Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

Jodi Beals describes herself as an energetic people person with a commitment to career, community and hands-on artistry. That explains how she came up with the idea for her latest project note cards.

I love art, and I painted a colorful heart design with acrylics on canvas, Beals told the Jewish News.

Although Beals has lived in Chicago for almost eight years and works as a business development director for Groupon, she decided to return to West Bloomfield to social distance near family, remotely completing full-time job responsibilities. At the same time, she decided to turn her colorful painting of heart designs into stationery that can connect others one-to-one, bring in extra income and raise funds for the CDC Foundation, which supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in combating COVID-19.

I had the design transferred to cardstock to be used for postcards or multi-purpose cards to be mailed on birthdays, as invitations or simply notes that send messages of love at a time when we cant be together, she said.

Beals will donate 20 percent of proceeds to the CDC Foundation.

My interest in art began when I was a little girl visiting my great-grandfather Abraham Lack, Beals, 36, recalled. He was a wonderful artist who began this hobby in his 80s, and his walls were covered with landscapes and still lifes.

Impressed with what hed done, Beals tried artistry of her own. I turned to the abstract for some different kinds of images, and my downtown apartment walls display my designs that I think provide a contemporary decor.

Beals attended Hillel Day School and West Bloomfield High School before going on to graduate from Michigan State University, where she majored in communication. She had her bat mitzvah at the synagogue now known as Congregation Beth Ahm and joined in activities with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.

I have almost 3,000 friends on Facebook, and so many have been responsive to my postings about these cards, Beals said. Im reconnecting with people I havent talked to in a long time, and Im so glad that they want to support this project.

The cards come in packages of 50 without envelopes and cost $30. They can be ordered by calling Beals at her customized phone number, 866.REDHAIR, or sending her an email at 866.REDHAIR@gmail.com. Payments can be made through PayPal or Venmo.

Orders for these cards have brought me a special bonus, Beals said. Delivering nearby orders allows me some fresh air. I leave the packages on porches so theres no person-to-person contact. The person-to-person connections are meant for the handwritten cards.

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Artistic Notecards Keep People Connected and Fight COVID-19 Detroit Jewish News - The Jewish News

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

BERLIN The European Unions counterterrorism official is warning that the coronavirus pandemic is being used by extremists as an opportunity to spread their message and could be exploited to carry out attacks.

In a confidential briefing to member nations obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove cautioned that right-wing extremists and Islamic militants could view attacks on medical personnel and facilities as highly effective, because these would generate a massive shock in society.

He noted that in the U.S., the FBI in March shot and killed a white supremacist while trying to arrest him for plotting to blow up a hospital treating COVID-19 patients, after initially considering an attack on an African-American school, mosque or synagogue.

From past experience, he said its known that terrorists and violent extremists, aiming to change societies and governmental systems through violence, seek to exploit major crises to achieve their objectives.

De Kerchove noted that the Islamic State group, for example, emerged after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and then gained strength during the Arab Spring uprisings.

In Europe, left-wing extremists are paying extensive attention to the pandemic, blaming governments and the capitalist system as a whole for it, saying politicians have underfunded health care services, de Kerchove wrote in the analysis provided to EU member nations on May 7 and first reported Wednesday by Germanys Die Zeit newspapers online edition.

IS has incited its supporters in the West to take advantage of the current crisis to stage attacks, but so far there has been no uptick in any violence, he said.

Currently, most extremists seem to be using the crisis for propaganda purposes, taking advantage of the fact that with lockdown measures people are spending more time online than usual.

To increase their support base, violent extremists use peoples insecurities, vulnerabilities and grievances, creating a simple narrative which explains problems by blaming outsiders, de Kerchove wrote.

Infidels or apostates serve as scapegoats for jihadists, members of ethnic and religious minority groups for right-wing extremists, and class enemies and capitalists for left-wing extremists.

_____

Frank Jordans contributed to this report.

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Follow AP pandemic coverage at http://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

David Rising, The Associated Press

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EU official warns of extremists exploiting virus outbreak - CityNews Edmonton

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

The U.S. Senate passed the Never Again Education Act, which seeks to expand Holocaust education in the United States, by unanimous consent on Wednesday.

The passage followed Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) lifting aholdon the bill on Thursday, a day after it was discharged from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It also happens to come in Jewish American Heritage Month.

Its very rare for a substantive bill to move like this without going through committee, a Hill aidetoldJewish Insider. [Lee] and his staff wanted to review the text.

Ultimately, no changes were made to the bill, the Hill aide told the outlet.

A hold is a procedure where a senator tells his or her floor leader that he or she does not want a specific measure to reach the floor for consideration, and therefore may filibuster any motion to proceed to debate the bill or other measure.

The legislation, which now goes to U.S. President Donald Trump for his expected signature into law, wouldexpandthe U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museums education programming to teachers nationwide, requiring the museum to develop and disseminate resources to improve awareness and understanding of the Holocaust and its lessons.

The Senateversion, which wasintroduced by Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and had 76 co-sponsors, was slightly different from the House one, which the Senate ultimately passed, in that the former had the U.S. Department of Education, not the USHMM, oversee the expansion of Holocaust education in the United States.

Anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States and across the globe. We must act to reverse this dangerous course, said Rosen in a statement. The best way to prevent an atrocity like the Holocaust from occurring again is through education. Through education, we can provide insight into the past, and use it to prevent anti-Semitism now.

