For the first time since the founding of The State of Israel, the country’s Jewish population dropped below 74%, according to the Israeli Immigration Policy Center (IPC) who cited data from Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics.Also this year, the number of Jewish immigrants hit a record low of 33.8% of the total number of new
In first, Jewish population in Israel drops below 74% Read More »
Middle East
Talk show host Larry King is reportedly hospitalized with COVID-19 in Los Angeles. King, 87, is being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, ABC News reported Saturday. The Brooklyn born King hosted “Larry King Live” on CNN from 1985 to 2010 and more recently, helmed “Larry King Now” on Ora TV. King’s health woes have been
Larry King hospitalized with COVID-19, report says Read More »
Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
Pastor Jim Garlow, formerly of Skyline Church of Rancho San Diego, California, is a featured speaker (Garlow now is based in Washington, D.C.) ATLANTA — Hundreds of religious voters flocked to downtown Atlanta on Saturday to pray outside the state Capitol ahead of Tuesday’s runoff elections. The Georgia Prayer March aimed “to encourage people to
Voters hold prayer march at Capitol in Atlanta ahead of Tuesday’s runoffs Read More »
San Diego County, USA
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]
Seacrest Village staff, nursing home residents receive first Pfizer vaccine shot Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County
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]
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
Netanyahu to court Palestinian vote in latest re-election bid: reports Read More »
Middle East
Washington (AFP) – A group of Republican senators led by veteran lawmaker Ted Cruz said Saturday they would not vote next week to certify Joe Biden’s election win — the latest last-ditch move to support Donald Trump’s efforts to undermine the vote. The initiative, which appears certain to fail, flies in the face of rulings in
A dozen US senators plan to oppose Biden certification Read More »
USA
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
Vandals target homes of House Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader McConnell Read More »
USA
The only woman on federal death row is again due to be executed before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration after a panel of judges on Friday reversed an order that could have pushed the proceeding past the end of the Trump administration. The decision by a three-judge federal appeals court panel had the effect of resetting
Ruling would allow execution of only woman on federal death row Read More »
USA
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]
Torah for Children: Kindness and Good Choices Read More »
Jewish Religion, Marcia Berneger
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]
OpEd: Senate Republicans Finally Find Their Spines Read More »
Chris Jennewein, USA
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.
Early voting ends with record 3M Georgia voters for US Senate runoffs Read More »
USA
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
‘Inexcusable’: Sen. Mitt Romney slams federal COVID vaccine rollout Read More »
USA
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
No pressure, Georgia: On the cusp of Senate runoffs to shape Biden’s presidency Read More »
USA