International

Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Conundrum

Israel is described as a racist country by its detractors. A sizable sector of Israel’s population currently lives in small, crowded apartments in poor, segregated, urban neighborhoods, where their extended families, synagogues, and institutions are located. They constitute about 12% of Israel’s population and most are counted below the poverty line. About half of the men are unemployed. Most of the families are dependent on government aid to supplement their meager incomes. They are prone to riot when they feel threatened by laws promulgated to the general population, often causing police intervention. They are the ultra-Orthodox, known here as the Haredim. Mainstream media coverage of this sector generally depicts them in negative terms. [Steve Kramer]

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Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Middle East, Steve Kramer

Streaming Jewish Programs (Nov. 15- 20)

Following are academic and popular programs of specific Jewish interest that may be accessed via the Internet. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lawrence Baron, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

A Visit to the Hula Lake Area

The second Coronavirus lockdown has just ended, and the third one can already be seen in the offing. So anyone with a yen for a change of atmosphere and landscape had better utilize the opportunity to take to the open road, and get out of the house. So hubby and I decided to make for the north of Israel, to the Hula wetlands or lake area, since at this time of the year it serves as a stop-over and resting place for many migratory birds making their way from Europe to Africa for the winter. Israel’s location, between the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the arid Arabian desert to the east, has made it the preferred flight path for millions of birds migrating from their summer sojourn in Europe to Africa’s warm winter. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, The World We Share, Travel and Food

Meet Sean Elo-Rivera, SD’s newest Jewish councilman

It will be very interesting to see what City Councilman-elect Sean Elo-Rivera and his wife Angela will be doing come November 2021.

The early part of November has been uncommonly meaningful for them the last several years. In November 2018, at a party to watch election returns attended by his and Angela Rivera’s family, Sean Elo dropped to his knee right after the initial vote for the Board of Trustees of the San Diego Community College District showed him winning, and asked Angela to marry him. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, USA

Israel delivers first Iron Dome missile defence radar to US army

Israel has delivered the first of two Multi-Mission Radars (MMRs) to the United States Army, to be used in conjunction with two Iron Dome missile defence system batteries procured by the Pentagon in an August 2019 deal, according to Israeli media report.The US Army received the first MMR, built by ELTA Systems, from Israel’s Missile

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Middle East, USA

Trump Campaign Files Lawsuit To Stop Certification Of Biden’s Election Win In Pennsylvania

President Donald Trump’s campaign filed a lawsuit Monday in Pennsylvania’s federal court in an attempt to block state election officials from certifying results showing President-elect Joe Biden carrying the swing state.The lawsuit, brought by two registered voters and the Trump campaign, argues that Pennsylvania created “an illegal two-tiered voting system” by offering more oversight over

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USA

UK celebrates Jewish fireman who saved lives during the Blitz

September 17, 1940 Errington was in the basement of an Auxiliary Fire Station in London when a bomb crashed through the building spreading death, fire and mayhem. Seven Firefighters were killed immediately. Once the daze cleared from his head a bit, Errington saw two surviving comrades trapped with him under the burning debris.  Errington freed one man, carrying him through the smoke and flames to the outside, saving the injured man. [Jerry Klinger]

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International, Jerry Klinger, Jewish History

Saeb Erekat, spokesman and negotiator for the Palestinians, dies at 65

Saeb Erekat, a veteran peace negotiator and prominent international spokesman for the Palestinians for more than three decades, died on Tuesday, weeks after being infected by the coronavirus. He was 65.The American-educated Erekat was involved in nearly every round of peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians going back to the landmark Madrid conference in

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Middle East

Graham says Trump should consider a 2024 run if every legal option is exhausted

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Saying the presidential race is “by no means over,” South Carolina’s senior Republican lawmaker suggested that President Donald Trump exhaust every legal avenue before conceding the contest, and if he concedes, run again in four years and “keep his movement alive.”“All I’m asking people to do is run down every credible allegation

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USA

Georgia Democrats Re-Start Campaign With 2 Runoff Senate Races To Decide Control Of U.S. Senate

Georgia Senate candidate, Democrat Jon Ossoff, has faith that Georgia can keep the momentum and replace the two current Republican senators with Democrats in the January runoff elections.“There’s a huge sense of enthusiasm and momentum here in Georgia right now,” said Ossoff in an interview with CNN on Monday, claiming that Georgian Democrats have “the

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USA

Israeli Observer Worries about Ilhan Omar

Why are American Jewish organizations silent about Congressional anti-Semitism and anti-Israel slander?

Why is it that the ZOA is the only Jewish organization in America that initiated instant condemnation of Ilhan Omar’s latest anti-Semitic drumbeat against Israel. The new set of Omar’s lies, tweeted after the US election, included the blood libel that Israel is ethnically cleansing the Palestinians, accusing the Jewish State of “leaving an entire community homeless in direct violation of international law.” [Barry Shaw]

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Barry Shaw, Middle East, USA