what an
accomplishment for The Algemeiner!", said Consul
General of the State of Israel Asaf Zamir to a crowded
room at the Algemeiner newspaper's J100 Gala. He
continued, "We gather today, on the 29th of November, which
marks the 75th year of the state of Israel - the UN
resolution when countries of the world came together to
recognize the Israeli people's ancestral right to their
eternal homeland. This year in New York, I've witnessed the
alarming rise in anti-Semitism and anti-Israel rhetoric.
This is why I strongly believe in educating, reporting, and
writing about Jewish and Isreali issues. This room is filled
with people who do just that. Thank you to the people of the
Algemeiner!"
The Algemeiner
newspaper celebrated their 50th Anniversary by
honoring singer Pat Boone, NBA star Enes Kanter
Freedom, former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz,
and philanthropists Ben and Annie Fisher. Dana
Arschin, two-time Emmy award-winner and TV journalist,
hosted. The Gala heralded the highly anticipated J100
List, of the top 100 individuals positively influencing
Jewish life, similar to the TIME100.
Esteemed philanthropist Mark Gerson introduced
Pat Boone, the 88-year-old
rock ‘n’ roller and author of the theme song of the classic
movie “Exodus.” Pat was honored for his political activism
and advocacy for Israel. He shared, “I was in a bunker in
occupied Syria and I said to the commander of that outpost,
‘I have a theory. For 40 years I have read the bible from
beginning to end. God intends for Israel to be restored and
to be bigger and better than ever. Every time Israel is
attacked your borders will enlarge.’ Months later while
visiting with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and
speaking about my time near Mount Herman and then in
occupied Syrian territories, he went to the map and he put
his finger up. He said ‘you brought us a prophecy. The land
surrounding that bunker is now part of the new map of israel.’”
NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom was honored for launching a
basketball camp for Muslim, Jewish, and Christian children
in Jerusalem. He recounted, “I grew up in Turkey, and the
politicians would attack America and Israel to get elected.
When I was 8 years old, I remember playing with friends and
they started burning American and Israeli flags because they
saw it on TV. My mom said 'don't hate anyone before you meet
them'. When I was on the Boston Celtics, the Consulate
General of Israel to New England invited me to Holocaust
Remembrance Day. I met a Holocaust survivor who asked why I
was there and I said, 'to learn'. It was there that I came
up with this crazy idea; let's use basketball as a tool to
bring people together. So, I set up this basketball camp in
Israel and Palestinians came. Jewish, Christian, and Muslim
people came. We had the most amazing time. This is why, even
with our differences in backgrounds, color, religion, and
cultures, we need to leave our differences on the table and
try to find what we have in common."
Philanthropists Ben and Annie Fisher accepted their award,
in recognition of their generous support of Israel and
Jewish organizations, and said,
“We all know the vibrancy
intrinsic to Jewish life and the warmth read throughout the
Torah. Let these be the truths we share with the world and
let us work hand-in-hand to share them together.”
Sebastian Kurz was honored for his work as the youngest
chancellor in Austrian history, who spoke out strongly
against antisemitism during his appointment. Kurz shared,
“The fight against anti-semitism and the preservation of a
culture of remembrance is a historical responsibility that
not only belongs to the older generation. Especially the
younger generation - my generation - must carry it forward
in the future, because they are probably the last to have
the privilege of talking to Holocaust survivors about their
personal stories and learning from them. Thank you,
Algemeiner, for this great award, which I will carry with
both pride and humbleness.”
Event Chair, former Algemeiner Editor in Chief and CEO,
Dovid Efune, introduced the new Algemeiner CEO Jason
Pressberg. “Jason comes
with a wealth of experience and a lifetime of commitment to
the cause of anti-Semitism and misinformation. We know that
we are surrounded by Goliaths, but we have also not
forgotten that we hail from the stock of David, which means
that we have a history of giant slaying.” Jason thanked
Dovid and said, “For me, taking over as CEO feels like a
continuation of the work that I've always done. I started
with Hillel. I was on campus at Tulane, Harvard, and
Northeastern Universities when the Students for Justice and
Palestine Movement began. My career continued with AIPAC
where we fought hard for Israel in the halls of Congress.
Here at The Algemeiner, this fight for truth continues.”
Speakers included Publisher Simon Jacobson, Emily
Austin, Malcolm Hoenlein, and Ukrainian refugee
Slavik Gokhman. Guests included Michael and Dana
Cohen, Ambassador Gilad Erdan (Permanent
Representative of Israel to the U.N.), Ron Fisher,
Jonathan Holtzman, Michael Moffson, Mark Moskowitz, Gail
Propp, and James Taranto.
About The J100 List
The J100 Gala annually celebrates the release of the
Algemeiner’s J100 List, of the top 100 individuals
positively influencing Jewish life, similar to the
TIME100. The 2022 list includes
NBA stars Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar and Charles Barkley, President
Joe Biden, actress Helena Bonham Carter, Florida
Governer Ron DeSantis, film-maker Ken Burns,
Holocaust survivor Lily Ebert, reality star Kim
Kardashian, businessman Ronald Lauder, singer
Barry Manilow, and actor Tyler Perry. The
full list, and a description of why they were chosen, can be
found at
www.algemeiner.com/list/the-top-100-people-positively-influencing-jewish-life-2022/.
About The Algemeiner
Now having celebrated its 50th anniversary, The Algemeiner
is a global news destination published online and in print
that serves as an independent media voice covering the
Middle East, Israel, and matters of Jewish interest around
the world. The Algemeiner has been identified as the
"fastest growing Jewish newspaper in the US" by CNBC. It has
been described by former Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor
as “the voice of the Jewish people and Israel” and hailed as
“brave and relentlessly accurate” by longtime New Republic
editor Marty Peretz.
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