Teva to Pay Oklahoma $85M to Settle Suit; Accused of Expanding Opioid Crisis

-

05/29/2019

Education - Freedom Center article — The UCLA Undergraduate Students Association just passed a resolution to condemn the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s newest report, “An Epidemic of Jew Hatred on Campus: the Top Ten Neo-Nazi Incidents” which was distributed in newspaper form on the UCLA campus on April 30. Photo Credit: Front Page Mag

The UCLA Undergraduate Students Association just passed a resolution to condemn the David Horowitz Freedom Center’s newest report, “An Epidemic of Jew Hatred on Campus: the Top Ten Neo-Nazi Incidents” which was distributed in newspaper form on the UCLA campus on April 30. As the author of that report, I want to respond to the false and defamatory accusations made in the student council resolution.

The resolution passed by the student council charges the Freedom Center with “falsely and slanderously equating Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) activism with Nazism and terrorism” and making “racist and demonizing accusations of campus activism [against Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP)] being directly continuous with terrorism.” These charges are demonstrably and factually false.

Our report stated that the BDS movement against Israel is funded by terrorist organizations. It also stated that these terrorist organizations funnel money to SJP to propagandize for BDS on campus. These statements are not slanderous or demonizing because they are true.

In testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Jonathan Schanzer, an expert who previously worked as a terrorism finance analyst for the United States Department of the Treasury—someone who knows what he’s talking about—described the how SJP’s propaganda activities and support for BDS are orchestrated and funded by a Hamas front group, American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). Hatem Bazian—a cofounder of SJP and a professor at the University of California-Berkeley—serves as chairman of AMP. The organization’s leadership includes former officers of the Holy Land Foundation and other Islamic “charities” previously convicted of funneling money to Hamas.

Schanzer explained, “At its 2014 annual conference, AMP invited participants to ‘come and navigate the fine line between legal activism and material support for terrorism.’” He described AMP as “arguably the most important sponsor and organizer for Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), which is the most visible arm of the BDS campaign on campuses in the United States” and revealed that AMP “provides speakers, training, printed materials, a so-called ‘Apartheid Wall,’ and grants to SJP activists” and “even has a campus coordinator on staff whose job is to work directly with SJP and other pro-BDS campus groups across the country.” Furthermore, he stated, “according to an email it sent to subscribers, AMP spent $100,000 on campus activities in 2014 alone.”

Further evidence comes from a recent study presented by Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy Gilad Erdan at the recent Global Coalition 4 Israel Forum (GC4I). The study exposed a “Network of Hate” connecting the most prominent BDS organizations worldwide with the terrorist organizations Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Minister Erdan described how BDS organizations disseminate false propaganda provided by Hamas and the Palestinian authority and stated, “The relationship between terrorist organizations and the BDS movement has never been closer, ideologically or operationally.”

And there is no doubt that the BDS movement contributes to rampant anti-Semitism on campus. A recent study conducted by the Amcha Initiative found that there is a “strong correlation between anti-Zionist student groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and anti-Semitism.” The study’s results indicated that “99% of schools with one or more active anti-Zionist groups had one or more incidents of anti-Semitic activity, whereas only 16% of schools with no active anti-Zionist student group had incidents of overall anti-Semitic activity.”

As for equating BDS with Nazism, that is indeed a justifiable comparison. Just as Hitler’s reforms aimed to marginalize Germany’s Jews through increasingly restrictive laws and sanctions, the BDS movement seeks to isolate and delegitimize Israel, cut it off from the world community, and bankrupt its resources in the hopes of ultimately destroying it.

A more direct connection also exists between BDS and the Nazi movement. The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 by Muslim scholar Hassan al-Banna. An ardent follower of Adolf Hitler, al-Banna translated Mein Kampf into Arabic in the 1930’s and launched the Islamic-Palestinian movement to “push the Jews into the sea.” According to Richard Clarke – the chief counterterrorism advisor on the U.S. National Security Council during the administrations of both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush—Hamas, along with al Qaeda and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, is one of the “descendants of the membership and ideology of the Muslim Brothers.” Therefore we can show that Hamas—the organization funding SJP’s BDS activism—has a demonstrable lineage extending back to Nazi Germany.

UCLA was one of the schools named in our report because of an incident that occurred there on May 17, 2018—although in truth there have been a great many anti-Semitic incidents at UCLA. On that date, members of Students for Justice in Palestine viciously disrupted a pro-Israel event titled “Indigenous Peoples Unite” which had been organized by Students Supporting Israel. While a participant was speaking about surviving genocide in his native Armenia, a protestor walked over and tore the Armenian flag off the wall and threw the speaker’s notes on the floor, while screaming directly in his face. SJP protestors used horns and whistles to create a chaos of noise and chanted slogans including “We don’t want 2 states, we want ’48,” a genocidal statement in favor of abolishing Israel and returning to a time before it existed. Due to SJP’s protest, the event was forced to halt for over 15 minutes until calm could be regained.

Despite SJP’s egregious behavior during this incident and others, the UCLA administration allowed SJP National to hold its infamous annual conference on the UCLA campus the following semester. The conference announcement even bragged about disrupting pro-Israel events.

And yet it is the David Horowitz Freedom Center that is being condemned by the UCLA student council for exposing the truth about this incident and others. Not SJP for its censorship of pro-Israel speech on campus and for espousing the anti-Semitic doctrine of BDS.

Instead of attempting to bully pro-Israel organizations like the Freedom Center and the Canary Mission into silence, UCLA’s student council would do better to look at the source of the Jew hatred lurking in their midst.

(FrontPage Mag)

Trump Tweets for Stronger US-Israel Alliance as New Israeli Elections Loom

By

-

05/29/2019

COVER - Trump Tweets article - pic 1 — Avigdor Liberman, left, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his swearing-in ceremony on May 30, 2016 - Photo Credit: Haim Zach/GPO

Netanyahu thinks that Liberman may respond to pressure from the U.S., Israeli officials say.