Anti-Semitism is a serious threat in the United States and around the world. We are obligated to fight against such bigotry, and failing to educate the next generation would only make history more likely to repeat itself,said Cramer in a statement.The Never Again Education Act legislation gives parents and teachers more resources and training to teach our children about the lessons of the Holocaust.

The House version was introduced by Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), andpassed in JanuaryonInternational Holocaust Remembrance Day, which commemorated the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

This critical, bipartisan legislation is a proactive measure to educate and provide states and schools with the resources necessary to incorporate Holocaust education into their classrooms, ensuring that all students understand the evils of Holocaust and its impact,said Stefanik.

Children are not born with hate in their hearts, it is up to us to make sure they never learn it, said Maloney in a statement. To do that, we must make sure our educators have the tools they need to teach about the Holocaust, an incredibly difficult subject to teach and for students to understand.

Under the legislation, $2 million would be allocated annually for this year and each of the next four years to the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund, administered by the USHMMs governing body, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. Private donations for the fund would be permitted.

The measure, passed in the Senate during Jewish American Heritage Month, would create an online Holocaust-education repository of resources for educators to teach both middle-school and high school students about the genocide that killed 11 million people, 6 million of whom were Jews.

Currently, 18 states either encourage or require teaching about the Holocaust.

Hard work paid off

Jewish and pro-Israel groups celebrated the bills passage in the Senate.

Senator Rosen has been building consensus on the urgency of quality Holocaust education within her caucus and across the aisle since introducing the Never Again Education Act in the Senate, said Hadassahs national president, Rhoda Smolow, and its CEO and executive director, Janice Weinman, in a statement. Today, her hard work paid off.

In a statement, Christians United for Israel founder and chairman John Hagee said if there exists a silver bullet to defeat the spread of bigotry and hatred, it is education. Through this legislation, teachers around the country will have federal support in their efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism by teaching about its abhorrent consequences.

The Republican Jewish Coalition applauded the bipartisan nature of the passed legislation.

The men and women of the United States Senate deserve credit for setting aside their differences to clear the way for swift and unanimous passage of this much-needed legislation, said RJC executive director Matt Brooks in a statement. JN

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Never Again Education Act passes Senate, goes to Trump for expected signature - Jewish News of Greater Phoenix

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

Subscribe to the Wake Up, cleveland.coms free morning newsletter, delivered to your inbox weekdays at 5:30 a.m.

Today's Wake Up newsletter is longer than usual because it includes every coronavirus story from the last 24 hours. Read it and you're up to date on the crisis.

Its going to be warm today as highs reach the low 70s. Its also going to be damp showers are likely through much of the day, which chances of thunderstorms during the afternoon and through the night. Lows will be around 60. Read more.

Schools reopening: A state draft plan offering guidelines on how Ohio schools can safely reopen this fall envisions daily at-home temperature checks, hand-sanitizing stations, and required face masks for students and teachers, among other safety measures. Andrew Tobias reports desks would be spaced at least 6 feet apart, high-touch surfaces like door handles and hand-rails would be sanitized regularly, and visitors would be limited or prohibited under the plan.

Property taxes: The 10% drop in property tax collections Cuyahoga is projecting because of the coronavirus pandemic is a far steeper decline than has occurred during any year in the last 20, Courtney Astolfi reports. A cleveland.com examination of tax-collection records dating to 2000 found the county experienced no single-year drop of 10%, even during the Great Recession, which officially ran from December 2007 to June 2009, or during the overlapping foreclosure crisis.

Subtext: Cleveland.com has started a new, free Subtext account to send coronavirus updates. Every day, the team covering the coronavirus will send three to four updates about the progress of the virus -- confirmed cases of the virus, major cancellations, the latest medical advice, relevant scientific information and more. You can even text us back. Go to https://joinsubtext.com/ohiocoronavirus and enter your phone number. Fill out the form below. Or send a text to 216-279-7784. Did we mention its free?

This Week in the CLE: Has the useful portion of Gov. Mike DeWines statehouse news briefings petered away? Were talking about all the questions we havent had answered at the latest afternoon news conferences on This Week in the CLE.

Ohio reported its first three cases of coronavirus on March 9. On Wednesday, the total reached 25,721.Rich Exner, cleveland.com

New numbers: At least 1,483 people in Ohio have died with the coronavirus and at least 25,721 people have been infected, reports Laura Hancock. This includes at least 136 probable coronavirus-related deaths and at least 1,476 probable cases.

Cleveland numbers: The Ohio Department of Health informed Cleveland on Wednesday it had confirmed 35 more cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, Robert Higgs reports. The new cases push the total number of Cleveland residents who have been infected to 1,046. No new deaths were reported.

Trends: Data from the Ohio Hospital Association on Wednesday showed the number of coronavirus patients in reporting hospitals across the state fell below 1,000 for the first time in weeks, with a preliminary number for Wednesday of 924. Rich Exner reports the number of patients in intensive care was reported at 353, after they had been above 400 for several days.

Nursing homes: The erratic reporting of Ohio nursing home data for the coronavirus continued Wednesday as the Ohio Department of Health failed to post its weekly update for deaths involving patients, and the number of cases involving patients and staff, Rich Exner reports.

Report challenged: Attorneys for the family of a 23-year-old man killed by an off-duty Cleveland police officer last month said the man never flashed or gun or threatened the officer in the moments before the shooting. Adam Ferrise reports attorneys Shean Williams and Stanley Jackson of The Cochran Firm on Wednesday disputed Cleveland polices official account of the April 9 shooting that killed Desmond Franklin, an aspiring plumber and father of four.

