December 11, 2020 
WEEK IN REVIEW
The glow from the Hanukkah menorah will be even brighter this year as we are forced to stay home and light our own individual menorahs.

The story of Hanukkah is best known for the miracle of the jar oil. But the story also contains the themes of perseverance, survival, hope, and rededication, which in many ways mirrors our experiences of this past year.

That instance in the second century B.C.E. was not the last time the Jewish people's survival was in question. Throughout history, the Jewish people would be tested again and again. This year we certainly have been tested with the COVID pandemic and its ramifications. We are facing a horrific pandemic that is claiming each day as many lives as were killed on 9/11.

Today we are also fighting for survival in a world that has become increasingly antisemitic. Across our country, and the world, the Jewish community has been maliciously targeted. Antisemitic tropes have become more common in our political world as well.

The past four years of Trump's presidency have been tumultuous. Every issue we care about was under attack. But now we finally have hope as we look forward to the Biden-Harris administration.

At this same time we can begin to think about resuming our lives with a COVID vaccine, the miracle we have been waiting for, that is nearly on our doorsteps.

After the Maccabees defeated the Assyrians, work began to rebuild the desecrated Temple. The Jewish people also needed to dedicate themselves to rebuilding their lives after years of persecution.

This will be our time to rededicate ourselves to our family, friends and community -- all connections that have been strained over these last difficult months.

Through the centuries, the Jewish people have found a way to emerge from the darkness.  Today, let's have hope that as a community and country we will find that light once again.

Happy Hanukkah.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Conversation with Rabbi David Saperstein, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, and Barbara Weinstein of RAC
The Meaning of Hanukkah during these unprecedented times

Monday December 14 
5:30 pm ET | 4:30 pm CT | 2:30 pm PT

RSVP
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Discussion with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
A Special Conversation on what to expect from the Senate in 2021.

Tuesday, December 15
4:00 pm ET | 3:00 pm CT | 1:00 pm PT
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Discussion on Reproductive Rights with
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)
A Special Conversation on what to expect regarding Reproductive Rights with the Co-Chair of the Pro-Choice Caucus

Monday, December 21
4:00 pm ET | 3:00 pm CT | 1:00 pm PT
GET OUT THE VOTE FOR THE 2020 GEORGIA SPECIAL ELECTION
Help send Jon Ossoff (D) and Raphael Warnock (D) to the Senate on January 5th, 2021. 
MORE WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
ISRAEL
Morocco Joins List of Arab Nations to Begin Normalizing Relations With Israel

Morocco has agreed to a rapprochement with Israel in return for American recognition of the kingdom's sovereignty over a long-disputed territory, under a deal that gives President Trump another diplomatic victory in his final weeks in office. Morocco becomes the fourth Muslim-majority state to pledge warmer official relations with Israel this fall under accords brokered by the Trump administration. 
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ANTISEMITISM & BDS
Roald Dahl's Family Apologizes For His Antisemitic Comments 

The family of children's book author Roald Dahl has issued a belated apology for his history of antisemitism. The apology comes three decades after the British author's death in 1990. Over his nearly 50-year career, Dahl wrote such classic children's books as Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, and The BFG. He also made some antisemitic comments.
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CHOICE
 
Rep. Rosa Delauro, Other Democrats Seek to Repeal the Hyde Amendment, Allowing Federal Funds to Pay for Abortions
 
Every year, for more than 40 years, Congress has renewed the Hyde Amendment, which broadly bars the use of federal funds for abortion, except in cases of rape or when the mother's life is in jeopardy. But this year, Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee, led by the panel's incoming chairman, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, are making a fresh push to repeal it, driven partly by increasingly restrictive abortion laws at the state level.
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SEPARATION
U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Challenge to Transgender Student Accommodations 
 
The U.S. Supreme Court preserved an Oregon public school district's policy of accommodating transgender students, rejecting an appeal challenging a policy that let students use bathrooms and locker rooms that correspond to their gender identity. The justices left in place a lower court ruling that threw out a lawsuit against a Dallas school district  The plaintiffs had argued that the policy violated students' rights to privacy and religious freedom under the U.S. Constitution as well as a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education.
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BEYOND THE CORE
Gun Restrictions Face Uphill Battle Even Under Biden

The gun debate in America will soon enter a new chapter with a Democrat in the White House after four years under President Donald Trump in which gun control advocates developed a long wish list for reform amid a spate of large-scale mass killings in places like Las Vegas, El Paso and Parkland, Florida. But any hope that Joe Biden will usher in a new era of restrictions on firearms is highly unlikely because of the same polarization in Washington that has tripped up similar efforts under past administrations.
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POLITICAL BYTE
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Named Time Person of the Year

Time magazine has named Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 2020's Person of the Year. The two made history on November 7 when they beat Donald Trump in a bitter election that put him in a small club of presidents who served only one term. Harris on that day became the country's first female, first Black and first South Asian Vice President-elect.
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FYI
One for Each Night a Guide to Hanukkah a Capella Videos
 
With nearly a decade's worth of a capella Hanukkah music videos, where do you even begin? Here are a few of the best to get you started - one (or two) for each night.
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The Last Word
"We are expanding the circle of peace with Israel, and are attaching Morocco to as it well"
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs (JACPAC) is a pro-Israel PAC with a domestic agenda. We support a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and advocate for reproductive health and the separation of religion and state and incorporate other issues of importance to the Jewish community, including gun violence prevention and climate change. In addition to providing financial support for U.S. Senate and House campaigns, JACPAC educates our membership with outreach events designed to inform and activate their participation in the political process.
Paid for by Joint Action Committee for Political Affairs. Contributions or gifts are not tax deductible.  Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle. Corporate contributions and contributions from non-US citizens who are not lawfully admitted for permanent residence are prohibited. All contributions by individuals must be made from personal funds and may not be reimbursed or paid by another person.