USA

A letter from Justice Ginsburg

From this email, I learned that Ruth Bader Ginsburg – yes, that Ruth Bader Ginsburg – had designated a gift to Avodah upon her receiving the Gilel Storch Award, a prize for her outstanding human rights contributions. I was stunned by such an incredible and humbling honor. The weight of her legacy was palpable when we later received a signed letter on U.S. Supreme Court letterhead, in which she declared that “Avodah is respected by people across the political spectrum for its engagement in real tikkun olam.” [Cheryl Cook]

A letter from Justice Ginsburg Read More »

Obituaries & memorials, USA

A tense night in Louisville, Kentucky

It’s peaceful in St. Matthews tonight (Wednesday, Sept. 23), as usual, despite the announcement of the grand jury findings in the Breonna Taylor case, which left only one of three police officers indicted for their involvement in the killing of Taylor. (The charge was first degree wanton endangerment, for firing shots outside Taylor’s apartment.) My wife, Jeri, and I “defied” the curfew, in place throughout Louisville, but we saw no protestors, no police, on our post-9 p.m. walk. No surprise for this upper middle-class, predominantly Catholic, overwhelmingly white neighborhood, east of downtown Louisville. [Michael Ginsberg]

A tense night in Louisville, Kentucky Read More »

Michael Ginsberg, USA

Minority rules in selection of President, composition of U.S. Senate

Under the constitution, a president can be elected by a minority of voters, and the majority of senators can be elected collectively by a minority of voters. Trump was elected by a minority as were the 53 Republicans who now control the Senate, and they are authorized to stack the Supreme Court with right-wing justices whose rulings often threaten the welfare and freedom of the people. [Bruce S. Ticker]

Minority rules in selection of President, composition of U.S. Senate Read More »

Bruce Ticker, USA

Zoom, FB, YouTube block Leila Khaled speech to SFSU

Zoom, Facebook and YouTube cancelled use of their platforms Wednesday for the airing of a San Francisco State University sponsored webinar featuring airline hijacker Leila Khaled of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, with Zoom citing its obligation to obey U.S. law. [Donald H. Harrison]

Zoom, FB, YouTube block Leila Khaled speech to SFSU Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

A ‘Safe Space’ for Terrorists at San Francisco State

A particularly execrable record for radical anti-Israel, anti-Semitic campus activism is to be found at San Francisco State University, and specifically in the pseudo-academic machinations of Professor Rabab Abdulhadi, director of the school’s Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies (AMED) program. Abdulhadi, who, among other slurs, referred to Zionists as white nationalists during a 2019 UCLA lecture, is embroiled in controversy once again for the upcoming virtual speaking appearance, to be held tomorrow, September 23rd, by Leila Khaled, a terrorist in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, whose resume includes her role in the 1969 hijacking of an Israel-bound plane and her arrest the following year during a failed hijacking of an El Al flight. [Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D]

A ‘Safe Space’ for Terrorists at San Francisco State Read More »

Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Satire: The Happy History of the United States

President Trump has decided to replace the current “crusade against American history” by setting up the 1776 Commission to teach students “about the miracle of American history.” Historians from Fox News have leaked advance outlines of the lesson plans for the different eras in the American past. Here’s the one for the colonial period. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

Satire: The Happy History of the United States Read More »

Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

RBG’s death prompts Jewish pride, sorrow

Back to work following the two-day observance of Rosh Hashanah, Jewish organizations are paying tribute to the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died at age 87 just before the High Holy Day. Among the tributes were the following: [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County”]

RBG’s death prompts Jewish pride, sorrow Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Ray Frank

Ray Frank was the great granddaughter of Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon, the renowned Gaon of Vilna. She actually organized the service that night in Spokane, Washington, as that community did not have a synagogue. She preached such a compelling message to the thousand attendees (Jews and non-Jews) about the importance of the Jewish community coming together and creating a congregation that a non-Jewish audience member stood up and offered the donation of a site for the Jewish community to build a synagogue. [Mark D. Zimmerman]

Jewish Trivia Quiz: Ray Frank Read More »

Jewish History, Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

The Root Cause of His Tennis Garb

The most spectacular woman I ever met in my life was not a raving beauty, nor femme fatale. She was a trim, blonde, middle-aged woman of unremarkable features. She had not achieved the political accomplishments of a Golda Mier, and lacked the poetic soul of a Maya Angelou.She was a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. Spectacular is an accurate description of Gladys Towle Root and paradoxical would be the correct adjective to describe her. [Ira Spector]

The Root Cause of His Tennis Garb Read More »

Lifestyles, USA

Three Jewish women in competitive local races

Three Jewish women are in highly competitive races for spots in Congress, Mayor of San Diego, and the County Board of Supervisors. Respectively, they are are Sara Jacobs (53rd Congressional District); City Councilwoman Barbara Bry (Mayor of San Diego), and Terra Lawson-Remer (3rd District County Board of Supervisors. Here’s a look at the recent news being made by them and their opponents, respectively Georgette Gomez, Todd Gloria, and Kristin Gaspar. [Donald H. Harrison, “Our Shtetl San Diego County”]

Three Jewish women in competitive local races Read More »

Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Dorian de Wind, Jewish Religion, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

San Francisco Bay by Sea and Air

After I had completed active duty, the law required that for the next four years I attend monthly weekend duty and two weeks annual active duty at a base in my home environs. I lived in New York City and worked for American Airlines, so I had free air transportation and I was able to get assigned to the Captain of the Port office on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco Bay. This was an important and busy command center that controlled all the ship and shore activity in and around the Bay, assuring that everything flowed smoothly and legally. [Ira Spector]

San Francisco Bay by Sea and Air Read More »

Lifestyles, USA