A self-described Muslim who told thousands of well-wishers that he grew up “eating bagels and lox every Sunday” was sworn in twice on New Year’s Day 2026 as New York City’s 112th mayor. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Political Briefing: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
We would be naive to think this is only a Sydney story. This past Yom Kippur, London experienced its own attack. The numerous attacks around the globe this past year can be listed here, but there’s no need- we are all very aware. Our history has taught us that Antisemitism is not confined to one place. The challenge is not identifying the next location, but deciding how we respond wherever we are. [Ilanit Zakowski]
OpEd: Our survival is built upon our response Read More »
Antisemitism, Ilanit Zakowski, International, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Opinion
The six wives of Henry VIII with their commanding voices, humor and high-energy anthems are more than historical casualties. The beheadings, miscarriages, and death in childbirth are woven into each song. In era of struggle between Catholicism and emerging Protestantism in 16th-century England the divide is central to the lives of the queens. [Sherrie Rose]
‘SIX,’ Broadway’s Best Musical in 2022, Back for Limited Run in San Diego Read More »
International, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
David Bocarsly, executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), hailed a ruling in federal court on Wednesday upholding the constitutionality of AB 715, California’s law attempting to end antisemitism in the public schools. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Political Briefing: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, News Media, Shanda File, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Monday’s Bibi-Donald summit in Palm Beach produced hardly any news, but it spotlighted a lovefest for the leaders of Israel and America. [Bruce S. Ticker]
OpEd: Trump’s and Netanyahu’s Mutual Admiration Society Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
At the request of the Los Angeles police department, the public will not see immediately the autopsy reports for actor/ director Rob Reiner and his photographer wife Michele Singer Reiner who allegedly were stabbed to death Dec. 14 by their son Nick Reiner. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Political Briefing: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, News Media, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA
The streets of Tehran and beyond blaze with righteous fury. On Sunday, December 28, merchants in the Grand Bazaar and major commercial districts shut their shops in protest, marking a historic betrayal by a class once instrumental in the 1979 Islamic Revolution. By Monday and Tuesday, the strikes spread relentlessly: goldsmiths, tech vendors, and wholesalers in areas like Alaeddin Mall, Charsou Commercial Complex, Shush market, and Lalehzar joined the shutdowns. Protesters marched through Jomhuri Street, Naser Khosrow, and Istanbul Intersection, clashing with security forces who unleashed tear gas and batons. Defiant individuals, echoing the iconic “Tank Man” of Tiananmen Square, stood unarmed before armored vehicles and riot police, offering their bodies as living monuments of resistance—often swallowed by the regime’s brutal crackdown. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
OpEd: The Birth Pangs of Freedom in Iran Read More »
International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors
That two Jewish leaders – Zelenskyy and Netanyahu – had back-to-back meetings with President Trump, selected Cabinet officials and White House aides, and with U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were remarkable occasions, sure to be mentioned in Jewish history books of the future. [Donald H. Harrison]
Trump Meets with Netanyahu about Gaza, West Bank, Iran and Other Trouble Spots Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
I don’t get the feeling that Putin rained destruction on Ukraine because he seeks to replace outdated facilities and housing with more modern ones. [Laurie Baron]
Satire: Trump’s Trust Read More »
International, Israel, Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Among the new immigrants who arrived this year are 297 families, 946 children, 1,476 single men and women, and 548 retirees. The average age of Olim over the last year is 31 years old, with the oldest being 96 years old, and the youngest being a four-month-old baby. The Olim come from all over North America, most notably New York, New Jersey, California, Maryland, Florida, and Illinois. [Press Release]
4,150 Americans Made Aliyah to Israel in 2025 Read More »
Israel, Press Release, USA
In his free time from love, Daniel made cabinets. The cabinets were all different types – wardrobes, kitchen cabinets, bookshelves. He was a great cabinet designer. The factory’s products were popular. But Daniel didn’t stop there. He designed and manufactured new original cabinets. He loved his work very much, and his work loved him back, as he was constantly receiving new orders and designing ingenious cabinet models for various purposes. [Alex Gordon]
Short Story: The Perfume Cabinet Read More »
Alex Gordon, Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors
Trump identified one area still awaiting resolution as whether Russia or Ukraine would keep the land in the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine that Russia now occupies. Another is the fate of a Ukrainian nuclear power reactor, which Russian troops captured and now occupy. [Donald H. Harrison]
Marty Mauser, the protagonist of Marty Supreme, is a plucky ping pong imp and shoe salesman, in addition to being a nimble and loquacious malarkey artist. He is also a shockingly-gawdawful, verbal bastard person to his mother, played by Fran Drescher, who left her specific, discount Phyllis Diller voice in the dustbin of screen history where it belongs, much to the contentment of my sensitive ears. [John E. Finley-Weaver]
Film Review: ‘Marty Supreme’ is Supreme Cinema Read More »
Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
His opinions about Australia’s leadership should be given due weight in the wake of the Dec. 14 massacre of 15 celebrants at Sydney’s Bondi Beach on the first night of Chanukah and the Dec. 25 bombing in Melbourne of an unoccupied car toting a mobile billboard that said, “Happy Chanukah.” [Donald H. Harrison]