Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on December 7, 2019

David L. Cohen, a senior executive vice president at Comcast and the companys chief diversity officer, is stepping down.

Cohen announced his intentions on Thursday. The announcement was accompanied by a brief SEC filing.

On Jan. 1, 2020, Cohen will step down from his current posts. On Dec. 31, 2020, Cohen will take on a new gig as a senior counselor for Comcast CEO Brian L. Roberts.

After almost 20 years as a senior executive of Comcast, David Cohen will be stepping away from his many operational roles, effective January 1, 2020, Roberts said in a statement. It is impossible to overstate Davids value to Comcast NBCUniversal. I am deeply grateful to him as we have partnered together with a handful of executives to grow Comcast into the great company it is today. His impact on Philadelphia cannot be understated and his passion for diversity and inclusion has helped transform our company and our industry.

Also Read: Comcast Q3 Earnings Top Estimates, But 'Hobbs & Shaw' Is No 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'

Below is Cohens full official bio, courtesy of Comcast.

David L. Cohen is a Senior Executive Vice President and the Chief Diversity Officer of Comcast Corporation. He has a broad portfolio of responsibilities, including corporate communications, government and regulatory affairs, public affairs, corporate administration, corporate real estate and security, and community impact. He also serves as senior counselor to the CEO. Before joining Comcast in July of 2002, David served as a partner in and Chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the 100 largest law firms in the country.

A native of New York, David graduated from Swarthmore College in 1977 with a B.A. and in 1981 with a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School (summa cum laude). From January 1992 to April 1997, David served as Chief of Staff to the Honorable Edward G. Rendell, the Mayor of the City of Philadelphia. As detailed in the book A Prayer for the City, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger, David played a critical coordinating role in significant budgetary and financial issues, in economic development activities, in collective bargaining negotiations, and in a wide variety of other policy and operational issues relating to the city.

David serves as Chairman of the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and its Executive Committee. He also serves as a member of the Trustee Board and the Executive Committee of Penn Medicine. In addition, David serves on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, and is a member of the Chambers CEO Council for Growth. He is also Honorary Chair of Campus Phillys Board of Directors, is Chair of the Philadelphia Theatre Company, is a member of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission, and is Chair of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Philadelphia Bid Committee. David also serves as Chair of the national board of City Year and its Executive Committee and Chair of its Governance Committee. He also serves on the national board of the National Urban League and is Chair of its Audit Committee, and is Chair of the Corporate Advisory Board of UnidosUS. Additionally, David is a member of the Board of Directors of FS Global Credit Opportunities Fund and serves as Chair of its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

David has received numerous awards for his civic and charitable activities, including the Americanism Award of the Anti-Defamation League (1993), the American Red Cross Citizen of the Year Award (1999), the National Cable Television Association Vanguard Award for Leadership and Impact in the Cable Industry (2005), the Presidents Volunteer Service Award (2007), the MS Society Hope Award (2007), the Drexel University Business Leader of the Year Award (2008), the National Urban League of Philadelphia Business Leader of the Year Award (2008), The William Way Community Center Amicus in Res Award (2009), the William Penn Award from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (2012), the Spirit of Asian American Award (2012), the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award (2012), the Community Hero Award (2013), the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Champion of Youth Award (2015), the Peirce College Legacy of Leadership Award (2016), the Minority Corporate Counsel Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), the 4-H Brand Champion Award (2018), Kappa Alpha Psis Distinguished Citizens Award (2019), and has consistently been named to Black Enterprise magazines list of top corporate diversity executives. David also was awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from Drexel University (1997), Rider University (2010), and Rowan University (2017).

David lives in Philadelphia with his wife.

Ahead of the 2020 Golden Globes nominations next week, TheWrap has made some predictions as to which shows and actors are most likely to be nominated in the television categories. From HBO's "Succession" to Amazon's "Fleabag" to Netflix's "When They See Us," here are our picks for what deserves to be recognized as the best-of-the-best across a very crowded television landscape.

Best Television Series -- Drama (The Americans won last year)

Succession," HBO (Pictured), "The Crown," Netflix, Game of Thrones, HBO, The Morning Show, Apple TV+, Pose, FX

Best Performance By an Actor in a Television Series -- Drama (Richard Madden won last year for Bodyguard)

Brian Cox, Succession" (Pictured), Billy Porter, Pose, Tobias Menzies, The Crown," Jeremy Strong, Succession, Kit Harington, Game of Thrones

Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story won last year)

When They See Us, Netflix (Pictured), Chernobyl, HBO, Fosse/Verdon, FX, Unbelievable, Netflix, El Camino, Netflix

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Darren Criss won last year for The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story)

Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us" (Pictured, left), Jared Harris, Chernobyl," Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon, Aaron Paul, El Camino, Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy(Rachel Borsnahan won last year for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag" (Pictured), Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," Kirsten Dunst, On Becoming a God in Central Florida," Natasha Lyonne, Russian Doll," Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy (Michael Douglas won last year for "The Kominsky Method")

Bill Hader, Barry" (Pictured), Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method, Ted Danson, The Good Place," Ben Platt, The Politician," Paul Rudd, Living With Yourself

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series Drama (Sandra Oh won last year for "Killing Eve")

Olivia Colman, The Crown" (Pictured), Jodie Comer, Killing Eve," Zendaya, Euphoria,"Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show," Nicole Kidman, Big Little Lies

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Patricia Clarkson won last year for "Sharp Objects")

Meryl Streep, "Big Little Lies" (Pictured), Helena Bonham Carter, "The Crown,"Laura Dern, "Big Little Lies,"Patricia Arquette, "The Act,"Olivia Colman, "Fleabag"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Patricia Arquette won last year for "Escape at Dannemora")

Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon" (Pictured, left), Helen Mirren, Catherine the Great," Merritt Wever, Unbelievable, Joey King, The Act," Niecy Nash, When They See Us

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Ben Whishaw won last year for "A Very English Scandal")Andrew Scott, "Fleabag" (Pictured), Tony Shalhoub, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel," Kieran Culkin, "Succession,"Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones,"Stellen Skarsgard, "Chernobyl"

Best Television Series Musical or Comedy (The Kominsky Method won last year)

Fleabag, Amazon Prime Video (Pictured), The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amazon Prime Video, Barry, HBO, Schitts Creek, Pop TV, "Russian Doll," Netflix

From Succession to Fleabag, heres who were betting on

Ahead of the 2020 Golden Globes nominations next week, TheWrap has made some predictions as to which shows and actors are most likely to be nominated in the television categories. From HBO's "Succession" to Amazon's "Fleabag" to Netflix's "When They See Us," here are our picks for what deserves to be recognized as the best-of-the-best across a very crowded television landscape.

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Comcast Chief Diversity Officer David L Cohen to Step Down - TheWrap

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Posted By admin on December 7, 2019

Photo Credit: Facebook / Jordyn Wright

The board of directors of Canadas McGill Universitys Student Union has rejected the motion to force a Jewish student into canceling her participation on a trip to Israel or resigning from her role in the student society.

The Students Society McGill Universitys (SSMU) legislative council had threatened to launch impeachment proceedings against Jordyn Wright, a student of Microbiology and Immunology, if she takes part in the Hillel-sponsored trip to Israel, which includes Judea and Samaria.

McGills university administration and several hundred students had criticized the move along with the Anti-Defamation League, and the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA).

In a statement issued by CIJA, the organization applauded the SSMUs board of directors for unequivocally rejecting the legislative councils discriminatory motion targeting a Jewish student leader.

The move had caused further outrage as it became clear that a non-Jewish student who will also be on the trip to Israel and, like Wright, holds a role in the student union, was not threatened with sanctions.

Writing on Facebook, Wright stated: As a Jew, my connection to Israel is a core aspect of my identity, and I hoped that this trip would help me to experience Israel through a new lens.

Wright had additionally faced a call to resign from her position as a Councillor on the universitys Science Executive Committee. Science demands that I resign as a Councillor. [The Student Society of McGill University] demands that I resign as a Director. I am Jordyn Wright, and I will not resign, the student stated in a widely-shared Facebook post.

She added that a toxic environment, countless scandals, prohibitive anti-Israel sentiment, and anti-Semitism, had led to the image of a campus unfriendly for Jews.

Jewish and non-Jewish students are set to travel to Israel at the end of December. The Face to Face trip aims to foster a better understanding of the region, with students meeting politicians and journalists in Israel.

McGill University has frequently involved in controversy over its Student Societys positions on Israel and the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Jewish students have repeatedly gone public, stating they were being made to feel uncomfortable by the student representative body.

In addition, McGills Student Society has faced scrutiny on all sides of the political spectrum over its incoherent statements and resolutions on BDS, with the group being accused of lacking consistency on its relationship with the movement.

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McGill Student Union Rejects Motion Forcing Jewish Student to Resign for Traveling to Israel - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

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Posted By admin on December 7, 2019

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The Communications Decency Act (CDA) of 1996 was hugely controversial and one of the most widely debated laws relating to online conduct.

Passed as a part of a broader telecom bill, it was widely seen as an attempt to censor digital culture and became the subject of one of the internets first grassroots campaignsand the courts sided with the activists. Most of the law has been overturned for two decades.

One section of the law that did stick around, however, has ironically turned into an essential building block of digital freedom. Section 230 of the CDA shielded owners of an online service from legal liability, a move that helped to open up the digital ecosystem for different kinds of businessessuch as forums, digital review sites, blogs with comment sections, and (of course) social networks. The Electronic Frontier Foundation calls it the most important law protecting internet speech.

But now, decades after its passage, this section of the law is drawing some passionate criticism not unlike what the rest of the CDA generated nearly 25 years ago. And the reason has everything to do with the political climate.

Last year, Congress passed a law aimed at fighting sex trafficking that effectively reined in a part of the CDA. Its passage led many social networks and websites, most notably Tumblr and Craigslist, to scale back their services due to newfound legal liabilities.

And in recent months, the rest of Section 230 has found itself under attack from all sides of the political spectrum. Its gained a reputation of allowing for misinformation and hate speech to run rampant online, while allowing for potential bias in moderation strategies, leading prominent politicians in both parties to speak out.

Perhaps the most vocal voice in favor of scaling it back has been British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, best known for his edgy characters Borat and Ali G. He recently argued for a legislative solution to the issue during a speech given after accepting an award from the Anti-Defamation League that was later adapted into a Washington Post op-ed. Cohen spoke out against the damaging nature of misinformation and racism online and the failure of major companies to properly moderate what happens on their sites.

Facebook, Google and Twitter are unthinkably rich, and they have the best engineers in the world, he wrote. They could fix these problems if they wanted to.

Some have already argued against this effort in the association space. Michael Petricone, senior vice president of government affairs for the Consumer Technology Association, recently wrote in an op-ed for The Hill that the threat of legal liability would lead many providers to actually moderate their content less, for fear of rocking the boat.

Weakening this law would allow an unprecedented level of online censorship, whether through new legal caution or a new regulatory mandate, Petricone wrote. In fact, to put this in perspective: Anyone who has ever forwarded an email, a picture, or any political speech has been protected by Section 230.

Internet Associations President and CEO Michael Beckerman claimed that the law was widely misunderstood in comments to CNBC.

A lot of the rhetoric thats coming out of Congress is almost the opposite of what the reality is, Beckerman said in September. Section 230 is what enables all user-generated content online.

