News – Diaspora
French Jewish pro-Palestinian activist and former president of Doctors Without Borders Rony Brauman has weighed in on the kippah controversy in France. However, unlike many who’ve shown solidarity with the Jewish community in the wake of the stabbing of a Jewish teacher in Marseille, Brauman’s take is purely political, likening wearing the symbolic Jewish skullcap as showing an “allegiance to Israeli policies.”
Is it the dawn of a new era of social action? A new report looks at synagogues at the helm of bringing Syrian refugees to Canada, claiming that one-third of the larger Canadian Jewish congregations are privately sponsoring refugees.
The head of Jewish student advocacy non-profit the AMCHA Initiative recently told the Algemeiner that there is a “clear relationship” between the BDS movement against Israel on college campuses, and the targeting of Jewish students. While many of us have suspected this for a while, hopefully this will educate those who’ve been on the fence.
Are Jews and Israelis banned from George Galloway’s campaign events throughout the U.K.? The Israel Advocacy Movement claims so. The ban is really not necessary, though. You couldn’t pay us to attend your events, Mr. Galloway.
Notorious antisemite George Galloway refuses entry to all Israelis and “zionists” at his London Mayoral campaign events. Israel Advocacy Movement captures yet another example of Galloway’s obsessive anti-Israel bigotry.
Posted by StandWithUs on Friday, January 22, 2016
Los Angeles Jews are set to attend an exhibit Sunday to honour the late diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who saved some 10,000 Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by issuing them visas, allowing them to escape Nazi-occupied Europe and enter Portugal.
So the Danish city of Randers has made it law for pork to be on all municipal menus, including at schools and daycare centres. Politicians have insisted that this is not an attack on Muslims (it appears they haven’t even mentioned how this affects Danish Jews, if any) but is necessary to preserve Danish traditions. Expect obesity to soon become a cause for concern in Randers.
During an Arab League convention in Cairo, Chinese president Xi Jinping said that China supports the creation of a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders.
A German imam has blamed the rape victims of the Cologne New Years attack on the victims themselves, for wearing “perfume” and dressing provocatively. “The events of New Year’s Eve were the girls’ own fault, because they were half naked and wearing perfume. It is not surprising the men wanted to attack them. (Dressing like that) is like adding fuel to the fire,” he said.
Now that Japan has a chief rabbi, he’s been educating Japanese students about Judaism, with a focus on the upcoming holiday of Tu B’Shvat.
A Jewish transgender man has given birth to a baby daughter. In an interview with JTA, Rafi Daugherty discussed being a “single transgender man” having his first child. “We got a lot of seahorse toys, for obvious reasons,” he said.
News – Israel
A 112-year-old Holocaust survivor living in Haifa is reportedly the world’s oldest man, after Yasutaro Koide of Japan, also 112, died. Upon learning the news, Yisrael Kristal said, in Yiddish, “The joy of my old age.”
After a young woman accidentally lost her engagement ring in the trash, the Jerusalem municipality allowed dozens of haredi Orthodox men to help her retrieve it by sifting through the trash. Unfortunately, they search proved to be fruitless. There’s a $300 (US) reward for anyone who finds the ring.
Israeli forces have removed several dozen settlers from two buildings in the West Bank city of Hebron. The settlers claimed that they bought the buildings from Palestinians, but their claim was not confirmed by the Israel Defence Forces, and therefore illegal.
According to the U.S. News & World Report, Israel is the 8th most powerful country in the world, below the U.S., Russia, China, Germany, the U.K., France and Japan, but higher than Canada (we need to make some changes), Iran, Australia, India, Italy and Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Ynet has interviewed Avner Gvaryahu, of the controversial Israeli left-wing NGO Breaking the Silence, which has been the subject of much scrutiny since an attack ad was unleashed by right-wing organization Im Tirtzu. Gvaryahu says that, contrary to popular belief, his organization actually helps Israeli public diplomacy.
Condé Nast Traveler has named Israel one of the year’s hotspot destinations for wine. If you fancy yourself a connoisseur, book yourself a ticket. There will be tons of other Canadians there, trust me.
Technology
A 13-year-old Israeli girl has reportedly invented a system for producing oxygen in space. There’s a reason we’re known as the Startup Nation.
Developed by an Israeli startup, a new anonymous messaging app, Blindspot, has become the talk of the town after receiving endorsements in the form of investments from Nicki Minaj and Will.I.Am. However, many are worried the app, which allows users to remain anonymous while sending photos and videos to contacts, will encourage bullying and Internet trolls.
Culture
This weekend in Toronto marks Jewish Music Week’s Shabbat Shirah celebrations, with coveted Jewish musician Sam Glaser set to perform, alongside other acclaimed musicians. Learn more here.
Sean Paul has landed in Israel! The reggae singer (who is half-Jewish btw) will perform in Tel Aviv tomorrow night.
The taxman is out to get pregnant Israeli model Bar Refaeli, and he believes he has a real case against her, reports Ma’ariv. Tax investigators claim they’ve amassed enough evidence to indict Refaeli for tax evasion. Say it ain’t so, Bar.
Throwback
It’s parody time.
Ideas for throwbacks or news items to include in the spiel? Please send them to [email protected].