Your Daily Spiel is The CJN‘s daily roundup of trending stories in the Jewish world
Canada: Canadian MP Anthony Housefather said the Jewish community should stop discussing last year’s federal election and accept that a Liberal government is in charge, adding that accusations that Justin Trudeau is anti-Israel are “unhelpful.”
Ha’aretz profiled The CJN in a spotlight this week in an article titled, “How Canada’s Last Jewish Newspaper Came Back From the Brink.”
U.S.: Bernie Sanders made history last night as the first Jew to win a presidential primary, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with top Jewish leaders in the U.S. to discuss repairing Israel-Turkey relations, Jews in Nevada are peeved that the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Shabbat, lawmakers in Congress are set to roll out significant legislation that fights BDS at state and local levels, a former employee of a New York kosher deli says it has served insect-infected food (expect its rating to fall on Trip Advisor), and intelligence officials claim that the Islamic State is determined to strike targets in the U.S. sometime in 2016.
Israel: After throwing rocks at Israeli vehicles, a Palestinian teen was killed today by Israeli troops, Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled his plans to build a fence around all of Israel to fend off predators, Israel and the EU reportedly engaged in secret talks to repair their damaged relationship, the Israel Museum’s Aleppo Codex, believed to be the oldest copy of the Hebrew bible, has been recognized as a world treasure by UNESCO, and archeologists warn that the proposed expansion of the Western Wall will be damaging.
Despite much evidence to the contrary, a leader of the Foreign Press Association told a Knesset debate that he strongly rejects the notion of an anti-Israel bias in the media, Israeli president Reuven Rivlin met with Israel’s newly appointed Sharia judges yesterday, lauding the existence of the “state-supported” courts in Israel, an ex-caretaker for Sara Netanyahu has won an abuse case against the Israeli First Lady – he’ll be awarded NIS 170,000 ($60,900 Cdn) – and a small group of Israelis and Palestinians are surfing for more than just the waves.
World: An ancient synagogue in Aleppo, Syria is in danger of being destroyed as the country’s civil war continues to wreak havoc, the Times of Israel looks at the first Spanish-born rabbi since 1492, Israel and India are set to sign a $3 billion (US) weapons deal, a 93-year-old World War II veteran has reunited with his wartime girlfriend after 70 years, and U.K. daily the Guardian might have completely misinterpreted Netanyahu’s fence speech, according to Honest Reporting.
Business: PowerXTend, a new Israeli software solution developed by tech company Lucidlogix Technologies, is looking to extend smartphone battery life, and has already done so with some 150 million phones.
Science: Israel and California signed an agreement Monday signifying their research collaboration in the field of biotechnology, with a focus on stem cells.
Culture: On The Late Late Show with James Corden, Mayim Bialik dropped Jewish modesty by semi-flashing Piers Morgan.
If you’ve seen Hail Caesar!, the new Coen Brothers flick, you’ll know that much of it satirizes early Hollywood films and icons. The Smithsonian has compiled a list of the real Hollywood figures referenced in the film.
The lineup for Way Home Festival, Ontario’s answer to Bonnaroo, was announced yesterday, and will feature the Jewish sisters in Haim, as well as other notable outfits like Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, The Killers, and more.
Surprise! Boycott Israel supporters are trying to convince Academy Award nominees like Bryan Cranston, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jennifer Lawrence, Sylvester Stallone, Christian Bale and Kate Winslet to reject a swag bag that contains a free trip to the Holy Land.
Speaking of Leo, Israeli model Bar Refaeli invoked her relationship with the star recently after she told Israeli tax authorities that she should be exempt from paying her 2009-10 taxes since she was living with him at the time. Refaeli is currently under investigation by the taxman.
Being Black History Month and all, Tablet has unleashed its second volume of ‘Black Jews You Should Know.’ The publication also called Rashida Jones’ new program, Angie Tribeca, the best show you’re not watching.
New York painter Daniel Horowitz currently has a show in Montreal that showcases his bizarre, surrealist art. Definitely worth it if you’re in the area.
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