International

A Drumbeat of Antisemitism in San Diego, Across the U.S.

Near the San Diego State University campus, in San Diego’s daily newspaper, in speeches by members of Congress, and in an apology forced upon a children’s book executive for speaking out against antisemitism, the drumbeat of hatred against our fellow Jews grows increasingly persistent. [Donald H. Harrison]

A Drumbeat of Antisemitism in San Diego, Across the U.S. Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Yoni Netanyahu Proved Himself a Hero Before Entebbe

It is not widely known that Yoni Netanyahu was a hero long before he commanded the Entebbe operation. He played a key role in many other crucial Israeli security operations exhibiting courage and valor in the most dangerous of circumstances. He was a living example to the world’s statesman that terrorism can be beaten – if the nations of the world have the will to fight back. [Moshe Phillips]

Yoni Netanyahu Proved Himself a Hero Before Entebbe Read More »

Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Middle East

Former Israelis PMs Family Members Reflect on Entebbe Anniversary

On the 45th anniversary of Operation Entebbe, this morning, (Tuesday) the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation held a moving and insightful meeting revealing testimonies never before heard, from the behind the scenes of one of the most ingenious and daring rescue operations the world has ever known, overseen at the time by then Defense Minister, Shimon Peres. [Peres Center Press Release)

Former Israelis PMs Family Members Reflect on Entebbe Anniversary Read More »

International, Jewish History, Middle East

A loving couple, the mother of a miracle, a baseball dad all victims of Surfside condo collapse

Published by Miami Herald SURFSIDE, Fla. — As the hope of finding survivors dimmed at the site of the Surfside condo collapse, some heartsick families were already grieving an unfathomable loss. Five residents of Champlain Towers South, which collapsed early Thursday morning, were identified among the nine dead recovered by rescuers. This leaves 152 residents

A loving couple, the mother of a miracle, a baseball dad all victims of Surfside condo collapse Read More »

USA

Torah on a Tatami: How One Couple Found Community In a Pandemic World

She grew up in Brooklyn, New York, her roots deep in the Ashkenazi culture of Poland, Hungary, and Lithuania. He grew up in Long Beach, California, a third generation Japanese American, and he barely knew a single Jewish person. On paper, they might not sound like an obvious match: Jewish Brooklyn versus Buddhist Japan, kvetching as a collective mode of connection versus pursuit of inner peace. But while Leah and Randy Matsui may come from disparate ethnic backgrounds, “two different flavors” as Randy puts it, over the past four decades, they have become one woven unit, and their story teaches a great deal about what love is, what true connection looks like, and most significantly, what diverse Jewish journeys look like in the 21st century. [M. Evan Wolkenstein]

Torah on a Tatami: How One Couple Found Community In a Pandemic World Read More »

International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

A Response to Surfside

There are some things for which there are no words. On Thursday I did two funerals where I spoke about why we thank God at times of tragedy-because when we feel vulnerable, that the world has slipped out from underneath our footsteps, we need to find some rock to anchor ourselves, and that rock with a capital R is God. However, how can we thank God in the midst of a tragedy: the structural collapse of the Champlain Towers South Building? How can we be thankful when people are missing and all that might remain of them are DNA traces under the rubble? How can we be grateful when so many don’t know if their loved ones are alive or dead? [Rabbi Ben Herman]

A Response to Surfside Read More »

Jewish Religion, USA

Israeli, Mexican rescuers bring distinct experience to Miami building collapse

Published by Reuters By Daniel Trotta (Reuters) – The Israelis come trained by war. The Mexicans, by natural disaster. Search-and-rescue teams from Mexico and Israel have joined the phalanx of local firefighters and other specially trained experts combing the rubble for survivors where a residential high-rise collapsed near Miami on Thursday, killing at least nine

Israeli, Mexican rescuers bring distinct experience to Miami building collapse Read More »

USA

Therapy dogs comfort families of the missing in Miami building collapse

Published by Reuters SURFSIDE, Fla. (Reuters) – Some families of the missing at the Miami-area building collapse have found comfort in therapy dogs brought in during the agonizing wait for news. With some 150 people unaccounted for, many of whom could be buried beneath the rubble, the Boricuas de Corazon disaster relief team brought in

Therapy dogs comfort families of the missing in Miami building collapse Read More »

USA

Biden orders airstrikes in Iraq-Syria against Iran-backed militia groups

Published by New York Daily News President Biden on Sunday ordered precision airstrikes against facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups in the Iraq-Syria border region, the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement. The targets were facilities that Iran-backed militias were using to engage in drone attacks against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq,

Biden orders airstrikes in Iraq-Syria against Iran-backed militia groups Read More »

Middle East, USA

Cracks in Israel’s Government Coalition, Opposition

Some instances from the beginning of Israel’s new government: Likud has picked on a law of family reunification in order to embarrass, and perhaps defeat the Bennett-Lapid government. It’s a law that prevents Palestinians, who marry Israeli Arabs, to acquire citizenship in Israel. It’s been on the books since 2003, but has effect only for a year. Thus, it has to be renewed annually. It is something widely supported by predominantly Jewish political parties. But its current renewal has been opposed by Likud. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]

Cracks in Israel’s Government Coalition, Opposition Read More »

Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Israel summons Polish envoy over Holocaust property bill

Published by Reuters By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel summoned Poland’s ambassador on Sunday to express its “deep disappointment” over a Polish bill that critics say will make it harder for Jews to recover property seized by the country’s Nazi occupiers during World War Two and then kept by post-war communist rulers, the foreign

Israel summons Polish envoy over Holocaust property bill Read More »

International, Middle East