Seacrest Village staff, nursing home residents receive first Pfizer vaccine shot

Pam Ferris, president and CEO of Seacrest Village Retirement Communities in suburban Encinitas, says the day that CVS Health administered the first round of Pfizer vaccine shots to staff and residents was also a day of music, deli sandwiches, lollipops and celebratory stickers given to those who were vaccinated. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County

Joan-Micklin-Silver, Pioneer Female Director, Demonstrated Popularity of Jewish Film Subjects

Joan Micklin Silver (1935-2020) passed away on New Year’s Eve. She belonged to a cohort of pioneering American female directors in the 1970s, many of whom were Jewish. Whereas most of her Jewish counterparts deal with Jewish themes in their films, she repeatedly returned to making distinctly Jewish films earning her the reputation of being the “the mother of Jewish feminist film.” [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]

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Jewish History, Lawrence Baron, Theatre, Film & Broadcast

Netanyahu to court Palestinian vote in latest re-election bid: reports

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has set his sights on swinging Palestinian votes as Israel heads towards its fourth election in two years, according to local media reports. On Friday, the Israeli premier was shown in a television report visiting the Palestinian city of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel as part of a coronavirus vaccination

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Middle East

Vandals target homes of House Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader McConnell

Vandals went on a spray-painting spree at the homes of Congress’ top two leaders in separate graffiti blitzes that appeared to target Capitol Hill’s failure to send out fatter stimulus checks. The Louisville, Kentucky, home of GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and San Francisco residence of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were both splatted

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USA

Torah for Children: Kindness and Good Choices

On Saturday, Jews around the world read Parshah Vayechi,  the last Parshah in the first book of the Torah. We’ve gone from the creation of the world all the way through to the lives of our three forefathers. We end with the final words of Jacob, our last forefather. Jacob asks Joseph to take his body our of Egypt and bury it in the cave with Abraham and Isaac. Joseph promises to fulfill his father’s request. Jacob then blesses Joseph’s two sons. Just as Jacob tricks his father into blessing him, he now switches the blessings for Joseph’s sons. Ephraim. the younger son is given the blessing to become the father of a great nation. Menasseh, the older son, will also be important, but Ephraim with be head of the greater nation. [Marcia Berneger]

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Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger

OpEd: Senate Republicans Finally Find Their Spines

After four years of bending to President Trump’s every chaotic whim, the Republican Party finally located its spine on New Year’s Day in 2021. The Republican-controlled Senate’s 80-13 vote to overturn Trump’s veto of the carefully negotiated, bipartisan annual defense bill was a sign that the party of Abraham Lincoln — at last — realized that conscientious government is more important that a lame-duck president’s fragile ego. [Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego]

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Chris Jennewein, USA

Early voting ends with record 3M Georgia voters for US Senate runoffs

ATLANTA — A record 3 million Georgia voters cast their ballots before early voting ended for the U.S. Senate runoffs, setting up a showdown that will be decided on election day Tuesday. The high turnout so far reflects the national importance of the dual runoffs, which will determine control of the Senate. Republican U.S. Sens.

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USA

‘Inexcusable’: Sen. Mitt Romney slams federal COVID vaccine rollout

As state and local governments struggle to vaccinate Americans for COVID-19, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, blasted the federal government’s vaccine rollout plan Friday, calling it “incomprehensible” and “inexcusable.” Romney rang in the New Year with the broadside against President Donald Trump, which he posted on his Senate webpage Friday morning. “That comprehensive vaccination plans have

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USA

No pressure, Georgia: On the cusp of Senate runoffs to shape Biden’s presidency

ATLANTA — For nine weeks, Georgians have been pummeled with ads, mailers, text messages, phone calls and urgent pleas from friendly door-knockers with one unifying message: Vote in Tuesday’s runoffs. Celebrities have danced to salsa music at sprawling parking lots, staged concerts outside massive gun stores, recreated musicals and movies. Big name politicos have trekked

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USA

Inclusion at Camp Chi

It was June of 1969. I was an 11 ½ year old visually impaired girl leaving home for the first time to attend Jewish overnight camp. I boarded the train to Wisconsin consumed with mixed emotions: already a little homesick and anxious, but also excited. I was excited about the friends coming from my Jewish Day school, and the new friends I hope to meet. At that moment, I was just like them—leaving home to spend three fun-filled weeks at summer camp.
It was a disaster. [Michelle Friedman]

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Judaism, Lifestyles, USA