Rep. Jim Jordan speaks at the first online hearing of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis.

Coronavirus panel: Ohio GOP U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan asked no questions and challenged the existence of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis during its first meeting Wednesday. Sabrina Eaton reports health care experts did testify that ramped-up testing is the key to the safe reopening of the nations economy.

Casinos: Ohios 11 casinos and racinos, which have been out of business since mid-March under the governors coronavirus-related ban, are $229 million behind in gambling revenue for the first four months of 2020. Cleveland.coms Rich Exner reports the industry has taken in $410.8 million on gambling, after paying out winnings, down from $640.1 million through April a year ago.

Supreme Court: A divided Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a 2015 law allowing the state to temporarily take over leadership of struggling school districts in Youngstown and other cities, Jeremy Pelzer reports.

Ethics violation: A judge has found East Cleveland Law Director Willa Hemmons attempt to represent her city and two former police officers in a court battle over who must pay $15 million to three wrongfully imprisoned men was a patently inappropriate and unethical conflict of interest, reports Cory Shaffer. U.S. District Court Judge James Gwin took the rare step this week of disqualifying Hemmons from representing former officers Vincent Johnstone and Michael Perry, finding that she acted in flagrant violation of the rules that govern the conduct of attorneys and judges.

Ponzi scheme: The Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday indefinitely suspended a former Northeast Ohio attorney who served 18 months in federal prison for his role in a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of a combined $17 million. Cory Shaffer reports Mark George must complete his supervised release, take a three-hour legal course on handling client accounts and pay $51,000 to a fund for victims of dishonest lawyers before he can apply to have his law license reinstated.

Bipartisanship: A newly released study of how often members of Congress work across party lines on legislation rated Ohio Republican Rob Portman as the fourth-most bipartisan member of the U.S. Senate during 2019, and Champaign County GOP Rep. Jim Jordan fourth from the bottom of the 437 House of Representatives members it examined. Sabrina Eaton reports on the ratings from the nonpartisan Lugar Center and Georgetown Universitys McCourt School of Public Policy.

Medicaid: With the joblessness accompanying the coronavirus pandemic, more Ohioans are turning to Medicaid for health coverage. About 3 million people are now on Medicaid in Ohio, reports Laura Hancock.

Bar exam: Ohio Chief Justice Maureen OConnor announced Wednesday that the July state bar exam for new attorneys scheduled will be postponed until September, reports Robert Higgs.

Cybercrime: The Ohio House on Wednesday almost unanimously passed legislation that would create a new group of state-level penalties for illegal hacking and other cybercrimes. Jeremy Pelzer reports backers of House Bill 368, which now heads to the Senate, say the changes are needed because Ohio law right now only criminalizes successful computer hacks, not attempts.

Stop the Hate: Thousands of students chose to stand up for themselves and to create positive change as finalists in the 12th annual Stop the Hate Youth Speak Out contest, hosted by the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage. Laura Johnston reports the museum will announce the winner of the 2020 contest, who receives a $40,000 scholarship, at 10 a.m. today.

Collector stamp: The Birch Tree Alle at Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens are featured on a U.S. Postal Service stamp released Wednesday, Marc Bona reports. It's one of 10 gardens featured in the American Gardens Forever Stamps series.

Cleveland Zoo: The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo said Wednesday its considering reopening drive-thru style, for visitors to enjoy the animals from their cars. The zoo didnt provide any further details about when the drive-thru exhibits might open, or what exhibits visitors could expect to see, reports Mary Kilpatrick.

Masks required: Where are you required to wear a mask? Kaylee Remington surveyed supermarkets, big-box retailers, drug stores and assorted stores around Northeast Ohio to get their latest policies on masks for customers.

WOW: University Circle Inc. has suspended its 2020 Wade Oval Wednesday (WOW) concert season, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Anne Nickoloff reports the series, which had been set to take place every Wednesday between June 17 and August 12, regularly draws large crowds to Wade Oval park outside of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Clevelands University Circle neighborhood.

21

Aut-O-Rama opens for the season with some changes amid coronavirus pandemic, May 12, 2020

Aut-O-Rama: Few business platforms cater to social distancing as well as a drive-in movie theater. Photographer Josh Gunter captured the opening night of the Aut-O-Rama drive-in theater in North Ridgeville for people eager to enjoy a night out watching a movie and maybe even feeling a little normal again.

Donut shops: Though Ohios restaurants plan to begin reopening, many offer to-go options right now. Anne Nickoloff has 17 donut shops open for takeout.

Old food: Join Cefs Claire Saffitz, Brad Leone, Chris Morocco, Gaby Melian, Andy Baraghani, Sohla El-Waylly, Amiel Stanek, Carla Lalli Music, Priya Krishna and Christina Chaey at home as they show cleveland.coms sister site, Bon Appetit, the oldest food in their kitchens. Whether its smuggled lardo or 10-year-old fruitcake, there are a probably a few items here that might be a health hazard.