Its early, but given the attention the issue is receiving at the moment, its worth keeping an eye on what comes of itespecially because it could directly affect how associations manage their own services, as well as how they interact with the outside world.

A June bill introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) gives us an idea of what potential legislation could look like, even if the specifics end up quite different. The act [PDF], which is thus far stalled and is seen as unconstitutional by some legal experts, would force audits for large technology companies to ensure their moderation strategies are politically neutral.

It has a specific carve-out for small and medium-sized companies (i.e., those with less than 30 million users or half a billion in revenue), as well as for nonprofits. But considering that so much of our conversation happens or is managed by large companiesand backend technology vendors such as Cloudflare have come up in Section 230 discussions as well, as they have hosted or offered services to controversial websitesthe ripple effects could reach beyond front-facing websites or large social networks. After all, just as Section 230 created an array of new tech ideas, any effort to rein them in could stifle those ideas.

And Hawleys legislation is just one proposalanother that focused on Cohens concerns about misinformation and hate speech would likely look dramatically different. But both would have a similar effect of creating liabilities in places where there werent liabilities before, and that could create problems through the digital ecosystem.

As the original Communications Decency Act has shown, there is great potential for ripple effects when we mess with the basic tenets of digital lawand not just for the big guys, either.

So keep an eye on this one. Its a debate that could complicate an already messy digital landscape, depending on how the dice roll.

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Don't Ignore the Debate on This Landmark Internet Law - Associations Now

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Posted By admin on December 7, 2019

Facebook has come under fire this week after a hoax story about women being abducted in white vans went viral on its platform. The sites algorithms are thought to have perpetuated the circulation of the story.

The story resulted in a TV appearance on Monday by Baltimores mayor, Jack Young, who warned citizens that the white vans are abducting women for sex trafficking and selling their body parts, even though the claims have not been substantiated. Its all over Facebook, he told a local news station.

The platform says it is is now trying to stop the misinformation from spreading even further by limiting the circulation of viral posts that are perpetuating it.

This week, the Guardian uncovered a far-right network pushing out thousands of fake news articles about the US congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. When the Guardian notified Facebook of its investigation, the company removed several pages and accounts but not because they were spreading misinformation. The media platform removed only content that appeared to be financially motivated.

Here are some other unsubstantiated stories that remain on the platform.

A story from the American Herald Tribune claiming that Donald Trumps grandfather was a pimp and a tax evader continues to circulate on Facebook. It also claims that the presidents father, Fred Trump, was a KKK member.

The article was thought to be shared almost 30m times, despite having no substantial evidence to support its claims. Fred Trump was detained during a KKK protest in Queens, New York, in 1927, but he was released without charges.

Trumps grandfather, Frederick Trump, owned hotels and restaurants in Seattle. The Trump family biographer Gwenda Blair said that one such restaurant in the middle of Seattles red-light district, the Dairy, advertised rooms for ladies commonly thought to be a euphemism for prostitution. However, there is no evidence that he was a pimp something Blair herself stated.

Another false story that had an estimated 77,000 views claims that Omar attended an al-Qaida training camp. It comes from a photo taken at a Mogadishu training camp by the Associated Press in 1978, three years before Omar was born.

Facebook flagged the post as fake as part of its goal of reducing fake news on the site, but it continues to circulate elsewhere online. In October, the North Dakota state senator Oley Larsen shared the debunked post on Facebook.

A story claiming that the New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants to ban motorcycles in the US was shared online more than 12m times on Facebook, and has since been debunked.

It comes from the website Taters Gonna Tate and quotes Ocasio-Cortez as saying: Besides like, what I just said? A lot of these like, motorcycle people, OK, theyre like: Ooh, look at me, Im all old and fat and tough and I voted for Trump and smell like wet dog.

Although the website is clearly satirical, articles written on it have been taken seriously including one that claims Ocasio-Cortez believes that soldiers are paid too much. A Louisiana police officer shared that article in a Facebook post in July, calling Ocasio-Cortez a vile idiot and saying she should be shot.

Facebook has repeatedly made the case that it is not the job of the platform to remove Holocaust denial content. Mark Zuckerberg memorably defended the rights of Facebook users who post Holocaust denial content in 2018, saying that he didnt think that theyre intentionally getting it wrong.

He later added that he found Holocaust denial deeply offensive, but maintained that the platforms role is not to remove things that people get wrong.

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Facebook took action on a fake story on white vans but what about these hoaxes? - The Guardian

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Posted By admin on December 6, 2019

As Christmas nears, Netflix will ring in this holiday season with new Kris Kringle-themed films including A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish, Home for Christmas and A Family Reunion Christmas.

Tiffany Haddish, meanwhile, will be celebrating Hanukkah with her newest stand-up special Black Mitzvah, in which she shares how shes embracing her roots after discovering her fathers Eritrean-Jewish heritage.

Kevin Harts new special also hits Netflix this month. His docu-series Dont F**k This Up will highlight his Oscar hosting controversy, as well as his daily life.

Acclaimed movies like Noah Baumbachs Marriage Story with Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, along with Two Popes, are also joining the streamer in December. On the TV front, Season 2 of You starring Penn Badgley arrives on Netflix just after Christmas.

