Shira Tiffany
Overview
Shira Tiffany [Shira Yudkin Tiffany] is a leader with IfNotNow (INN) Boston who was arrested after blocking the entrance to the Israeli Consulate of New England in April 2018.She was also arrested for trespassing in 2016 while protesting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in Boston.
Tiffany also disrupted a December 2018 Taglit Birthright trip with two other INN activists, who videotaped their subsequent dismissal from the trip.
Birthright Israel is a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish young adults from across the world.
Tiffany has co-opted Jewish rituals to demonize Israel and traveled with INN to Washington, D.C. to protest AIPAC in 2017.
On May 20, 2017, Tiffany participated in a delegation to Israel comprised of activists from INN and the anti-Israel Center for Jewish Nonviolence (CJN).
She has also opposed the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and is affiliated with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
Tiffany also disrupted a December 2018 Taglit Birthright trip with two other INN activists, who videotaped their subsequent dismissal from the trip.
Birthright Israel is a heritage trip to Israel for Jewish young adults from across the world.
Tiffany has co-opted Jewish rituals to demonize Israel and traveled with INN to Washington, D.C. to protest AIPAC in 2017.
On May 20, 2017, Tiffany participated in a delegation to Israel comprised of activists from INN and the anti-Israel Center for Jewish Nonviolence (CJN).
She has also opposed the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and is affiliated with Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
As of December 2018, Tiffany’s LinkedIn page said she was an “Environmental Educator” at E Inc, Environmental Science Learning and Action Center in Redwood City, CA, since 2012. Her LinkedIn also said she graduated from Boston University (BU) in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations.
As of December 2018, Tiffany used the name “Shira Leah” on Facebook and Twitter.
INN Activism
INN actions have aimed to demonize [00:38:13]Israel, harass the American Jewish establishment and decrease support for Israel among Diaspora Jewish young adults.
Arrests
On April 3, 2018, Tiffany was [00:19:47] one of the eight INN activists who were arrested after they chained themselves to the doors of the Israeli Consulate of New England.
The protesters reportedly read the Mourner’s Kaddish, a Jewish prayer traditionally recited for family or community members who have died and demanded that Consul General Yehuda Yaakov “condemn Israeli violence.”
Tiffany wrote a Medium post about the event and said the protesters took “a stand as American Jews against the Israeli army’s horrendous violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza on Friday.”
The protesters reportedly read the Mourner’s Kaddish, a Jewish prayer traditionally recited for family or community members who have died and demanded that Consul General Yehuda Yaakov “condemn Israeli violence.”
Tiffany wrote a Medium post about the event and said the protesters took “a stand as American Jews against the Israeli army’s horrendous violence against Palestinian protesters in Gaza on Friday.”
On March 30, 2018, some 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza approached Israel’s border to take part in “Land Day Protests,” or the “March of Return.” The march was organized and funded by Hamas as a campaign of violent protests to spotlight the Palestinian demand to “return” to Israel. The “right of return” has since been discredited as a means to eliminate Israel.
Most of the Gazans who died between March 30 and April 6, 2018, were identified as terror operatives who were killed while carrying out terrorist attacks, rioting against IDF forces or attempting to breach the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
On April 19, 2016, Tiffany was arrested, along with five fellow activists, at INN Boston’s Liberation Seder, which was held at AIPAC’s Boston offices, demanding “an end to the American Jewish community’s support of the occupation.”
INN activists initially blocked the building entrance, then chained themselves to a table in the lobby of the building and manipulated symbols from the Jewish Seder table to represent different aspects of “the occupation.”
INN Boston later celebrated the arrest of the activists. Tiffany was featured and was tagged in numerous photos from the event on Facebook.
INN also uploaded resources for public use to their website and claimed that approximately 500 people participated in their liberation seders across the country.
Disrupting a Birthright Trip
On December 23, 2018, Tiffany posted a video on Facebook of herself and fellow INN leaders, Emily Bloch and Ben Doernberg, as they led and filmed [00:36:42] their disruption of a Birthright Israel heritage trip.Birthright offered all three plane tickets home for the same day. Tiffany added to her Facebook post “#NoSuchThingAsAFreeTrip” and “#NotJustAFreeTrip.”
The #NotJustAFreeTrip hashtag was part of an INN campaign titled “Not Just a Free Trip” that declared “we can no longer allow a free trip that hides the truth about the Occupation be synonymous with being a young Jewish person in America.”
On December 23, 2018, INN wrote on Facebook: “We've been in touch with Emily Dora, Shira Leah, and Ben who were just kicked off their Birthright trip for asking questions about the Occupation. They asked to share this video explaining what happened.”
Birthright’s administration said [00:51:16] the group violated the terms of the initial waiver they had signed and asked them to leave the trip.
On December 20, 2018, it was reported that Birthright updated the contract signed by participants which stipulated that if participants “hijack a discussion or create an unwarranted provocation,” they can be dismissed from the program.
On December 23, 2018, INN urged people on Facebook to call Birthright, claiming: “We are horrified to discover that Birthright just kicked 3 people off of their trip for asking questions about the Occupation. They are enforcing their new code of conduct which punishes people for asking questions. Birthright needs to know that our generation will not accept their bribe — we will not stay silent.”
On that same day, INN posted a statement to Twitter claiming that the three activists were “kicked off for asking questions about Palestine” and claimed that the Birthright Code of Conduct “will be seen as a sign to be intimidated from seeking the truth.”
On December 24, 2018, The Jerusalem Post released a statement from Birthright regarding the INN activists that said: “When activists aggressively disrupt the experience of the other participants then, like in any organized group experience, we have to ask them to leave regardless of their agenda.”
Birthright added that they “will not condone any coordinated plans to ruin the experience for others in order to promote a specific agenda.”
On December 24, 2018, The Forward published an update acknowledging Doernberg, Bloch and Tiffany’s INN membership, and that INN provided contact information for the three to the Forward.
On December 23, 2018, INN shared an image on Twitter that said Tiffany, Bloch and Doernberg “will spend the coming days engaging with Palestinian and Israeli anti-Occupation activists, alongside Harry Weissman and Rachel Saltzberg.”
Harry Weisman and Rachel Saltzberg are both INN activists.
Also on December 23, 2018, Tiffany, Bloch and Doernberg created a GoFundMe page to raise $10,000 “to ensure that anyone else who gets kicked off because their politics or values are deemed unacceptable to Birthright are able to get home.”
INN activists had previously joined Birthright trips then staged and filmed walk offs, in June and July 2018.
Co-opting Jewish Rituals
Tiffany indicated on Facebook that she “went” to INN Boston’s event titled: “#HowManyMore? Mourner’s Kaddish for Protesters Killed in Gaza” on April 13, 2018.
On February 17, 2017,Tiffany participated in an INN Boston action, titled: “Jewish Resistance Against David Friedman in Boston” at U.S. Senator Ed Markey’s office. Activists blew a shofar at the disruption, a Jewish tradition reserved for the holiest days of the Jewish calendar.
Dylan Lazerow, a fellow INN Boston activist wrote on Facebook “we disrupted the s**t out of ed markey's office and delivered the message from American Jews that he cannot use us as his excuse for voting for Friedman for ambassador.”
On February 21, 2017, INN Boston shared a live video on Facebook of the protest. In the video, activists demanded that Senator Markey vote against the confirmation of U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, because of his support for Jewish communities in the West Bank.
On February 19, 2016, Tiffany participated in an event titled: “Kindling Shabbat Candles for Freedom & Dignity: #IfNotNow When?”
A photo from the event featured placard-holding demonstrators, who accused Israel of “endless occupation” and challenged Boston’s Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) with the question “Which side Are You On?”
On the same day, Tiffany tweeted: “Kindling Shabbat candles to dedicate ourselves to work for freedom & dignity 4 all. Which side are you on? #IfNotNow.” Tiffany was also featured in numerous photos from the event.
In 2017, Tiffany was the National AIPAC Coordinator for INN’s 2017 protest against AIPAC in Washington, D.C.
The stated mission of AIPAC is to “strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.”
On March 26, 2017, Tiffany participated in an INN event titled: “Jewish Resistance at AIPAC” in Washington, D.C. and wrote about her experience in a +972 Magazine article titled: “American Jews, which side are you on?”
On March 26, 2017, INN protested outside the Washington, D.C. venue of the AIPAC policy conference, where some activists chained themselves to the entrance of the conference center.
On December 15, 2017, Tiffany wrote a Medium post titled: “How you can help us continue to #ResistAIPAC.” Tiffany criticized AIPAC’s “lobbying each President to move the American Embassy” to Jerusalem and called for donations to INN.
Tiffany indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a May 18, 2018 INN NYC event titled: “NYC Jewish Community Mourns Palestinians killed in Gaza.”
Tiffany also indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a May 17, 2018 INN Boston event titled: “Open Meeting & Vigil: Boston Jewish Community Healing & Mourning.”
The INN Boston Facebook event description said: “As American Jews… We mourn the unnecessary loss of life amidst this extremely powerful and inspiring moment of Palestinian resistance.”
