News – Diaspora
Canadian Lila Kagedan, the first Yeshivat Maharat graduate to refer to herself as rabbi, reportedly got a job with an American Orthodox synagogue over the weekend.
Both the Anne Frank House and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum had record years in 2015, with a record of 1,268,095 people visiting the former, and over 1.72 million people having visited the latter.
2015’s headline king Donald Trump said Sunday that he would “leave open the possibility of spying” on allies like Israel if he were elected president. Surprised?
A treaty between the Vatican and the state of Palestine went into effect this weekend, despite Israeli condemnation.
News – Israel
Nashat Milhem, the suspect for the New Years day attack in Tel Aviv that left two dead and several injured, remains on the loose as of publication. Israel has requested that the Palestinian Authority share any intel that it may have on Milhem.
Earlier today, two Palestinian teens (both roughly 15 years of age) were detained in the Old City of Jerusalem after knives were found on their persons. Also today, an explosive device was detonated near an IDF bulldozer near the border with Lebanon. Hezbollah took responsibility for the attack. No injuries were reported.
After arresting several guests in attendance at the “wedding of hate” that celebrated the death of a Palestinian family, three more arrests were made today, including one minor.
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem was ranked 47th worldwide on Wikipedia’s ranking of world universities. The university ranked first in Israel overall.
A newly released Hamas video shows new footage of Gilad Shalit in captivity. The video depicts Shalit drinking coffee, eating BBQ, and watching television.
Business
Jewish Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg made headlines this morning for several reasons. 1. He’s apparently trying to develop an artificially intelligent butler??? 2. Tech-savvy Indians claim they are mad at his “watered-down” Internet. 3. The Facebook hoax that claimed the Zucks is giving away US$4.5 million to 1,000 users is reportedly just that. A hoax.
In Mashable‘s list of the 100 best iPhone apps of all time, three Israeli-made apps (Waze, Meerkat and Yo) made the cut.
A New York company announced last week that it is planning to market the world’s first kosher-certified pot. Considering inflation rates for kosher products, expect to pay at least $50 for a gram of kosher kush (though that is strictly an estimation).
Sports
Your favourite sports team, the Toronto Raptors, are in Cleveland to take on LeBron James and the Cavaliers tonight at 7 p.m. The Cavs, led by the NBA’s first-ever Israeli head coach David Blatt, are currently the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Culture
Israel’s most famous model, Bar Refaeli, announced that she’s pregnant over the weekend, via Instagram of course (because Facebook is so not cool anymore).
Game of Thrones confirmed that two Israeli actors will star in the show’s upcoming sixth season: Yousef Sweid and Ania Bukstein.
Jerry Seinfeld and President Barack Obama busted out the Jewish banter on Seinfeld’s season 7 premiere of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Best line: “I make so much more than you.”
Jewish director J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars continues to dominate the box office, becoming the second-highest earner of all time with US$740.3 million in 19 days, according to Fox News.
Apparently, that beautiful Christmas gown Jennifer Lopez wore on the cover of People Magazine was designed by an Israeli bridal designer, Galia Lahav. Lahav says it took a lot of time (and even more alcohol) to come up with the concept.
This is Jennifer Lopez in People.com magazine and we really LOVE her! After 700 working hours (and 4 bottles of Vodka..)…
Posted by Galia Lahav Haute Couture on Friday, December 25, 2015
Weather
It’s currently -12 C in Toronto, prompting the season’s first extreme cold weather alert. Stay warm, haverim.