The American Jewish Committee (AJC) honored Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Tuesday with its Light Unto the Nations Award. It is the global Jewish advocacy organization’s highest honor bestowed on world leaders who exhibit leadership in the defense of democratic values and friendship with the Jewish people. [American Jewish Committee news release]
AJC honors Japan’s PM Abe Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
The Court of Justice of the European Union issued a decision Tuesday that Israeli-made products from East Jerusalem and other disputed Israeli territories be labeled with the designation “colonies israéliennes” (“Israeli colony or settlement”). The controversial regulation was driven by foreign policy concerns, and contributes in no demonstrable way to food safety or consumer protection. The Lawfare Project and Cabinet Briard initiated legal action in 2017 on behalf of Israeli winemaker Psâgot, challenging the regulation before France’s administrative supreme court (Conseil d’État), which asked for guidance from the CJEU. [Lawfare Project press release]
EU court mandates labeling of Israeli products Read More »
Business & Finance, International, Middle East, USA
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Tuesday called on lawmakers and law enforcement authorities to take action to address the deeply disturbing climate of hate in the United States after newly released FBI data showed that Jews and Jewish institutions were the overwhelming target of religion-based hate crimes last year – as they have been every year since 1991. [Anti-Defamation League press release]
ADL calls for legal action against hate crimes Read More »
USA
Both at the top, and both are reeling on the edge. Can they help one another? Perhaps with favorable comments. But both are subject to local pressures likely to overcome such goodies. [Ira Sharkansky, PhD]
Parallel troubles for Trump and Netanyahu Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
The former foreign minister said that it was during the Second Lebanon War that she realized that there could be no military solution to Israel’s troubles with its neighbors, only a political one. She said when the terrorist group Hezbollah attacked settlements in the north of Israel, she was urged by then U.S. Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice to prevent her country’s military forces from destroying the duly constituted Lebanese government while retaliating against Hezbollah. [Donald H. Harrison]
Tzipi Livni remains optimistic about Mideast peace Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
There is a continuing focus on Holocaust education in the county, with the Lawrence Family JCC and the J Company Youth Theatre announcing a planned “Remembrance Reading” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the JCC, and second-generation Holocaust educators Sandy Scheller and Sonia Fox-Ohlbaum pledging to take to schools the concentration camp uniforms their family members had been forced to wear. [Donald H. Harrison]
Survivors’ descendants, youth, to carry on Holocaust education Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Masters of percussion, Blue Man Group employs an array of instruments of wood, metal and glass, plus found objects like large plastic tubes, extended and contracted to vary the pitch, and rubber chickens. All of this is done wordlessly as they work in blue latex masks with robotic moves and gestures, creating an effect that is both eerie and comical. [Eric George Tauber]
Blue Man Group makes noise with ‘Speechless’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Eric George Tauber, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
In a telephone interview, Sivan described what on the surface might be viewed as two conflicting goals, but which in fact are complementary.On the one hand, he said, Technion strives to isolate itself from politics. On the other hand, Technion intends to become more involved in solving some of the world’s overarching problems such as environmental issues, energy, human health, and ethics. [Donald H. Harrison]
Technion president favors isolating campus from politics while solving global problems Read More »
Business & Finance, Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education
Prior to starting WeWork, Neumann unsuccessfully pursued other business ideas, including the design of a line of women’s shoes with collapsible heels. Which of the following was another one of Neumann’s failed business concepts? [Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish trivia quiz: Adam Neumann Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
There are many heroes walking among us, unassuming barbers, plumbers, doctors, doormen, who may not have stormed the beaches of Normandy, but who have served the causes of freedom and democracy in in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan here in the United States and Canada, proudly wearing the uniform of our armed forces. It is they whom we
honor on Veterans Day. [Rabbi Irving Elson, Capt. USN ret.]
Veterans come in all shapes, colors, walks of life Read More »
USA
I Kings covered the history of ancient Judah and Israel from the coronation of King Solomon in 967 BCE through the split of ancient Israel into two nations, Judah and Israel, because King Solomon’s son overtaxed the people as his father did, though the reign of King Jehoshaphat who died in 846 BCE. II Kings resumes the story and tells readers about the twelve kings of the northern kingdom of Israel from 846 BCE, ending in 721/722 BCE when the kingdom was destroyed, and the sixteen kings of the southern kingdom of Judah from 846 BCE until it was destroyed in 587/6 BCE. It describes the kings of the two nations, Judah and Israel, the politics, wars, and a significant problem of the era in both kingdoms, idolatry. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Middle East was politically unstable in biblical times Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle East
Notwithstanding its title, this book is primarily a history of the Holocaust, particularly as it impacted the city of Warsaw. There are some chapters about the Jewish pediatrician Janusz Korczak, whose teachings about respecting the individuality of children were widely admired, but far more attention was given to the rise of Adolf Hitler, the evilness of Nazi ideology, and how Germans degraded, confused, and deceived Jews, ultimately to starve or work them to death or to murder them. [Donald H. Harrison]
A sensitive Holocaust history for teens Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History
On a recent beautiful autumn morning we left for a short two-day holiday with friends. Our plans included the Hula Lake bird sanctuary and the Old City in Acre (called Akko in Israel). But since our friends hadn’t eaten yet, we decided to enjoy a breakfast break on our way north at the fabulous Herodian/Crusader ruins in Caesarea National Park. [Steve Kramer]
Touring the Israeli coast and Hula Nature Reserve Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, Travel and Food
To any dispassionate observer of the Middle East, it is crystal clear that a so-called “Two-State Solution” between a once-compliant, democratic, Israel and the violent, rejectionist, two-headed Palestinian hydra is impossible. [Barry Shaw]
Ahead of the Trump peace plan, some hard truths Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle East, USA