On May 16, 2018, a Hamas senior official stated that 50 out of 62 protesters killed during a May 14 protest were Hamas operatives. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also claimed that three of its members were killed at the same protest.
The Facebook event description said the aim of the action was “to make it clear that the future of the Jewish community is opposed to that disastrous decision” to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.
On December 6, 2017, Tiffany attended INN Boston’s event: “EMERGENCY RALLY: Jews Say No to Trump Embassy in Jerusalem” at AIPAC’s Boston offices.
On November 10, 2016, Tiffany shared to Facebook a photo of herself holding a sign that read: “Our Vision: A Jewish community that stands with the Movement for Black Lives, against the occupation, and for freedom and dignity for all.”
Protesting AIPAC
Tiffany was arrested for trespassing in 2016 while protesting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), in Boston.In 2017, Tiffany was the National AIPAC Coordinator for INN’s 2017 protest against AIPAC in Washington, D.C.
The stated mission of AIPAC is to “strengthen, protect and promote the U.S.-Israel relationship in ways that enhance the security of the United States and Israel.”
On March 26, 2017, Tiffany participated in an INN event titled: “Jewish Resistance at AIPAC” in Washington, D.C. and wrote about her experience in a +972 Magazine article titled: “American Jews, which side are you on?”
On March 26, 2017, INN protested outside the Washington, D.C. venue of the AIPAC policy conference, where some activists chained themselves to the entrance of the conference center.
On December 15, 2017, Tiffany wrote a Medium post titled: “How you can help us continue to #ResistAIPAC.” Tiffany criticized AIPAC’s “lobbying each President to move the American Embassy” to Jerusalem and called for donations to INN.
Mourning Violent Protesters
Tiffany indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a May 24, 2018 INN NYC event, titled “NYC Demands Schumer and Gillibrand Speak Out For Gaza.” The Facebook event description said: “Join us as we demand that Senators Schumer and Gillibrand speak up and condemn the brutal killings of Palestinians in Gaza by Israeli forces.”Tiffany indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a May 18, 2018 INN NYC event titled: “NYC Jewish Community Mourns Palestinians killed in Gaza.”
Tiffany also indicated on Facebook that she “went” to a May 17, 2018 INN Boston event titled: “Open Meeting & Vigil: Boston Jewish Community Healing & Mourning.”
The INN Boston Facebook event description said: “As American Jews… We mourn the unnecessary loss of life amidst this extremely powerful and inspiring moment of Palestinian resistance.”
On May 16, 2018, a Hamas senior official stated that 50 out of 62 protesters killed during a May 14 protest were Hamas operatives. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also claimed that three of its members were killed at the same protest.
Opposing Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital
On May 15, 2018, Tiffany participated in INN’s protest in Washington, DC: “The #EmbassyOfFreedom: Rally Against Israeli Violence on Gaza.”The Facebook event description said the aim of the action was “to make it clear that the future of the Jewish community is opposed to that disastrous decision” to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem.
On December 6, 2017, Tiffany attended INN Boston’s event: “EMERGENCY RALLY: Jews Say No to Trump Embassy in Jerusalem” at AIPAC’s Boston offices.
Social Media Activism
On November 28, 2017, Tiffany created a fundraiser on Facebook for INN and wrote: “The occupation is a daily nightmare for those who live under it and a moral disaster for those who support and administer it. The sufferings of Jews and Palestinians are not equal or comparable.”On November 10, 2016, Tiffany shared to Facebook a photo of herself holding a sign that read: “Our Vision: A Jewish community that stands with the Movement for Black Lives, against the occupation, and for freedom and dignity for all.”
Anti-Israel Trip
On May 20, 2017, INN shared a photo on Facebook of Tiffany in a delegation to Israel comprised of INN and Center for Jewish Nonviolence (CJN) activists.Anti-Israel agitator Issa Amro is known for vandalism and attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians. Amro heads the Youth Against Settlements (YAS) movement, an anti-Israel organization based in Hebron that promotes anti-Semitism, rock-throwing and violence against Israelis.
The delegation also met with anti-Israel activist Sam Bahour, who shared a Facebook photo on May 12, 2017, with Tiffany and her fellow INN activists. Bahour has equated Israel with Nazi Germany, expressed support for terrorists and worked with anti-Israel propagandists, including Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) activists.
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/shira.tiffany [Deleted]
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shira-tiffany-15798246/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/shirayud
Twitter:https://twitter.com/shiratiffany [Deleted]
Social Media and Weblinks
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LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shira-tiffany-15798246/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/shirayud
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