Coronavirus cancellations and restrictions in Northeast Ohio for Thursday, May 14, 2020 Read more

Report: University of Akron athletics looking at cutting multiple teams Read more

Feds arrest Cleveland man accused of killing infant daughter Read more

Two hospitalized after stabbing in Cleveland, police say Read more

Police arrest suspect in robbery of Circle K in Kirtland Read more

Man charged in deadly triple shooting at East Cleveland gas station Read more

Hundreds of coronavirus test kits arrive in Summit County damaged, unusable Read more

Florida homicide victim identified as Jefferson man missing for more than 25 years Read more

Former Conneaut councilman charged with numerous sex crimes enters guilty plea in court Read more

Richmond Heights council overturns mayors veto on tax sharing with citys schools Read more

Fairview Park City Schools dealing with budget cuts, eyeing new-money levy in the fall Read more

North Olmsted superintendent calls state education funding cuts disappointing Read more

Lakewoods Small Business Rent Relief fund provides 118 store owners with more than $187,000 Read more

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Draft plan lays out possible regulations for Ohio schools to reopen: The Wake Up for Thursday, May 14, 2020 - cleveland.com

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

On Wednesday, May 20th, at 7 PM eastern,Jewish Currentswill host a livestreamed discussion of how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting Hasidic Jewish communities in Brooklyn and elsewhere.

Moderated byJewish CurrentsEditor-at-Large Peter Beinart, this event will feature Blima Marcus, an oncology nurse practitioner, Frieda Vizel, a former member of the Satmar Hasidic community and a tour guide in Hasidic Brooklyn, and Dr. David N. Myers, the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at UCLA.

To register for this event, visit https://jewishcurrents.org/conversation/

Get The Jewish Standard Newsletter by email and never miss our top storiesFree Sign Up

Peter Beinart(@PeterBeinart) is professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York, Editor-at-Large ofJewish Currents, anAtlanticand CNN contributor and a fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace.

Blima MarcusDNP RN ANP-BC OCN is an oncology nurse practitioner and a professor of nursing in New York City.

Frieda Vizel(@FriedaVizel) is a former member of the Satmar Hasidic community and a tour guide in Hasidic Brooklyn.

Dr. David N. Myers(@DavidNMyersUCLA) holds the Sady and Ludwig Kahn Chair in Jewish History at UCLA.

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Wed. 5/20, 7 p.m.: A Conversation on Covid-19 and the Hasidic Community - The Jewish Standard

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

According to this report in the New York Daily News, there was a cruel and vicious attack on Hasidic Jews in Brooklyn on Sunday:

A husband and wife face hate crime charges after jumping out of their car in Brooklyn and attacking a group of Hasidic Jews, pulling protective masks from the victims faces and blaming them for spreading coronavirus, police said Monday.

Paulo Pinho, 35, and his wife, Clelia Pinho, 46, pulled up in their vehicle at Bedford Ave. and Ross St. in Williamsburg shortly after 8:30 p.m. on Sunday to confront the victims, according to cops.

You Jews are getting us all sick, the couple allegedly yelled at a trio of men, according to police sources. The mayor says you Jews are the reason were getting sick.

Moshe Rosenbaum, 39, one of the victims, said Paulo Pinho stepped out of the car and was recording people on his cell phone.

They came into our area to videotape us without masks, Rosenbaum said. But we all had masks on. So he started ripping off the masks of females, mothers with small children.

Hasidic Jews were subject to evil attacks on Brooklyn streets and worse, as we know before all of this coronavirus business. Bill de Blasios recent message to the Jewish community and threat to shut down places of worship was dangerous because it kindles flames that we all know exist, and at a time of such anxiety for so many. (And then there is the disregard it shows for religious freedom, and at a time when people are struggling with the kind of existential questions religion sure can help with.) Yes, the funeral he was responding to broke the gathering rules so many of us have been cooperating with. As someone who is longing for Mass and heartbroken for the families who havent been able to have funeral Masses for their beloved who have died, I certainly understand though (surely more than I understand anti-Semitism).

Yesterday on his radio show, New Yorks Cardinal Timothy Dolan had religious leaders on talking about peoples need for community and navigating things forward, easing worship in with protections. People need God. People want God. Theres so much seeking going on right now God is seeking us in this time, reminding us that theres something greater than days filled with press conference viewing and Zoom meetings. Lets be careful and be patient with one another. I remarked on social media earlier that I dont think Ive appreciated the sun as much as I have during these coronavirus weeks. Staying connected to the Source of all light, we can be light amidst darkness as we combat evil in all its forms for the protection of human life, especially our most vulnerable.

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After Dangerous Talk, an Attack on Jewish Mothers and Children in Brooklyn - National Review

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

Hassidic Jews Socially distancing on a Willamsburg street during Saturday morning shabbat prayers on May 2. David Dee Delgado/Gothamist/WNYC hide caption

Hassidic Jews Socially distancing on a Willamsburg street during Saturday morning shabbat prayers on May 2.

American Jews are finding themselves in a historically familiar position: Scapegoated for a plague.

Some of the first New Yorkers to contract the coronavirus were Jews in the Orthodox Jewish communities in and around New York City. In the weeks that followed, several Jewish weddings and funerals were held in violation of public health orders. Then came statements from public officials singling out Jews, and anti-Semitic threats on Facebook.

After New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio witnessed the NYPD break up a large funeral in Brooklyn for a prominent rabbi, the mayor tweeted: "My message to the Jewish community, and all communities, is this simple: the time for warnings has passed."

De Blasio was condemned by fellow Democrats and American Jews. There is no data indicating religious Jews are violating social distancing rules at a greater rate than other demographic groups. While there have been high-profile incidents of police disrupting Jewish gatherings, the NYPD has also made arrests of various sorts for failing to practice social distancing, like at a Brooklyn barbershop and at a Manhattan "marijuana party." And pictures of throngs hanging out at parks and closely congregating for the Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds flyovers indicated that not social distancing isn't a problem specific to a particular religious group.

