since we now know that all those "my blog is safe for Jewish people" posts are bullshit, here are some Jewish organizations you can donate to if you actually want to prove you support Jews. put up or shut up

FIGHTING HUNGER

Masbia - Kosher soup kitchens in New York

MAZON - Practices and promotes a multifaceted approach to hunger relief, recognizing the importance of responding to hungry peoples' immediate need for nutrition and sustenance while also working to advance long-term solutions

Tomchei Shabbos - Provides food and other supplies so that poor Jews can celebrate the Sabbath and the Jewish holidays

FINANCIAL AID

Ahavas Yisrael - Providing aid for low-income Jews in Baltimore

Hebrew Free Loan Society - Provides interest-free loans to low-income Jews in New York and more

GLOBAL AID

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee - Offers aid to Jewish populations in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in the Middle East through a network of social and community assistance programs. In addition, the JDC contributes millions of dollars in disaster relief and development assistance to non-Jewish communities

American Jewish World Service - Fighting poverty and advancing human rights around the world

Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society - Providing aid to immigrants and refugees around the world

Jewish World Watch - Dedicated to fighting genocides around the world

MEDICAL AID

Sharsheret - Support for cancer patients, especially breast cancer

SOCIAL SERVICES

The Aleph Institute - Provides support and supplies for Jews in prison and their families, and helps Jewish convicts reintegrate into society

Bet Tzedek - Free legal services in LA

Bikur Cholim - Providing support including kosher food for Jews who have been hospitalized in the US, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Israel

Blue Card Fund - Critical aid for holocaust survivors

Chai Lifeline - An org that's very close to my heart. They help families with members with disabilities in Baltimore

Chana - Support network for Jews in Baltimore facing domestic violence, sexual abuse, and elder abuse

Community Alliance for Jewish-Affiliated Cemetaries - Care of abandoned and at-risk Jewish cemetaries

Crown Heights Central Jewish Community Council - Provides services to community residents including assistance to the elderly, housing, employment and job training, youth services, and a food bank

Hands On Tzedakah - Supports essential safety-net programs addressing hunger, poverty, health care and disaster relief, as well as scholarship support to students in need

Hebrew Free Burial Association

Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services - Programs include early childhood and learning, children and adolescent services, mental health outpatient clinics for teenagers, people living with developmental disabilities, adults living with mental illness, domestic violence and preventive services, housing, Jewish community services, counseling, volunteering, and professional and leadership development

Jewish Caring Network - Providing aid for families facing serious illnesses

Jewish Family Service - Food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, refugee resettlement, chaplaincy, and disability services

Jewish Relief Agency - Serving low-income families in Philadelphia

Jewish Social Services Agency - Supporting people’s mental health, helping people with disabilities find meaningful jobs, caring for older adults so they can safely age at home, and offering dignity and comfort to hospice patients

Jewish Women's Foundation Metropolitan Chicago - Aiding Jewish women in Chicago

Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty - Crisis intervention and family violence services, housing development funds, food programs, career services, and home services

Misaskim - Jewish death and burial services

Our Place - Mentoring troubled Jewish adolescents and to bring awareness of substance abuse to teens and children

Tiferes Golda - Special education for Jewish girls in Baltimore

Yachad - Support for Jews with disabilities

Places to donate to help Palestine

PCRF.net - They did over a 100 medical missions in 2022 (Palestine Children’s Relief Fund)

Middle East Children's Alliance - A Non-profit organization fighting for the well-being and rights of Middle Eastern Children. They also have a link to a 'tool kit' to help spread information about the Gaza Genocide. I'm linking to it directly HERE

Anera: Where Hope Finds a Way - They provide everything from food, medicine and hygiene kits. $30 equals 16 blood bags - an essential thing for helping doctors help people survive horrible physical trauma.

UNICEF.org - Link to where you can donate to help UNICEF get aid to those suffering in Palestine.

And because I know damn well that lots of people don't have the extra funds to donate money - you can help by simply clicking here once a day. It donates ad revenue. Click to help Palestine

[I wanted so much to find other places people could donate that weren't in the US or Canada, but I was having problems figuring out how to ensure that they were reputable. If anyone knows of any, please reblog and add the links!]

And some basic informational sources for those who want to understand what's really going on other than the misleading information from the media.

BDS - The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians. Offers actual news about what's happening.

Decolonize Palestine - In depth information about the history and origins of Palestine. Also has a great 'debunked myths' section that lists almost all of all the lies the Media has been peddling.

Mondoweiss - An independent website devoted to informing readers about developments in Israel/Palestine and related US foreign policy. (Be aware: Some articles show disturbing images of the horrors happening in Gaza.)

Petitions I found with reputable track records (there are a LOT of fakes out there)

Canada:

Independant Jewish Voices Canada - Gaza on the Brink Ceasefire Now! - Prewritten letter to Justin Trudeau and Mélanie Joly calling for an immediate ceasefire, and for an end to the collective punishment of Palestinians. Just sign your name and it sends a letter!

There are several other ways (Including email addresses to various people/companies, as well as physical addresses you can mail letters to) listed here.

DON'T send threats/hate mail. That does nothing but make them double down on their current stances. Be polite. You don't have to take a happy tone, but be polite.

United States:

USA - Tell Congress: Stop Fueling the Gaza Genocide - Demanding an immediate ceasefire and for Humanitarian Aid to be allowed into Gaza.

