International

Satire: Truth in advertising for presidential products

The U.S. Treasury Department is designing a $250 bill that will feature Donald Trump’s face to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. Since I’ve grown accustomed to Trump putting his name and picture on everything, all I ask is for truth in advertising for currency and merchandise. [Laurie Baron]

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Business & Finance, Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

JDCA works to restore Jewish trust in the Democratic party

Trump’s blatant corruption and abuse of power, enabled by the Supreme Court’s elimination of guardrails on the presidency, have created unprecedented threats to our democracy and freedom. A Democratic win in 2026 is essential to restoring checks and balances, transparency, and accountability in government. [Halie Soifer]

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Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Without a book to read, author mulls eight novels she wrote

(I) could not contemplate any journey without having a book to read. But last week I had to endure that half-hour journey without proper reading matter, a predicament I hope never to have to repeat. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Israel, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Travel and Food

Tchotchkes: Why we cling to the things with no use

Psychologists who study material culture suggest that tchotchkes function as “externalized memory drives.” In a fast-moving world, our brains are notoriously unreliable narrators. We forget the exact smell of the salt air on a vacation from 2012; we forget the specific cadence of a late-night conversation with an old friend. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Barrett Holman Leak, Jewish History, Lifestyles, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Enjoy ‘The Sound of Music,’ but please don’t break out in song

If you are one of the people, like my son, who has never seen either the 1965 movie starring Julie Andrews or the play, which has long been a high-school musical favorite, here’s a quick run-down. [Sandi Masori]

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International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Sandi Masori, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food

Suicide in Miami; Boycott of Israeli products in Brooklyn

I have heard scattered reports of suicides by Israeli soldiers and grieving relatives, but until this JTA article was published on Wednesday I was not aware that 22 active-duty IDF soldiers died by suicide, which was the highest number since 2010. [Bruce S. Ticker]

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Bruce Ticker, Business & Finance, Israel, Obituaries & memorials, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Flotilla passengers accuse Ben-Gvir of treating them like terrorists

Much of the Western world’s media is in a tizzy over the inhospitable, “uncivilized” treatment that participants in a recent flotilla suffered at the hands of Israeli authorities. (See Times of Israel story) Some of those arrested claimed that they were treated like terrorists. [Steve Kramer]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, News Media, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Steve Kramer

Today’s Jewish birthday: Shlomo Riskin

Shlomo Riskin (May 28, 1940) is an Orthodox rabbi, and the founding rabbi of Lincoln Square Synagogue on the Upper West Side of New York City, which he led for 20 years; founding chief rabbi of the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the Israeli-occupied West Bank; former dean of Manhattan Day School in New York City; and founder and Chancellor of the Ohr Torah Stone Institutions, a network of high schools, colleges, and graduate Programs in the United States and Israel. [Wikipedia]

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Israel, Science, Medicine, & Education, Today's Jewish Birthday, Wikipedia

Jewish American Heritage Month nears conclusion

Jewish Heritage Month is ending in a few days. I was pleased to see a display on my way out of an event at La Mesa Arts Academy honoring famous Jewish Americans. [Cailin Acosta]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Cailin Acosta, Israel, Jewish Celebrities, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

California Assembly approves legislation regulating protests near Houses of Worship

AB 2664 would establish a 100-foot zone around the entrances of houses of worship, within which protesters may not intentionally approach congregants within eight feet of their body without their consent. The legislation comes amid rising antisemitism and a growing pattern of protests outside religious institutions of all faiths. [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, California, Israel, Jewish Religion, Press Release, USA