The organization We Are For Israel was founded to help people better understand Israel's unique difficulties and dilemmas and to help insure that when it comes to public opinion that Israel gets a fair hearing. The group describes itself as a "centrist" organization. Alabama rabbis and other Jewish community leaders have endorsed the group's work.

One of its founders, Rabbi Micky Boyden, who lives in Israel, sent out a piece that reflects the increasing anxiety Israelis have over the growing Iranian nuclear threat.

Rabbi Boyden begins his commentary by noting that "a couple of weeks ago, I wrote on the We Are For Israel blog that the conclusion that the US is unlikely to engage in a military strike against Iran is unfortunately probably correct. But, then, the physical survival of the US is not currently at stake. The same cannot be said for Israel, so it should not be assumed that Israel will necessarily refrain from taking military action against Iran even without the military and political backing of the US."

Added Rabbi Boyden, "Such a view is supported by a recent Washington Post article in which David Ignatious reports that US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta believes there is a strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June."

In the story Ignatious concludes "US officials don't think that Prime Minister Netanyahu has made a final decision to attack, and they note that top Israeli intelligence officials remain skeptical of the project. But senior Americans doubt that the Israelis are bluffing." Adds Rabbi Boyden, "It is to be hoped that the current half-hearted embargo being exercised against Iran will nevertheless be sufficiently effective to persuade her to forgo her nuclear ambitions. However, I doubt it."

The Birmingham Jewish Federation is continuing to watch the Iran situation closely. We remain concerned that Israel's predicament is worsening and that it might have to take action against Iran. Through The BJF's ongoing Iran Action Initiative we will continue to make the general public aware of Israel's legitimate fears so that if it has to resort to military action its rationale, purposes and strategies are well understood.

Photo is of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

On Sunday, Feb. 26, Temple Beth-El, in conjunction with Birmingham Hadassah's Social Action Committee, will host Birmingham Jewish community member Richard S. Jaffe, a noted criminal defense attorney, who will be discussing the inner workings of the justice system and his new book Quest for Justice: Defending the Damned.

Also on the program will be Daniel Odrezin, a third year University of Alabama law student who has worked for The Birmingham Jewish Federation part-time and who will be joining our staff full-time in August. Daniel, who spent a semester last year at Tel Aviv University's Law School, will be discussing Israel's position on the death penalty.

This event honoring Hadassah Associates will be from 10 am to noon at Temple Beth-El. While there is no charge to attend, a donation of non-perishable food or toiletries for the Collat Jewish Family Services Food Pantry is requested.

Richard's book will be on sale at the event and profits will be donated to Hadassah. For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Barbara Nissenbaum at bnissenbau@aol.com or 837-7950 or Linda Friedman at lfriedman@babc.com.

The following is from the website of the Anti-Defamation League. ADL, which monitors and combats anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice and hatred, is one of 32 agencies and programs funded by The Birmingham Jewish Federation Annual Campaign.

At the age of 13, Mamie Thompson (pictured here) was one of "Dr. King's kids" supporting the boycott of segregated buses in Alabama. "At the first mass meeting about the boycott, I was there," she recalls. "My first cousin was Dr. King's and Rosa Parks' lawyer. Members of my family testified in court about the boycott."

Today she teaches New York City students to respect each other's differences through ADL's "A World of Difference" Peer Training program. A 25-year veteran of this program, she has impacted hundreds of students, preparing them to be Peer Trainers who help other students reject bias and make their schools more inclusive and comfortable for all.

"I have seen change occur in students almost overnight," she says. "No other program has as profound an effect as ADL's Peer Training program. I can't praise it enough."

There's a direct link between Ms. Thompson's work for equality in the 1960s and her Peer Training work for ADL. "The leaders of the civil rights movement taught us that we could achieve our goals and also maintain our dignity as productive, educated citizens," she says. "Non-violence was a critical strategy to the movement's success."

"The principles that helped us be successful in Alabama are still relevant today," she continues. "As an ADL facilitator, it is my responsibility to help the students in my workshops see the beauty in each of us, while at the same time learning to respect our differences."

"Our country has been able to excel, in part, because of our great diversity," she concludes. "It is not necessary for us to always agree with each other. It is, however, imperative that we create an environment in which all people can safely and comfortably express their thoughts, so long as they do not infringe upon another's God-given or constitutionally protected rights. It is crucial that we respect each other's right to be different."