Jewish Voice for Peace - You can use their form for send a letter to Congress to demand that they should focus on de-escalation instead of sending money and weapons to Israel so they can continue their genocidal war against Palestinians.

Jewish Voice for Peace (part 2) - Fill out this form and inform President Biden that he should call for a ceasefire and stop supplying money and weapons to Israel.

I am producing this event in New Orleans!Pasties for Peace is a benefit burlesque and variety show. Along with live entertainment performances from some of New Orleans brightest talent as well as raffle prizes, we’ll raise awareness, funds for Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance and B’tselem, and give attendees actionable steps to take to demand a ceasefire.

I’m going to share it like hell the next few days!

Psychic Eye just released a pre-order of their upcoming forty-song compilation album The Ancient Wall, featuring goth, shoegaze, synthwave, and other adjacent genres. Several of the bands featured have been mentioned on this page before. The proceeds will be split between helping the children of Gaza and an Oakland-based organization to feed the local homeless that is organized by Middle Eastern Children's Alliance.

Bandcamp Link

I'm going to open commissions for humanitarian aid for Palestine and other threatened places. In return for a donation to aid organizations, I'll draw whatever you want (within reason) and I encourage you to donate regardless of whether you want a commission. A bigger donation means a more detailed work (dm for info). I put some of the subjects/fandoms I have experience with drawing in the tags.

NOTE: aid is being obstructed from entering Gaza right now by the Israeli military. Some of these organizations below might not be able to act right now bc of that. I'm looking at other orgs that can help right now, but in the future the Palestine orgs below will still be important to keep in mind as Palestine rebuilds its communities.

More info under the cut:

Price list:

Head and shoulders: $5 per person

Hips up: $6 per person

Full body: $7-$10, + $7 per each extra person

+Flat Color: $7

+Cel shading: $10

Payment is half-before, half after it's done. Send screenshot/s as proof of payment, of the donation showing the amount and the confirmation thank you screen. (MAKE SURE TO CROP/SENSOR ANY PERSONAL INFO OUT OF SCREENSHOT. The marker tool in many markup apps is not a good way to sensor as it's not opaque; you can use the pen tool or edit it in a free app like gimp, ibispaintx, or firealpaca if in doubt.)

(prices are a general guidance. Prices can be donated directly to any of the orgs below in exchange for art)

THIS POST has info on which donations are currently reaching Gaza! Refer to this first for donations direct to Gaza and Palestine!

Orgs such as:

Palestine Legal

Middle Eastern Children's Alliance

Doctors without Borders (I think that was the right link?)

Palestine Red Crescent Society

Unrwa

If anyone else has suggestions let me know. Also looking for humanitarian orgs to counter other genocides like in Sudan and DRC.

Direct Relief

Water for South Sudan

Sudan Relief Fund

Post with more Sudan links

Post with DR of Congo links

Friends of the Congo

Here's something from the International Rescue Committee

Save The Children chapter for DRC

♛ → THE STORMLANDS NEW VALYRIA presents ULISES LAZARUS TARTH, the RULING LORD OF TARTH (SAPPHIRE ISLE). when the dragons danced in the sky they thought the BLACKS would still fly, but in the blink of an eye, they would all die. the THIRTY year old MALE who was INQUISITIVE & PRACTICAL before they saw the first of the flames, is now INSENSITIVE & IMPULSIVE after seeing the last. he’s often associated with the sapphire blue of a united family, an intense mind carried away by his latest interest, and harsh sunburns forever marked across his body. ( Enzo Vogrincic )

GENERAL INFORMATION

NAME: Ulises Lazarus Tarth AGE: Thirty (Born December 9th, 114 AC) STATUS: Ruling Lord OCCUPATION: Ruling Lord of Tarth, the Sapphire Isle MARITAL STATUS: Unmarried CHARACTER ALIGNMENT: Pending MBTI: ISTP (introversion, sensing, thinking, perception) RELIGION: Faith of the Seven

RECENT HOUSE HISTORY:

The ruling lord of Tarth at the time of the Great Council of Harrenhal supported Princess Rhaenys’ claim over anyone else’s.

House Tarth has declared Myr an enemy following a Myrish invasion of the Sapphire Isle in 92 AC. The attack lasted nearly 2 months. Ultimately, House Tarth managed to push them out and executed the leader of the attack and his close followers, making an example of them by displaying their headless corpses, hands tied together holding their own decapitated heads (this sort of display has become a sort of modus operandi for House Tarth when dealing with enemies).

Bryndenmere Tarth, Ulises' late father, was a staunch supporter of the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons.

House Tarth is on particular good terms with Houses Velaryon and Bean due to past alliances against the Archon of Tyrosh and the Sealord of Braavos back in 133 AC.

BIOGRAPHY:

Ulises Lazarus Tarth was the firstborn son of Lord Bryndenmere and his wife, Lady Catalina, who had delivered a daughter a few years prior. Due to the complicated nature of Ulises’ birth, it was thought his mother would die on the childbed, but fortunately, she recuperated in time and went on to give her husband 5 more children until her passing in 125 AC due to a rare fever.

Ulises was born a healthy boy, but the castle Maester worried, perhaps more prone to superstition than fact, predicting there would always be hardship in the boy’s life that he would barely overcome each time, an only at a great cost. His prediction came because of unusual astronomy signs and the chaotic weather at the time of his birth: an eclipse met with a storm that was carried by the eastern winds and seas.

He grew up a clever and curious boy, paying attention to his classes, training with the sword and shorter blades, and developing a mind that ran a mile a minute with the wish to know more. He didn't wish to learn just for knowledge’s sake, but to test that knowledge and put it to the test in practical ways. This trait of his ended up saving his life later on.

In 132 AC during the Battle of the Gullet, Ulises sailed alongside the Velaryon fleet. In the chaos of the battle, Lord Bryndenmere Tarth perished and Ulises nearly drowned, ending up drifting on the shipwrecked pieces of wood for 39 days. He survived by filtering salt out of ocean water through a method learned from the Maester at home, using sunlight and cloth layers of his shirt. He managed to feed himself on the occasional fish he could catch with a makeshift tool he built with what he had at hand.

Ulises was declared dead and his younger brother succeeded their late father as the new Ruling Lord of Tarth in this time. Ulises managed to return home when a trading ship that had departed from Andalos saw him floating in the middle of the ocean. Upon his return, the title his younger brother had just received was stripped from him and Ulises was named the rightful ruling lord.

He has never talked much to his siblings about what he went through during his time lost at sea, but they all claim Ulises returned a changed man in some way. A man who is more stern, more decisive, perhaps even more cruel and insensitive.

Ulises supported Lord Pearse Caron in his attempt at a revolution when the realm of the Stormlands was annexed to the Crownlands during Queen Daenerys’ rule. Ultimately his support in this was withdrawn when it became clear that Caron was walking into his death.

At present, Ulises is in no way glad that the realm he grew up in is ruled by a Green Targaryen, but out of a protective nature for his family, he’s playing his part and keeping a somewhat low profile. He needs to preserve House Tarth, and fully understand what this kingdom is going to shape up to be before he acts in a manner that may sink his house. Tarths descend from kings, after all, so it’s only right to wait and find the right way in which his family can have a steady and worthy position in this new realm.

CONNECTIONS:

Close allies: House Estermont, House Velaryon, House Dondarrion, House Wylde and House Bean.

Friends: Morgan Wylde, Mariela Egen née Donniger, Daeron Dondarrion, Lucerys Estermont and Nadia Estermont.

From Manchester To Palestine: A Compilation of Music & Poetry is an urgent show of solidarity from creatives in the city. Available for only 30 days, the project is a heartfelt outburst and powerful testament to the collective heart of Greater Manchester with so many people answering the call out in just 7 days.

the album is available until sunday 3rd december 2023, which at time of writing leaves just 2 days to go and buy it. today (friday 1st december) is bandcamp friday, which means that all purchases today go directly to MCR4PAL, without bandcamp taking a cut - so if you can buy it today please do! it is only £10, and all proceeds from it go to the middle eastern children's alliance (MECA) and restless beings.

Undreamed Shores

(Turn 11; Haebarik has 5 + 3 + 2d6->9 = 17 power)

Once, the world was fragmented.

Islands here, continents there, wide stretches of desolate land, seas unknown to any sailor. Each had its own people, ignorant of all others, each staring at the horizon, wondering what lied beyond.

This is the story of how it changed, and it starts with great disappointment.

-----

The humans of Lekesh, after so many failed or doomed expeditions, so many lost or forced to turn back, sail the northern coast of Rasira, turn south, and follow the coast until they at last arrive... at the southern strait. No Incarien, no home, merely the confirmation that this land, too, is not the one they seek. Many give up at this, deciding that wherever Incarien may be, it could not be near.

But king-captain Wera is honor-bound to explore, and so he turns towards the western coast of Lekesh. His crew sails south beyond the boreal forests, the sparse settlements, the grasslands and steppe. And at last, after crossing a great strait, they came across a village. The northernmost Messonir are surprised to see humans this far south: the humans are surprised to see anyone at all.

Much could be written of these first days of contact, and of the difficulties of communication until a pidgin got worked out. The overlap in windwhisperer lore and messonir religion causes a mix of interest and consternation on both sides.

In the end, though he is tempted by stories of the great southern city, Wera decides to head back and report on his discoveries. Within a year, he returns at the head of a great fleet, some eager to trade, others curious scholars, a few missionaries from the Builders' many faiths.

Travel down the coast of Nulat goes smoothly, and the great ships quickly arrive at Tsallosis, and so begins the Exchange.

The exchange of goods: whalebone, wine, lumber, furs, and paper (the Messonir had been using papyrus), traded for gems and linen and spices. Through the Seekers these goods arrive in the Free City, and from there in the other two realms.

(A few Penitent gain great wealth by acting as middle-men in trade; a practice only barely tolerated by their brethren thanks to their generosity in donating to religious and charitable causes)

The exchanges among kings. Gifts are given and received, pledges of alliance and support. The humans learn of the eastern Likani, the Messonir refine their understanding of Lekesh's realms.

And lastly, the exchange of knowledge. Human access to the Hall of All Things is restricted at first, but they bring much knowledge of their own, and at last the great library's gates are opened.

(of all exchanges, this one is most important, but we shall not speak of it quite yet)

In years to come, more and more human vessels sail south, and trade blossoms. The Penitent establish some victualing stations along the western coast, some of which grow into ports of their own; construction of a land road to the great inland rivers is already underway. The Builders strengthen their hold on the southern strait, demanding toll from any passing ship; some accept this, others take the longer and more dangerous northwestern route.