View the complete list below:

Dec. 1Dead KidsA Cinderella Story: Christmas WishThe Adventures of Sharkboy and LavagirlAustin Powers in GoldmemberAustin Powers: International Man of MysteryAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeCut BankEastsiders: Season 4Malcolm XSearching for Sugar ManSweet VirginiaThe Tribes of Palos Verdes

Dec. 2Nightflyers: Season 1Team Kaylie: Part 2

Dec. 3Especial de Natal Porta dos Fundos: A Primeira Tentao de CristoTiffany Haddish: Black MitzvahWar on Everyone

CREDIT: TBS

Dec. 4The Last O.G.: Season 2Lets DanceLos BriceoMagic for Humans: Season 2

Dec. 5A Christmas Prince: The Royal BabyApache: La vida de Carlos TevezGreenleaf: Season 4Home for ChristmasV Wars

Dec. 6Astronomy Club: The Sketch ShowThe Chosen One: Season 2The Confession KillerFuller House: Season 5Glow UpMarriage StorySpirit Riding Free: The Spirit of ChristmasTeasing Master Takagi-san: Season 2Three Days of ChristmasTriad PrincessVirgin River

Dec. 8From Paris with Love

Dec. 9A Family Reunion ChristmasIt Comes at Night

Dec. 10Michelle Wolf: Joke ShowOutlander: Season 3

Dec. 11The Sky Is Pink

Dec. 12Especial de Natal Porta dos FundosJack Whitehall: Christmas with my Father

Dec. 136 Underground

Dec. 15A Family ManDil Dhadakne DoKarthik Calling Karthik

Dec. 16BurlesqueThe Danish GirlThe Magicians: Season 4

Dec. 17Ronny Chieng: Asian Comedian Destroys America!

Dec. 18Dont F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet KillerSoundtrack

Dec. 19After The RaidUltraviolet: Season 2Twice Upon a Time

CREDIT: Netflix

Dec. 20The Two PopesThe Witcher

Dec. 22Private Practice: Season 1-6

Dec. 23Transformers Rescue Bots Academy: Season 1

Dec. 24Carole & Tuesday: Part 2Como cado del cieloCrash Landing on YouJohn Mulaney & The Sack Lunch BunchLost in Space: Season 2Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020: Part 2

Dec. 25Sweetheart

Dec. 26The AppLe Bazar de la CharitFast & Furious Spy RacersYou: Season 2

CREDIT: Courtesy of Illumination Entertainme

Dec. 27The GiftKevin Hart: Dont F**k This UpThe Secret Life of Pets 2

Dec. 28Hot Gimmick: Girl Meets Boy

Dec. 29Lawless

Dec. 30Alexa & Katie: Season 3The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.: Reawakened

Dec. 31The Degenerates: Season 2Die Another DayGoldenEyeHeartbreakersThe NeighborRed DawnTomorrow Never DiesThe World Is Not EnoughYanxi Palace: Princess Adventures

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Whats Coming to Netflix in December 2019 - Variety

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Posted By admin on December 6, 2019

Im not big on counterfactual historical musings. The hypothetical is tempting and tantalizing, but valueless. History happens but only just. Still, it happens. That events are not inevitable does not make them reversible.

There is one exception to my impatience with historical hypotheticals. It haunts me. That is the assassination almost a quarter-century ago of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who, with the weary wisdom of the warrior, sought peace with the Palestinians through the Oslo Accords. The bullets fired by Yigal Amir, a fanatical religious-nationalist Jew, on Nov. 4, 1995, killed that effort. The peace process became a lazy phrase devoid of meaning.

In this case I find it impossible not to think, If only.

Rabin gritted his teeth to shake hands with Yasir Arafat, whom he cordially loathed. He spoke with a solemnity somehow accentuated by his awkwardness, in contrast to the slick sloganeering of his nemesis, Benjamin Netanyahu. Rabin looked at the sweep of history, not the latest polls. Rabin knew that there is no escaping the moral corrosion involved in subjugating another people. With Israelis and Palestinians claiming the same land, only compromise between them could bring security in the end.

I was reminded of all this watching Incitement, the fine new Israeli movie directed by Yaron Zilberman that takes a fresh look at the assassination, and particularly at the world of Messianic zealotry that produced and sustained and motivated Amir, a 25-year-old law student at Bar-Ilan University. He was no loner. He emerged from the significant section of Israeli society that viewed Rabin as a traitor.

For Israelis convinced the West Bank is God-given real estate, Rabins preparedness for territorial compromise with the Palestinians violated Jews right to their biblical heritage. Amir believed this merited the death penalty for Rabin, whom he viewed as a rodef, or pursuer, who threatened Jewish lives with his peace mongering.

Amir, brilliantly played in the movie by Yehuda Nahari Halevi (who also grew up in an Orthodox Yemenite family), was successful. A two-state peace has receded, almost to vanishing point. Messianic Zionism, of Amirs variety, has gained the upper hand. Israel has drifted rightward, cheered on of late by the Trump administration. Netanyahu, now Israels longest-serving prime minister, has made it his lifes work to deny Palestinian statehood. Indicted on corruption charges against which his best defense is clinging to power, Netanyahu now advocates annexation of swathes of the West Bank.

So I cant help wondering. If only Rabin had lived. If only Israel had confronted the fanatical scourge in its midst before it was too late. If only Israel had understood earlier the poison of the occupation. If only enormous security lapses had not allowed Amir to lurk for a long time close to Rabins car and fire at point-blank range. If only Shimon Peres, Rabins successor, had not proved so inept, squandering an enormous lead to allow Netanyahu to win the 1996 election. If only the honor of the warrior had not given way to the dishonor of the indicted politician.

Incitement, which will be released in the United States in January, is based on years of research and many conversations with Amir, who is serving a life sentence. It is most powerful in deconstructing its title. Who and what exactly incited Amir? He viewed Baruch Goldstein, the American-born killer of 29 Palestinian worshipers in Hebron in 1994, as an exemplar. He parsed religious texts and rabbis words for justification in killing Rabin as a pursuer or informer (discussion around these themes was commonplace in Israeli settlements). In short, he became convinced he was doing Gods will.

As a dark-skinned Mizrahi in an Israel dominated by descendants of Ashkenazi European Jews, jilted by his pale-skinned girlfriend, feverish in his rejection of Rabins outreach to the Palestinians, Amir was susceptible to delusions of greatness under divine direction. He changed history.

