Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on December 16, 2020

ADRIANA DELGADO|Palm Beach Daily News

Traditionally, Ruthie Friedmanalong with her husband Rob and their three children, Sam, Rose and Maxwould celebrate Hanukkah by attending the large Worth Avenue menorah lighting event organized by The Chabad House .

But with the spread of COVID-19, and the rising numbers inPalm Beach, the Friedmans andmany other Jewish families are celebrating Hanukkah, also known asthe Festival of Lights, differently this year.

>>RELATED:Virtual Turkey Trot feeds more than 4,000

In the past, weve attended the menorah lighting organized by the Palm Beach Synagogue at Bradley Park, and community events that other synagogues like Chabad House have put together, Friedman said. But this year, we are not doing any in-person gatherings. I dont feel comfortable doing that with the current situation.

Instead, Friedman will be celebrating Hanukkah at home with her husband and children. They will be joined by her mother-in-law Marilyn, who will be bringing latkes, the traditional Jewish potato pancakes for dinner, but they will be observing social distancing guidelines and eating outdoors.

Hanukkah celebrates the rise of the Jewish people against Greek-Syrian oppressors.

The eight-day holiday represents the miracle of a one-day supply of oil for therededicated Temple in Jerusalem lasting eight days; Jews observe it bylighting a menorah candle every evening of the holiday.

In Palm Beach, community events that include public menorah lightings organized by synagogues and temples are normally held during the holiday, which began at sundown Thursday and end at sundown Friday. People often alsocelebrate at home with a large numberof family and friends.

With coronavirus infections on the rise, synagogues in town took a different approach. Some leaned toward online-only events held on Zoom, while others decided on a mix of livestreamed events and limited capacity in-person celebrations.

>>RELATED:Hanukkah 2020: Pandemic creates mix of virtual, socially distant celebrations

Gathering to celebrate Hanukkah with larger groups outside of his immediate family is out of the question forStephen Lindsey.

"For me, visiting my family in Canada means I would have to quarantine for two weeks, which means I wouldnt even be able to enjoy any time with them, Lindsey said. I think the idea of not having any social interaction will be difficult, but the spirit of the holidays is going to be very important.

Lindsey, a British-Canadian citizen who has livedin Palm Beach for more than three decades, said he will miss seeing his children and grandchildren this year.

Im going to the candle lighting by myself and then celebrating by conference call with the kids. Normally they would fly here or I would go there, and right now thats not going to happen.

For Eric Silverman, Hanukkah is traditionally a quiet holiday in which people enjoy time together as a family after attending one large party or event.

He and his wife Svetlana plan to attend one or two in-person gatherings.

Im an optimistic kind of guy so my spin is that this year really isnt that different, Silverman said. Many of the nights, its just you along with your family, lighting the candles and enjoying time together.

Silverman has attended the Worth Avenue menorah lighting in the past, which drew approximately 300 people last year. He said even though those community celebrations are exciting, the other side of Hanukkah is that it can be very personal and family oriented.

In previous years, we usually attended large gatherings for one or two nights. But the rest is about spending it with your close family members, and that is one of the nicest parts of Hanukkah, he said.

Friedman said she feels grateful that the synagogues in town have kept the community connectedin a time when many people cant be together.

I am so appreciative to the rabbis and the temples for everything theyre doing.I think this holiday will be more personal, more family-centered than community-centered," Friedman said. Ill miss the events that arent happening this year;but I think it will still be a special holiday, just different.

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Posted By admin on December 16, 2020

As cultural views on tattooing shift into a more nuanced approach, more Jewish people are choosing to decorate their bodies with permanent art. For some, tattoos honor the passing of a loved one, indicate something about themselves and their interests or reclaim the recipients body after trauma or surgery. This new generation has embraced tattoos to a certain extent, but this cultural change is not without its pitfalls.

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Tess S. recounts their fathers trepidation when, at 18, they wanted a tattoo signifying the birth and death dates of their mother: When I told my father I wanted to include the dates of her birth and death, he got nervous in a way I hadnt seen before. Numbers? On my arm? I assured him theyd be on the inside of the upper part of my arm, close to my heart, and that theyd be going horizontally across, not lengthwise down. He relaxed a little bit. I hadnt considered how it would sound, a Jewish person asking to be inked on their arm with a string of numbers. Tesss father also balked at the suggestion that he might want a tattoo to signify the loss, stating that he didnt want to run the risk of not being buried next to her. Besides, hed have a hard time coming up with a design hed want forever.

The myth that a tattooed person cannot be buried in a Jewish cemetery is a pervasive one, though Tess finds it incongruous with my understanding of Jewish ethos. Tess writes: Living your life such that youre constantly preparing for what will happen to you after you die feels like an incredibly Christian concept to mein Christianity, every action contributes toward whether youll inevitably spend your afterlife in paradise or in punishment. But in my understanding of Judaism, life is for the living. We work to repair the world now, not so that we can be rewarded for it in death, but because it makes life better for people now. Why, then, should we conduct ourselves out of fear of retribution post-mortem?

Alma R. takes a similar approach, stating that while some cemeteries will be stricter about it, in my experience its not actually as widespread in practice as most people seem to think. A Reform Sephardic Jew with 14 tattoos, they understand why some Jewish people feel uncomfortable with getting tattooed but ultimately believe that tattoos and Judaism are not always incompatible. I think ultimately it boils down to two Jews, three opinions, Alma says. As long as a tattoo isnt hateful, I dont think having one or more makes anybody a bad Jew.

The LGBTQ community is well known for embracing counterculture aesthetics, in part to buck social norms and in part to identify each other, so its understandable that LGBTQ Jews take a more generous stance on tattooing. However, the Jewish community as a whole can push back on these choices, as evidenced in both Alma and Britt K.s experiences.

Britt writes: I have received pushback from my parents and grandmother about my tattoos, and its likely that some of that is linked to their involvement in Conservative Judaism, but I believe that most of it is linked to conservatism in general. I come from two very modest Jewish families from just outside Philadelphia. They have beenembedded with certain values of what is presentable or respectable, so my tattoos are just one part of mealong with my queerness, my style, my piercingsthat they choose not to understand.

Alternatively, Tess has received no pushback at all, writing: Im lucky to be part of an incredibly progressive Reconstructionist congregation in a progressive town in a progressive area of the U.S. My community, both de facto and by design, doesnt particularly care about whether or not a person has tattoos. We study the Talmud, and we discuss the rules and regulations, which often get touted as being outdated and out-of-touch, but a significant component of our practice is the adaptation of old laws to modern life.

During these conversations, I was pleased to learn that both Alma and Britt have tattoos of plants far removed from the traditional roses or bundles of herbs. Almas outer forearm sports a bouquet of flowers that all happen to be poisonous as a symbol of the idea that you have to be beautiful and gentle, but still defend yourself.

Britts largest tattoo was done by a friend while she was an apprentice, and its a sort of surrealist arrangement of carnivorous plants that forms a face with the leaves and vines. Ive always felt connected to Venus flytraps and pitcher plants because they seem to contradict what we all know about plant lifethat theyre motionless, passive, the prey of othersand that power feels special to me. I grew up very timid and sweet, going out of my way to please others, and I always felt something like a carnivorous plant inside of me, like there was passion, direction and confidence that others didnt expect from me or hoped not to see.

Though Alma, Tess and Britt represent a very small sample of LGBTQ Jews, I was struck by how closely their experiences and thoughts mirrored mine, and how their responses indicated a broader shift in the Jewish opinion of tattooing. Of decorating ones body, Britt writes: I believe in Judaism that I can come as I am and that we should celebrate our bodies; I celebrate mine with tattoos. They are a way of expressing myself so that others get a glimpse of who I am before they might even speak to me. I want to have my grandmothers Hebrew names tattooed on my arm next, so my tattoos and my religion are directly related to one another.

This use of tattooing as honoring oneself acts as self-care and self-love, practices vital for LGBTQ Jews, and it seems the culture of shame surrounding tattooing within parts of the Jewish community may be headed in a more nuanced, compassionate direction.

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Posted By admin on December 16, 2020

Once the most densely populated district in the world, the Lower East Side of Manhattan has witnessed a myriad of changes over the past century. Join Untapped New York Insider and long-time Lower East Side resident Richard Soden for a virtual tour that will explore the evolution of this New York City neighborhood. The tour will offer a look at the remaining vestiges of the Lower East Sides past including many surviving and lost structures connected to the areas history of Jewish immigration.