Among the Messonir, many join the humans on their ships. Some claim a curiosity to see how the world has changed, others merely desire coin and fame, but a few have a more spiritual reason. They call themselves the Children of Kalikan, after the first Messonir to build a boat and brave the seas, and dedicate themselves to ensuring safe (and profitable!) travel over the waves; they can be found in harbors and aboard ships all over the realm. They are closely tied to the windwhisperers, and learn many of the same secrets, but retain a strong distinct identity. Through them, some of the human art of shipbuilding filters through into the Messonir.

(Haebarik creates the Children of Kalikan, a mercantile/naval order among the Messonir that incorporates much of human seafaring lore, for 4 points, 13 remaining)

Daily Wrap Up June 14, 2022

Under the cut: U.S. will build temporary silos on Poland’s border with Ukraine to facilitate the export of grain; Russia has told Ukrainian forces holed up in a chemical plant in embattled Sievierodonetsk to lay down their arms by early Wednesday; Ukrainian authorities say they are continuing to evacuate civilians from Sievierodonetsk during every “quiet” moment; Leaders of seven European Nato members pledged support for applications by Sweden and Finland to join the alliance on Tuesday; United Nations is again warning against the forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia.

“President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the U.S. will build temporary silos on Poland’s border with Ukraine to facilitate the export of grain out of the war-torn nation and address surging food prices amid Russia’s invasion.

“We’re going to build silos, temporary silos in the borders of Ukraine, including in Poland. So we can transfer [grain] from those cars into those silos into cars in Europe and get it out into the ocean, and get it out across the world. But it’s taking time,” Biden said in a speech at the AFL-CIO convention in Philadelphia, where he discussed potential solutions to rising food prices across the country.

U.S. and Western officials have been exploring efforts to build temporary silos in Ukraine and other nations as a means to quickly scale up grain storage capacity in Ukraine, where a Russian naval blockade is holding back more than 25 million tons of grain from the world food supply. Russia’s blockade in the Black Sea has upended global trade routes while threatening to financially strangle Ukraine and deepen hunger crises around the world. In the next month, Ukrainian farmers will start harvesting the summer wheat harvest, but won’t have anywhere to store it, Ukrainian officials have warned.

U.S. officials and lawmakers are also worried that food shortages, along with rising fuel and food prices, could spark mass starvation, political unrest and migration across parts of Africa, the Middle East and, possibly, Central America, in the coming months.

Biden said Tuesday that the grain can’t be shipped out through the Black Sea “because it’ll get blown out of the water” by Russia’s naval blockade. The U.S. for now has ruled out sending military ships into the region, which would risk Russian retaliation.”-via Politico 

~

“Russia has told Ukrainian forces holed up in a chemical plant in embattled Sievierodonetsk to lay down their arms by early Wednesday.

Ukraine says more than 500 civilians are trapped alongside soldiers inside Azot, a chemical factory where its forces have resisted weeks of Russian bombardment and assaults that have reduced much of Sievierodonetsk to ruins.

Fighters should “stop their senseless resistance and lay down arms” from 8am Moscow time (5am GMT), Mikhail Mizintsev, head of Russia’s National Defence Management Centre told the Interfax news agency.

Civilians would be let out through a humanitarian corridor, Mizintsev added.

Shelling on Azot was so strong that “people can no longer stand it in the shelters, their psychological state is on edge,” said Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai.”-via The Guardian

~

“Ukrainian authorities say they are continuing to evacuate civilians from Sievierodonetsk during every “quiet” moment, after the three main bridges out of the eastern city were destroyed by Russian shelling.

As fighting raged on for control of the city, local authorities said they still had ways to evacuate people, though it was not immediately clear what route the Ukrainian military was using.

“The ways to connect with the city are quite difficult, but they exist,” Oleksandr Struik, the head of the Sievierodonetsk military administration, told Ukrainian television, adding that evacuations were taking place “every minute when it is quiet there, or there is a possibility of transportation”.

“Russian troops are trying to storm the city, but the military is holding firm,” he added. Russia is believed to control about 70% of the city.

Struik said about 500 civilians continued to shelter in the city’s Azot chemical plant, where it is feared a scenario similar to that in the southern port city of Mariupol, where hundreds of people were trapped for weeks in the Azovstal steelworks, could play out.

A senior Russian commander said that Russian forces were ready to open up a humanitarian corridor on Wednesday morning to evacuate civilians from the Azot plant to Svatove, a city north of Sievierodonetsk controlled by pro-Russian forces.

Col Gen Mikhail Mizintsev, the officer who was in charge of the devastating siege of Mariupol, said Ukraine asked the Russian side to help organise a humanitarian corridor to Lysychansk, a neighbouring city controlled by Ukraine on the other side of the Siverskyi Donets River from Sievierodonetsk, but that Russia’s defence ministry regarded Ukraine’s request as an attempt to save its encircled units.

Fighters should “stop their senseless resistance and lay down arms” from 8am Moscow time (5am GMT), Mizintsev told the Interfax news agency late on Tuesday.

Ukraine has not yet commented on the reported humanitarian corridor. It has previously accused Russia of violating ceasefire agreements.”-via The Guardian

~

“Leaders of seven European Nato members pledged support for applications by Sweden and Finland to join the alliance on Tuesday, as secretary Jens Stoltenberg urged all nations to increase military aid to Ukraine.

The developments came at an informal gathering at the residence in The Hague of Netherlands prime minister Mark Rutte, co-hosted by Denmark.

Other leaders attending were Romania’s president and the prime ministers of Belgium, Poland, Portugal and Latvia, the Associated Press reported.” -via The Guardian

~

“The United Nations is again warning against the forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia, where thousands are believed have been moved since Moscow’s February invasion.