Another element in the incitement, however unwitting, was political. The fury of Netanyahus right wing Likud party knew no bounds. Footage shows Netanyahu speaking at a big rally on Oct. 5, 1995, a month before the assassination. As he speaks, chants rise from the crowd: Rabin is a traitor, In blood and fire we will get rid of Rabin. Posters were raised of Rabin in Nazi SS uniform. David Levy, a prominent member of Likud, left. Netanyahu carried on.

On March 4, 1994, at an anti-Oslo protest, Netanyahu led a procession bearing a coffin with the inscription, Rabin kills Zionism. Whether the coffin was for Zionism or Rabin is disputed but hardly relevant. As Zilberman, the director, wrote in an email, A prime minister that kills Zionism is a traitor. That is how Amir saw Rabin: as a traitor.

Netanyahu compared Rabin to Neville Chamberlain in the pages of The New York Times. After 21 Israelis and one Dutch citizen were killed in a terrorist attack in Tel Aviv on Oct. 19, 1994, he said: Prime Minister Rabin chose to favor Arafat and the well-being of the people of Gaza over the security of Israeli citizens. This is scurrilous and that is putting it kindly.

Now, 24 years later, Netanyahu clings to power. A third Israeli election in a year is likely. The hope that Rabin brought has gone. But Israel deserves a fresh start under a new leader who can imagine the unimaginable and, through statesmanship, honor Rabins legacy at last.

If only it could happen.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

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The Incitement in Israel That Killed Yitzhak Rabin - The New York Times

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Posted By admin on December 6, 2019

When I was 12 years old, I approached my Mum in the kitchen and earnestly asked her if I could try some facon (fake bacon). She turned to me with her hands crossed over her apron and looked at me amused. Being Jewish and growing up in a Kosher home meant constant restrictions on what I could eat, bacon being top of the forbidden food list. I explained to my Mum that watching bacon in cartoons, sizzling in a pan and eaten by kids for breakfast, I desperately wanted to try it myself.

It wasnt so much that I wanted to know what bacon tasted like, but my addiction to TV meant that cartoons informed an image of how I thought my life should look, and as I saw it, being Kosher meant I couldnt participate in this normal life. I wanted to be like any other kid that had bacon and eggs in the morning or ham for dinner. I realise now that behind my request to try facon, I was really asking: What is the point of a food so regulated and ritualised that essentially others me from mainstream society?

Being Jewish and growing up in a Kosher home meant constant restrictions on what I could eat, bacon being top of the forbidden food list.

It was during the holiday season that I came to appreciate the richness and value of Jewish food. My family has very specific traditions around Chanukah (22 to 30 December); my Dad blasts Adam Sandlers Chanukah song through a CD player, we light the menorah together every night, adding a candle for each additional day, and my family comes together to feast on a meal dutifully prepared by my grandmother.

My cousins and I dont so much as sit around the table but hover over it, vying for the crispiest latke (fried potato cake) and slapping each others hands away from the ones we have our eyes on. Our lips coated in oil, we spend the rest of dinner engaging in our annual argument over whether latkes are best sprinkled with sugar or salt.

This emphasis of food at our dinners is emblematic of Judaisms centralisation of food in Jewish expression and ritual. Jewish food isnt simply a cuisine of certain flavours or dishes. Its a transmitter of tradition and story - a prop used in festivals that connects us to historical events or themes. During Chanukah we eat oily foods such as donuts and latkes to remind us of the oil used to light a Menorah that was only supposed to last one day but lasted a miraculous eight.

Our lips coated in oil, we spend the rest of dinner engaging in our annual argument over whether latkes are best sprinkled with sugar or salt.

Judaism is an intricate religion for every rule, theres commentary on the rule, and commentary on that commentary (not to even mention the exceptions). Jewish food and the rituals around it instruct us how to act and the mood were supposed to feel. The phrase they tried to kill us, we survived, lets eat! can be used to summarise most Jewish holidays. Likewise, on days of collective mourning we fast to connect to our pain, evoking hunger pangs to reflect our spiritual soberness. Its fitting then that the warm, comforting food of Chanukah mimics the hamish memories I have of sharing this food with family. Chanukah reminded me of the power of Jewish food to help me feel connected to my family, to my heritage, to my traditions. And Im appreciative of this connectedness more than any potential it has to ostracise me.

When I eventually tasted the facon my Mum bought at the Kosher butcher, it was too salty and smoky - too unfamiliar to me. I actually didnt like it at all. When I want crispy, oily food, I now reach for a latke.

Illustration byAntoine Corbineauvia The Illustration Room.

This story is the second in a series titled A Festive Perspective, which showcases personal stories of food and culture during the festive season through varying multicultural lenses. The following articles will be published throughout the month of December, 2019. You can read them allhere.

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Finding power in the feeling of otherness through a potato latke - SBS

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Posted By admin on December 6, 2019

BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- The Gathering Place names new CEO: The Gathering Place has announced that Michele Seyranian has been named the organizations new CEO and will start on the job Dec. 16. A TGP release states that Seyranian brings not only strong leadership skills to the position, but also a long-standing connection to The Gathering Place and its work, making her the ideal candidate to continue the mission of providing support services, free of charge, to those in northeast Ohio coping with a cancer diagnosis.

Michele is a proven and dynamic leader whose skills and personal appreciation for the mission of The Gathering Place make her uniquely qualified to be our successor CEO, said The Gathering Place Board Chair David Ostro, in that same release. I have every confidence that her impressive professional background and long-standing connection will allow our organization to flourish, grow and remain fiscally sound in the years ahead.