Rivington Street Synagogue

On this virtual tour, Soden will highlight historic buildings and structures that have been restored or re-purposed, as well as those that have demolished, or abandoned. Stops will include stunning historic synagogues that still serve their original purpose, as well as those that have been converted to other functions such as art galleries, churches, and event spaces as well as bathhouses, restaurants, movie theaters, and much more.

This live virtual event on Friday, December 11th, is organized for Untapped New York Insiders. Not an Insider yet? Become a member today and get two months free with code JOINUS. After that plans start at just $10/month. A video of the tour will also be made available to all our Insiders afterward in the Video Archive section of our website.BECOME AN INSIDER!

Already a Member? Book here!

Next, check out The Top 10 Secrets of the Eldridge Street Synagogue and Museum in NYC

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Posted By admin on December 14, 2020

Hate groups receive millions of dollars in federal funds

Updated: 10:34 PM CST Dec 10, 2020

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MILLIONS OF DOLLARS GOING INTO THE HANDS OF 14 ORGANIZATIONS DESIGNATED AS HATE GROUPS BY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER AND ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE THE CASH COMING FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM WVTM 13 ES BRIAN DOUGLAS. SPOKE WITH THE SOUTHERN POVERTY CENTER ABOUT ITS CONCERNS. ITS DISAPPOINTING AT FAST, BUT APPALLING THAT OUR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DID NOT BET THESE THESE RECIPIENTS OF THESE LOANS IN THE SLIGHTEST WAY IF THEY HAD LISA BROOKS WITH THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER SAYS, THEYD SEE THAT TAXPAYER DOLLARS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO GROUPS PUSHING IDEOLOGIES OF WHITE SUPREMACY HOMOPHOBIA AND ANTI-IMMIGRATION INSTEAD. SHE SAYS STRUGGLING SMALL BUSINESSES MISSED OUT A MUCH-NEEDED MONEY IN A PANDEMIC. I JUST THE THINK ABOUT THE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT WERE CLOSED BECAUSE THEY DID NOT GET A GRANT. AND TO THINK THAT THESE FEES GROUPS THAT WE IDENTIFY AS HATE GROUPS RECEIVED FUNDING. ITS APPALLING. ITS NOT KNOWN HOW THE GROUPS WILL SPEND THE MONEY, BUT BROOKS HOPES NEW PRESIDENTIAL LEADERSHIP HELPS COMBAT SOME OF THEIR MESSAGING THE LAST FOUR YEARS. WEVE HAD SOMEONE IN THE HIGHEST OFFICE IN THE LAND SPEWING SOME OF THE SAME TYPE OF HATEFUL RHETORIC. AND SO WE HAVE WE HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS EMBOLDENED PEOPLE TO KIND OF JUST BE MORE PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR HATE SPLC SAYS THE ORGANIZATION WILL CONTINUE FIGHT AGAINST INEQUALITY

Hate groups receive millions of dollars in federal funds

Updated: 10:34 PM CST Dec 10, 2020

Millions of dollars are going into the hands of 14 organizations designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League. Watch the video above to learn more.

Millions of dollars are going into the hands of 14 organizations designated as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anti-Defamation League. Watch the video above to learn more.

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Posted By admin on December 14, 2020

Anne Franks family reportedly tried to escape to both the United States and Cuba.

The only Anne Frank memorial in the United States was vandalized Tuesday, a distressing display of hate that has prompted a police investigation, officials said.

"It's sad that this is becoming a statement of whoand what our community is," said Dan Prinzig, director of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, whichmaintains the memorial in Boise, Idaho.

The memorialincludes a life-sizebronze statue of Frank, which depicts her holding her diary and peering out the window of the secret annex in which she and her family spent 761 days hiding from Nazis before they were found and sent to concentration camps in 1944.

The Anne Frank statue at the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights was one of many emblazoned with a sticker showing the Nazi insignia earlier this week.(Photo: Courtesy of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights)

Stickers with swastikas and the words "We are everywhere" were found affixed to the diary, and another was pasted to a statue representing the spiral of injustice."

"Is this what we're becoming?" Prinzig asked.