“We’re reiterating, including to the Russian Federation, that adoption should never occur during or immediately after emergencies,” Afshan Khan, the UN Children��s Fund (Unicef) regional director for Europe and Central Asia, told reporters, according to AFP.

Such children cannot be assumed to be orphans, and “any decision to move any child must be grounded in their best interests and any movement must be voluntary. Parents need to provide informed consent,” said the official, who had just returned from a visit to Ukraine.

“Regarding children that have been sent to Russia, we’re working closely to see with ombudspersons and networks how best we can document those cases,” Khan said, adding that there is currently no access to those children.

The UN expressed concern in March about the risk of forced adoption of Ukrainian children, especially the some 91,000 who were living in institutions or boarding schools at the beginning of the war.”-via The Guardian

LBF 2024 – the public space returns with real conversations

The 2024 London Book Fair returned this year at the iconic Olympia with its famous barrel-vaulted roof and magnificent cast-iron galleries. The fair had been moved to 12 to 14 March, after initially being scheduled for 16 to 18 April. The change was prompted by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair announcing its dates for 8 to 11 April, just a few days before the original LBF dates, which would have been a problem for those attending both fairs. 

http://indianprinterpublisher.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/lbf24-photo-midas-pr-web750.jpg

Exhibitors from India were also back in business with around 35 booths, including NBT’s collective stand. Unfortunately, and unlike previous years, LBF’s country statistics this year provided numbers not according to where exhibitors are headquartered but based on their markets. Out of the 180-some exhibitors from Asia-Pacific, 56 were based or selling in India, 56 in mainland China, 42 in Japan, 36 in Hong Kong, 36 in South Korea, 35 in Singapore, 29 in Malaysia, 28 in Taiwan, 26 in Thailand, 24 in Vietnam, 23 in the Philippines, 20 in Indonesia, several companies in Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Mongolia, and 67 in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands.

India’s multilingual opportunity

One of the panel discussions held on the first day of the fair, “Dynamics of India’s Multilingual Market,” explored the intricacies and opportunities of India's multilingual publishing market. The panel included Yuvraj Malik, NBT’s managing director; Aditi Maheshwari, CEO of the Vani Prakashan Group; Prashant Pathak, director of Publishing Operations at Prakash Books; and, Ajay Mago, publisher at Om Books. The discussion centered around the impact of India’s new National Education Policy 2020 and its emphasis on multilingualism. From the rise of Indian languages to the potential for global collaborations, the panel tried to analyse the dynamic forces shaping India’s diverse publishing industry and provide insights to international publishers interested in collaborative ventures.

English Pen seminars – Palestine, free expression

Also on the first day, Book Workers for a Free Palestine held a vigil in front of the entrance, “to mark the death of Palestinian writers, poets, academics and journalists killed by Israel,” as Penguin publishing director Ailah Ahmed explained. The English PEN ran two seminars on ‘Palestine, Israel, and Free Expression in the UK,’ featuring authors Selma Dabbagh, Isabella Hammad, Rafeef Ziadah, Palestine Festival of Literature producer Yasmin El-Rifae, Oxford University professor of International Relations Avi Shlaim, and the vice president of the British Society of Middle Eastern Studies Professor Neve Gordon. The discussion focused on the cancellation of multiple events that were to include Palestinian artists over the past six months.

Iraqi-Jewish Professor Shlaim said that the UK had a longstanding issue with “freedom of expression” when it comes to Israel and Palestine. “The climate of opinion favours Israel and British Jews, and it’s very hostile to Palestinians and Muslims.” He also criticised the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-semitism, which is largely supported by UK institutions as being “weaponised in order to silence free speech on Israel.”

But also at LBF 2024, Profile Books acquired the rights to publish What Does Israel Fear from Palestine? by Raja Shehadeh. In the book, Palestinian lawyer and founder of the human rights organization Al-Haq Shehadah, explores the opportunities for peace that were rejected by Israel since its formation in 1948. 

Writers against the war on Gaza

In the meantime, more than 3,000 writers, editors, and Hollywood celebrities have joined forces to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people in a letter responding to the ongoing conflict. Taking their inspiration from the 1960s’ American Writers Against the Vietnam War, they formed an impromptu international coalition, Writers Against the War on Gaza, supported by high-profile names such as Susan Sarandon, Gael García Bernal, Jia Tolentino, Ocean Vuong, Valeria Luiselli, Cathy Park Hong, Hannah Black, Ari Brostoff, Kyle Dacuyan and others from diverse publications and institutions. The authors recognise that while their words alone cannot halt the devastation in Gaza, they intend “to challenge and rectify the distortions and misrepresentations in the media. The coalition strongly condemns those in their field who they believe perpetuate apartheid and genocide narratives.”

The next LBF is to take place from 11 to 13 March 2025.