De Blasio later said that he "spoke out of real distress that people's lives were in danger." He added: "I regret if the way I said it in any way gave people a feeling of being treated the wrong way, that was not my intention. It was said with love but it was tough love, it was anger and frustration."

By some accounts, religious Jews in certain neighborhoods of New York City have been stricken by the virus at high rates. At the same time, Jews who have recovered from the virus have donated plasma in extraordinary numbers in an effort to save others.

In early March, Yaacov Behrman, a community leader and Hasidic Jewish activist, rushed to get ahead of the virus by marrying his bride, Shevi Katzman, after an engagement of just a week-and-a-half. They had a socially distanced wedding across two Brooklyn backyards with a few siblings, no cousins, two witnesses and a rabbi, and 2,500 people watching on Facebook Live.

"I think that's what's so painful and upsetting about it, about the mayor's tweet, [is] the vast majority of Orthodox Jews have given up [something] I gave up a wedding," Behrman said. "What are you generalizing for, Mr. Mayor? It's like going to the park and saying, 'My message to the yuppies,' you know?"

Behrman said he does not believe the mayor is anti-Semitic, but Jews should not have been singled out.

"The organizers of the funeral [de Blasio tweeted about] were 100% wrong it was an embarrassment, it was an embarrassment to me as an Orthodox Jew, it was an embarrassment to me as a New Yorker," he said. "But I also want to make it clear, you look around New York, everyone is becoming lax unfortunately."

Yet there's a pattern of specifically highlighting Jewish offenders. In Lakewood, N.J., where early on in the pandemic police made arrests at large Jewish gatherings, a local news station reported that a school bus was carrying children to a Jewish school that was open, illegally. The reporter later acknowledged that the bus was just delivering food to homebound families.

In nearby Jackson Township, N.J., town council president Barry Calogero made a speech at a government meeting indicating that Judaism itself made Jews recalcitrant when it comes to following the rules.

"Unfortunately, there are groups of people who hide behind cultures or religious beliefs and put themselves, our first responders, and quite honestly all of Jackson and bordering towns at risk for their selfishness, irresponsibility and inability to follow the law put in place by President Trump and Governor Murphy," he said.

Calogero said he was not anti-Semitic. But after criticism he resigned days later, citing health reasons.

And in Rockland County, N.Y., where there are large communities of Orthodox Jews, the county executive's Facebook post about police breaking up a large Passover service was met by anti-Semitic comments.

Violations of health regulations by Orthodox Jews have been documented by public officials and media at a level of scrutiny that Jews say others don't face. Eli Steinberg, an Orthodox Jewish writer in Lakewood, N.J., says it's easier to generalize about those who wear traditional garb.

"We're, ya know, we're the guys dressed in black and white and we wear the hats, so it becomes a sort of more interesting story" when Jews violate health rules, he said. "But it's not it's a story about people....People do dumb stuff."

The problem, he said, is when it is made to seem as though the few who violate the rules are more widespread in a particular community.

"In a time of such uncertainty, which we're going through now, when you can effectively scapegoat somebody or scapegoat a group of people about the issue that people are scared of...that's a part of it that concerns me," Steinberg said. "This moment where there's the vehicle of Covid19 to use to spread hate, it just becomes that much more scary."

Hundreds of mourners gather in Brooklyn on April 28, to observe a funeral for Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a Hasidic Orthodox leader whose death was reportedly tied to the coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio chastised "the Jewish community" following the breakup of the large funeral that flouted public health orders. Peter Gerber/AP hide caption

Hundreds of mourners gather in Brooklyn on April 28, to observe a funeral for Rabbi Chaim Mertz, a Hasidic Orthodox leader whose death was reportedly tied to the coronavirus. Mayor Bill de Blasio chastised "the Jewish community" following the breakup of the large funeral that flouted public health orders.

Bari Weiss, author of How To Fight Anti-Semitism and a New York Times opinion staff writer and editor, said given how anti-Semitism is at historic peeks in New York and around the country, public officials need to be "extremely specific" in criticizing large gatherings, instead of blaming "the Jewish community."

"I think that there is a double standard often when it comes to the way that the Jewish community and Jews are talked about, whether it's because we're not perceived as a minority, even though we are," she said. "It stands to reason that lots of people who already perhaps have animosity toward that community will be even more emboldened.

The Anti-Defamation League released a report this week showing that there were more anti-Semitic incidents in 2019 than at any year since it it began tracking in 1979.

"Anyone that's been paying attention, or anyone that knows people inside of these communities, knows already dozens of stories of people that have been spit on, assaulted, harassed, had their head coverings pulled off, had their face smashed with a paving stone," Weiss said.

Now, amid the coronavirus, the hate is more socially distanced happening largely online. Last month the ADL documented how community Facebook groups are loaded with comments blaming Jews for spreading the virus, and calling for them to be firehosed, tear-gassed and denied medical care.

Already a New Jersey man was arrested for using Facebook to threaten to assault Lakewood's Jews for spreading the virus. He was charged with making terrorist threats during a state of emergency. A county deputy fire marshall in New Jersey was investigated for similar Facebook comments. And in Queens, a couple was charged with hate crimes after attacking a group of Orthodox Jews ripping their masks off and punching them in the face for supposedly not social distancing.

"You Jews are all getting us sick," the couple allegedly yelled.