Another stickerwas pasted over a photo of Bill Wassmuth, the center's namesake. He was a Catholic priest who left the priesthood to focus on fighting white supremacists and the Aryan Nations, a neo-Nazi group that, at the time, was based in northern Idaho. Wassmuth died in 2002.

'Intense' protests:Idaho health meeting ends abruptyl fter anti-mask protesters show up at officials' homes

The freedom spiral at the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, intended to show how hateful language can lead to discrimination, violence and attempts to eliminate disadvantaged groups, had a swastika sticker pasted to it early Tuesday morning.(Photo: Courtesy of the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights)

The defamation of the memorial, which Prinzig called a "stab to the heart," has been a rallying cry for the community. Several community members asked Prinzig to hold a physical vigil, while others started fundraisingdrives, he said.

Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee called the vandalism absolutely reprehensible, and said his agency has reached out to the Anti-Defamation League as part of its investigation.

It does cause us concern, Lee said. We are committed to ferreting out ... those who would foment hate in the community."

This is not the first time the memorial has been vandalized since its 2002 dedication. It was also defaced over a series of days in 2017 when graffiti of anti-Semitic and racist slurs caused $20,000 in damage.

The damage is not only to the memorial itself, Prinzig said, but to the "psyche of the community."

This is an "important moment in really beginning to questionourselves: Who are we and what (are we)doing to fight injustice?" he said.

Prinzig echoed the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, which he said are etched into the memorial.

Where, after all, do human rightsbegin? In small places, close to home so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world," he said.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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Posted By admin on December 14, 2020

Hundreds of Holocaust survivors, Jewish studies scholars, and directors of Jewish and Holocaust museums worldwide have signed a petition that condemns the proposed appointment of Effi Eitam, a far-right Israeli former politician, to chair Yad Vashem, Israels Holocaust museum.

Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies led a campaign this summer to appoint Eitam as the next chairman of the Holocaust museum, memorial, and research center in Jerusalem.

Eitam, a former general in the Israeli army, was a government minister and the leader of the right-wing National Religious Party. On more than one occasion, he publicly called for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza. He also advocated for excluding Palestinian citizens of Israel from the political process, often calling them a fifth column and a ticking bomb.

The Arabs will never have a government, nor sovereignty, nor an army, in any part, grain, meter or alley of the State of Israel, he once said, as reported by Haaretz. (Eitams definition of Israel includes the occupied Palestinian territories.)

While serving as Israels minister of housing and construction in 2003 and 2004, Eitam was an avid supporter of expanding Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories. In 2014, he left politics to become president of the Israeli company Genie Energy, which supplies natural gas to more than a dozen American states. He later called on the government to fully annex the West Bank, offering Israeli citizenship to some Palestinians and expelling those who refused to accept it.

In 1988, while serving as commander of an Israeli infantry brigade, four of Eitams soldiers beat a Palestinian prisoner to death under his command. An army court found that Eitam gave the order and bragged about it. The soldiers stood to trial whereas Eitam only received a reprimand. A judge recommended barring Eitm from promotion to higher ranks in the army but he was still promoted to brigadier general in 1994.

Eitams candidacy to chair the museum, which was announced in August, received international attention when a broad coalition of about 800 luminaries challenged the proposed appointment in a petition.

Eitams hateful rhetoric towards Israeli Arabs and Palestinians stands in opposition to the stated mission of Yad Vashem, the petition, which was obtained by Hyperallergic, reads. Appointing Effi Eitam as Chair of Yad Vashem would turn an internationally respected institution devoted to the documentation of crimes against humanity and the pursuit of human rights into a mockery and a disgrace.

In addition, the Anti-Defamation League, which seldomly criticizes the Israeli government, joined the petitioners, citing Eitams problematic moral record.

Hanno Loewy, director of Jewish Museum Hohenemsin Austria and one of the organizers of the petition, told Hyperallergic in an email that Eitams appointment would threaten every attempt to seriously talk about the Holocaust AND about colonialism.

It would turn Holocaust remembrance into a mockery, Loewy continued. As a descendant of Holocaust victims (not interested in turning them into political tools, but still wanting to preserve their memory of being murdered just because they were Jews), I indeed find it outrageous. And so do many of us.