Michele Seyranian

Seyranians most recent work was as chief marketing and business development officer with Hospice of the Western Reserve. Prior to that, she worked 16 years for Key Corp, holding several executive positions, including executive vice president for strategic planning.

She was first introduced to The Gathering Place in 2000, the year the organization opened to the community. Seyranian reached out for information and support after her then 4-year-old daughters cancer diagnosis. Her connection to the organization continued through the years, helping to develop a support group for parents of children with cancer; serving two terms on the board of directors; and volunteering her strategic planning expertise to facilitate the most current strategic plan, which was developed in 2018.

I am thrilled to be offered the incredible opportunity to be the next leader of The Gathering Place, said Seyranian. Anyone who has walked through its doors understands the critical role it plays in supporting people on their cancer journey, just as it did for my family 19 years ago. Thank you to (TGP founder and retiring CEO) Eileen Saffran for her vision and leadership. I have big shoes to fill but am fortunate to have our compassionate and experienced staff behind me.

All are invited to stop by The Gathering Place to meet Seyranian and learn more about the services it offers. The Gathering Place has a location in Westlake, and at 23300 Commerce Park in Beachwood.

New head of school: We go from a new CEO in Beachwood, to a new head of school in that same city.

The Mandel JDS Board of Directors met on November 18th and unanimously approved the hiring of Jay Leberman as its next head of school, beginning in summer 2020.

Leberman comes to Mandel JDS, 26500 Shaker Blvd., as director of the Kivunim Gap-Year program in Jerusalem, which provides an intensive, experiential international Jewish education to college students. Before going abroad, Leberman was head of school for 16 years at the Perelman Jewish Day School in Philadelphia, where he ran three divisions with more than 500 students.

His accomplishments include the creation of a middle school and making Perelman a more inclusive and financially stable school. Prior to Perelman, Leberman was head of school for 12 years at the Sager Solomon Schechter Day School in Chicago. He received national recognition for establishing programs in both schools that advocate for individual learning and allow children with special needs to receive a Jewish education.

The Mandel JDS Head of School Search Committee was led by parent Louis Chaiten, who said in a release,The search process was long and thorough, and drew upon the time, efforts, and collective wisdom of countless people in the Mandel JDS community. I am tremendously excited that the end result was the hiring of someone of Jays stature and reputation -- an educational leader with an impressive record of success everywhere he has been.

Mandel JDS Board President Eliana LeVine said she is looking forward to leading the schools next chapter with Leberman.

Im thrilled that we have found such a qualified and experienced person as Jay to lead our school into its next chapter," LeVine said. (Head of School) Jerry (Isaak-Shapiro) has done an amazing job at Mandel JDS and we believe that Jay will carry on our tradition of excellence in leadership.

Leberman shared his appreciation upon accepting this new role by stating, Ive been involved in Jewish school education for nearly four decades and you truly have a gem of an institution (at Mandel JDS). The educational program that you have created is exceptional and very impressive. I am thrilled and greatly honored to have earned the confidence of the Mandel community to be offered the Head of School position.

Free admission holidays at the Maltz Museum: The Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2929 Richmond Road in Beachwood, is again opening its doors at no cost this winter during special holiday events.

From lighting candles on Chanukah, to making cards on Christmas, to hearing live music on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, to meeting the presidents on Presidents Day, there are several upcoming free opportunities for the community to engage with the museum.

Those upcoming free dates include the Chanukah Candle Lighting Celebration, from 1:30-3 p.m. Dec. 22; the Christmas Day Can-Can: Give What You Can, Pay What You Can, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 25; The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 20; and The Friends of the Maltz Museum Present a Presidents Day Celebration, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 17.

For more information about all of these events and more, call 216-593-0575, or visit maltzmuseum.org.

Food for those in need: There will be a free fresh produce pickup from 5-7 p.m. Dec. 23 at the Lee Road Library branch, 2345 Lee Road in Cleveland Heights. Those who pick up food must be at least 18 years of age, show photo ID and bring their own bags. Food is given on a first-come, first-served basis, and the giveaway will take place rain or shine. Those with questions can call library Special Projects Manager Maggie Kinney at 216-932-3600, ext. 1290.

Also, you are invited to come knit with the Noble Needles Knitting Circle on the third Thursday of each month. The next gathering will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. Dec. 19 at the Noble Neighborhood Library branch, 2800 Noble Road in Cleveland Heights. Bring a current project upon which to work, or bring a ball of worsted weight yarn and size 8 or 9 needles to learn. Call 216-291-5665.

Twas the Night Before Christmas: University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan will again, for the second consecutive year, read Clement Moores 1823 poem Twas the Night Before Christmas to the citys interns. Video of the reading will be shown on the citys You Tube and Facebook pages beginning at noon on Christmas Eve.

Also from University Heights, the city is selling its new, handsome scarf, which shows the citys logo and colors. A limited supply of the scarves is available exclusively at University Heights City Hall, 2300 Warrensville Center Road.

Sock it to me: Socks may be something many of us take for granted, but they are among the most requested items at homeless shelters.

The city of University Heights is helping those who need socks by conducting a sock drive. The citys sock drive will run through Dec. 20. Donors are asked to bring a new pair of socks to University Heights City Hall during regular business hours. After hours, socks can be left with the citys police or fire departments.

Also, you can donate socks at the University Heights Library, 13866 Cedar Road, during its regular hours.

Customer appreciation party: Juma, 20100 Chagrin Blvd. in Shaker Heights, will hold a customer appreciation party on Dec. 14. All are invited to stop in and enjoy a refreshment and, if you make a purchase, youll get 10 percent off. The discount excludes sale items, art or prior purchases. Youll also receive a free gift.

If you have questions, call 216-295-1717.