This is all too familiar to Jews, Weiss says. For centuries Jews have been massacred for supposedly spreading plagues. Rats brought the black death to the European continent in the 1300s, "but rats weren't blamed. Jews were blamed." Thousands were slaughtered; entire communities were eliminated.

Jews today do not believe that violence at such a scale is imminent. But they remember their history.

"I think Jewish memory is always a gift, but it's especially a gift in a moment of crisis because frankly, we Jews have lived through a tremendous amount in our centuries on this Earth," Weiss said. "And whenever we ask could it get worse, we know the answer is yes, because we've lived through worse, or at least our ancestors have. So I think Jewish memory can help us be grateful and keep things in perspective."

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Jewish Americans Say They Are Scapegoated For The Coronavirus Spread - NPR

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

Police were called after hundredsof orthodox Jews ignored social distancing restrictions to gather for a religious festival celebration in London.

Pictures and videos shared online show members of the Hasidic Jewish community gathering in large crowds around Stamford Hill, in Hackney, despite strict rules to stay two metres apart and not mix in groups outside of households.

Residents took to Twitter to complain about loud music lasting into the night and bonfires being lit as hundreds of people reportedly poured into streets and housing estates around the area to mark the end of Lag BOmer on Tuesday.

Sharing the full story, not just the headlines

One local policing team shared images of a large bonfire being built next to cars and garages on the social media site, while another complained about being called out to two incidents of many people using bouncy castles in communal spaces.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told The Independent officers were called to the area and engaged with those present to remind them of their responsibilities under the current regulations.

Under new government rules, which came into effect on Wednesday, people are allowed to meet one person outside of their household if they meet outdoors and stay two metres apart, but large gatherings are still banned.

Stephen Brown, who lives in the area and is from a traditional orthodox Jewish background, said he felt the celebrations went too far.

That particular event did go wrong and Im afraid it is disgraceful; it really feels wrong to me, he toldThe Independent.

He added: There were a good 40 odd people in the middle of the street and in gardens and two or three of the gardens were making bonfires.

It seems to me over the past 30 years, with the exponential increase of Hasidic communities in Stamford Hill, theyve taken on with a passion and a vengeance the observance of festivals, the actual acting out of festivals.

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There will be moments like that, when it got really quite scary. There was a bonfire in a bin about five doors down from us and the neighbours next door to that family were terrified.

At this point last night it was a real flash point, literally, with the fires, and I felt very sorry for the police because they dont really have the tools to explain they respect their way of worshipping but there are bigger things going on at the moment that affect us all.

Another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said she witnessed dancing, picnics in the street and loud noise blaring from a PA system near her home in Stamford Hill.

She said: I was inside my (double glazed shut windowed) flat and could hear all kinds ofracket.

Some of my block mates and I popped outside to see what the commotion was all about and found the scene of several (gentile) neighbours out on the estate and a gathering of approx 30 Orthodox Jewish people around one residential home in a terrace which had a PA system blaring outside and a fire in an oil barrel (so it seemed), and a complete absence of any social distancing.

Black smoke was billowing across the estate, in through peoples open windows, across gardens etc, and many neighbours were incredibly annoyed.

Another woman tweeted on Tuesday: Why oh why was this allowed to happen late into last night, and all of today? This area has been so severely affected by the virus, gatherings like this are so dangerous, for the Orthodox community and their neighbours too.

Shortly before 10pm, one resident said there were three police cars, 10 officers and a fire engine in their street and a party taking place next to me with a fire in the back garden, adding: So social distancing is over is it?

Another Twitter user, who went out for a walk on Monday night, wrote: It is absolutely going off in Stamford Hill right now. Tried to go for an evening stroll and was struggling to dodge the crowds.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: On the evening of Tuesday 12 May police were called to reports of large numbers of the Hasidic Jewish community gathered in areas of Stamford Hill, N16.

Officers attended and engaged with those present to remind them of their responsibilities under the current regulations.

Local police will continue to engage with representatives from the community to encourage them to observe the guidance and legislation while it remains in place.

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Police called after hundreds gather at Jewish festival in London - The Independent

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

Brothers Moshe and David Kasher have been fighting since they were kids. On one occasion, when David was dangling a loogie over Moshes face, he received a bloody nose for his efforts. Now the two are grown up and have matured (a bit). Moshe is a standup comedian with a handful of specials on Netflix and David, three years older, is a rabbi at the IKAR congregation in Los Angeles. The two still have their disagreements only now they arent about, per David: Moshe being an asshole, or, per Moshe: nothing in particular. Instead, the Kashers now argue about what Jewish texts can teach us about living through a pandemic.

Their questions and squabbles are the subject of Kasher Vs. Kasher, a new podcast on the Reboot network. Moshe says he was glad to get to connect with his big brother for the show after Dionne Warwick turned down his offer to co-host. David made a point of telling me that they record from their own respective homes: even though were brothers, were not quarantine brothers, to which Moshe, married with a kid, countered I have a real family now.

I spoke with the brothers, who no longer get physical due to Californias social distancing mandate, about better living through Torah, Luke Skywalkers space beverage of choice and their takes on Unorthodox. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

PJ Grisar: You both know a lot about Judaism, but clearly one of you is an expert on our texts. So David, what have you learned from Moshe, who established in the second episode that he is looking at the most definitive edition of the Torah?

Courtesy JP Cutler Media

Moshe Kasher

Moshe Kasher: What did I say?