Yad Vashems current chairman, Avner Shalev, announced that he will retire by the end of 2020 after 27 years at the museum. Like Eitam, Shalev was also a brigadier general in the Israeli army. Eitams appointment will still have to be approved by a government committee, which includes members of Netanyahus right-wing Likud party and the liberal Zionist Blue and White party, headed by Defence Minister Benny Gantz, the son of Holocaust survivors.

Eitams allies say that he is qualified for the job. Zeev Elkin, a government minister from the Likud party known for his far-right stances, was the official who proposed Eitamss candidacy to Netanyahu.

Speaking with the Israeli newspaper Maariv, Elkin said the museums deepening shortfalls due to the coronavirus pandemic require a leading public figure who knows how to get things done. Elkin also cited Eitams experience as an executive in the private sector and called him a very ethical man.

This development is a sign of how Israel as a whole turned so much to the right in the course of the past years, Loewy told Hyperallergic.

What is left of the left in Israel feels not really involved anymore, the museum director argued. Many of them consider Yad Vashem as a nationalist shrine of abuse of the Holocaust for political indoctrination anyhow, and dont bother that much.

For people like me, Jews in the Diaspora, and also for non-Jewish professionals working in the fields of Jewish Studies, Holocaust studies, Human rights, Genocide studies, postcolonial studies [] Yad Vashem still is an important reference, as a place to visit, an archive, a pool of knowledge and expertise, and a pool of colleagues to work with, Loewy added. Even when some of us, and me personally, are more and more puzzled about the development of the place, its museums, architecture, its public programs, and its educational practices.

As arts communities around the world experience a time of challenge and change, accessible, independent reporting on these developments is more important than ever.

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Posted By admin on December 14, 2020

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Mayor Steven Fulop thanked the Jersey City police officers for putting themselves in the line of fire.

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Hellicopters conducted an official flyover in honor of Det. Joseph Seals who was murdered in Bayview Cemetery on Dec. 10, 2019.

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Detective Joseph Seals' family laid a wreath at his memorial within the cemetery.

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Jersey City Officials joined the Jersey City Police Department at Bayview Cemetery to commemorate the first anniversary of the Dec. 10 mass shooting and honor Det. Joseph Seals.

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Mayor Steven Fulop thanked the Jersey City police officers for putting themselves in the line of fire.

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Hellicopters conducted an official flyover in honor of Det. Joseph Seals who was murdered in Bayview Cemetery on Dec. 10, 2019.

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Detective Joseph Seals' family laid a wreath at his memorial within the cemetery.

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Jersey City Officials joined the Jersey City Police Department at Bayview Cemetery to commemorate the first anniversary of the Dec. 10 mass shooting and honor Det. Joseph Seals.

Detective Joseph Seals, age 39. Leah Minda Ferencz, age 32. Douglas Miguel Rodriguez, age 49. Moshe Deutsch, age 24. All four were remembered last week on the first anniversary of the Dec. 10, 2019, terrorist attack that claimed their lives and shook the Jersey City community.

On December 10th, 2019, our state was shattered by the deadliest domestic terror incident in New Jersey history, said New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal. On that day, two domestic terrorists, fueled by a twin hatred of Jewish people and of law enforcement, not only held Jersey City and our state hostage for hours but they also claimed five lives. Those two terrorists sought to divide us that day by targeting Jersey City, one of our countrys most diverse cities.

Hell-bent on murder

On Dec. 10, 2019, David Anderson, 47, and Francine Graham, 50, opened fire at the Kosher supermarket at 223 Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey Citys Greenville neighborhood.

The pair began their deadly spree when they shot and killed Det. Seals at Bayview Cemetery when he was on-site to meet an informant. He was killed after he noticed the U-Haul van they were in and sought to investigate.

They then drove the van, outfitted with ballistic panels, a pipe bomb, and a tremendous amount of firepower to the market and opened fire.

Once inside, an hours-long shootout with police ensued, coming to an end when an armored police vehicle broke through the front of the store and police entered the building.

On the anniversary of the attack, Grewal reflected on the tragedy during a Zoom call with U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito, Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Director Jared Maples, and New Jersey Division on Civil Rights Director Rachel Apter.