Edited by: JV Staff

In a brief speech to the press on Monday at the Knesset, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned against “unnecessary elections” and called for all parties to act responsibly. To bolster his argument, he noted that President Donald Trump himself had expressed his hopes that a coalition would be formed, according to a World Israel News report.

NBC News reported that Netanyahu delivered a primetime statement on Monday calling on his potential partners to put “the good of the nation above every other interest” in order to avoid sending the country once again to “expensive, wasteful” elections. He placed the blame on Israel Beitenu chairman Avigdor Liberman for creating the crisis, but said he was hopeful his efforts to salvage a compromise in the next 48 hours would succeed.

Netanyahu stated Sunday night that he had proposed a solution in the last effort to prevent elections, as was reported by TPS. “I am now making a final effort to establish a right-wing government and to prevent unnecessary elections. I gave the partners a proposal for a solution. It is based on the principles established by the army and on the data that the army has compiled – there is no reason to reject this. I’m going to invite all party leaders tonight, I want to talk to them and try together to prevent unnecessary elections,” he stated.

A strong U.S.-Israel relationship carries weight with the Israeli public as was previously proven. According to Maariv, Netanyahu wants members of the Trump administration to step in and pressure Liberman to join the coalition.

Liberman, thus far has stubbornly refused to do so. Though Netanyahu’s Likud party increased its power to 35 seats in parliament in the April 9 vote, it can’t muster a 61-seat majority without Lieberman’s party. WIN reported that failure to form a government means the country would again go to elections, an unheard-of event in Israel.

The crisis ostensibly revolves around Lieberman’s insistence that current legislation mandating that young ultra-Orthodox men be drafted into the military goes through the Knesset voting process without a single modification or alteration to the bill, as was reported by World Israel News.

Haredi, or Orthodox parties consider conscription a taboo, fearing that military service will lead to immersion in secularism. Although exemptions have led to widespread resentment among non-religious Israelis, the haredi parties insist they stay in place.

Tazpit Press Service reported that the Shas and United Torah Judaism parties, with 16 seats, have made concessions regarding the draft law, but are unwilling to adopt the formula that Liberman is demanding.

The Likud stated that the Moetzet Gedolei Ha-Torah, its supreme leadership committee, has accepted Netanyahu’s proposal regarding the IDF draft law.

“The draft law has become a symbol and we will not capitulate on our symbols,” Liberman defiantly said, vowing to press for new elections if his demands are not met.

NBC News reported that Netanyahu’s Likud party has traditionally had an alliance with Orthodox and nationalist parties. But Liberman, a former top Netanyahu aide, is a wild card. Though stanchly nationalist, he also champions a secular agenda aimed toward his political base of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, according to the NBC News report.

“I will not be a partner to a Halachic state,” he said, using the word for Jewish law.

However, Israeli officials told Maariv that Netanyahu thinks the Trump card may work with Liberman, who will be asked to join the government out of “national responsibility.”

On Monday, Trump tweeted his hopes “things will work out with Israel’s coalition formation and Bibi and I can continue to make the alliance between America and Israel stronger than ever. A lot more to do!”

Netanyahu referred to Trump’s tweet in a statement that was broadcasted live on all the television channels in Israel, according to Axios.com. He thanked the US leader for his tweet and said: “Trump is right – we still have a lot of work to do.”

Netanyahu is one of Trump’s main allies around the world. During the last election in Israel, Trump intervened in favor of Netanyahu and Netanyahu used Trump in his TV ads and on billboards around Israel, as was reported by Axios.

Two weeks before the election, Trump recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel. This decision was a huge win for Netanyahu and had an influence on Israeli public opinion.

On the Israeli political front, World Israel News reported that the Likud has assailed Liberman in recent days for undermining the people’s will for a right-wing government and accused him of acting out of personal spite for Netanyahu. The prime minister himself said Lieberman would be fully responsible for dragging the country into a major crisis and that his people have vowed to aggressively go after Lieberman’s core supporters in response.

But the mercurial Liberman seems to be holding his ground, according to the WIN report.

“The only motivation of Israel Beiteinu is to stand by our principles and our commitments,” he said in a Facebook post. “We are not looking to topple Netanyahu and are not looking for an alternative candidate, but we will not compromise.”

New Right party officials say they’re ready for a second go if the country goes to unprecedented back-to-back elections, according to a WIN report. The party narrowly failed to meet the minimum required threshold by about 1,400 votes in the last elections held in April.

When a party doesn’t pass the electoral threshold all of its votes are discounted. In the New Right’s case it cost Israel’s right-wing bloc over 138,000 votes, which went up in smoke when the party failed to make it into the Knesset, as was reported by World Israel News.

But now it appears the party may get a second chance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has encountered unexpected difficulties in forming a government coalition. In mid-May, he requested a two-week extension. It expires on Wednesday night.

Netanyahu’s best efforts have not been able to bring together coalition partners who stand at opposite ends of the debate over the conscription law.

On Monday, the Likud brought a motion to dissolve the Knesset, a first-step toward heading to new elections, according to the World Israel News report.

The New Right was founded by Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked. It’s not clear if Shaked will run again.

According to party officials, “The party will run in the elections and make connections, with Shaked or without her.”

The World Israel News report observed that this may be a disadvantage for the New Right as Shaked is popular, a fact known to the party and indicated by the fact that her name came first on campaign posters despite Bennett being the party’s leading figure.

Prior to the sudden possibility of new elections, it appeared that Bennett would move on from politics or at least take a long hiatus.

At the International Bible Competition on May 9, during his final speech as education minister at an official event, Bennett said “You try as long as you can, don’t give up as long as there’s any chance. Once you’re hit – get up, learn from your mistakes and move on. I did the best I could. There’s so much work yet to be done, and people at least as good as me to do it. Wherever I’ll be, I’ll never stop giving everything I can for the Israeli people.”