St. Lucia Day celebration: Dec. 13 is Swedish St. Lucia Day and, to celebrate, the Swedish community will present a Lucia program at 4 p.m. Dec. 14 at Peace Lutheran Church, 3740 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights.

The program is free and open to the community. For more information, contact Marty Bergman at Marty.bergman@sbcglobal.net, or call 216-371-5141.

Upcoming at the Beachwood Library: Vaping has been in the news a lot lately. From 7-8 p.m. Dec. 17, the Beachwood Library, 25501 Shaker Blvd., will host Vaping, Juuling, and Other Inhalable Items. In this presentation, Dr. Ellen Rome from the Cleveland Clinic will tell you what you need to know about popular inhalable items. For more on this event, visit here.

And, if you enjoy great art, stop in at the library from 10-11 a.m. Dec. 20 for Through the Eyes of the Artist: Michelangelo. Art historian Felicia Zavarella Stadelman presents her series on the lives and works of beloved artists.

The most exalted artist on history once said, Carving is easy, you just go down to the skin and stop. In an age of great artists, Michelangelo was perhaps the greatest, creating immortal works in all three of the major arts -- sculpture, painting, and architecture. Registration is preferred, so visit here.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Beachwood Library.

Coffee from The Gathering Place: The Gathering Place is selling commemorative coffee as part of its 20th anniversary celebration with proceeds from the 20th Anniversary Coffee Roast benefiting the free programs and services it provides to individuals and families coping with cancer in Northeast Ohio.

The beans are locally roasted in Cleveland by small batch roaster Solstice Roasters and grown and harvested by female-owned farming co-ops through the Caf Femenino coffee program. The one-of-a-kind program uses an ethical sourcing model committed to end poverty among women coffee farmers across the world.

Additional details on the coffee and how to purchase can be found here.

If you have an item you would like to see appear in Press Run, send me an email, at least 12 days prior to an event, at jeff.piorkowski@att.net.

See more Sun Press news here.

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The Gathering Place names new CEO; free admission at Maltz Museum on winter holidays; more: Press Run - cleveland.com

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Posted By admin on December 6, 2019

(Courtesy of Neve Yerushalayim) Jerusalem, December 1980. A young American tourist wearing jeans and a backpack descends the steps to the Kotel plaza. Gazing at the Wall for the first time, she knows shes supposed to be moved. But shes too annoyedeven angryabout the partition separating men and women. Why are women shunted off to the side? she fumes. She makes a decision. These religious people can segregate themselves if they like, but Im standing wherever I want. And she marches right into the mens section.

Shes about halfway to the Kotel when a guard suddenly notices her. Running after the girl, he calls to her to stop. You not to be here, you to be there, he says in broken English, pointing to the womens side. He escorts her out. Shes seeing red.

At that moment, a tall man wearing a suit and a black fedora approaches her. He smiles. Are you Jewish? he asks.

Yes, she says, between clenched teeth.

Would you be interested in a Friday night Shabbat meal with a religious family, or a class on Jewish philosophy?

No! she replies, wanting nothing to do with either the Kotel or Judaism.

For the next few hours, she wanders around the Old City. But something pulls her back to the Kotel. Ill give it a second chance, she figures. Again, the partition upsets her, but she has no choice about it. On the womens side, she goes up to the Wall. Placing her hands on the stones, she sees the notes pressed into the cracks, gazes upward, and looks at the people around her, then back at the Wall. She feels nothing. Oh well, she thinks. I tried. With that, she exits the womens section.

Just then, a young woman in a high-necked sweater and mid-calf skirt approaches.

Excuse me, she says with a friendly smile, do you have a map of the Old City?

Yeah, just a second, the tourist responds, reaching into her backpack.

By the way, are you Jewish?

Hmm, the tourist thinks. I believe Ive heard this before. Yes. Why?

While youre here in Jerusalem, would you be interested

Yup, sounds familiar. Listen, the tourist challenges, before we talk about my doing anything religious, whats the deal with this partition?

Well, the woman calmly replies, wouldnt you feel more comfortable praying surrounded by women rather then men?

The tourist pauses. Yes, I would. Okay, that makes sense. Then a little light bulb goes on in her head. Maybe other things in Judaism make sense too?

Two months later, she drops in on some classes at Neve Yerushalayim, intending to study no longer than a week. Ten months later, she returns to Americajust for a visitas a newly Orthodox Jew.

The Tourist? Gila Manolson.

In Neve Yerushalayims 50-year history as a ground-breaking institution for Jewish womens education, its staff have had the privilege to know thousands of women like Gila from all over the globe. Some may have had a strong conservative background, and some didnt even know they were Jewish growing up. They were seeking truth, seeking meaning, seeking healthy family life and relationships, and seeking God! They came to Neve to find out what it means to be a Jew, to discover the depth of their heritage, which they knew almost nothing about. They were inspired to find that Judaism was not an archaic religion, but a guide to living the most meaningful life, freed from the fads and false morals of their generation. These women have left Neve to build lives in Jewish communities around the world. They have gotten married to men who share their dedication to Torah, and are raising generations of Torah-observant Jews.

Another Neve student, Sara (85), tells how, after spending 15 years on an ashram, she began to discover that there was something more to Judaism than what they taught her in Hebrew school. She writes:

A month later my search took me to Jerusalem. There I studied at Neve Yerushalayim, billed as a yeshivah for English-speaking women with little or no Jewish background. I fancied that I had a great deal of Jewish background, since I had gone to Hebrew school until I went away to college and was the president of my synagogue youth group. Yet what I was learning in Jerusalem felt like a completely different religion.

Something started to stir inside me. My intellect, which so often at the ashram had been scolded and sent to sit in the corner, was now set free to run and do cartwheels. I was invited to pick apart every argument. And I didI questioned, challenged, debated and argued.