Apter said the attack represented the worst of humanity, stating the act was fueled by senseless hatred that attempted to tear communities apart.

Carpenito said the day started like any other, noting that none of us were aware that lurking in a cemetery in Jersey City were two despicable terrorists hell-bent on murder and destruction simply because of their own anti-Semitic ideological views.

He noted that days prior, the pair also murdered Jersey City resident Michael Rumberger, 34, a livery driver whose body was found in the trunk of a Lincoln Town Car in Bayonne .

He called the Jersey City police and all law enforcement that were on the scene that day heroes.

He also noted the heroism of Rodriguez, who worked at the shop owned by Leah Minda Ferencz and managed to help a market patron escape before he was killed.

I hope we all keep this in mind, I hope all of us commit, not to just focus on what happened on December 10th but commit in the future to continue to use our lives, our roles, and the platforms we have to make sure were never on a webinar like this again, he said.

The ultimate sacrifice

Jersey City officers gathered to remember Det. Joseph Seals at Bayview Cemetery at an official ceremony to commemorate the anniversary and the hero who died in the line of duty.

Today serves as a reminder of the sacrifices and commitment law enforcement makes every single day because they choose to. Joseph Seals serves as an example of that, said Mayor Steven Fulop. Were thankful for the sacrifices and commitment that all of you make, and in particular we remember today the particular sacrifice that Joseph Seals and his family made.

Fulop and other officials joined Sealss family laying a wreath at a memorial in the cemetery.

Police officers in their dress blues saluted, helicopters flew overhead in an official flyover, and a call went out over the radio: Detective Joseph Alan Seals. Shield 766. End of watch Dec. 10, 2019. Rest in peace Joe. We have the watch. All units, stay alert stay alive.

Jersey City Police Chief Michael Kelly said that stars line his office, not of athletes or celebrities, but fallen officers.

He said Seals is one such star, an elite cop who was a hero long before the shooting, long before making the citys Cease-Fire Unit where he removed hundreds of guns from city streets, but even back when he was just a patrol officer.

If you want to be an elite cop, theres your model, said Jersey City Police Chief Michael Kelly. Joe Seals. I dont care if youre in a radio car or youre in the best unit in the city. Thats the way its done.

It seems like it was yesterday. It seems like it was just days ago that we were in the middle of a gun battle, said Kelly. Seems like it was only yesterday we lost Joe Seals.

For updates on this and other stories checkwww.hudsonreporter.comand follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Marilyn Baer can be reached atMarilynb@hudsonreporter.com.

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Posted By admin on December 14, 2020

The exhibition includes contributions from leading voices against antisemitism from around the world such as President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, the Israeli politician and human rights activist Natan Sharansky, UK Government antisemitism adviser Lord John Mann, Lord Ian Austin, Karen Pollock of the Holocaust Educational Trust, Jewish Agency chairman Isaac Herzog, Holocaust survivor and champion weightlifter Sir Ben Helfgott, The Anti-Defamation Leagues (ADL) Sharon Nazarian and others.

Commenting of the launch of the exhibition, Frank Lampard said: Sports has an enormous power to unite people and by sharing the stories of these athletes, we hope to inspire future generations to always fight against antisemitism, discrimination and racism, wherever they find it.

Emma Hayes added: This is so important as we know that sport has not been immune to the horrors of the past. This exhibition brings back some of the darkest moments of our history. We see the Holocaust through the eyes of male and female athletes from around the world. The stories of Jewish athletes such as Lilli Henoch, Anna Dresden-Polak and Gertrude Kleinova remind us why we as a club and individual sports professionals can never take our freedoms for granted.

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Posted By admin on December 14, 2020

Nine-year-old Bellen Woodard, a fifth-grader at Leesburgs Evergreen Mill Elementary School, has been named one of five finalists for the Nickelodeon/Time Magazine Kid of the Year Award.

After hearing fellow students commonly refer to peach-colored crayons as skin-colored, Bellen, who is Black, created the More than Peach Project, which creates and aims to normalize the use of differently colored crayons that represent diverse skin tones.

Theres different types of ways to be a leader. I do it by making sure no one feels left out, Bellen said in a video announcing her placement as a finalist.

More than Peach has achieved national recognition since its creation, leading Nickelodeon and Time to recognize Bellen as one of a group of extraordinary young leaders who are making a positive impact in their communities, according to Loudoun County Public Schools.

It feels more like a movement than a project, because a project would be something thats done one time, Bellen said. A movement means you keep on moving forward.

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles delivered an elated Bellen the news of her selection as a finalist, which includes a $5,000 grant to further her nonprofits mission, as well as the opportunity to serve as a yearlong correspondent for Time for Kids.

I wish, whenever I was younger, I could be your classmate and have your palette, Biles told Bellen. I think its beautiful, and what youre doing is amazing.

Atop her Kid of the Year honor, Bellen was also one of three honorees at the Anti-Defamation Leagues Concert Against Hate in Washington, D.C., on Saturday.

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Posted By admin on December 14, 2020

In the wake of the US election, conservatives flocked to alternative social networks including Parler over complaints that Facebook and Twitter censored their voices.

At one point, Parler hit the number one spot overall on Apple's US App Store, ahead of big names like TikTok and YouTube. In about a week, the app saw more than 4.5 million new people sign up for accounts, according to a letter from Parler CEO John Matze.

Now that bump appears to be fading.

New downloads for Parler have plummeted and are approaching the same levels as before the election, according to data from Apptopia, which tracks mobile apps. While Parler's daily active users, a key metric of how engaged people are in the service, remains higher than before the election, the number is decreasing, Apptopia says.

"The data trends resemble a fad, and a short-lived one at that," said Adam Blacker, VP of insights at Apptopia. "Parler had a very good spike. People were interested, it's in the news, it receives downloads. ... But it appears, in our data, that there is no staying power."

According to the data, on Oct. 25, Parler was downloaded about 16,000 times. Downloads peaked in mid-November, when it was downloaded nearly 340,000 times in a single day. On Monday, it was downloaded nearly 20,000 times. Daily active users on Parler shot up from about 500,000 on Oct. 25 to a peak of about 2.9 million in late November and have since fallen to 2.3 million.

Parler did not immediately respond to a request for comment about its downloads and engagement declining.

Parler, founded in 2018, bills itself as "unbiased social media" and a place where people can "speak freely" without fear of being "deplatformed," according to its website and App Store description. It looks like a mashup of Twitter and Instagram, with a main feed, follower metrics and ways to share posts and links. It's also rife with misinformation, including a stream of baseless allegations of voter fraud.

In recent years, cries of conservative bias or accusations of censorship have made way for several alternative platforms, including Gab, 4chan and 8chan. However, none of them have yet succeeded in creating a robust right-leaning platform that sticks with a significant audience.

Upstarts don't have the vast resources of behemoths like Facebook, they often can't handle an influx of traffic without problems and they lack the functionality that mainstream networks have built up over the years. Plus, it can be hard for people to fully leave the platforms they've used for years.

CNN Business previously spoke with Trump supporters who have used alternative social media platforms, including Parler, and almost none of them had totally ditched services like Facebook and Twitter. Some said they don't want to cede the space to the "other side," some want to be able to see what the other side is saying and to argue with them.

Experts in content moderation also said that while the concept of a platform with little content moderation might sound appealing on paper, the reality is more complicated. For example, Parler's lack of moderation policies has allowed for a proliferation of pornography on the platform, according to a report from the Washington Post.

"In theory, a user is like 'I don't want Twitter to silence my speech,'" said Daniel Kelley, associate director of the Center for Technology and Society at the Anti-Defamation League. "But in practice, if you're really not doing any content moderation, even at the level of the most egregious, the experience for users declines significantly."

Prominent conservative voices who have joined the platform, including Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Fox News host Sean Hannity, radio personality Mark Levin and Congressman Devin Nunes, continue to post frequently. But that won't be enough to keep the platform going, according to Kelley.

"Ninja made the jump from Twitch to Mixer, and Mixer shut down earlier this year," Kelley said, referring to the prominent "Fortnite" streamer who said he would exclusively use Microsoft's Mixer video game streaming platform. "You can definitely boost [a service] with people who are prominent, but there has to be an organic community in order for platforms to grow."

After Mixer shutdown due to lack of momentum, Ninja went back to Twitch.

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Conservatives flocked to Parler after the election. But its explosive growth is over - KCTV Kansas City

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