A Monday poll published by the Maariv newspaper shows that the right would gain further power if elections were held today, as was reported by TPS. Netanyahu’s Likud would maintain its 35 seats, Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party, the main opposition party, would lose one seat and get 34 mandates, and the right-wing parties in total would get 68 seats, three more than their current 65 seats.

On Tuesday, INN reported that the special committee for the bill to dissolve the Knesset approved the motion for second and third reading. On Wednesday, at noon, the Knesset will begin its deliberations on the bill.

Meanwhile, a source in the Likud who has been involved in the negotiations told Channel 13 News in Israel that if an agreement is reached at the last minute to form a coalition then National Union chairman Bezalel Smotrich would have to be given the justice portfolio.

The official stated that Smotrich would be made Justice Minister despite Prime Minister Netanyahu’s preference to give the portfolio to Likud MK Yariv Levin due to the lack of time before tomorrow’s deadline to form the coalition, as was reported by Israel National News.

Also on Tuesday, INN reported that Netanyahu had met with Supreme Court Chief Justice Esther Hayut and her deputy Hanan Meltzer at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, at his request.

Chief Justice Hayut and Deputy Chief Justice Meltzer stressed the importance of maintaining the independence of the judicial authority. Prime Minister Netanyahu emphasized the need for balance between the branches of government.

INN reported that at the end of the meeting, Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying, “The participants noted the importance of substantive and respectful dialogue between the branches of government.”

In her speech, Hayut claimed that Netanyahu did not address the issues he himself committed to in his inaugural address to the Supreme Court, in which he emphasized the need for a strong and independent judicial system.

(WIN, TPS, NBC)

Kushner Co’s Luxurious Wave Resort in Pier Village on Jersey Shore Opens with Great Fanfare

By

-

05/29/2019

New Jersey - Kushner Co's article - pic 1 — The Kushner Company’s luxurious Wave Resort, located in the heart of Pier Village along the Jersey Shore, debuted right before Memorial Day, and is receiving universal praise. Photo Credit: Kushner.com

The Kushner Company’s luxurious Wave Resort, located in the heart of Pier Village along the Jersey Shore, debuted right before Memorial Day, and is receiving universal praise.

The exquisite pool at the luxurious Wave Resort on the Jersey Shore.

Nicole Kushner Meyer, principal of the New York-based real estate development group, kicked things off — flanked by Mayor John Pallone and Kushners’ head of hospitality operations, Robert Dunic — with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. The six-story, 67-room hotel is only the first of several similarly posh resorts to come.

Construction of the boutique hotel began in January 2018, one facet of the $283 addition to Pier Village. The project also features 245 high-end condos called The Lofts, which carry a price tag ranging from $569,000 to $2.4 million.

The Wave Resort is one of three Kushner-owned hotels at Long Branch’s beachfront, according to the Asbury Park Press. The others are The Bungalow, a 24-room boutique hotel and the 102-room Onada Surf Club, which is still under construction.

The lobby of the Kushner Company owned Wave Hotel in Pier Village on the Jersey Shore

Kushner, the sister of President Donald Trump’s son in law, White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner, the son-in-law to President Donald Trump, said those involved as “focused on developing Pier Village into a year-round Town Center for Long Branch.” Her father, Charles Kushner, formerly owned a home in the area.

Demolition has already been completed on a trio of beachfront buildings to make space available for the planned Onada Surf Club. It will be a seven-story 102-room hotel located next to Pier Village, one of the marquee attractions at the beachfront, owned by Kushner Cos. and partner Extell Development. It is located across the street from Kushner Cos.’ Wave Resort.

Wave Resort’s rooms were designed by Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA). Each room is configured to provide views of the Atlantic Ocean from terraces and through floor-to-ceiling, wall-to wall windows. Blackened wood finishes and rope details were integrated throughout, according to Hotel Management Magazine.

Its seven food and beverage outlets include seasonal fine dining seafood and coastal casual restaurants; a boardwalk coffeeshop; swim-up pool bar; and a hybrid burger-and-taco shop. The dining venues were influenced by Pier Village’s boardwalk. “Each restaurant and bar, from the boardwalk café to the brasserie-style fine dining room to the second-floor pool deck, has a collection of communal lounging spaces,” the magazine added.

“Upon entering the living room-style lobby, eyes will immediately be drawn to a bespoke, gallery-worthy concrete reception desk,” is how Hospitality Design described it. “Framed vistas juxtaposed with natural, warm raw materials; color-blocked, dusty, sunset-toned fabrics; and crisp graphic designs make for an interactive and inviting foyer space that is perfect for relaxing with a cocktail or playing pool with friends. Each restaurant and bar, from the boardwalk café to the richly toned brasserie-style fine dining room to the second-floor pool deck, serve as a collection of communal lounging spaces that seamlessly transition from work to play throughout the day.”

Parshas Bechukosai – She Builds With Wisdom

By

-

05/29/2019

Parsha - Parshas Bechukosai article — Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, the great tanna and author of the Zohar

King Shlomo writes in Mishlei (9:1), “With all forms of wisdom she did build her house; she carved out its seven pillars.” R’ Yaakov Sakly z”l (Spain; 14th century) comments: It is well known that both the meshalim / parables and the nimshalim / morals of King Shlomo deserve study, for the parable is not randomly chosen, and it has its own importance. Indeed, the more important the lesson to be taught, the more important the subject of the parable should be. In the words of Mishlei (25:11), “Like golden apples carved on silver platters.” True, silver is not as valuable as gold, but it is nevertheless a worthy material on which to serve golden apples. [On the other hand, one would not serve golden apples on paper plates.]

In our verse, the parable is about a woman. R’ Sakly explains that King Shlomo is acknowledging the special role that women play in the development of human civilization. No other creature needs its food prepared or its home cared for in the manner that humans do, and this is a role filled by the woman. Thus, “With all forms of wisdom she did build her house.” What is the meaning of, “She carved out its seven pillars”? R’ Sakly explains that a basic house requires only four pillars–one at each corner. Thus, “seven pillars” signifies a larger, more luxurious home. When a man has a large house and is able to host guests (as one should), this, too, is to the credit of the woman of the house.

