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Mostly Cloudy Jewish Alliance for Dialogue and Engagement aims for civil discourse
Billing itself as a forum for people across the political and religious spectrum to discuss issues of local importance, the Jewish Alliance for Dialogue and Engagement, currently a private chat group on WhatsApp comprising roughly 130 people, is seeking to re-engage community members without rancor.
“It’s about bringing civility and discourse to speak to our neighbors,” said Cedarhurst resident Karen Benezra, who works for the Manhattan-based Cornerstone Capital Inc., in business development, and serves as JADE’s senior communications director. “Some decisions in politics [don’t] have to tear apart the fabric of the community. We want to reach across the divide. There are so many people alarmed out there. The harsh rhetoric makes people feel isolated. They are looking to find community with other people.”
Woodsburgh resident Amy Mosery, who established JADE, initially created a WhatsApp group, Five T and Beyond 4 Biden/Harris 2020, late last year. She said she viewed that group as a run-up to JADE.
“We count members from across the political and religious spectrum, said Mosery, an attorney. “Some started as Biden-Harris supporters, others not. We’re united by more than politics. We work on bringing a return to civility among neighbors coping with pandemic losses, economic woes and promoting social justice concerns — everyone’s welcome.”
JADE was involved in a partnership with the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC in December, hosting a virtual program about Covid-19 vaccines that included introductions by U.S. Rep. Kathleen Rice, who represents the Five Towns, and Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
The panel included Lawrence Eisenstein, the county’s commissioner of health, and Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt of Woodmere, who is chief of infectious diseases and chairman of the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital in Oceanside.
“JADE has attracted people from varied backgrounds and beliefs, and because of that has the ability to create meaningful and respectful dialogue on issues facing our community,” said Stacey Feldman, Gural JCC’s associate executive director.
“They address and grapple with the topics that are of interest to all of us, and seek to find common ground and solutions. We are looking forward to partnering with JADE on more projects that will benefit our community.”
JADE became more widely known when Rebbetzin Nancy Hain used the chat group to report that a threatening note had been left outside her home on Jan. 15 with an edition of the Five Towns Jewish Times, the weekly newspaper that her husband’s synagogue, Congregation Beth Sholom, decided to boycott, along with Young Israel of Woodmere.
The shuls agreed that the FTJT should not have published a photo of Cedarhurst dentist Dr. Gila Jedwab in what appeared to be a celebratory pose outside the U.S. Capitol building as the deadly insurrection took place on Jan. 6.
“We need to have conversations that are civil,” said Benezra, who did not address that incident, but noted that such occurrences “are tough conversations, and we should be having them.”
As JADE finds its public voice, Benezra said it is beginning to create a more formal organization beyond social media platforms, and plans to hold more discussions similar to the vaccine forum, which attracted nearly 1,000 people and a total of 3,000 views.
“We are slowly forming our organization,” she said, adding that bridging the social divide and partnering with organizations such as the JCC is at the forefront of the group’s thinking. “Anything we can do to help in this crisis, and do it in a way that is respectful and thoughtful. We are going to bring leaders and thinkers together, and we do expect to start those discussions, because our members want them.”
More on JADE can be found at https://www.facebook.com/JADEJewishAlliance/ and https://www.instagram.com/jadealliance/.
Have an opinion on the Jewish Alliance for Dialogue and Engagement or the current political and social climate? Send a letter to jbessen@liherald.com.
