Published by Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A hate crimes bill to combat violence against Asian Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic passed the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly on Thursday, a rare bipartisan vote in the evenly divided chamber. The bill passed 94-1, with Missouri Senator Josh Hawley the only no vote. It must pass […]
U.S. Senate passes bill to fight anti-Asian hate crimes Read More »
USA
Published by Reuters By Poppy McPherson (Reuters) – Food insecurity is rising sharply in Myanmar in the wake of the military coup and deepening financial crisis with millions more people expected to go hungry in coming months, the United Nations said on Thursday. Up to 3.4 million more people will struggle to afford food in
Millions face hunger as Myanmar crisis worsens, United Nations says Read More »
International
Published by Al-Araby Imprisoned Fatah Party figure Marwan Barghouthi holds a commanding lead over the incumbent President Mahmoud Abbas for the upcoming Palestinian presidential election, according to new poll data. Palestinians are due to vote in legislative elections on 22 May and in presidential elections on 31 July. A new poll by the Jerusalem Media
Barghouthi leads Palestinian presidential election poll amid fears of delay Read More »
Middle East
Published by Reuters By Dan Williams and Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) -A Syrian missile exploded in southern Israel on Thursday, the Israeli military said, in an incident that triggered warning sirens near the secretive Dimona nuclear reactor and an Israeli strike in Syria. An Israeli military spokesman identified the projectile as an SA-5 surface-to-air missile
Syrian missile explodes in area near Israeli nuclear reactor, Israel retaliates Read More »
Middle East
Published by DPA President Joe Biden kicked off a climate summit of 40 world leaders on Thursday by promising to cut US greenhouse gas emissions in half by decade’s end, one of many pledges at the online meeting to tackle global warming. “Scientists tell us that this is the decisive decade. This is the decade
World leaders pledge ambitious climate action at Biden-hosted summit Read More »
International
Published by Reuters By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly voted, for the second time in less than a year, to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, sending it to the Senate where it faces stiff Republican opposition. By a vote of 216-208, the Democratic-controlled House
U.S. House passes bill to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state Read More »
USA
Emuna is the Hebrew word for faith, and in his newest book, 13 Principles of Emuna, Rabbi Lazer Brody passionately reexamines Maimonides thirteen assertions, ranging from the fervent belief in one God to acknowledging the future resurrection of the dead and the coming of the Messiah, through a traditional orthodox-Jewish frame of reference. [Fred Reiss, Ed.D]
Author Adopts Maimonides’ Principles as True Judaism Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion
Whether the refugee cap is increased to 125,000 annually, as President Biden originally promised in February, or kept at the 15,000 level set by his predecessor, or ends up somewhere in between — as now seems likely — America’s policy of admitting refugees remains inadequate for meeting the human rights challenges of our era. Perhaps the time has come for a new approach — one based on a proposal first made in 1943-44. [Rafael Medoff]
U.S. Should Revisit Idea of Temporary Havens Read More »
International, Jewish History, USA
Kobili Traore cannot stand trial for killing a Jewish woman since his state of mind was influenced by consumption – voluntary consumption, that is – of cannabis. [Bruce S. Ticker]
France’s Insanity Defense Is Itself Insane Read More »
Bruce Ticker, International
I believe Yom Haatzmaut is very representative of my journey of becoming an Israeli citizen and what my plans are now that I’m here. As a convert to Judaism, when I was fifteen, who made my first trip to Israel in 2016 with Taglit/Birthright and then enjoyed seven extensive trips to the country subsequently, my dream of making Aliyah was finally complete this year when I embarked on a Nefesh B’Nefesh charter Aliyah flight. [Ondria Rees]
Celebrating a Truly Independent Yom Haatzmaut Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, USA
The Israel Prize is awarded for academic or social excellence, and serves as Israel’s attempt to provide its own version of the Nobel Prize. Sadly, I have never attended a Nobel Prize ceremony, but I have read about it, and I know it is a very stately and serious occasion. Just imagine, if the ceremony would be the occasion for a series of pop singers to pop up, sing and play at the tops of their voices a medley of songs of questionable taste (and certainly not my taste). But that was the overriding tone of the Israel Prize ceremony last night. The whole occasion left an impression of bad judgment and inferior standards. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Israel Lowers Its Cultural Standards of Excellence Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Lifestyles, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
This short, entirely poetic message is from the writings of Amos, one of the 12 ‘minor’ prophets. He was from the Southern Kingdom of Judah, but his preaching (760-755 BCE) was against the Northern Kingdom of Israel, notably its cities of Samaria and Bethel. This was during the reign of Jeroboam II (788-747 BCE), a time of foreign conquests, thus internal peace and prosperity in the North. [1] Amos’ preaching coincided with the reign in the Southern Kingdom of King Uzziah (785-733 BCE), considered one of the ‘good and righteous kings.’ [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Haftorah Reading for April 24, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
After a Minneapolis jury on Tuesday convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd, Jewish organizations and individuals issued their reactions. Among them: [Donald H. Harrison]
Jewish Reactions to Chauvin Guilty Verdict Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, USA
Published by Reuters By Jonathan Allen and Nathan Layne MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) -Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder on Tuesday in the arrest of George Floyd, a milestone in the fraught racial history of the United States and a rebuke of law enforcement’s treatment of Black Americans. The 12-member jury found Chauvin, 45,
Minneapolis jury convicts ex-policeman Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd Read More »
USA