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Essay Contest
for High School Seniors

How can Jewish values help create
a future free of domestic abuse?

100 MENSCHES invites graduating Jewish high

school seniors to submit an 800 1,000 word
original essay describing how Jewish values can
help create a future free of domestic abuse.

These Jewish values may help guide your thinking:

CHESSED

Compassion and
caring for others

RODEF SHALOM

The pursuit of understanding,
empathy and mutual respect

SHALOM BAYIT

Harmony in
the home

In your essay please be specific about changes that
would help play a role in eliminating domestic abuse
in the Jewish, and broader, community.

The TOP THREE submissions will be awarded
college scholarships totaling $5,000:

1 st Place
2 nd Place
3 rd Place

DEADLINE

$2,500
$1,500
$1,000

April 14, 2017 by 5pm

Visit 100mensches.org for judging criteria,
student eligibility guidelines, and to download
the application. Email your submission and
application (as PDFs) to lklein@jfsdetroit.org.

Please make sure your name isn’t on your
submission as judging will be anonymous.

Winners will be announced by May 1, 2017.

Questions? Contact Leah Josephson
at ljosephson@jfsdetroit.org or 248-592-2330.

100 MENSCHES is a group of men who are
taking a stance against domestic abuse and are
committing to being a part of the solution.

100 MENSCHES is an initiative of JCADA,
the Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse,
a program of Jewish Family Service.

8

February 23 • 2017

jn

David Kurzmann, Dennis
Bernard, Rep. Pscholka
and Rep. Wittenberg
were on hand at the
ceremonial signing of the
bills by Gov. Rick Snyder
last week in Lansing.

guest column

Anti-BDS Policy Enshrined In Law

L

ast week, I joined leaders of the
tion and special treatment.
Jewish community and Gov.
The new laws amend sections of
Rick Snyder for a ceremonial
the Management and Budget Act to
signing of House Bills 5821
ensure our state is not a party to
and 5822 that became law
discrimination by contracting
at the end of last year. As
with discriminatory businesses.
the lead sponsor of these
These new statutes require state
bills (with my former House
departments and agencies to
colleague, Rep. Al Pscholka,
include a provision within their
R-Stevensville), I am proud
contracts that a company is
to say that Michigan is now
not currently and will not for
the 16th state to outlaw and
the duration of the contract
Rep. Robert
condemn discrimination
engage in a boycott based in or
Wittenberg
against Israel.
doing business with a strategic
In the long process
partner of the United States,
that led to passage of this
specifically, Israel. It is another
landmark legislation, the Jewish
step toward eradicating unfair and
Community Relations Council/AJC,
discriminatory business practices in
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
our state.
Detroit and many other members of
During this uncertain political time,
the Jewish community played a pivotal it is important to reaffirm our com-
role, along with non-Jewish groups
mitment to diversity and inclusion,
that recognize the discriminatory
rather than discrimination. These bills
nature of the Boycott, Divestment and
have been my priority since I first took
Sanctions Movement (BDS).
office in 2015, and their passage marks
BDS allows companies to openly
a great achievement for our state, a
discriminate against Israel by boycot-
place where discrimination is not tol-
ting Israeli-made products, and it is
erated and where we join with all who
making inroads on college campuses
seek an end to conflict and a lasting
and in governments throughout the
peace.
world. Its one-sided treatment of
Thank you to all who supported this
the Jewish state is exactly the sort of
legislation. •
discriminatory practice that we in
State Rep. Robert Wittenberg is a Democrat
Michigan have long opposed, regard-
less of which group suffers discrimina- representing Oak Park.