Francisca Pattipilohy

Francisca Pattipilohy was born in 1926, and she was technically royalty. Indonesia has often been governed by numerous small kingdoms (and some large kingdoms), and her family were members of the upper class on Ambon, a little island 1,500 miles northeast of Jakarta. Those aristocracies were often granted special privileges within the Dutch colonial structure, Her father chose to forgo the special privileges given to those aristocracies by the Dutch colonial structure and make his life as an architect in the capital, which was then called Batavia. . He did so well as an architect that Francisca was able to attend colonial school with Dutch children, however most things in Indonesia were segregated, preventing her from many activities. In 1942, when she was sixteen, the Japanese arrived. Under Emperor Hirohito, the Japanese had become an aggressive imperialist power allied with the Nazis, and were sweeping through much of Southeast Asia, setting up occupation governments. At first, some Indonesians welcomed them, including the leaders of the country’s small independence movement, which had been bubbling up for decades. The thinking went, at least the Japanese were Asians . Their victory had proved whites were not invincible, and they might treat locals better than the Dutch had. The day after their invasion, Francisca’s father came home and announced to the family, “They are our liberators.” However this was an illusion. Just days later, the family was going for a walk when a Japanese guard nearby started screaming at her father. He, of course, didn’t understand Japanese, and he didn’t know he was supposed to bow so he didn’t. The guard came up to him and struck him hard, on the face, in front of his whole family. “After that, we hated the Japanese,” Francisca would later say. “We knew their true purpose.” Others got it much worse. By the thousands, Indonesian women were forced into sexual slavery, made to work as “comfort women” for the occupying Japanese troops. The Dutch were put into concentration camps. Francisca was put into a different school. The new school was different for two reasons. First, she was considered equal to the other students. Second, she learned to speak Bahasa Indonesia, which means “the Indonesian language,” a version of Malay that is now Indonesia’s official tongue. Francisca had always excelled at language, but here she was starting from zero. And she wasn’t the only one. Only a small minority of Indonesians spoke it as their first language. The “official language” of Indonesia would always be a complicated affair since there are hundreds of languages spoken across their very diverse islands. Soon after the Japanese left in 1945, a man named Sukarno declared independence. Not long after the speech, just as the French did in Indochina, the Dutch came back, attempting to reassert colonial rule and they were brutal. As the Japanese had, the Dutch employed mass violence to suppress support for the new republic. The independence leaders, a mix of nationalists, leftists, and Islamic groups, hopped around the archipelago, making alliances with local kingdoms and mounting resistance.

In the middle of all this, in 1947, Francisca went to Holland to study in the small university town of Leiden.She attended the Royal Institute of Eastern Countries, set up to study European colonial possessions. Right away, she got involved in the Indonesian student organization, as almost everyone did. And right away, she met a man named Zain, five years her senior. She didn’t like him at first. She had considered herself a feminist from an early age, and had no intention of marrying, ever. She had seen that even the smartest, best-educated women in the Dutch East Indies never got to put to use all the wonderful things that they learned once they got married. She wanted to work.But then she got to know him. They’d spend hours and hours talking, about history, and the anticolonial struggle, and the ways her childhood had been unjust, twisted by European domination. How they could fight to make things right. For Francisca and Zain, who began dating in earnest in the late 1940s, the colonial independence struggle was intimately tied to left-wing politics. So she, a wholehearted supporter of Indonesian freedom, fell naturally into socialist circles, however while she had heard about socialism she was not interested in ideological battles. In 1950, she and Zain had to sneak off to Prague to get married, because Dutch authorities would have required her to get her father’s permission, and he was still withholding it. By that time, Zain knew English, Indonesian, Dutch, and Batak (the language native to his family on the island of Sumatra), and Francisca was now fluent in German, French, Indonesian, Dutch, and English on top of a bit of Bahasa Ambon. This would be exceptionally helpful for them since due to Dutch oppression only 5 percent of the Indonesian population could read and write. So when they returned, Francesca got a job as a librarian which she greatly enjoyed, meanwhile Zain started working in journalism, and got a job at a paper called Harian Rakyat, or The People’s Daily as a translator so that he could write stories on foreign affairs. This was the newspaper run by the Indonesian Communist Party, the PKI. It was a great job for Zain to land, and Francisca was very happy for him. There was nothing strange about working for a communist paper at that time, as far as she was concerned. Communism was considered normal.

🚨ATTENTION🚨 ZOOM COMEDY WITH DEANNE SMITH & ACQUAINTANCES IS BACK!! 💻

When the world is too spooky to leave the house, DeAnne knows it's time to bring comedy TO THE PEOPLE! Join us next Friday from WHEREVER you are to enjoy the comedy stylings of Andy Kindler, Danielle Perez, Mohanad Elshieky & DeAnne Smith!! Pay what you can, AND know a portion of your tix will go to the Middle Eastern Children's Alliance, providing humanitarian aid to the children of the middle east.

See you soon in the chat!!! 💻

Continuing on with my Choices ideas for books from my banned Reddit account, here is "Summoned to Court":

In this Elizabethan-era drama, your aristocratic family send you to court in an attempt to quell the acrimony between the king and queen. Rumors of divorce are spreading, and your family has much to lose. But the longer you stay, the longer you realize that you are a pawn in a much larger game.

Gameplay: Your choices matter. As a young noble, you mudt survive assassination attempts and try your hand at social intrigue, seduction, and dealmaking. Be wary: not all of your family wants you to succeed, and the ones that do are very particular about the alliances you make. The fate of one of the biggest kingdoms in the world is in your hands.

LIs:

King Thomas III of Oktur. Due to the pressures of having an heir and marital discourse, he jumps between an amicable and scholarly patron of rhe arts to an aggressive and bellicose lecher. Will your presence offer a solution to his strife, or do you hope to sew the seeds of distrust even more? (Western European qualities, athletic man with a beard and always seen in luxurious furs)

Queen Amneris of the Uttman Empire and Hira. Born of the union of a queen and a foreign king, she was famous before her conception. A force of nature, her power is unrivaled, and thus it was love to Thomas that drew her to him when they were children. However, rumors of his infidelity have plagued her mind, and according to the rules of her father's land, she may do as she pleases because of her husband's misdeeds. Will you convince her to stay with Thomas, or encourage her to sever ties with him? (Southern European/Middle Eastern attributes, akin to Greece under Ottoman rule, dressed in silks, usually an amala dress with a modest veil for informal occasions.)