The nimshal of our verse is wisdom in general, and Torah in particular. In those contexts, the number seven refers to many things, including: the “seven wisdoms,” the seven books of the Torah (see Shabbat 115b), and the seven “places” where Hashem gave the Torah: from His mouth; face-to-face; from the heavens; at Har Sinai [as mentioned in the opening verse of our parashah]; in the Ohel Mo’ed; in Trans Jordan; and in Zion, as it is written (Yeshayah 2:3), “From Zion the Torah shall go forth.” (Torat Ha’minchah)

********

“You shall sanctify the year of the fiftieth year . . . and each of you shall return to his ancestral heritage . . .” (Vayikra 25:10)

Why is the word “year” mentioned twice? R’ Yechezkel Shraga Lifschutz-Halberstam z”l (1908-1995; the Stropkover Rebbe) explains:

During the 49 days of the Omer, we are supposed to be preparing ourselves to receive the Torah on Shavuot, the 50th day. But what if Shavuot comes and we realize that we have not prepared at all? It is taught that one should not become depressed, for, on Shavuot itself, one can make-up all of the spiritual gains that he should have accomplished during the Omer.

The same, says the Stropkover Rebbe, is true of the Yovel / Jubilee year, which has additional holiness compared to other years. The repetition of the word “year” in our verse teaches that one can attain in one year everything that he should have achieved in the preceding 49 years. This is similar to that which Rambam writes: “Even the repentance of one who does not repent until he is on his death bed is accepted.”

Why is it that one can repent in his old age after a lifetime of sinning? Why is it that one can accomplish in a short time (in the 50th year or on Shavuot) what one should have spent a long time accomplishing? Our verse tells us the answer: Such a person is merely returning to his ancestral heritage. In reality, no Jew ever lets go of that heritage completely, whether he realizes it or not. (Divrei Yechezkel Shraga Vol. III)

********

“If you will follow My decrees . . .” (26:3)

Rashi writes that “If you will follow My decrees” refers to toiling in Torah study. If so, writes R’ Akiva Yosef Schlesinger z”l (Hungary and Yerushalayim; died 1922), we can understand why this verse follows immediately after the verse, “My Sabbaths you shall observe.” Specifically, the Midrash Tanna D’vei Eliyahu states that the primary time for Torah study is on Shabbat, when one is free from work. (Torat Yechiel)

********

“I will provide peace in the land, and you will lie down with none to frighten you; I will cause wild beasts to withdraw from the land . . .” (26:6)

The Midrash Sifra records a dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai regarding the interpretation of this verse. Rabbi Yehuda interprets it as a promise that G-d will eliminate all predatory species of animals from the earth. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, on the other hand, interprets the verse as a promise that G-d will domesticate those species so that they will no longer be predators. He asks rhetorically: Which is a greater praise of G-d: that there are no dangerous species, or that there are dangerous species, but He causes them not to harm anyone? The latter, says Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, is foretold in the famous prophecy (Yeshayah 11:6-9), “A wolf will dwell with a sheep and a leopard will lie down with a kid; and a calf, a lion and a fattened animal together, with a young child leading them. A cow and a bear will graze, and their young will lie down together; and a lion will eat hay like a cattle. A suckling will play near the hole of a viper; and a newly weaned child will stretch his hand toward an adder’s lair. They will neither injure nor destroy . . .” [Until here from the Midrash]

In light of this Midrash, writes R’ Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg shlita (Tolner Rebbe in Yerushalayim), we can understand another, very famous dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai–one which led to the latter’s needing to flee and hide in a cave for 13 years. The Gemara (Shabbat 33b) records that Rabbi Yehuda praised the Roman Empire’s many infrastructure and construction projects, which included marketplaces, bridges and bathhouses. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai responded, “They made marketplaces for immoral purposes, bathhouses to luxuriate in, and bridges to collect tolls!” (When word of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai’s comments reached the Romans, he had to go into hiding.) [Until here from the Gemara]

The Tolner Rebbe explains: We can infer from Rabbi Yehuda’s interpretation of our verse in the above-quoted Midrash that he holds that evil cannot be redeemed. That is why, according to Rabbi Yehuda, the verse promises that predatory animals will be eradicated from the earth. It follows, that since we see that there is good in the Romans–after all, we, too, benefit from their construction projects–it must be that the Romans are not inherently evil.

In contrast, Rabbi Shimon holds that evil can be redeemed. Thus, a day will come when predatory animals will be domesticated and all will live in harmony. It follows, then that so long as the Romans engage in evil, they are to be condemned. It follows, also, that every person can, and is obligated to, redeem the bad within himself. (Butzina D’Oraita p.6)

********

“Then they will confess their sin and the sin of their forefathers, for the treachery with which they betrayed Me . . . I, too, will behave toward them with casualness, and I will bring them into the land of their enemies.” (26:40-41)

Why, if Bnei Yisrael confess their sins, will Hashem behave toward them with casualness and bring them to the land of their enemies? R’ Moshe Freidiger z”l (communal leader in Pest, Hungary) explains:

Teshuvah means confessing one’s sins and not making excuses. Here, Bnei Yisrael will confess, but they will justify their actions by saying that their forefathers acted the same way. Such “teshuvah” will be rejected. (Quoted in Otzrot Tzaddikei U’geonei Ha’dorot)

********

A Torah Tour of the Holy Land

“Yirmiyahu said: The word of Hashem came to me, saying, ‘Behold! — Chanamel, son of Shallum your uncle, is coming to you to say: Buy for yourself my field that is in Anatot, for the right of redemption is yours’.” (Yirmiyah 32:6-7 – Haftarah for Behar in a leap year, not read this year)

