Who was Shimon Bar Yochai?

An Israeli national disaster occurred at the Lag B’Omer festival on Mount Meron in northern Israel on April 28 when 45 people were killed and 155 were injured when thousands people gathered in the tightly packed confines of a compound surrounding the grave of a Jewish holy man. The tragic incident demands answers for why a hundred thousand mainly Haredi Jews from Israel and abroad would make their way to this isolated site at this special time. [Barry Shaw]

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Barry Shaw, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East

Joys and Perils of Internet Shopping

Another of the consolations provided by the internet was on-line shopping. I don’t know about everyone else, but my screen ‘feeds’ constantly contained images of desirable garments, books, items of furniture, gadgets and sundry items with which someone out there sought to entice me. Most of the time I managed to resist the temptation, but , I must confess that there were occasions on which I succumbed. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]

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Business & Finance, Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle East

Palestinian election will be postponed, says Abbas

Published by DPA Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced late Thursday that the Palestinian election will be postponed. Abbas made the announcement after meeting with representatives of several Palestinian groups in Ramallah on Thursday evening. The Palestinian president said it had been agreed to postpone the poll election until the participation of the people in East

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Middle East

Exclusive: Pfizer begins to export U.S.-made COVID-19 shots, first doses sent to Mexico

Published by Reuters By Carl O’Donnell (Reuters) – Pfizer Inc’s shipment of COVID-19 vaccine to Mexico this week includes doses made in its U.S. plant, the first of what are expected to be ongoing exports of its shots from the United States, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. The vaccine shipment,

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USA

Poems of Natan Alterman, Zelda, to be performed May 4

Two famous Israeli Poets, Natan Alterman and Zelda, will be featured at 7 p.m.  Tuesday, May 4, in a salute to  Jewish Poets of the Past. The evening presented by Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices, under the auspices of the Lawrence Family JCC’s Astor Judaica Library and the San Diego Center for Jewish Culture, will feature on Zoom two dozen readers and vocalists. [Eileen Wingard]

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Travel and Food

India infections top 18 million as gravediggers work round the clock

Published by Reuters By Alasdair Pal and Francis Mascarenhas NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) – India’s total COVID-19 cases passed 18 million on Thursday after another world record number of daily infections, as gravediggers worked around the clock to bury victims and hundreds more were cremated in makeshift pyres in parks and parking lots. India reported 379,257

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International

No requirement to respect elections rigged by dictators

Secretary of State Antony Blinken, with regard to elections in South America, tweeted earlier this month: “I recall @POTUS saying: ‘Democracy is fragile. That it must always be defended. That we must be ever vigilant.’ Elections are the first step. We must respect results and hold leaders accountable to sustain our democracies.” [Shoshana Bryen]

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Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA

Einstein Didn’t Come Through for This Reviewer

It is wonderful to see how resilient and innovative our San Diego area theaters are, and North Coast Repertory Theater is a testament to the old adage, “the show must go on.” Under the direction of David Ellenstein with co-writer Marc Silver, audiences were invited to attend the one-man show, Einstein Comes Through, portrayed by Jake Broder.  [Eva Trieger]

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Eva Trieger, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

CD Compiles Music from Jewish and Other Ghettos

Frank London, jazz trumpeter, band leader, co-founder of the Klezmatics, founder of the Klezmer Brass Allstars and co-founder of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, is one of the most important figures in the Klezmer Renaissance. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, majoring in Afro-American Music, he is also well schooled in World Music. Currently, he serves on the music faculty of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Purchase. [Eileen Wingard]

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Eileen Wingard, Jewish History, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts

China ‘closing in fast,’ Biden warns Congress, as he asks for trillions in spending

Published by Reuters By Trevor Hunnicutt and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden proposed a sweeping new $1.8 trillion plan in a speech to a joint session to Congress on Wednesday, pleading with Republican lawmakers to work with him on divisive issues and to meet the stiff competition posed by China. The Democratic

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USA