Lysandre Turner, a young duke who showed promise as a historian--however, his parents forced him to embrace more carnal urges in order to seduce the queen in order to encite a civil war, making him reject any substantial academic learning. Will your influence be enough to convince him that he's not just a body, but a mind too? (Afro-Asian, grandfather came to Oktur and given a title, form-fitting hose and revealing tunic)

Wyadaon, a native from the New World brought as a guest to King Thomas. Despite the peaceful nature between the Naturals and the Okturians, Wyadaon isn't completely comfortable around the new crowd, even if it's diverse. However once you get to know him, he's rather humorous and a good planner, slowly earning him respect and renown in the kingdom. (Native American/Pacific Islander influence;Despite the expensive clothing offered to him, he's had the fabric tailored to his homeland's style of breechclouts and sarongs)

Khoe, the granddaughter of a chief from Canus, a foreign country, brought to seduce the king. However, due to her distant connections and being of a different race, any relationship he has with her will be declared illegitimate. However, she has plans to continue networking even while she's in Oktur, starting with you. (African, adopting to Okturian fashion but with native prints from her home.)

Twist: when it becomes clear that your wild cousin is intent on smearing your reputation, you expose them and they are exiled to a nearby country. However, when they are invited back, you realize that their trip has only made them more determined, more subtle, more clever. But their submissive and playful nature is so different from the arrogant and outspoken individual they were, so it will be difficult to convince those around you that your cousin hasn't changed. And it seems they've made alliances in their absenses. It seems a whole country backs their decisions now…

This is so obvious, but when I show interest, it's usually for the social intrigue rather than the political aspect. And just in case I wasn't clear, this was set in a fictional kingdom loosely inspired by real-life parallels.

When Elrond sails to Valinor at the end of an Age, he leaves two children behind him. His only daughter, his beloved Arwen, who chose mortality and the Gift of a fate with her husband. And Estel, his foster son grown to King of Gondor—a true credit to Elros’ line in every way that matters.

Elrond leaves them behind, but they write to him. The end of the Third Age is the end of the Elves in Middle Earth, and a steady stream of Círdan’s ships carry letters sealed with the Tree of Gondor and the eight-rayed star of Elrond’s own house.

Elrond does not open them.

He tucks them safely away in chests beside his bed, stacked in neat rows with unbroken seals. Instead, he spends the first 150 years of life in Valinor relearning his marriage with Celebrían. She sailed a full five hundred years before him from her wounds, and so much happened since their bitter parting.

Elrond tells her of Arwen, a woman grown, and her radiance upon her wedding day. He tells Celebrían of her deep, contagious laugh and her sure shot with a hunting bow that can still outdo the twins. He tells her of Arwen’s choice—the choice she made for love, but just as much because it suited her nature to seek the vast unknown. She is so much like Elros. Elrond never realized how true it was until now.

And Elrond tells Celebrían of Estel, the son of his heart that she never met. His shy little boy Estel, who became Thorongil the king-servant and Strider the wandering ranger and Elessar Telcontar, king of Gondor and Arnor reunited. A father, a husband, a protector, a leader. He too is so much like Elros—the best of Men come back to rule his own wisely and well, facing the dawn of a new era.

Elrond leaves Estel and Arwen together to usher in that new Age free from the Shadow, and he cannot stop comparing himself to Ereinion Gil-galad. He and Elrond talked on the eve of the Last Alliance—and Elrond had refused to consider taking the Noldóran’s crown if. Refused to consider what that if meant until he saw Gil-galad crushed by Sauron’s hand. But that night, alive and breathing still, Gil-galad had laughed at his refusal. Regardless, I leave Endórë in capable hands if I do not live to see the fruits of our victory.

Elrond knows ends and beginnings. He has seen three bitter fights against the Shadow and twice rebuilt their world up again after. Elrond cannot bend his hand to this new beginning, but neither can he bear to see it unfold. Not yet. Peredhel he may be in birth and name, but Elven he is by choice, and Elves accept change and loss only grudgingly. Elrond supposes there are worse ways to show that tendency than by delaying opening those letters, these last records of his children that he shall see.

Elrond still does not touch their letters to him. Celebrían wraps herself up in her husband’s stories of their daughter and son, and that is enough for them both. Until their other children, their twins Elladan and Elrohir, sail West themselves with the news that Undómiel and Elessar have passed—their legacy secure, their kingdom prosperous, the throne passed to their son, Eldarion Telcontar, first of his name. A new beginning, passed on to new hands.

Elrond and Celebrían mourn, but mourning seems an insult towards lives lived long and full. Elrond, at least, knows this feeling too, and he can picture Elros laughing at him. A few centuries sitting upon a throne made me ready for my well-deserved rest. Do not begrudge your own children the same!

Elrond does not. Truly, he is glad for Arwen and Aragorn, glad that they chose and found their greatest desires. And yet, he is an old, foolish Elf and it is his habit to deny an ending until it is upon him at last. But a story, completed and yet ever-continuing… that gives Elrond peace.

Elrond and Celebrían weep, and dry their tears, and then they sit together in the light of dusk with candles around them. They open the first letter, and the second, and the next and the next, reading until dawn breaks in the eastern sky.