I believe you said that your version of the Torah goes into the halakha of washing your um testicles.

Moshe: That sounds like something I might say.

David: Moshes a very educated Jew. Hes a smart guy and he has a lot of Jewish life experience, and I think that he falls into a category that a lot of Jews fall into theres a lot of knowledge but its in different fragments, and part of the job of a rabbi is to connect the dots and draw the bigger picture. What have I learned from Moshe?

Moshe: Yeah, its a good question.

I thought you might like it.

David: I think its really important its not

Moshe: Man, hes really having a tough time getting an answer thrown together for this one, PJ. You gotta wonder if maybe hes intimidated by the amount hes learning from me.

David: I guess the bottom line is I havent learned anything from Moshe per se although I really do like him as a person.

Moshe laughs

And Moshe, what have you learned from David?

Moshe: The truth is hanging around with David, Im constantly learning stuff because Davids kind of a deep dive master on some of this textual stuff and the connections between the mindset of a modern thinker and the writings of the ancients. Hes one of the best out there. Always has been. And so Im privileged to learn a great deal from him every time I work with him.

David: Oh my God!

Moshe: Its nice to know that the feelings mutual.

David: I think one of the great things about talking to Moshe in particular about these things is that we have a shared catalogue of memories, and Moshe is always referring back to those. And part of what you see when youre discoursing with someone through the lens of memory is just how central memory is to the Jewish experience. Our Judaism is so informed by historical memory and family memory and personal memory. Its this idea of recorded impressions in our own lives and then in our collective psyche. Its that idea that comes to life when Im talking to Moshe. I spend a lot of time in the books, but hes able to connect our conversations to our real lived experience.

Thats a good answer.

Courtesy of JP Culter Med...

David Kasher

David: There you go, it took me a minute.

Part of your family is Satmar. Have you guys seen Unorthodox? Any takes?

Moshe:(Laughs) We saw it and we were on the familys side. Hows that for a hot take.

David: Yeah, we were outraged that she dared to flee.

Moshe: To Berlin of all places! To Germany. That tells you all you need to know.

David: One of the things I can tell you having grown up not in Satmar, but lightly adjacent, is that every Jewish community and every Hasidic community is its own unique cultural entity. On the one hand it felt really resonant for me in certain ways and on the other hand theres a part of me that looks and that and worries that people will think Oh, thats the way Orthodox Jews are, Hasidic Jews are, religious Jews are and I think thats not the case. Theres lots of different forms of even intense religiosity In Judaism. I dont think its inaccurate, I think theyre tapping into a certain kind of fierce, severe spirit in that community, but I worry that people look at that and think Wow, thats the way the Jews act.

Moshe: Its important to point out that thats a show not about Hasidic Judaism but about somebody that grew up in the Satmar community, and its not a show even about the Satmar community as much as a show about that persons personal experience with it. That said, her experience in the Satmar community and my experience in the Satmar community, I was like Yeah, this feels right. I just assumed I just sort of had some bad luck with the people I met, but then I was watching that and I talked to other family members who had a different experience and Im kind of like Hmm, are the Satmar just kind of difficult to be around? All I can tell you is the people I met I met some lovely people but I would not say we had a joyous experience. But Davids right, we arent members of the Satmar community. We summered in the Satmar community, probably the only people in history for whom that was a choice that they made.

David: We vacationed Satmar.

Courtesy of JP Cutler Med...

From L to R, David Kasher and Moshe Kasher, together pre-social distancing.

The podcast gets pretty blue a recent episode included Moshe speaking at length about Luke Skywalker subsisting on green titty milk. David, as a rabbi are you ever concerned your brother will get you cancelled?

David: Thats a constant worry whenever he comes into my sphere. Actually the shul that I work at, IKAR, had the questionable idea of having my brother and a host of other comedians come as part of a fundraiser, which they very graciously did. It was actually great and hilarious but we kept saying the whole night that the only person who stands to lose here is me. Could Moshe go too far and actually get me fired?

Moshe: Yeah, it didnt work out, PJ, the way that I was hoping it would. Its important though to note that the show doesnt really go blue. I certainly hope that theres a difference between blue and something thats cancellable. I think the shows actually pretty sensitive in a weird way except for the occasional edgy joke. Its kind of nice to do something with a rabbi. It has to be kind of tempered with sincerity.

David: I feel like I have the opposite advantage which is, when youre a rabbi and youre talking about Jewish things youre expected to maintain a certain kind of decorum even though youre a person and you think of funny ways this might go. Thats just not your domain and so to have Moshe there, its like having that part of the psyche activated. He can go there where my role sort of generally avoids it.

I dont know if you saw the poll that measured how peoples faith has changed through the pandemic, but us stiff-necked Jews have not really budged in terms of our belief relative to other faiths. Moshe you mentioned spiritual contemplation in the last episode. How have things been changing for you?

Moshe: One of the ideas that Ive been wrestling with, which was actually given over from a rabbi I dont remember the rabbis name but he was actually kind of an inspirational rabbi, which is new for me, because I dont really have access to an inspirational rabbi

David: Right, right. I get whats happening.

Moshe: I have more of a cerebral, adversarial kind of relationship in my personal life, but, anyway, he was saying that most of us are convinced that going out and our careers and being amongst our friends is what consists of our life, and now were staying inside and avoiding everybody and lo and behold were still alive. So then you have to think to yourself Oh, I guess there was more to my life than the things I thought made up my life. Theres varying degrees of difficulty to gleaning spiritual insight from this experience, since some people are struggling just to pay the bills, but if done correctly, that work is available to everybody. [Thinking of] what parts of my life to leave behind and what parts to add in.

