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US-based campaigning organisation If Not Now celebrated the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah by reflecting on last year’s work – and looking forward to the year ahead.
Last year’s successes include persuading US presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to commit to #SkipAIPAC – that is, not attending the annual conference of the American Israel Political Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which promotes the Zionist cause in the USA. The campaign has also sent $18,000 worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to Gaza, to help with the treatment and control of COVID-19. The campaign has also supported progressive politicians in elections, put its arguments forward, and recruited hundreds of members.
If Not Now is taking a lesson from the Talmud to guide its approach in 2021. In the Jewish holy book, Beit Hillel suggests that Jewish people should burn one candle on the first night of Hanukkah and then add a further candle on each night of the holiday – so that the spiritual feelings of the festival increase as the holiday goes on.
Similarly, If Not Now is committed to increasing both the size of the campaign and its impact in the USA and around the world.
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