“The words of Yirmiyahu son of Chilkiyahu, of the Kohanim who were in Anatot in the land of Binyamin.” (Yirmiyahu 1:1)

R’ Yehosef Schwartz z”l (1805-1865; Germany and Eretz Yisrael; Torah scholar and geographer) writes: About 1½ hours [on foot] northeast of Yerushalayim is the small village of “Anata” [presumably the present-day Arab neighborhood of the same name just across Highway “1” from the Har Ha’tzofim (Mount Scopus) campus of the Hebrew University]. Just to the north is the village of “Machtzav Even” [lit[literally, “stone quarry”]om which building stones are brought to Yerushalayim. In the Talmud Yerushalmi (Berachot 5:1), there is a “Rabbi Yochanan Antniyata.” In the same tractate (6:5), there is a “Rabbi Chanina Antniyah.” It seems to me, writes R’ Schwartz, that they were both from Anatot.

R’ Schwartz continues: “Almon” (Yehoshua 21:18), “Allemet” (Divrei Ha’yamim I 8:36), “Azmavvet” (Nechemiah 7:28) – These places are not known to any researchers, but through G-d’s kindness, I merited to locate them. When I traveled through that district, I saw about half-an-hour northeast of the above-mentioned Anata a tall mountain on which were ancient ruins. I asked the inhabitants of Anata if they knew the name of that town, but no one could tell me. Then I met an old man who had heard in his childhood that it was called “Almavvet,” and that its inhabitants rebelled and therefore it was destroyed. I (R’ Schwartz) searched through the Book of Yehoshua among the cities of Binyamin and could not find such a place. However, among the cities of the Levi’im [speci[specifically, Kohanim – see Yehoshua 21:18]“Anatot” and “Almon.” [R’ [R’ Schwartz then deduces from verses that “Anata” and “Almavvet” (aka “Allement,” “Azmavvet”) are none other than “Anatot” and “Almon.” Today, the Jewish town of Almon sits on that approximate site.]ot Ha’aretz p.154)

(Torah.org)

Germany Reverses Course on Wearing Kippas After Outcry

By

-

05/29/2019

International - Following Kippa article — A Kippah (Jewish skullcap) (Shutterstock)

Top anti-Semitism czar calls on “all citizens” to wear the skullcap in solidarity with Jewish community.

By: Batya Jerenberg

Germany’s anti-Semitism commissioner changed his stance Monday on the wearing of skullcaps in public after an outcry by Jewish and non-Jewish public officials against his earlier statement that he didn’t recommend that Jews do so everywhere in Germany as it wasn’t safe.

Felix Klein’s about-face came soon after government spokesman Steffen Seibert held a press conference in which he said, “The state must see to it that the free exercise of religion is possible for all… and that anyone can go anywhere in our country in full security wearing a kippa.”

The statement sets a challenge for Germany’s police force, as the annual Al-Quds (Jerusalem) rally is taking place in Berlin on Saturday. The anti-Israel hatefest was attended by a higher-than-usual 1,600 people last year calling for Israel’s demise.

The Jewish community is planning a counter-demonstration. They should bring their skullcaps, Klein said.

“I call on all citizens of Berlin and across Germany to wear the kippa next Saturday if there are new, intolerable attacks targeting Israel and Jews on the occasion of al-Quds day in Berlin,” he said.

Leading German newspaper Bild published a cut-out skullcap on its front page on Monday, urging citizens to wear it in solidarity with the Jewish community. It was the popular daily’s reaction to Klein’s original warning last week in which he said that he “cannot recommend” that Jews wear the identifying headgear “at all times” and in all places in the country.

The paper’s editor-in-chief, Julian Reichelt, wrote that if Jews couldn’t wear a skullcap, “we have failed in the face of our history.”

“If even one person in our country cannot wear the kippa without putting themselves in danger, then the only answer must be that we all wear the kippa,” he added. “The kippa belongs to Germany!”

There has been a noticeable rise in anti-Semitic offenses in Germany, with violent attacks up over 60 percent in 2018 according to the country’s police statistics. More than 1,600 anti-Jewish incidents were recorded, with 62 physical attacks leaving 43 people injured.

In an interview Monday on CNN, German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted that her government has not been able to fully cope with the problem.

“We have always had a certain number of anti-Semites amongst us,” she said. “Unfortunately, today there is not a single synagogue, not a single day care center for Jewish children, not a single school for Jewish children that does not need to be guarded by German policemen.”

Her solution is educating Germany’s youth on the supreme values of human rights, democracy, sensitivity and tolerance. (World Israel News)

Read More at: worldisraelnews.com

The Jewish Voice Mourns the Passing of Our Beloved Julie Dweck, a’h

By

-

05/29/2019

Parsha - The Jewish Voice Joins article — Julie Dweck was the beloved wife of Haim Dweck, a’h and the adored mother of Sam (Sonny) Dweck, Frieda (Cookie) Dweck, Marvin Dweck and Robert Dweck. Her loss leaves an aching void in the hearts of her children and their families as well as profound sadness in the hearts of all who had the distinct pleasure of knowing Julie.

It is with great sorrow that the Jewish Voice announces the passing of our highly esteemed community member, dear friend and Aishet Chayil, Julie Dweck, a’h.

Julie Dweck was the beloved wife of Haim Dweck, a’h and the adored mother of Sam (Sonny) Dweck, Frieda (Cookie) Dweck, Marvin Dweck and Robert Dweck.

Her loss leaves an aching void in the hearts of her children and their families as well as profound sadness in the hearts of all who had the distinct pleasure of knowing Julie.

She was an indomitable spirit, a woman of genuine kindness and compassion and a paradigm of true Emunah in Hashem.

Julie was also the sister of Rae Dweck, a’h, Sam Betesh, a’h, Bob Betesh, a’h, Violet Sutton, a’h, Joe Betesh, a’h and Linda Falack.

