The title of this book is an understatement if ever there were one. “Three Ordinary Girls” really should be retitled as “Three Extraordinary Girls.” [Donald H. Harrison]
Book Review: ‘Three [Extra] Ordinary Girls’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History
Major League Baseball: Most teams have limited seating to 20% to 30 % of their stadiums’ capacities, but the Texas Rangers organization permitted its ballpark to fill up to capacity because Texas prides itself on being bigger than any other state in the numbers of fans it allows to attend sporting events or the Covid-19 spike it expects in two weeks. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Spring Openings Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Virtually the entire Bible is either obscure or ambiguous. This not a criticism. Some scholars and I have noted that all very good literature is obscure or ambiguous. This enhances what is written. It gives the reader an opportunity to interpret what is being read. It is as if there are two writers of what is written both the original author and the reader. As a result, the reader gets more out of the writing than the writer composed. In addition, in regard to biblical law, it gives the religious leaders of the Jews an opportunity to reinterpret the obscurity to correspond to modern times [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
The Tower of Babel ‘Trial’ Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
It’s our responsibility as citizens of the world to continuously hope for a better future. Our world is filled with prophets of doom and they are especially to be found in the Jewish world where many who should know better see a dark cloud for the future of American Jewry, European Jewry and the Jews of Israel. The danger is that all of these can turn into self-fulfilling prophecies. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]
Don’t listen to the prophets of doom Read More »
Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Lifestyles
With antisemitism on the rise, it is tempting to stay laser focused on stories that impact our community, but we must resist the temptation. Those who complain how few people helped Jews during the Holocaust (although the Righteous Among the Nations surely did), need to follow the same moral high road that we wish others would have followed during our time of peril. [Donald H. Harrison]
The Sage Hillel Guides Our Choice of Stories Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has begun consultations with party leaders two weeks after Israel’s deadlocked elections. He met representatives of Likud on Monday, the first of a series of meetings planned with the 13 groups represented in parliament in the course of the day. Each group is to recommend a candidate to form the government
Israeli president starts post-election talks with party leaders Read More »
Travel and Food
A Republican’s deleted “9/11 tweet” about Ilhan Omar is “disrespectful” to the victims of the terror attacks and is an example of anti-Muslim bigotry, a leading Muslim rights group has said. Republican representative for North Carolina, Greg Murphy, is at the centre of criticism after he directed a now-deleted tweet about the 11 September 2001
By Brittany Hosea-Small, Nathan Layne and Rich McKay SAN JOSE, California (Reuters) – More than a dozen San Jose, California, police officers walked through the white arches of the Grand Century Mall in “Little Saigon” to reassure a Vietnamese-American community fearful over the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States. The officers walked
Police, communities across U.S. fight back against anti-Asian hate crimes Read More »
USA
Ghanian digital activist, Sadik Shahadu. Photo provided by Sadik Shahadu and used with permission. Editor’s note: From April 6-13, 2021, Sadik Shahadu will be hosting the @DigiAfricanLang rotating Twitter account which explores the ways in which technology can be used to revitalize African languages. In early 2021, over 4,000 Dagbani words were recorded and uploaded
Ghanaian digital activist pushes for more online visibility for the Dagbani language Read More »
International
(Reuters) -Protesters in Myanmar clapped together in a show of dissent against the military junta on Monday as a regional bloc prepared for talks on the crisis that has killed nearly 600 people. Clapping began in various parts of the main city Yangon at 5 p.m. (1030 GMT) in response to a call by protest
Myanmar protesters clap to denounce junta as region focuses on crisis Read More »
International
By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) – Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson on Monday vetoed a bill that would have made the state the first in the country to prevent doctors from providing certain types of care to transgender youth. But his veto could be overridden by a simple majority vote in the Arkansas Senate and House, which
Arkansas governor vetoes bill that would bar transgender treatments for youth Read More »
USA
The egoism that had plagued the Hellenists did not subside simply because they had lost the war. The Hasmoneans, who were now the masters of Judah, had soon fallen prey to the same power of increasing self-centeredness, and the moral and social decline continued. “In becoming rulers, kings and conquerors,” writes historian Paul Johnson, “the Hasmoneans suffered the corruptions of power. …Alexander Jannaeus [ruled 103-76 BCE] … turned into a despot and a monster, and among his victims were the pious Jews from whom his family had once drawn its strength. Like any ruler in the Near East at that time, he was influenced by the predominant Greek modes.” [Michael Laitman, Ph.D]
Jewish Unity and Antisemitism, Part VIII Read More »
Jewish History
In 2020, archaeologists and scientists studied residue found in an altar at Tel Arad in Israel from the period 760 BCE to 715 BCE and determined that it was the remnants of burning cannabis plants used in a ritual ceremony. What term related to marijuana is believed to have Jewish roots? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Marijuana Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
The Biden administration has made clear its intention to talk with Iran. Since every negotiation has to have an endgame, consider both parties to the proposed conversation and what they intend to get. [Shoshana Bryen]
JCPOA: U.S., Iran have conflicting end games Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA