On Sunday, Jan 24, 2010 – AHA MEDIA filmed Gina Waldman – Prominent Human Rights Activist, Chair of JIMENA speaking upon “Forgotten Jewish Refugees” in Vancouver, Canada

Regina Waldman, Chair of JIMENA http://www.jimena.org (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa), was recently on a Pacific region speaking tour, sponsored by the Canada-Israel Committee. http://www.cicweb.ca

While in Vancouver, Ms. Waldman shared her personal story about mistreated and under-represented Jewish refugees.

Gina Waldman’s bio from The David Project http://www.thedavidproject.org

Gina Waldman born in Libya to a family that had lived in the country for centuries. She was persecuted and nearly murdered while escaping during a brutal expulsion from her homeland in 1967. All her assets were confiscated. She was allowed to keep only twenty dollars, only because she was a Jew.

In the years following, Ms. Waldman has been a tireless advocate for refugees and human rights. Her accomplishments and credentials included the following:

In March 2008, she testified at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva about the Jewish refugees from Arab countries.

Using her personal story, Ms. Waldman sheds light on the unknown history of the Forgotten Refugees.

She recently testified before Congress on the plight of the nearly one-million Jews who were made refugees from the Arab countries. She speaks of how she grew up in a hate-filled country, including her own school. A teacher, whose class she observed, asked the children in an arithmetic lesson, “If you have ten Jews and kill five, how many do you have left?” “That,” said Gina, “was my first taste of hate.”

In 1992, Ms. Waldman was awarded the prestigious Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award by the Human Rights Commission.

In July 2007, she testified for the Human Rights Caucus of the United States Congress as an expert witness.

Part of the Directorship of the Bay Area Council for Soviet Jewry, which helped win freedom for thousands, including dissident Anatoly Sharansky.

Worked closely with Russian Nobel Peace Prize Winner and Human Rights champion Andrei Sakharov.

Advocated against human rights abuses in Chile during the Pinochet Regime.

Worked to re-settle Bosnian Muslim refugees in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Co-founded and Chairs JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa) to educate the public about the plight of the Jews from the Middle East and North Africa. http://www.jimena.org

JIMENA: Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa is a 501 (c) (3) organization that works on many fronts to educate and advocate for the forgotten Jewish refugees of the Middle East and North Africa. Prior to 1948, approximately 850,000 Jews lived in Muslim countries of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf. Today, 99 percent of these ancient Jewish communities no longer exist.

JIMENA seeks recognition for the nearly one million Jews indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa who were displaced from their country of origin.

JIMENA is dedicated to the preservation of Mizrahi and Sephardi culture and history.

JIMENA endeavors to address the existing gap in the historical narrative of the Middle East and North Africa by sharing the Mizrahi and Sephardi story of oppression, plight and displacement.
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Below is a photo of Daniel Schloss  Pacific Region Manager, Advocacy of the Canada-Israel Committee   http://www.cicweb.ca shows us the film “Forgotten Refugees” by The David Project & IsraTV

In this video is the beginning part from “Forgotten Jewish Refugees” the movie in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday Jan 24, 2010

In this video is the Peace and Justice storyline from “Forgotten Jewish Refugees” the movie in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday Jan 24, 2010

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In the next 6 videos, Jonathon Narvey and Gina Waldman speak about Forgotten Jewish Refugees in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday Jan 24, 2010

Jonathon Narvey: Principal Writer and Consultant http://www.writeimage.ca http://www.jnarvey.com

Gina Waldman: Prominent human rights activist, Chair of JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa) http://www.jimena.org

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In this video, Randi Winter, Jonathon Narvey, Gina Waldman, Daniel Schloss speaking on traditional clothing of Forgotten Jewish Refugees in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday Jan 24, 2010

Gina Waldman: Prominent human rights activist, Chair of JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa) http://www.jimena.org

Randi Winter: Director and Travel Specialist in Inspired Pursuits http://www.passionatetravel.org

Daniel Schloss: Canada-Israel Committee – Position: Pacific Region Manager, Advocacy http://www.cicweb.ca

Jonathon Narvey Principal Writer and Consultant http://www.writeimage.ca http://www.jnarvey.com

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In the next 2 videos, Randi Winter and Gina Waldman speaking on Forgotten Jewish Refugees in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday Jan 24, 2010

In this video, Daniel Schloss, Gina Waldman with Randi Winter speaking on Forgotten Jewish Refugees in Vancouver, Canada on Sunday Jan 24, 2010

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All videos  were  filmed by April Smith of AHA MEDIA on a New Media camera – Panasonic DMC-ZS3. AHA MEDIA is about exploring mobile media production through New Media cameras. For a better quality version of this video, please DM April Smith @AprilFilms on Twitter or Facebook.com/AprilFilms