May Julie’s precious neshoma have an aliya in Gan Eden and may she always be a melitzes yashara for her family and the entire community.

May Hashem console her family amongst the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem and may her memory always be for a special blessing.

Sefiras Ha’Omer: Achieving the Impossible

By

-

05/29/2019

Jewish Features - Sefiras HaOmer article - Reichman — We are commanded to count the days between Pesach and Shavuos, a period known as sefiras ha'omer.

Children are dreamers, living in a world of fantasy, where anything is possible. Just ask a child what he wants to be when he or she grows up and you’ll get the most fantastic and unrealistic response imaginable. “I’m going to be an astronaut fireman, so that I can save people on the moon.” They live within the infinite, the realm of endless possibility. However, as children grow up they begin to experience the struggle of reality, where their notions of the infinite becomes challenged. Imagine a child lying on a grassy field, gazing into the nighttime sky. As he stares up into the stars, he thinks to himself, “Look at how enormous the universe is. The sky just expands endlessly… It must go on forever.” After sitting with that thought for a few moments, he becomes uncomfortable. “How can anything go on forever? Everything must stop eventually.” But after a few moments of accepting this comfortable realization, he is again bothered by his thoughts. “But how can the universe stop? What else could there be? It has to go on forever…” And so, this inner conversation continues, as the child grapples with the inner struggle of contemplating the infinite within one’s own finite mind.

This child’s struggle is not a childish one; it is a challenge that confronts any finite being who tries to connect to the infinite. We are all faced with the question: How do we, as physical beings, transcend these finite dimensions? How do we relate to the abstract, to the infinite, to the spiritual? Let us approach this question through the lens of sefiras ha’omer, the counting of the omer.

Sefiras Ha’omer: Questions

We are commanded to count the days between Pesach and Shavuos, a period known as sefiras ha’omer. At first glance, this can be understood on a very simple level: As we head towards Matan Torah, eagerly anticipating the acceptance of the Torah, we excitedly count down each day towards our expected destination. This can be compared to a countdown towards one’s wedding, or a vacation, or some other exciting event. However, there is a feature of the sefiras ha’omer count that is markedly different: Rather than counting down towards our destination, we count up from our starting point! We don’t mark how many days we have left until Shavuos, we count how many days have elapsed since Pesach. What is the meaning behind this strange count?

Furthermore, what does counting accomplish? Why does our counting result in Matan Torah? Why is it so catastrophic if you miss a single day of counting?

The Answer

In truth, we are not counting towards Matan Torah, we are building towards it, one day at a time. We do not wait for Shavuos to come, we bring it ourselves, through the time and work we invest as we count the omer. If Shevuos and Matan Torah was a skyscraper, then each day of the omer would be a brick. Every day is another brick we place in our building, another day where we get to work on ourselves. The reason we can’t miss a single day of the omer is because every single day, every single brick, is essential. Matan Torah won’t come after the 49 days, it will come because of them, built by them. This is why we count up; we’re not counting down to Matan Torah, we’re building towards it, one day at a time.

Time-Bound Mitzvah?

This understanding of sefiras ha’omer sheds light on the Ramban’s enigmatic approach to the counting of the omer. He maintains that women are are obligated to count the omer because it is not a mitzvas aseh she’hazman gramah- a time-bound mitzvah. How are we to understand this? Sefiras ha’omer, a counting of each specific day between Pesach and Shavuos, seems like the epitome of a time-bound mitzvah!

However, a deeper understanding of sefiras ha’omer allows us to understand the Ramban’s opinion. In general, a time-bound mitzvah is an opportunity to tap into a certain power of time that exists at that moment. On Pesach, when we eat matzah, we tap into the power of freedom, a pre-existing reality. This same principle applies to all time bound mitzvos as well. During sefiras ha’omer, however, we are not tapping into a pre-existing time, we are creating time. When we count the omer, we do not tap into the reality of the omer, we create it. Time isn’t creating the omer, we are. This is why Shavuos is not assigned a date. It’s not tied down to a specific day, rather it is the fiftieth day that stems from the forty-nine days we have counted, ot simply because it is the sixth day of Sivan. We bring it into existence. This is why Shavuos literally means “weeks”–which also shares the same root as shevah- seven, because it is the seven weeks that we count which creates this chag.

Why Don’t We Count the First Day of the Omer?

After developing an understanding of sefiras ha’omer in general, let us focus on a few specifics of the count itself. Why don’t we count the very first day of the omer, which occurs on the first day of Pesach? In the same sense, why we don’t count the 50th day of the omer? The Torah says explicitly, “Tisperu chamishim yom” (Vayikra 23:16)–you shall count fifty days. Why then do we count forty-nine? Furthermore, the period of sefiras ha’omer that we build today parallels the forty-nine day process that the Jewish People went through upon leaving Egypt. What is the root of this process, and why is it specifically forty-nine days long?

The Arizal, Ramchal, Vilna Gaon, and many other Jewish thinkers explain as follows. Every process contains three stages. The first stage is the high, the inspiration, an experience of perfection and clarity. However, this first stage is fleeting and is followed immediately by a dramatic fall- a complete loss of everything experienced in the first stage. The second stage is a process of rebuilding what was first experienced, working and building towards perfection. There is then a third stage- a return to the original perfection of the first stage. However, this third stage is fundamentally different than the first. It is the same perfection, the same clarity, but this time it’s a perfection and clarity that you have earned. The first time it was given to you, now you have worked to build it for yourself.

The first night of Pesach was the gift, an experience of infinite transcendence. This night was characterized by makkas bechoros, a plague which Hashem Himself performed, Yetzias Mitzrayim, and the mitzvos of korban Pesach and bris millah, mitzvos which connected the Jewish people to a higher dimension of existence. However, what followed was a complete fall from this exalted level of transcendence. The Jewish People faced 49 days in the dessert, a place of spiritual emptiness. It was during these 49 days of counting, of building, that the Jewish people were able to rebuild and earn that initial transcendent gift. What resulted from those 49 days of building was Shavuos, Matan Torah, an experience of transcendence, of infinity, of the World to Come.

This is why the korban omer is a sacrifice of barley, a food described by the Sages as animal fodder. The Shavuos sacrifice is shnei ha’lechem, a sacrifice of bread, a food characterized by the Sages as human food. Before the counting of the omer, we were on a low spiritual level, the level of animals. After spending the 49 days of the omer counting and building ourselves, we rise to the transcendent spiritual level of tzelem Elokim, worthy of experiencing Matan Torah. Perhaps this is why there were two loaves of bread, one representing the original gift on the first night of Pesach and the second representing that which we earned after 49 days of building.

We don’t count the first night of Pesach because this night is a gift, something unreal, unearned. Counting represents building and the building process only begins on the second day of Pesach, once the gift has been lost.

Why 49 days?

Let us now turn to our next question. Why is the counting of the omer specifically 49 days long? The days of the omer set us up for Shavuos, for Matan Torah. What is the significance of this number? In order to understand the number 49, we must recall a principle we have developed previously. The Maharal explains that seven is the number of the natural. All physical and natural components of this world are comprised of sevens: There are seven days in the week, seven notes in the musical scale, seven colors in the spectrum of light, etc. If seven is the number of the physical, eight is that which goes beyond seven, that which transcends the physical.

This is why bris milah is performed on the eighth day- we transform the most physical and potentially animalistic organ into a vehicle of holiness and transcendence. This same theme of eight is why the miracle of Chanukah lasted eight days, and it is why the miracle came through shemen (oil) a word with the same root and concept as shemonah, eight. This is also why sefiras ha’omer is a seven week process of seven days each. We build level by level towards transcendence, towards the infinite, towards the eighth week- Matan Torah. However, why is it that seven and eight represent these concepts? To understand this, we need to first explore two different levels of order.

Two Levels of Order

Another interesting feature of the Omer is the emphasis on counting each day. This suggests that sefiras ha’omer is one long mitzvah, complete only if each of the 49 days are counted. However, l’halacha we make a bracha on each separate day of the omer, suggesting that each one is a mitzvah in its own right. How do we reconcile this apparent inconsistency?

Rav Dessler describes two different types of order: The first is a practical one, where the order facilitates access and usability. For example, a library is organized according to a system that allows one to access each piece of information efficiently. Without an ordered system, it would be hard to benefit from a huge collection of books. The order therefore provides access and usability.

There is a second level of order, one in which the pieces of a structure come together in a specific way so that the whole transcends the sum of its parts. For example, a radio is composed of a bunch of pieces, none of which is too valuable on its own. However, when these pieces are put together in just the right way, something emanates from the pieces- a radio signal.

This level of order is fundamentally different from the first form of order. Regardless of their organization, each book in a library maintains its individual worth, nothing greater results from their order. However, in a system of the third order, it is only when the pieces come together that something truly valuable results.

Six, Seven, and Eight

We live in a three dimensional world. However, this really refers to the six directions of space: right-left, up-down, forward-backward, the six sides of a three dimensional cube. Interestingly, the six sides don’t automatically result in a three dimensional cube, the six sides can be lying face down on the floor, comprising nothing. The “seventh” refers to that which connects all the pieces together into a single unit. This is the unifying factor that creates a physical form and vessel out of the six disparate parts. The “eighth” refers to that which transcends the sum of the pieces, the transcendent aspect that emanates from the level of seven. “Six” represents the physical pieces, such as the days of the week. “Seven” represents that which connects the physical pieces together, connecting the physical to spiritual, such as shabbos. “Eight” represents that which transcends the physical, such as bris milah and Chanukah.

49: Ultimate Expression of Seven

This is why we count 49 days. During sefiras ha’omer, we build from the finite to the infinite, from the physical to the spiritual. This is the journey from six to seven to eight. 49 is the ultimate expression of seven, since every single digit within “seven” is also made up of seven (the numbers one to seven are each made up of seven parts), and 7×7=49. We’re not only trying to reveal the concept of seven, but also the seven within the seven. Of course, even the seven within the seven is made up of seven, ad infinitum, but once you’ve established the principle, you don’t need to go further.

Why Don’t We Count the 50th?

We can now explain why we don’t count the 50th day of the omer. While six represents the pieces, and seven represents that which connects the pieces together, the eighth represents that which transcends the pieces, that which emanates from the pieces. The “eighth” of 49 is the 50th. We can’t count the 50th since we can’t build it; the 50th is the result of everything we’ve built and constructed during our 49 days of counting. The 50th day, Shavuos, is the result of all the pieces coming together, of all of Klal Yisrael bonding into a oneness. The result is Matan Torah, a transcendent experience of connection with Hashem, the infinite, the World to Come.

This also sheds light onto why we don’t count the first day of Pesach either. The first day is the gift, unearned and unreal. The next 49 days are the days of building, creating, and earning it ourselves. The 50th day is the same as the first day, transcendent, uncountable, but this time, we’ve earned it, it’s real, it’s ours. In truth, even the 50th has a dimension of “gift” to it, but it is only given once we’ve created the vessel to receive it, after 49 days of building. As the Ramchal explains at the end of Mesilas Yesharim, “techilaso avodah vi’sofo gimul”- the beginning is hard work and the end is a gift. Although we have worked towards the fiftieth day for forty-nine days, the transcendence we experience on that day transcends anything we could have expected.

This is why we only count 49 days and this is why it’s called Shavuos-weeks, the same root as shevah- seven. We are building seven weeks, and the transcendent 50th, Matan Torah, is what manifests from that which we create. This is why the Maharal also refers to Torah as the “eighth”, as it is Hashem’s transcendent wisdom and will which He bestowed upon us on the 50th day.

