USA

OpEd: Trump Appointees Mostly Pro-Israel, but Witkoff, Boulos, and DiMino Raise Questions

Trump’s November 2024 victory is seen as a game changer for Israel, nullifying much of the Biden agenda and installing a much needed, friendly American ally to back up Israel. But not all signs indicate that outcome. On the plus side are very Zionist appointees: Marco Rubio, Secretary of State; Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense; Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor; Elise Stefanik, US Ambassador to the UN; Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Israel; and many others. [Steve Kramer]

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International, Israel, Middle East, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Steve Kramer, USA

‘Sol’s Journey’ Contains Good Advice for American Jews

By Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin PIKESVILLE, Maryland — I have been reading and reviewing the inspiring, fascinating books by the brilliant writer Rabbi Dr. Charles H. Freundlich for over ten years and have enjoyed them all. Sol’s Journey, his eleventh fiction book since he started writing them at age eighty, is no exception. It is

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Threatened by Fire, Neighbors and Strangers Pull Together

Wednesday morning, Jan. 22, was supposed to be routine. After our daily Minyan at Chabad RB, I buckled my son into his car seat and headed out for the familiar drive to school. The morning commute usually offered a few quiet minutes to myself, but that morning, something broke the peaceful routine. As I crested a hill, I saw it. A massive pillar of smoke rose in the distance, dark and thick against the clear blue sky. My stomach dropped. This wasn’t a barbecue gone wrong or a brush fire far from home. It was close—too close. [Rabbi Hershy Weinstein]

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Lifestyles, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Satire: Trump’s First Three Days

By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — Although Vice President J.D. Vance recently assured an interviewer that Trump would decide to pardon the 1/6 rioters on a case-to-case basis, Trump pardoned all of them, even those convicted of assaulting Capitol police. The Pride Boys and Oath Keepers immediately disbanded and reconstituted themselves as the Stormtroopers under

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Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA

Stefanik Asserts Israel Has Biblical Right to Judea and Samaria

During her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, Jan 21, to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) affirmed her belief in Israel’s biblical right to Judea and Samaria, sparking heated exchanges with Senate Democrats. Stefanik vowed to use her position to combat antisemitism within the U.N. and defend Israel’s sovereignty on the global stage. [Israfan]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, USA

Claims Conference Reports Growing Gaps in Holocaust Knowledge in 8 Countries

The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) on Thursday, Jan. 23, released the first-ever, eight-country Index on Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness, exposing a global trend in fading knowledge of basic facts about the Holocaust. The countries surveyed include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary and Romania. [Press Release]

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International, Jewish History, Press Release, USA

Hadassah Medical Center CEO Saves Passenger on Flight from Israel to U.S.

Weiss administered emergency care, providing oxygen and medication, and instructed the crew to divert the flight for an emergency landing in Athens so the patient could be transferred to a local hospital for further treatment and monitoring. [Press Release]

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Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, Travel and Food, USA

Israel’s President Herzog Names 150 Jews to Address Global Jewish Challenges

Voice of the People, a global initiative tackling key challenges facing the Jewish people spearheaded by President Isaac Herzog, announced on Thursday, Jan. 23,  the formation of its inaugural 150-member global Jewish council. This diverse and dynamic cohort will lead a two-year mission to address the most pressing challenges facing the global Jewish community. [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, Jewish Religion, Philanthropy & Volunteerism, Press Release, USA

OpEd: Elon Musk is a Friend of the Jews and Not a Nazi

After the celebration of Donald Trump’s victory, Musk expressed gratitude with the statement, “This one matters, thank you, I give you my heart,” followed by a gesture perceived by some as resembling a Nazi salute. This incident quickly overshadowed his remarks about his ambitions for space exploration with SpaceX and Tesla. Musk’s actions sparked intense debate across political lines, particularly among left-wing commentators. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]

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Holocaust, Israel, Jewish History, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Novel Explores an Immigrant Jewish Family’s Life in Louisville Before World War II

This novel is a collection of sequential short stories about the Toplansky family, whose patriarch Shlomo immigrated in 1920 from Bialystok, Poland, to Louisville, Kentucky. He changed his first name to Sol and eked a living from his tailoring shop supplemented by singing and gambling.  He served as the chazzan at the Orthodox synagogue. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Fiction, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

OpEd: Trump Acting Like a Dictator

Donald Trump pledged to be a “dictator on day one,” and, for once, he’s making good on his promise. He is consolidating power, creating loyalty tests and enacting political retribution, rewarding convicted insurrectionists, co-opting the media and tech oligarchs, preparing for mass deportations and detentions, denying birthright citizenship enshrined in the Constitution, withdrawing from international agreements, and aligning with dangerous criminals and violent extremists. [Halie Sofer]

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Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA