USA

Why do we love books about presidents? Obama’s ‘Promised Land’ is next and there’s a stack about Trump

CHICAGO — In the early 1930s, Ralph Newman was walking through the Near North Side when he noticed a bookstore going out of business. He had left Northwestern University after a semester to play minor league baseball in the Southwest — only to be injured and leave baseball. He was in his 20s when he […]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, USA

Janet Yellen to be 3rd consecutive Jewish Treasury Secretary

Among Jews nominated for important posts in the Biden Administration is Secretary of the Treasury-designate Janet Yellen, a former chair of the Federal Reserve.  Although she and her husband, Nobel Prize-winning economist George Akerlof, have not to date talked much publicly about their religious beliefs, it is known that as residents of Berkeley, California, decades ago, they attended services at that city’s Congregation Beth El, and that their son Robert Akerlof, who is now himself a professor of economics at the University of Warwick, was enrolled by them in the Beth El preschool. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Rosenwald’s and Washington’s Partnership for Good

The Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, www.JASHP.org, has funded and completed another marker it its series honoring and recognizing the Partnership for Good of Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and Black educator Booker T. Washington. Rosenwald was key to the construction of over 5,400 schools, in the 13 States of “South” for Black school children. Millions of Black Americans were significantly benefited by Rosenwald’s generosity. [Jerry Klinger]

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Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Streaming Jewish Programs (Nov. 29-Dec. 4, 2020)

Following are programs of scholarly and popular Jewish interest that can be accessed via the Internet from Nov. 29 through Dec. 4, 2020.  All times are Pacific Standard Time. [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, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA

Orthodox Jewish synagogue fined over secret pandemic wedding

New York (AFP) – An Orthodox Jewish synagogue has been fined by New York authorities after thousands gathered to attend a secretly organized indoor wedding that violated coronavirus restrictions.The Hasidic place of worship was fined $15,000 over the November 8 event, which was organized without the knowledge of city officials, Mayor Bill de Blasio said

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USA

Commentary: Immigration is the story of our families

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to restore protection to “Dreamers,” provide a pathway to citizenship for other immigrants, rescind his predecessor’s travel bans and allow in more refugees. It is a welcome break from the cruelty of his predecessor, who separated children from their parents and put them in cages.Immigration is often discussed as an

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International, USA

Donald Trump Asked To ‘Stop Golfing And Concede’ By Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan

On Sunday, President Donald Trump and Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Maryland) got into an angry exchange over Twitter.Reports show that Hogan spent millions of dollars on COVID-19 tests from South Korea that have proven to be inaccurate, and Maryland has had a recent surge in COVID cases. Trump shared this on his Twitter, writing that “Hogan

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USA

Biden appoints Palestinian-American woman to senior White House role

US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday appointed a Palestinian-American woman to serve as a senior member of his White House staff.Reema Dodin, who is currently a volunteer on the President-elect’s transition team, will take the post of deputy director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, alongside Shuwanza Goff.She will be the first ever

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Middle East, USA

Georgia state senators call for special session to address voting issues

ATLANTA — Four Republican state senators are calling for a special session of the General Assembly to address voting concerns before the January runoff — an idea that top Georgia leaders have already rejected.In a statement released late Tuesday, the senators called for the session to “address structural issues with our voting system before the

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USA

Imagining the next White House seder!

One can imagine a crowded seder at the White Housed during Passover week next year, with President-elect Joe Biden and his First Lady Jill Biden observing and perhaps taking a turn reading the Haggadah as guests of honor.  Biden’s son by his first marriage, Hunter, is married to South African filmmaker Melissa Cohen, while Ashley, daughter of the President-elect and the First Lady-designate, is married to plastic surgeon, Dr. Howard Krein. There might be plenty of other Jews there, starting with the Second Gentleman (as perhaps he will be called) Doug Emhoff, the attorney who is husband to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, USA

Satire: Super Narcissistic Hyper-Braggadocious  

He’s super narcissistic hyper-braggadocious.                                                                                            
He cannot concede his loss due to paranoid psychosis.                                                                         
If you say lawsuits are doomed, he’ll doubt your prognosis.                                                                     
Super narcissistic hyper-braggadocious. … [Satire by Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Adam Schiff analyzes the 2020 election

First things first, there was one overriding goal on November 3rd: Defeat Donald Trump and elect Joe Biden. That was goal one, two, and three. And we did it. By that existential measure alone, the election was a vital success and we can all be proud of the role we played to make it so. I don’t know about you, but my predominant reaction when the size and certainty of Biden’s victory became clear was “thank God,” accompanied by a tremendous sense of relief. Now, we can begin to mitigate and repair the horrendous damage this president has inflicted on the nation, an injury to the body politic that he is deepening even now with his outrageous and despicable claims of fraud. President-elect Biden is already assembling an incredible team of Cabinet members. Experienced, compassionate, no drama, and ready to serve. [Adam Schiff]

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USA