I battled with several issues, but the depth of my teachers approach left nothing outside its ken. Here was intellectual brilliance aligned with spiritual profundity. The way of life enjoined by the Torah fit me like a dress that had hung in my closet for decades. Only when I actually tried it on did I find that it fit me perfectly.

In Jerusalem, during my first week of studies, I noticed that when people emerged from the rest room, they would stand for a minute with their eyes closed, muttering something. When I inquired what they were doing, I was told that just as there is a blessing to say when eating or drinking, there is also a blessing to say after using the toilet, acknowledging the Divine source of all the bodily functions.

I was blown away.

Still, my leave of absence from the ashram was drawing to a close, and my former life beckoned.

I was 37 years old. The ashram was not only my physical and spiritual home, but also my place of employment and the residence of all my friends. Accepting the dictates of the Torah would require a radical change of lifestylea repudiation of so much I held dear, an estrangement from those I loved and the forfeit of whatever standing and prestige I had acquired in the New Age world. The very idea overwhelmed me.

One night, sometime after midnight, I went to the Kotel, the Western Wall, Judaisms holiest site. There I meditated. What was Gods will for me?

I had spent my entire adult life learning to align myself with the will of God as I perceived it. Now I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was Gods will for me to stay in Jerusalem and practice Torah.

That night at the Kotel, I chose.

Yes, I told God, I will accept Your Torah as my guide, even when it is inconvenient or downright difficult. I will do it on Your terms whatever it costs me. I will live the way You want me to.

That night I fairly floated up the steps from the Kotel to my room in the Jewish Quarter. Instead of feeling saddled by the religious obligations to which I had just committed myself, I felt free and light.*

As Neve approaches its 50th year, idealistic young women, like Gila and Sara, from all over the world are still arriving almost every day of the year to immerse themselves in an environment of Torah. They are searching for clarity and a connection to their heritage in a confusing world where so many Jews are assimilating and intermarrying. Neve has an obligation to continue to provide quality Jewish education for these women.

Neve cant abandon its commitment to the future of the Jewish people and continues to dedicate itself to its mission. This year, it is launching its 50th-anniversary campaign to raise $7.5 million in order to propel its work forwardto increase its recruitment programs, create more spiritual support for its alumnae, enhance its offerings to the present student body, award them scholarships and renovate the dorms, thus building more successful Jewish futures.

A donation to Neve is to enable the school to continue empowering Jewish women and the community at large. You can learn more about Neves goals at http://www.nevey.org.

* Reprinted with permission from God Winked: Tales and Lessons From My Spiritual Adventures, by Sara Yoheved Rigler

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Neve Yerushalayim: In the Business of Igniting Souls - Jewish Link of New Jersey

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Posted By admin on December 6, 2019

(JTA)-Love him or hate him, rapper Kanye West has done nothing if not evolve over the course of his career. He has cycled through mainstream hip-hop, auto-tuned singing, soulful sampling, epic egotistical commentary and-as he would happily tell you-much more.

At the moment, West is in the midst of an intensely religious phase.

Since the beginning of the year he has held what he calls a Sunday Service each week-a pop-up Christian service of sorts that has rotated through different (at times secret) locations across the country. It involves some prayer, but it's mainly focused on a live gospel choir covering songs by him and others. Some of his celebrity friends have started attending, and it's become so popular that he bought a property in Wyoming to host larger versions.

Last month, West released a gospel-infused album titled "Jesus is King," on which he raps and sings almost exclusively about his newfound love for God. He has since announced he will produce a "Jesus is King Part II" with the help of Dr. Dre and visited Joel Osteen's megachurch in Houston.

"I know that God's been calling me for a long time and the devil has been distracting me for a long time," West said at his Osteen church appearance. "When I was at my lowest points, God was there with me. Inspiring me and sending me visions."

So it wasn't overly surprising when West announced that he is premiering a religious-themed opera at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on Nov. 24. According to a news release, the opera, titled "Nebuchadnezzar," is "based on the biblical story of the Babylonian King from the Book of Daniel" and "recounts Nebuchadnezzar's transition from wicked, imperious, self-declared ruler to a true believer who finds salvation in his faith."

"Nebuchadnezzar brings together elements from different worlds, including opera, fine art, modern dance, and gospel music, to create an innovative performance structure," the release adds.

While questions around the authenticity of West's entire project have split the black and Christian communities, this opera in particular should be raising more eyebrows because of what Nebuchadnezzar did to Jews: He destroyed the First Temple and initiated the Babylonian exile.

Here's the story: In 588 BCE, Zedekiah, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Judah, attempted to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar retaliated by laying siege to Jerusalem, starving out the Jews for two years. In 586, the Babylonian army burned down the city, including the First Temple. Nebuchadnezzar enslaved the surviving Jews.

It's one of the bloodiest episodes in Jewish history, remembered each year on the fast day of Tisha b'Av, which also marks the end of a three-week period of mourning tied to the destruction of both the First and Second Temples, as well as other calamities to befall the Jewish people. It's a somber time during which observant Jews traditionally abstain from celebrations and other joyful activities.

West has likely become enamored with Nebuchadnezzar for less sinister reasons. The rapper, who was diagnosed as bipolar in late 2016 and went through a nervous breakdown before discovering his newfound religiosity, has claimed in interviews that Nebuchadnezzar also was bipolar and similarly found his faith following an episode of mental illness. Some scholars say the Babylonian believed at one point that he had turned into an ox.

From the Bible: "He was driven away from people and ate grass like the ox. His body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a bird. At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High."

Despite that positive narrative from the Nebuchadnezzar storyline, and whatever inspiration West may have taken from it, the bloody history remains. West might want to check on the specifics of whom he's praising these days.

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Kanye West created an opera based on a Babylonian king who enslaved Jews - Heritage Florida Jewish News

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