ATLANTA — Control of the U.S. Senate hung in the balance Tuesday as Georgians rushed to the polls to decide a pair of runoffs that will shape President-elect Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. The contests were too early to call Tuesday evening as campaigns braced for an extended vote count. The stakes were monumental as Republican
Georgia US Senate races still to too close to call Read More »
USA
WASHINGTON — Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley claimed on Twitter Monday night that his family faced vandalism and threats of violence during a protest outside of their northern Virginia home, but video posted by activists and a description from local police don’t match his account. The protest took place ahead of his planned objection to
Modern scholars easily detect that they refer to events in at least three widely separated chronological times. This leads to the conclusion that the package called the Book of Isaiah had at least three major authors, and likely many more minor contributors. [1] These three are called by modern scholars, respectively: Isaiah I (Chapters 1-39, c. 730-701 BCE), Isaiah II (Chapters 40-55, c. 586-539 BCE), and Isaiah III (Chapters 56-66, c. 5th Century BCE). [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Notes on the Haftorah Reading of January 9, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
The mid-life journey that led me back to college began in the mikvah. I had been observing the laws of Niddah (aka “Family Purity” or Taharat haMishpacha) for about six years when this immersion initiated a series of changes that brings me to where I am today. The night of this immersion (momentous only in retrospect), I had been struggling with post-partum hip pain for about a year and a half that no amount of physical therapy or chiropractic treatments was fixing. This night, the pain was unusually bad as I limped sideways down the mikvah steps. The attendant asked with clear concern in her voice, “Do you need help?” I said, “No, it only hurts”. But stairs had never hurt that bad. [Isobel-Marie Johnston]
Out of the Mikvah and onto a Ph.D Read More »
Jewish Religion, Lifestyles, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
The former Israeli ambassador to Jordan Jacob Rosen published an extensive list of Jewish surnames in Cairo that disclosed a stunning number of Ashkenazi surnames.In an interview with The Jerusalem Post ,Rosen said “Jewish refugees from Russian pogroms settled in Egypt.” Rosen, who also served as a diplomat in Egypt, said there were about 40,000
Ex-Israeli envoy reveals large number of Ashkenazi Jews lived in Cairo Read More »
Middle East
The new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee said Tuesday he would look to resume humanitarian aid to the Palestinians as part of a push by President-elect Joe Biden for a two-state solution. In an interview with AFP, Representative Gregory Meeks also supported the return of a diplomatic presence following outgoing President Donald Trump’s
New House foreign affairs chief eyes resuming US aid to Palestinians Read More »
Middle East, USA
To anyone paying attention the last four years, Trump’s refusal to accept that he lost the 2020 presidential election fair and square could not truly come as a surprise. That he would never concede was practically a given. What we could not know (and still do not know) with any certainty is just how far Trump will go to maintain his grip on power. [Sam Ben-Meir, Ph.D]
OpEd: Power versus Duty in American politics Read More »
Sam Ben-Meir, USA
Iconic talk-show host Larry King has been moved out of the intensive care unit amid his battle with COVID-19, but he’s not out of the woods yet. King remains hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he checked in more than a week ago. “Larry continues to improve,” King’s family said in a
Larry King out of ICU amid COVID-19 battle Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast
[Photo: Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images] On Jan. 6, the United States Congress will gather in a joint session to tally the votes of the Electoral College, which cast its ballots in state capitols last month. In his role as president of the Senate, Vice President Mike Pence is slated to officially announce Joe Biden as the
Washington (AFP) – For three years and 11 months Mike Pence has been Donald Trump’s most devoted footsoldier, but in the administration’s closing weeks the vice president faces intense pressure from his boss to thwart final certification of the election that they lost. US election law dictates that Pence preside over Wednesday’s joint session of
Pence: Man in the middle as Trump seeks unlikely miracle Read More »
USA
Los Angeles (AFP) – Former Bond actress and “That ’70s Show” star Tanya Roberts has died from a urinary tract infection at a Los Angeles hospital, her publicist said Tuesday, a day after premature reports of her passing were retracted. Roberts, 65, was best known for her role as geologist Stacey Sutton in the James
Former ‘Bond girl’ Tanya Roberts dies of infection aged 65 Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast
County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer, in a demonstration of bipartisanship on Tuesday, Jan. 5, yielded the ceremonial board position of chairman pro tempore to County Supervisor Joel Anderson after she was nominated to the position by Supervisor Nora Vargas, who had also successfully nominated herself for vice chair and County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher as board chair. [Donald H. Harrison]
Lawson-Remer receives major committee assignments Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, USA
Hashem appears to be saying “I will be one with you just as you are one with the people for whom you care so much.” Five times in the parasha, Hashem tells Moses that He feels the suffering of the Israelites. Moses, too, felt a tug to connect with his people. Hashem sees this and recognizes Moses’ special quality. We learn in this week’s Torah reading a most contemporary and timely lesson: We are not to simply see the suffering of others, but to experience it fully, as if it is our own–and act to reduce that suffering. As we reduce the pain in others, we then reduce our own. [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
Moses teaches us the need for compassion Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
Seacrest Foundation is excited to announce that longtime supporters of Seacrest, Sharon and David Wax, have committed a beautiful matching gift of $500,000 to the Hearts of Gold gala. Sharon and David shared, “We are delighted to give this gift in honor and recognition of our dear friends and gala leadership, Cindy and Larry Bloch, Jean and Franklin Gaylis, Mary and Jon Epsten, and Esther Fischer, for their support and dedication to Seacrest.” The Waxes, who generously support many Jewish organizations and the San Diego community at large, are especially eager to help motivate the community to double their impact to support Seacrest during this time of crisis. They continued by saying “Seacrest Village residents are among the most vulnerable in our population, and it’s imperative that we provide as much support as possible to ensure their care and safety.” [Press Release]
David & Sharon Wax Contribute $500,000 in Matching Funds to Seacrest Village Read More »
Lifestyles, San Diego County