A self-described Muslim who told thousands of well-wishers that he grew up “eating bagels and lox every Sunday” was sworn in twice on New Year’s Day 2026 as New York City’s 112th mayor. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Political Briefing: Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026 Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
David Bocarsly, executive director of the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California (JPAC), hailed a ruling in federal court on Wednesday upholding the constitutionality of AB 715, California’s law attempting to end antisemitism in the public schools. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Political Briefing: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025 Read More »
California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, Jewish Religion, News Media, Shanda File, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
Monday’s Bibi-Donald summit in Palm Beach produced hardly any news, but it spotlighted a lovefest for the leaders of Israel and America. [Bruce S. Ticker]
OpEd: Trump’s and Netanyahu’s Mutual Admiration Society Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
At the request of the Los Angeles police department, the public will not see immediately the autopsy reports for actor/ director Rob Reiner and his photographer wife Michele Singer Reiner who allegedly were stabbed to death Dec. 14 by their son Nick Reiner. [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Political Briefing: Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025 Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, News Media, Science, Medicine, & Education, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Technology, USA
That two Jewish leaders – Zelenskyy and Netanyahu – had back-to-back meetings with President Trump, selected Cabinet officials and White House aides, and with U.S. peace envoys Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were remarkable occasions, sure to be mentioned in Jewish history books of the future. [Donald H. Harrison]
Trump Meets with Netanyahu about Gaza, West Bank, Iran and Other Trouble Spots Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Israel, Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
I don’t get the feeling that Putin rained destruction on Ukraine because he seeks to replace outdated facilities and housing with more modern ones. [Laurie Baron]
Satire: Trump’s Trust Read More »
International, Israel, Lawrence Baron, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Among the new immigrants who arrived this year are 297 families, 946 children, 1,476 single men and women, and 548 retirees. The average age of Olim over the last year is 31 years old, with the oldest being 96 years old, and the youngest being a four-month-old baby. The Olim come from all over North America, most notably New York, New Jersey, California, Maryland, Florida, and Illinois. [Press Release]
4,150 Americans Made Aliyah to Israel in 2025 Read More »
Israel, Press Release, USA
Trump identified one area still awaiting resolution as whether Russia or Ukraine would keep the land in the Donbas region in Eastern Ukraine that Russia now occupies. Another is the fate of a Ukrainian nuclear power reactor, which Russian troops captured and now occupy. [Donald H. Harrison]
Marty Mauser, the protagonist of Marty Supreme, is a plucky ping pong imp and shoe salesman, in addition to being a nimble and loquacious malarkey artist. He is also a shockingly-gawdawful, verbal bastard person to his mother, played by Fran Drescher, who left her specific, discount Phyllis Diller voice in the dustbin of screen history where it belongs, much to the contentment of my sensitive ears. [John E. Finley-Weaver]
Film Review: ‘Marty Supreme’ is Supreme Cinema Read More »
Lifestyles, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Collaborations with Tara Kemp and Niki Haris arrived not through strategy, but alignment. In Jewish mysticism, souls recognize each other across lifetimes. These partnerships feel like that. Voices that carry history, strength, and survival. Together, they are not chasing relevance. They are restoring lineage. [Michael Adam Cohen]
The Perry Twins: Rhythm, Resonance, and the Revolution of Joy Read More »
California, Jewish Religion, Michael Adam Cohen, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Opinion, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
A notable shift has emerged among progressive, reformist, and moderate Muslim leaders worldwide. From 2023 onward, these voices have more openly condemned political Islam (or Islamism)—the ideology seeking coercive theocratic governance, supremacism, and authoritarian control—while distinguishing it from Islam as a personal faith. [Rabbi Dr. Michael Leo Samuel]
Global Pushback Against Radical Islamists Read More »
International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed, “We are blessed to share a nation and a Savior.” Similarly, Defense Secretary Hegseth asserted, “Today, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” The inherent problem with these messages is that they use a collective “we” to describe religious views and beliefs, as if these are views and beliefs that all Americans share. [Halie Soifer]
Trump’s Cabinet Secretaries Send Christian Messages on Federal Websites Read More »
Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA
U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-California) and Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut) have introduced legislation that, except under extraordinary circumstances, would confine Border Patrol law enforcement activities to 25 miles north of the international border with Mexico. [Donald H. Harrison]
I appreciate you stating clearly in a recent interview that antisemitism has no place in your political movement. However, the notion that our concerns about this bigotry on the right are “overstated by people who want to avoid having a foreign policy conversation about Israel” does not align with facts. [Roz Rothstein, StandWithUs]
StandWithUs CEO Roz Rothstein Sends ‘Open Letter’ to Vice President JD Vance Read More »
Antisemitism, Israel, Jewish History, Opinion, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA