Jewish Bar Association of New Jersey (JBAR) Holds Launch Gala at Wilshire Grand Hotel on July 18

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Over 350 attorneys and other supporters attended the New Jersey Jewish Bar Association’s (JBAR-NJ) launch at The Wilshire Grand Hotel on Thursday, July 18.

Founding Member and Executive Director, Susan Wernick emceed the event, which featured eminent speakers and special guests including:

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• US Attorney for the District of NJ, Philip Sellinger
• Itay Milner, Consul for Media Affairs from the Consulate General of Israel's office in New York
• Oria Isaak, an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) soldier and CEO and Founder of Gav Lalochem, a nonprofit that supports and helps veterans of the IDF with their transition back to civilian life. Oria was on the ground on October 7 in Israel, and will be deployed to Gaza in September.
• Bill Brown is an attorney, retired Navy SEAL, American patriot, and stalwart supporter of Israel. Bill is the founder of the NY SEAL Swim, which is coming up in September. The swim is a multi-sport open-water swimming event that brings together former SEALS, veterans, police officers, firefighters and first responders from around the country. Israeli Navy SEALs will also participate in the event.
• Paul Goldenberg is the Senior Member of the US Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council and Head of Transnational Security at Rutgers University Miller Center for Community Protection and Resilience. He organized a mission to Auschwitz for an intercontinental delegation of chiefs of police and senior law enforcement executives.
• Jonny Daniels, who founded the Holocaust Memory, Memorial & Education Organization “From the Depths.” Daniels was born in London, moved to Israel at 18, joined the IDF and later served as Chief of Staff of the Knesset.
• Numerous rabbis attended, including Rabbi Klar and Rebbetzen Devorah Klar of the Lubavitch Center; Rabbi Mendy Kasowitz of Chabad of West Orange and Rabbi Lubin.
• Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law Professor and famed advocate, sent a video message because he was unable to attend in person.

The evening began with a lovely cocktail hour and music from T-Klez, a Klezmer band, which also played Hatikvah after the US National Anthem.

Sellinger spoke first about elevated antisemitism that began before and increased after Oct. 7. “Since 2021, the Department of Justice has brought over 80 hate crime prosecutions, has secured over 80 convictions in hate crime cases, and I can tell you that the department works tirelessly to address the issue of antisemitism as well as Islamophobia in the country,” he said.

Sellinger also mentioned that one of his first acts as United States Attorney was to create the first Civil Rights Division in the country to bring together civil and criminal US Attorneys whose sole function is to protect the civil rights of religious communities. He talked about the many pending Department of Education Civil Rights Division investigations dealing with school-based antisemitism across America.

Milner shared that Israel is under constant attack after the October 7 massacre. “We have had the right to defend Israel, defend our country and protect our civilians. We are going above and beyond international law because of our Jewish values.” He noted that the war is “existential” and thanked JBAR-NJ for its help.

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Brown reported, “I was a SEAL on 9/11. I was a first responder for two suicide bombings, and what I saw on October 7 brought back a lot of horrible memories. There's one thing I know. The only way to stop this is for good men and good women to stand up.”

Goldenberg walked to the front with four NJ State Troopers. He told the audience that he spent several days at Auschwitz marching with 10,000 people whose family members were murdered in the Holocaust. The President of the Muslim Police Officers Association also stood with them. Goldenberg said the Police Chiefs Association will be working on school campus issues. “If I hear the word one more time, ‘antisemitism on campus.’ This is terrorism on campus,” he stated.

Wernick then introduced her husband, Joseph H. Lemkin, President and founding member of JBAR-NJ; and shareholder of Stark & Stark P.C. He talked about several JBAR Committee Chairs, Ameya Pendse (Young Leadership), Robert Schechter (Tikkun Olam/Community Service) and Cory Rothbort (Advocacy). He thanked board members and sponsors, and urged attendees to invite their friends, colleagues and fellow members of the bar to join the movement. “We didn't exist last September, and now we have hundreds of active members and over 1,000 followers on social media. It’s remarkable.”

Dershowitz (on video) spoke about equal treatment on campuses, and Israel being attacked in the International Criminal Court. He expressed concern about Jewish students, Israelis and Jews around the world needing protection and mentioned Jews being physically attacked in the streets of Paris, London and Brooklyn. He noted that he did pro bono work for civil rights years ago. “It’s absolutely essential that lawyers who do pro bono work do pro bono work for the people most in need. There’s never been a better time, a more important time for JBAR-NJ.” He also offered his assistance.

Internationally renowned singer Matisyahu — American rapper, reggae singer, beatboxer and musician, famous for mixing spiritual themes with reggae, rock and hip-hop and beatboxing sounds, headlined the event and performed after the speakers gave their speeches.

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