USA

AI utilized to mass-produce online antisemitic messages

“Generative AI has dramatically lowered the barrier to producing and distributing antisemitic content,” said CyberWell Founder & CEO Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor. “What once required coordination, creativity, basic technical skills and time can now be created instantly and shared at scale. …” [Press Release]

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, Middle East, News Media, Press Release, USA

Shiite Islam practices taqiyya (deception) when dealing with non-believers

“Let not the believers take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Whoever does so will have no relationship with Allah – unless you take precautions against them”. (Quran 3:28; 2:173; 2:185; 4:29; 22:78; 40:28.) [Alex Gordon]

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Alex Gordon, Israel, Lifestyles, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Suggestion for preserving Holocaust memory

What is the solution to safeguard Holocaust memory? The Shoah must be incorporated into religious ritual. It should be part of the Haggadah, the machzor, High Holiday and other Jewish holidays. [Rabbi Dr. Bernhard H. Rosenberg]

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Antisemitism, Bernhard H. Rosenberg-Rabbi, Holocaust, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Former Congressman Eliot Engel dies at 79

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Eliot Engel, a devoted public servant to his constituents in Westchester and the Bronx, a tireless advocate for democracy and global security, and a steadfast champion of the U.S.-Israel relationship. As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he was a fierce leader who advanced American interests and promoted peace and security. [Press Release]

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Israel, Jewish History, Obituaries & memorials, Press Release, USA

The importance of San Diego’s Holocaust commemoration this Sunday

This Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center | JACOBS FAMILY CAMPUS, members of our community will come together to commemorate Yom HaShoah. I urge you to join us for this moving and meaningful event. Many of San Diego’s remaining Holocaust survivors will be there, and I cannot overstate what an honor it is to be in the room with these precious souls. To be in their presence is a privilege we will only have for a short time longer. [Heidi Gantwerk]

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Antisemitism, Heidi Gantwerk, Holocaust, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Jewish Democrats crown successful opposition to anti-Israel resolutions with a bagel brunch

The Chair reasonably suggested referring the first two resolutions to the DNC’s Working Group on the Middle East, an entity established by Chair Martin in August to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Committee voted in both cases to refer them to the Working Group, effectively defeating them ahead of today’s full DNC meeting. The AIPAC resolution was also rejected by the Committee. [Halie Soifer]

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Israel, Jewish Religion, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Seeing the Iranian struggle in the Passover story

For 2,500 years, Jews lived in Iran, long before the rise of Islam. There were periods of relative stability, even prosperity, but they were never truly equal. At best, they were second-class citizens. At worst, they were targets. There were times when Jews were forced to mark themselves as Jews, when false accusations spread easily, and when they were reminded that no matter how long they had lived there, they did not fully belong. [Chloe Levian]

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Antisemitism, California, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Finding beauty in nature at the Cardiff Library

Cali notes that his photographs are meant to be lived with. They are not asking for interpretation or explanation. Instead, they offer a space to slow your breath, rest your eyes, and feel a sense of connection. In searching for beauty, he is really seeking moments that feel honest and true. [Cailin Acosta]

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Cailin Acosta, California, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Black/ Jewish solidarity required to defeat racism, antisemitism

While the national media often treats the intersection of Black and Jewish identities as a modern novelty, the history of Jews of Color in the Americas is centuries deep. Long before the term “bridge-building” became a social justice buzzword, individuals were living at this intersection, weaving together the traditions of two resilient peoples. I am one of them. [Barrett Holman Leak]

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Antisemitism, Barrett Holman Leak, Jewish History, News Media, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

ADL, AEN rap Palestinian bias of the American Association of Geographers

Multiple sessions organized by “Geographers for Justice in Palestine” promoted efforts to boycott Israeli academia and featured presentations that were overwhelmingly one-sided. Sessions such as “BDS and the AAG,” “Mapping and Counter-Mapping Genocide,” and “No Geographic Technology for Apartheid” raised particular concern. (Press Release)

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Antisemitism, International, Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Children’s lives enriched by screen time alternatives

Linda Moskovics is a retired former head librarian at the Benjamin branch of the San Diego City Library system. She has now written a children’s book, for ages 4-14, inveighing against “too much screen time [that] can quietly steal joy, focus, sleep, and connection.  It can increase anxiety, harm social skills, impact brain development and crowd out important life experiences.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA