News – The Charles Bronfman Prize

The Biggest Surprise for Jews Taking in Syrian Refugees? What They Have in Common

Haaretz | May 2, 2018 by Shachar Peled

With an estimated 22.5 million refugees worldwide, these Jewish families and organizations in the Diaspora are recognizing the imperative to be kind to the stranger, no matter what their religion. (paid subscription needed)

Welcoming Immigrants, From Tennessee To Germany

The New York Jewish Week | May 1, 2018 by Amy Sara Clark and Gary Rosenblatt

Lubell spoke to The Jewish Week on Monday from New York, where he had come from his home in Atlanta to be honored as the most recent recipient of the Charles Bronfman Prize. The prize, created by the children of the businessman-philanthropist, is presented each year to someone doing humanitarian work informed by Jewish values with a global impact. Lubell, 42, won the prize for his efforts to encourage people to make immigrants in their communities feel more welcome.

Challenge That Blocked First Trump Travel Ban Is Settled

The New York Times | August 31, 2017 by Nicholas Kulish

The legal challenge that helped to free scores of travelers who were detained at airports around the country in the confusing early days of President Trump’s travel ban, prompting thousands of demonstrators to demand their release, was quietly settled on Thursday in a Brooklyn courtroom.

Op-Ed: The New Frontier of Race and Immigration: Middle America

Los Angeles Times | August 21, 2017 by Justin Gest and David Lubell

The violence perpetrated by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12 represents the most extreme manifestation of the cultural anxiety latent in many American cities and towns that are confronted by demographic change.

Where Is Liu Xiaobo’s Widow?

The Wall Street Journal | August 2, 2017 by Jared Genser

After the July 13 death of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo, his wife Liu Xia disappeared. The Chinese government claims she is “free,” but even her closest friends are unable to reach her. It’s clear that the authorities have detained her illegally.

If You’re Arrested Abroad, the U.S. May Not Bail You Out

The Wall Street Journal | July 24, 2017 by Jared Genser

I represent two Americans, Siamak Namazi and his father, Baquer, being held in deplorable conditions in Iran’s Evin Prison. Last October they were sentenced to 10 years on sham charges of “collaboration with a hostile government,” namely the U.S.

Dear President Trump: Please let Liu Xiaobo die as a free man

The Washington Post | June 27, 2017 by Jared Genser and Yang Jianli

On Monday, China released Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo from prison on parole, after he was diagnosed as being in the final stages of liver cancer. He is being treated at a hospital in the northeastern city of Shenyang, but he has asked Chinese authorities to let him travel to the United States with his wife, Liu Xia, for medical treatment.