David, are are you seeing a change in your community in the shul?

David: People are having a hard time. Half of my job nowadays is just calling people and talking to them, and that in itself is hard, because people are sometimes isolated. I think youre right that it hasnt exactly shifted our theology as a community. Its not like Now we see that Gods wrath is upon us. But [theres a sense of] what can we do? Were trapped inside and waiting for it to end and when youre reckoning with the forces of nature you cant really blame anyone. All you can do is throw your hands up to the heavens. I personally feel more of a relationship to that pleading to God for help, whether I believe that thats the way that works or not.

So far youve covered Pesach, hermits, cleanliness. What else are you guys thinking about for future episodes?

Moshe:. We pick a theme that is generally Jewishly applicable but also specific to what were living through right now. When you were saying Jews havent changed their tune very much, theres gotta be something in the fact that the Jews are the most obsessed with their history of calamity of any religion probably on Earth, so to us this is probably a very minor blip. This isnt even close to the first plague weve lived through. Im not trying to say that other religions didnt, but we remembered. We stuck around and we remember Oh yeah, this reminds me of the plague of 1082. And that was easy.

David: Theres so much there. Oh, theres a plague? Well, heres five prayers about plagues or the six tractates in the Talmud that deal with infection and the section of the Torah that deals with health. We have such a corpus of living, but Moshes right a lot of that living has been hard living. So we have been collecting tips over the years how do you get through this. Theres a lot to pull on and to cull from.

I feel like a lot of rabbis secretly want to be stand-ups. Is that true for you, David?

David: No, definitely not. And having Moshe as an actual standup is a very good reminder that rabbis should leave it to the professionals.

Moshe: Kind of funny, though, cause nowadays comedians think of themselves as like, these philosopher kings along the line of the free speech movement, so maybe all comedians want to be rabbis too.

But you dont.

Moshe: No, certainly not.

PJ Grisar is the Forwards culture fellow. He can be reached at Grisar@Forward.com.

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David and Moshe Kasher on 'Unorthodox' and podcasting through a pandemic - Forward

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Posted By admin on May 14, 2020

Unorthodox is one of the buzziest shows on Netflix right now. The series, which chronicles a Jewish womans pursuit of freedom from her strict community, has been earning critical acclaim from reporters and gaining legions of fans.

Still, theres another story to the Netflix hit, one that is even more inspiring than the series itself, and that is the story of the woman who wrote the book that Unorthodox is based on. Recently, she opened up in a Reddit Q&A, offering fans an intimate glimpse of her life and the struggles that she has faced.

Unorthodox centers around the character of Esther Esty Shapiro. A Hasidic Jewish woman based in Brooklyn, Shapiro wants more freedom in her life and is unhappy with the strict rules imposed by her religion.

When she is set up for an arranged marriage, Shapiro decides that it is time to go, and she takes off to Berlin, Germany. In Germany, Shapiro meets up with a group of music students and starts to discover a whole new life.

Sadly, the young woman is unable to truly escape her past, and memories of her former life begin to haunt her in Germany. Unorthodox is a visually appealing series, with lots of interesting conflicts to drive the plot forward.

Showrunners were committed to making the series as realistic as possible and revealed that they wanted to hire Jewish actors exclusively for many of the major roles in the series, to add to the overall sense of authenticity. The actors themselves studied very specific dialects for the show, in order to make the setting and people feel familiar.

While the show Unorthodox has taken off, becoming almost immediately popular with fans, theres actually a more interesting story behind the scenes.

In 2012, Deborah Feldman published her autobiography, Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots.As Feldman details in her book, she was raised in a very strict Hasidic Jewish community and was raised by her grandparents, who both survived the Holocaust.

Feldmans education was stunted, as women were not traditionally encouraged to pursue further education. When she was only seventeen, she was forced into an arranged marriage.

Once Feldman had a son at the age of nineteen, she decided that she had to make a change. She began furthering her education and eventually, in 2010, she cut ties with the Hasidic Jewish community.

Feldman was a blogger for several years before publishing her popular autobiography in 2012.

Feldman is actively involved with the production of the Netflix series, and even though the series differs from certain events in Feldmans life in some aspects, the spirit of her rebellion is kept alive. Feldman went through a difficult time in the years following her exodus from the Hasidic Jewish world, just like the heroine in the series.

In a recent Reddit Q&A, Feldman opened up about her experience in the months and years following her exit. She said: I was engulfed in panic for pretty much the first three years after leaving. I always felt like I was teetering on the edge of a cliff, about to drop down into an ignominious fate of homelessness and starvation.

Still, Feldman found ways to cope with the overwhelming pressures of her new life. She revealed: My strategy was always to take it day-by-day, keep expectations low, and think outside the box in terms of my resources for survival. Feldman had to turn to unconventional ways to make a living and even admitted that, at one point, she had to sell her eggs just to survive for the foreseeable future. Still, she has no regrets about the way everything went down, and that the best thing about my life right now is honestly EVERYTHING.

These days, Feldman is a successful writer and creator. In spite of her newfound happiness and security, it seems likely that she will always cling tightly to the memories of those darker days.

Originally posted here:

'Unorthodox': Real-Life Esty Shares Aftermath and Truth of Her Life - Showbiz Cheat Sheet

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