Today’s Jewish Birthday: Jared Kushner

When Ivanka’s father, Donald Trump, became U.S. President in 2017, Jared became a senior advisor in the White House and director of the Office of American Innovation. He was put in charge of Trump’s initiative in the Middle East, which resulted in the Abraham Accords among Israel, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, and Morocco.[SdJW staff]

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Jewish History, Staff and Bylined Contributors, Today's Jewish Birthday, USA

San Diego International Jewish Film Festival Celebrates 34th Season with In-Person Lineup, Jan. 31 – Feb. 11 and Virtual, Feb. 11-18

Film enthusiasts can attend in-person screenings at the David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, while virtual film screenings are available on demand beginning on Feb. 11 and will remain available through Feb 18. [SDIJFF Press Release]

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Press Release, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Blinken says Israel must make ‘hard choices,’ work with Palestinian leaders

Published by Reuters By Simon Lewis TEL AVIV (Reuters) – Israel must make “hard choices” if it wants to normalize relations with more of its neighbors and should support Palestinian leaders who are willing to live side-by-side with Israelis, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday in Tel Aviv. Blinken in recent days

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Israel, Middle East, USA

Madrid museum may keep Pissarro painting looted by Nazis, US appeals court rules

Published by Reuters UK Decision is a Set Back for the Cassirer Family of San Diego By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court said on Tuesday that Madrid’s Thyssen-Bornemisza museum may keep a painting by the French impressionist Camille Pissarro that the Nazis looted from a Jewish woman, rejecting an ownership claim that

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Holocaust, International, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Nordot, San Diego County, USA

Melee over secret tunnel at Brooklyn Chabad headquarters ends in 12 arrests

Published by New York Daily News NEW YORK — A dozen students at Brooklyn’s Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters were arrested as they tried to stop efforts to block a secret illegal tunnel they had dug in a bizarre attempt to expand the house of worship, officials said Tuesday. Police were called to the famed Orthodox

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Nordot, Shanda File, USA

Epstein Accuser Names Billionaire Les Wexner: Unsealed Docs

Published by Radar Online (UK) Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre claims to have been sex trafficked to former Victoria’s Secret CEO Les Wexner in newly unsealed court docs which allege they had intercourse “multiple” times. The shocking revelation was found within now-public filings stemming from a settled 2015 lawsuit between Giuffre and Epstein accomplice Ghislaine

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Shanda File, USA

2023 Was a Record-Breaking Year for Israel Bonds, with $2.7B in Investments

A year that began on a festive note, as Israel Bonds commemorated the Jewish state’s milestone 75th anniversary later turned somber with the October 7 Hamas massacre. Yet at Israel’s darkest moment, Israel Bonds produced its most significant accomplishments — securing an additional $1 billion in such investments by the war’s 30-day mark. This historic groundswell of investments included purchases from more than 15 U.S. state and municipal governments and institutions. [Israel Bonds Pres Release)

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Business & Finance, Israel, Press Release, USA

Our Shtetl San Diego County: The Local Jewish Political Scene

County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer was re-elected as vice chair of the County Board of Supervisors, which once again will be chaired by Supervisor Nora Vargas.  There’s an interesting split among three Democrats and two Republicans on the technically non-partisan Board of Supervisor.  The Democrats are all women – Vargas, Lawson-Remer, and Monica Montgomery-Steppe – while the Republicans are both men: Joel Anderson and Jim Desmond. [SDJW staff]

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Antisemitism, Business & Finance, California, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Deforestation in the Amazon Led to Reduced Thunderstorms, Tel Aviv Researchers Repor

“These findings are worrying because a decrease in the amount of storms leads to a decrease in the amount of rain, which in turn causes further damage to the forests. This is a dangerous feedback loop, which could severely damage the forests that provide the earth with a significant portion of the oxygen in the atmosphere and absorb a large portion of the carbon dioxide emitted by us into the atmosphere.” [Tel Aviv University Press Release]

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Israel, Press Release, Science, Medicine, & Education, The World We Share

StandWithUs Unites Diverse Ethnic Groups in Defense of Israel

Laniado, the regional director, told me that correcting lies and misinformation about Israel while fighting domestic antisemitism are missions so urgent that without such an effort, “in five years, we won’t be able to put the mezuzahs on our doors,” maybe even sooner than that. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Antisemitism, California, Donald H. Harrison, Israel, San Diego County, Staff and Bylined Contributors, USA

Hebrew Calendar Based on Controversial Approximations

Scholars, such as Azariah de’ Rossi, in his The Light of the Eyes, speculate that the anno mundi — also known as the Hebrew calendar — may have originated around the sixth century, after the Talmudic Period. While this seems to be the date of its origin, it was not until relatively recently that Jews began to use it. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]

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Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion, Staff and Bylined Contributors

Parasha Va’eira: Accepting Life’s Challenges

This week we learn of Abraham’s test to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac. It’s the only challenge of the ten trials in the Torah clearly identified as a “test.” Hashem needed to test Abraham? After all, isn’t He omniscient? Yes, but the purpose of these tests are to elevate Abraham, to help him grow. [Michael R. Mantell, PhD]

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Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell, Staff and Bylined Contributors