YOUR DAILY SPIEL FOR Tuesday, AUGUST 22

Billy Joel singing the national anthem before Game 3 of the 2015 World Series. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Your Daily Spiel is The CJN’s (almost) daily roundup of trending stories in the Jewish world.


Canada

Christie Demonstration: An anti-racism rally was held at Christie Pits on August 20. The demonstration marked the 84th anniversary of the Christie Pits Riots.

READ: ANTI-SEMITIC GRAFFITI FOUND IN THREE TORONTO-AREA SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS

United States

Piano Man: American-Jewish musician Billy Joel wore a yellow Star of David during an encore performance at Madison Square Gardens yesterday, prompting a fair bit of social media attention.

Israel/Palestine

Swift Swiss: The Swiss Foreign Ministry announced that it would be suspending funds supporting a Ramallah-based Palestinian NGO. The ministry withdrew its funding due to the organization’s ties with members affiliated with the terror organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

Arts & Culture

Auctioning Einstein: Four letters written by Albert Einstein are being auctioned off in Los Angeles on Thursday. One of Einstein’s letters, written in October 1938, condemns the then British prime minister Neville Chamberlin. One letter reads: “His only fear, which spurred him on to his humiliating flights, was the worry that Hitler might lose ground. I do not have any hope left for the future of Europe.”

Column of the Day

My Father: Eli Wiesel’s son Elisha took to the pages of Tablet magazine to speak about their relationship. Here is an excerpt:

“I want to tell you about the things that connect and separate fathers and sons, of the bridges to friendship and the spaces they must cross, and of seeing through to the best in people. I want to tell you about my father’s voice, which could thunder for justice in front of world leaders, but could also, in its quietness, cause even his most skeptical adversary to lean in and listen carefully.”

Song of the Day

Raining & Rambling: Here’s Bob Dylan’s A Hard Rain’s A Gonna Fall. Soak it all up and contemplate some big things today with Bob Dylan’s poetic philosophy!