[N]ot being able to convince enough Israelis to support him, {Netanyahu] has decided to bribe us all by each citizen being given money, whether we need it or not, at the cost for the state of billions of shekels. His leadership has failed. Will bribes work? I am told that they did in Poland before elections there. [Rabbi Dow Marmur]
Bibi orders direct Covid19 payments to Israelis Read More »
Middle East
Many are asking, “What can I do?” Simply opening a bank account at a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) may be one of the easiest ways to help address wealth inequality in your community, with no cost and no risk to you. [Beth Sirull]
Helping the Black community through your banking Read More »
Business & Finance, San Diego County, USA
To counter a boycott against Goya Food in protest of its CEO praising Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump posted a photo of her holding up a can of Goya Black Beans captioned in English and Spanish, “If it’s Goya, it’s got to be good.” Criticized for using her office to promote a product, she retorted that the photo was intended as a campaign ad to show Latino and African American voters that “black beans matter” to her father. [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D}
Satire: Expect the worst Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
I have more than a few questions about the conduct of the tax fraud case in which Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein is being recommended for probation, rather than a prison sentence, notwithstanding the fact that his pattern of illegal conduct reaches back several decades. [Donald H. Harrison]
What did the White House know about Rabbi Goldstein’s criminality? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, USA
Hospital data is now going directly to the Trump administration rather than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This will have immediate and far reaching consequences. Already valuable CDC pages that tracked changes in the number of occupied and available hospital beds in the nation for COVID-19 patients stopped working as a result of the switch. We have essentially lost this important metric for gauging the progress of the disease. The sidelining of the CDC is nothing less than a travesty and Americans should be outraged and alarmed. This loss of transparency will lead inevitably to an even worse pandemic and greater loss of life. [Sam Ben-Meir]
Less transparency will worsen the pandemic Read More »
Sam Ben-Meir, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
The rage, desperation, and determination which continue to bring tens of thousands of Americans to the streets in protest against racism and injustice hopefully will be just the beginning. They are sick and tired of systemic racism against Black people, of bigotry at the top, crude discrimination, police brutality, a prejudiced criminal justice system, economic disparity, and society’s robbing Black people of experiencing real freedom and equality. Hypocritically, White people blame the victims of racism for their own plight, claiming that Black people would do better in life if they were only willing to work harder. [Alon Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
U.S. must reverse racist treatment of Black people Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, USA
Purportedly quoting the most reviled monster in modern history, the Eagles wide receiver last week posted on Instagram that Hitler accuses “white Jews” of having a “plan for world domination…Hitler said, ‘because the white Jews knows that the Negroes are the real Children of Israel and to keep America’s secret the Jews will blackmail America. … The white citizens of America will be terrified to know that all this time they’ve been mistreating and discriminating and lynching the Children of Israel.’” [Bruce S. Ticker]
DeSean Jackson: Ignorance or hatred? Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Sports & Competitions, USA
I supports conservatism, fairness, love of country, and most of all the right of Jews to be free of anti-Semitic attacks and the public discrimination proclivity. Already when Donald Trump ran in the primaries, I had faith not only that Trump would be a good president for all Americans, but he would turn over the hostile tide President Obama established against the State of Israel. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard Rosenberg]
A ‘Rabbi for Trump’ tells why Read More »
Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, International, Jewish History, USA
Xenon Pictures presents a new documentary, About Face: Jewish Refugees in the Allied Forces. The promo reads: “When they were kids, they got the hell out of Germany. When they grew up, they returned… heavily armed and ready to kick Nazi tuchas.” [Eric George Tauber]
Jews fight back in ‘About Face’ Read More »
Eric George Tauber, International, Jewish Religion, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
I have chosen three passages from this double parsha, for comparison with ancient non-Israelite practices, from what I could find in internet sources, concerning votive offerings, sexual repression, and military campaigns. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Ancient practices: votive offerings, cruelty, military campaigns Read More »
International, Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion, Middle East
I recently heard PBS television host, Christiane Amanpour remark (really a question) to her guest, “I thought Black veterans of World War II did not receive benefits of the G.I. Bill of Rights.” Her statement passed without further comment, but not for me. As a veteran of WW II, I am familiar with the G.I. Bill of Rights and knew she was not technically correct. However, at this very moment thousands of protestors, Black and White, are marching on our city streets demanding an end to police brutality against Black men and women. With Amanpour’s remark burning in my mind and hearing those voices in the streets, I had to check what really happened to Black veterans 75 years ago. [Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel]
Black veterans denied rights of G.I. Bill of Rights Read More »
Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, former spiritual leader of Chabad of Poway, who was welcomed at the White House after he was wounded in an April 27, 2019 attack on his synagogue by a gunman, had meanwhile been under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of tax fraud, to which he pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court. U.S. Attorney Robert Brewer said he planned to recommend probation for Goldstein because he has helped his office obtain the convictions of five other co-defendants and is cooperating in numerous cases that are still pending. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein pleads guilty to tax fraud Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Complaints are mounting, especially from sectors of the unemployed, laid off, independents, operators of halls for weddings and other occasions, bar owners, restaurateurs, and those providing cultural events. They’ve been left out of acceptable–or any–programs for aid, and have been been closed in the government’s effort to deal with the current high wave of Coronavirus infections. One sign of the coalition’s fault comes from the multiple plans and promises, none implemented, or implemented only in part, to deal with the economics or the infections. [Ira Sharkansky]
Israel’s government indecisive on coronavirus remedies Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East– Beth Jacob Congregation responded quickly to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order on Monday, once again closing down indoor places of worship in response to the spiking coronavirus pandemic. The governor’s order also included fitness centers, offices for “non-critical sectors,” personal care services, malls and hair salons and barbershops. [Our Shtetl San Diego County column by Donald H. Harrison]
Beth Jacob issues rules for outdoor davening Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, USA