(Tune: Santa Claus is Coming to Town)
He’s wearing a mask.
He’s acting so smart.
Deers cleared for the task.
They’re six feet apart.
Santa Claus is playing it safe. …[Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Santa Claus Is Playing It Safe Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire
President Trump will be hosting an in-person Chanukah party at the White House this coming Wednesday. Many of the Jewish leaders who were invited have declined to attend because of the COVID risk. Some, however, plan to be there, including ZOA president Mort Klein, who explained the motivation of those attending, “They want to see important people and they want to be seen.” At the 2015 White House Chanukah party, President Barack Obama addressed the attendees, including Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, and compared the Chanukkah story to what movie? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: White House Chanukah Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
An Orthodox convert with a criminal past in Baltimore’s drug gangs who turned his life around, married in Israel, and applied for citizenship under the Law of Return two and a half years ago, continues to face a nightmarish bureaucratic struggle in his effort to settle in the Jewish state.Despite being a committed member of
Convert’s nightmarish three-year quest for citizenship continues Read More »
Middle East, USA
PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Supreme Court moved up a key deadline Sunday for Pennsylvania officials to respond to a last-minute bid by one of Trump’s top boosters in Congress to decertify the state’s elections results. Previously, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., who oversees emergency matters arising out of Pennsylvania for the court, had given
US Supreme Court moves up deadline in congressman’s bid to upend Pa. election results Read More »
USA
Washington (AFP) – The US Supreme Court will hear Monday a case involving an important medieval art collection that Nazi Germany acquired from Jewish dealers. The clash centers on gold crosses, jewels and other religious works from the 11th to the 14th centuries that are now on exhibit in a museum in Berlin. “This case
US Supreme Court hears case on art trove bought by Nazi Germany Read More »
International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA
Washington (AFP) – Joe Biden plans to nominate California attorney general Xavier Becerra for secretary of health and human services, which would add another Latino member to the president-elect’s increasingly diverse cabinet, US media reported Sunday. During Becerra’s 12 terms in Congress representing Los Angeles, he was an outspoken advocate of Latino rights and a
Biden picks California official Becerra for health secretary: report Read More »
USA
The landmark Abraham Accords that Israel has struck with two Gulf states are an opportunity for the Palestinians and do not come at their “expense”, Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said on Sunday. The UAE and Bahrain broke decades of Arab consensus with their move, condemned as a “stab in the back” by Palestinian leaders
Abraham Accords are ‘opportunity’ for Palestinians, Israel claims Read More »
Travel and Food
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The tobacco industry-funded group behind an effort to undo a pending state ban on the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, has submitted more than 1 million petition signatures. The California Coalition for Fairness — which is funded by R.J Reynolds Tobacco Company, Philip Morris USA and ITG Brands
California is set to ban menthol cigarettes on Jan. 1. The industry is out to stop it Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
On Friday, President-elect Joe Biden announced his Jan. 20 Inauguration Day blueprint would be scaled down and use remote alternatives, which would be similar virtual techniques employed by the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The president-elect offered detailed executive-level plans for Inauguration Day, noting that they would likely mirror that of the 2020 DNC, which
Biden Provides First Details Of Virtual Inauguration Day Read More »
USA
Washington (AFP) – Donald Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani has tested positive for Covid-19, the president said Sunday, the latest member of his inner circle to contract the disease. It was unclear whether Giuliani was experiencing symptoms, but at age 76 the former New York mayor is considered part of a high-risk group. He has
Trump says his lawyer Giuliani has Covid-19 Read More »
USA
Dishman covers ADHD, depression, personality disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, anxiety, PTSD and insomnia. He goes into detail in each of these, including the variety of medications available for anyone suffering with one of these mental illnesses, or as he calls them, “Diversity of Personality.” [Michael Mantell, Ph.D]
Pharmacist Explains How Drugs Can Mitigate Mental Illness Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Lifestyles, Michael Mantell, Science, Medicine, & Education
Israeli authorities have cleared police of any wrongdoing in the case of a 9-year-old boy who lost an eye after apparently being shot in the face by an Israeli officer earlier this year. Malik Eissa was struck by what appeared to be a sponge-tipped munition last February and lost vision in his left eye, and
Israeli police cleared in shooting of maimed Palestinian 9-year-old Read More »
Middle East
What are we created for? What is our destination? What is the destination of this endlessly-large and incomprehensible universe? These are centuries-old questions which come to the mind of every thinking human being. The Torah tells us: “To glorify Gd!” But other purposes for which everything was created, and the final destination of humanity and the universe in general, are known only to Gd. We humans can only come up with some guesses and assumptions based on our experience and observations. [Arkady Mamaysky]
Debating Life’s True Meaning Read More »
Arkady Mamaysky, Jewish Religion, Lifestyles
Many Jews, even those who do not observe any Jewish practice other than Yom Kippur and Passover, observe Hanukah, mostly because their children want gifts, but they have wrong ideas about the history relating to the holiday. Even most observant Jews have wrong ideas, as do many non-Jews. The late Dr. Howard Rubenstein of San Diego published a fascinating book about the history of Hanukah called Maccabee: An Epic in Free Verse. Based upon the Books of Maccabees. The book is very readable. One should not be turned off by the words “free verse.” In fact, Rubenstein’s free verse is easier to read than the average novel written for the general population, and is more interesting. I recommend the book. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Some little known facts about Hanukah Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion