AJW Staff Report
More than 600 supporters of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) gathered on Sunday evening at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest to celebrate the group’s 75th anniversary.
The evening’s honoree was Leon Frankel, a St. Paul native, who served as a Navy aviator during World War II, then volunteered for the 101 Squadron, Israel’s embryonic air force, which played a decisive role in the Jewish state’s War of Independence.
Journalist and author (Prisoners: A Story of Friendship and Terror) Jeffrey Goldberg was the evening’s keynote speaker. He sketched out the two main challenges facing Israel: the looming threat from an Iranian regime with nuclear weapons and the international delegitimization campaign, which includes the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement.
A discussion with Goldberg was moderated by Sally Abrams, who co-directs the JCRC Speakers Bureau.