Ammë, I gave this letter to Atya for when he sails West to find you…

Ada, three months as King of Gondor and I already understand why you told me to enjoy my early years as a mere Ranger…

Our son is here! Ada, he is so perfect I cannot describe him. He is ‘Eldarion’ to my beloved and ‘Arvarad’ to myself, and our son is already everything good and precious to us…

Atya, they say that Elros choose his time at the end, and I think I shall as well. The healers say that Aragorn’s end draws near, and I know I shall follow him. I want you to know I am content even still, and rue none of the choices that led me here…

Old age gives me plenty of time to reflect, and I find myself proud of what I shall leave behind. Only the last great journey awaits. I will send Elros your love, Ada, should I see him. When we meet again in Arda Remade, Arwen and I shall find you again.

On this day, 2 March 1971, the Israeli Black Panthers, a left-wing group made up of children of North African and Middle Eastern migrants, held an illegal protest in front of Jerusalem's city hall. 2-300 people attended protesting against discrimination against Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews and calling for the release of activists who had been arrested pre-emptively for planning the demonstration. The action attracted media attention and a significant number of supporters. The Israeli Panthers also emulated the US Panther organisation's survival programs, and attempted to help provide for the basic needs of poor Mizrahi Jews by engaging in activities like the expropriation of milk from delivery trucks in wealthy neighbourhoods. According to BlackPast, due to the US Panthers' support for Palestinians, the Israeli prime minister Golda Meier "feared the IBPP would form an alliance with Palestinians. Consequently, she appointed a commission to study “Youth in Distress” and found $22.9 million to fund services for Mizrahi." https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1932738943577913/?type=3

I'm a fan of MCYT, Dream SMP, you know the whole shebang. A while ago, a friend pointed out to me while organizations like the Trevor Project get a lot of coverage from streamers, American and British alike, they wished that UK based organizations would get more attention. That message kind of inspired me. I didn't skim too deep, but I did amass of twenty organizations, all global or UK based, that perhaps you should consider donating to! (admittedly, I did mostly go to their about sections, so if there is any misinformation, please inform me!) The Proud Trust The Proud Trust is an LGBT+ organisation that supports LGBT+ young people through youth groups, peer support, mentoring programs and the Proud Connections chat service.

Mermaids Mermaids has been supporting transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse children, young people, and their families since 1995.

AKT

akt supports lgbtq+ young people aged 16-25 in the uk who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.

Galop Galop is the UK’s LGBT+ anti-abuse charity. We work with and for LGBT+ victims and survivors of interpersonal abuse and violence.

Black Trans Alliance Black Trans Alliance C.I.C founded in 2020 is a black queer and trans led non-profit organization that supports black trans and non-binary people in London and the wider community. BTA’s mission is to support, protect and amplify the voice of black transgender persons in London and the wider community; through advocacy, education, visibility and empowerment. In addition to providing support, we also offer information and campaign for the rights of transgender people.

Sponsoring Hidayah Here at Hidayah, our collective mission is to provide support and welfare for LGBTQI+ Muslims and promote social justice and education about our community to counter discrimination, prejudice and injustice.

Center for Black Equity To promote a multinational LGBTQ+ network dedicated to improving health and wellness opportunities, economic empowerment, and equal rights while promoting individual and collective work, responsibility, and self-determination.

Human Dignity Trust The Human Dignity Trust is the only organisation working globally to support strategic litigation to challenge laws that persecute people on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

Rainbow Migration Rainbow Migration supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the asylum and immigration system.

MindOut - Brighton MindOut is a mental health service run by and for lesbians, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people with experience of mental health issues.

UK Black Pride UK Black Pride is Europe's largest celebration for LGBTQI+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern-descent, and we are looking to grow our core team of volunteers to help us deliver our largest event yet!

ABOUT – Imaan Imaan is Europe’s largest charity for LGBTQI Muslims. They have an FAQ about their religion, and additional information and resources to help parents of LGBTQI+ children.

The Outside Project The UK’s first LGBTIQ+ Community Shelter & Centre. A grassroots movement led by LGBTIQ+ ex-homeless, homelessness professionals & activists.

Donate Now - London Friend The London Friend is an LGBT Mental Health and Wellbeing Charity. They have multiple links regarding support and groups to talk to.

Gendered Intelligence Gendered Intelligence, established in 2008, is a registered charity that works to increase understandings of gender diversity and improve the lives of trans people.

SUPPORT US - COLOURS YOUTH NETWORK Colours Youth Network believes in the importance of creating spaces where LGBTQ young people of colour’s racial, cultural, spiritual, and religious identities are centred.

London Gaymers London Gaymers was established in 2012 as a social group to help LGBT+ gamers in London to find and make new friends in a safe and welcoming environment.

Elton John AIDS Foundation The Elton John AIDS Foundation funds frontline partners to prevent infections, fight stigma and provide treatment with love, compassion and dignity for the most vulnerable groups affected by HIV around the world.

Bi Pride UK Bi Pride UK believes that people who experience attraction beyond gender deserve to be able to celebrate their identities publicly, visibly and proudly in all spaces without fear of ridicule, erasure or harassment.

Sparkle - Manchester The National Transgender Charity organises the Sparkle Weekend celebration in July of each year. Sparkle also holds a series of events throughout the year to actively promote fundraising and Trans awareness. These aren't in any particular order! I combed through these loosely, but if you're from/in the UK, please update this list! I really would love to add to it.