Category: American Jewry

American Jewry, antisemitism

Holocaust Memorial Fountain Toppled in Possible Hate Crime

Santa Rosa Holocaust Memorial Fountain

A Holocaust memorial fountain was vandalized last week in Santa Rosa, California. The fountain was found toppled in pieces in the ground. Built in 2016, the memorial was built by Daniel Judd to honor his parents, Emil and Lillian Judd. The two were Holocaust survivors. During the recent BLM protests, many Jewish stores and synagogues …

American Jewry, antisemitism, Israeli Politics

American Jew Violates Israeli Quarantine Agreement

El Al airplane in flight

American and Israeli Jews share a common heritage and faith, but don’t always agree on the nitty-gritty details of what that means. Maybe that’s why American Jewish tourist to Israel, Brandon Korff, ended up breaking his agreement with Israeli officials. Israel hasn’t allowed foreigners into the country, as part of coronavirus control, since March. But …

American Jewry, antisemitism

Why Are Jews Silent in the Face of the Destruction of Their Neighborhoods?

LA synagogue defaced during BLM protests

Rabbi Aryeh Spero says that too many American Jews are silent in the face of the destruction of shops, synagogues and Jewish institutions in Los Angeles. They are apparently afraid to appear not “woke.” Even though it has been well documented that Black Lives Matter is an inherently antisemitic organization and that the looting and …

American Jewry, antisemitism, US Politics

Intersectionality Means Antisemitic Graffiti on Synagogues During Protests

LA Congregation Beth Israel defaced with antisemitic graffiti during George Floyd protests

What does the killing of George Floyd and subsequent protests mean for the Jews? Antisemitic graffiti on synagogues and the ransacking and damaging of kosher stores, restaurants, and bakeries. Elan Carr, America’s envoy for monitoring and combatting antisemitism, tweeted photos of the graffiti, thanking the community for the cleanup effort at Congregation Beth Israel in …

American Jewry, terror, US Politics, World Politics

US Citizens Trapped in an Iran Overrun with Coronavirus

Robert Levinson photo from 2011

All of us are now affected in one way or another by the novel coronavirus. But perhaps the scariest place to be right now is Iran, with almost 1000 deaths at this writing. It was never going to be a fun time for Americans to be trapped in the land of the ayatollahs, but fear …

American Jewry, Israeli Politics, US Politics

“Bloomberg Had His Chance”

Mike Bloomberg January 2020 debate

Jonathan S. Tobin, writing for Israel HaYom said what a lot of us were thinking after watching Bloomberg’s debate performance. “Michael Bloomberg had his chance.” In other words, Bloomberg had his chance, but blew it, leaving the door wide open for Bernie Sanders to win the Democratic nomination for president. It wasn’t just his unpolished …

American Jewry, Israeli Politics, US Politics

Ambassador Friedman and Governor Huckabee Cut Loose in Jerusalem

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Governor Mike Huckabee play guitar in Jerusalem

It’s always fun to see talking heads you normally see in suits, put on blue jeans and play rock music on a stage. Which is exactly what happened in Jerusalem, earlier this month, when US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Governor Mike Huckabee jammed together for an enthusiastic audience. Actually, it happened twice. First …

American Jewry, Israeli Politics, US Politics

Lapid Says Bibi-Led Israel in “Deep Trouble” if Dems Win

Bernie Sanders October 2019

We think of the upcoming Israeli election, if we think of it at all, as between Benny Gantz and Bibi Netanyahu. But actually, Gantz’s party, Blue and White, is co-led by both Gantz and Yair Lapid. Now Lapid says that if the Democrats win, Israel will be in trouble with Netanyahu at the helm. Lapid’s …

American Jewry, US Politics

Glass Half Full: 126 Dems Did Not Sign The JStreet Letter

Screenshot of signatures by Democrats on JStreet letter demanding reversal of Trump administration policy on settlements

More than 100 Democrats in the House signed a letter by JStreet demanding the Trump administration reverse its stance on the legality of Israeli settlements, considered by most to be yet another Israel-friendly move by the current president. Of the signatories, 7 were Jewish. This represents 30% of the Jewish contingency of the House, which …

American Jewry, antisemitism, Massacres and Disasters

Survey, Survivors, Scholar say Holocaust Could Happen Again

Auschwitz Holocaust Museum

Antisemitic incidents are at a record high in the US and the EU, and German-born Holocaust survivors say the current antisemitic social climate reminds them of Germany in the 1930s. Speaking at a New Jersey Holocaust Remembrance Day event last year, several such survivors suggested they believe that the Holocaust could happen again. Meanwhile, polls …