This also explains the dichotomy between each day of the omer containing its own significance and the fact that it is one long mitzvah, whereby if you miss a single day you can no longer count with a bracha. Each piece contains Omni-significance, but only in as much as each day is built correctly, building off of the previous structure and preparing for what is yet to come. Only when each and every one of the 49 pieces are built correctly can the 50th emanate from the pieces, can Matan Torah occur.

Why We Count From the Omer

This unique approach also explains another strange feature of sefiras ha’omer. If the purpose of counting the omer is to count down to Shavuos, why do we count from the omer? The omer was brought on the first day of Pesach, while the korban shtei ha’lechem was brought on Shavuos. Why do we count from our point of departure, rather than towards our destination?

The answer is that we are counting towards the infinite, towards the transcendent. When building up, you start by building a foundation and then begin your climb upwards. The same is true for sefiras ha’omer. We are counting towards infinity, towards the 50th. While it’s true that we keep this in mind, the mechanics of actually building towards the 50th require us to build upon our foundation, starting with the first day of the omer, and building our way up from there.

Shmita and Yovel

In last week’s parsha, parshas Behar, we are introduced to another set of six and seven- the six years of working the land and the seventh year of shmita. We are also introduced to another pair of 49 and 50, the 49 regular years and then the year of Yovel. What is the meaning of this?

Levels of Shabbos

As we’ve explained before, the weekday represents the time of building and creating, while Shabbos represents the cessation of creative activity, whereby we experience everything we’ve become, everything we’ve built. Shabbos is the seventh that connects the six days of the week together and connects us to the eighth. This is why the gemara in Brachos 57b compares shabbos to a taste of Olam Habah- the World to Come; it is a taste of the eighth, the infinite.

The next level of this principle is sefiras ha’omer; instead of seven days we build seven weeks, we build towards the 50th day, which is also the eighth week.

The subsequent level is Yom Kippur, which is referred to as Shabbat Shabbatot. Just as the journey to Matan Torah has 50 days, the lunar calendar has about 50 weeks, as 50×7=350 and there are 355 days in a full lunar year. The solar year has 365 days in the year. The Vilna Gaon explains in his commentary to Sefer Ditzniyusa that the Aseres Yimei Teshuva- the Ten Days of Repentance- serve to connect the lunar year to the solar year. Just like Matan Torah is the 50th day of the omer, Yom Kippur is an extension of the 50th week of the year, Rosh Hashana. It is therefore no surprise that the second time we experienced Matan Torah was on Yom Kippur.

The final level is Yovel, the 50th year. After 49 years of building and creating, the 50th year is a year of existential transcendence. This is why the year of Yovel is compared to a full year of Yom Kippur. The pesukim state that Yovel begins on Yom Kippur (Vayikra 25:9-10). Yovel is that which results from the building of 49 years correctly, it is a full year of Matan Torah.

Connecting to the Infinite

Just like the little boy in the introduction, we all struggle to connect with the infinite, to see the spiritual within the physical, to find genuine meaning and purpose in an often turbulent and chaotic world. It can feel overbearing to build a skyscraper, the task is quite daunting. However, the key is to have the general goal in the back of our minds while we focus each day, each moment on placing this brick perfectly. Each day of the omer is a new brick- a new part of our journey towards Matan Torah, towards the infinite, towards marrying Hashem. May we be inspired to create something magical as we build towards Matan Torah, one-day-at-a-time.

East Villagers Protest Office Tower; Developer Hires Blaz Donor as Lobbyist

By

-

05/29/2019

New York - East Villagers article — A group of citizens worried over changes to their neighborhood is protesting a lobbyist’s attempt to develop real estate in the East Village. The local complain that such a move would mar and maybe even ruin the community’s character. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

A group of citizens worried over changes to their neighborhood is protesting a lobbyist’s attempt to develop real estate in the East Village. The local complain that such a move would mar and maybe even ruin the community’s character.

By: Cyrus McMillan

At issue: Real Estate Equities Corporation’s intention plans to get changes to zoning that would allow it to construct a 10-story, 175-foot-tall office tower at 3 St. Mark’s Place.

“To move forward with the plan, which would mean demolishing the now-shuttered punk rock haven, the Continental, as well as a neighboring building erected in the 19th century, the developer has enlisted the lobbying firm of Jim Capalino, a fundraiser for Mayor de Blasio and a player in several controversial land deals downtown,” New York Daily News reported.

“The mayor’s prodigious fundraiser, lobbyist Jim Capalino, is seeking favors from City Hall for his clients to lift restrictions and facilitate inappropriate development in the East Village,” Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation told the Daily News. “The number of projects this lobbying firm has gotten approvals for in this neighborhood is mind-boggling… Each new favor builds upon the next. First he got permission for an upzoning south of Union Square for an oversized ‘tech hub.’ Now he’s seeking air rights transfers to continue the spread of ‘Silicon Alley’ to St. Mark’s Place. The mayor’s pay-to-play practices are utterly transforming this neighborhood.”

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation addressed the issue on its web site, noting: “From the 14th Street Tech Hub upzoning to multiple towers up to 1,000 ft. tall that sidestepped zoning approvals, from a huge new hotel on East 11th Street for which five “landmark-eligible” buildings were demolished without objection by the City to lifting a deed restriction allowing housing for seniors with AIDS to become luxury condos, Capalino+Company has been one of the most successful lobbyists in New York City.”

Particularly in the East Village/Lower East Side, the group continued, “even as its principal has been one of the Mayor’s most prodigious fundraisers. As reported in today’s Daily News, this pattern of getting (or avoiding the need for) approvals from the City while supporting the Mayor’s fundraising activities is breathtaking in its scope. In this one community board, this lobbyist is shepherding through projects dramatically transforming the character of this neighborhood.”

The group’s statement concluded, “Capalino+Co. are seeking to build upon that success with approval of an air rights transfer on St. Marks Place that would allow a planned ‘boutique’ office tower to grow 20% larger than zoning normally allows. With the approval they also recently secured for the “Tech Hub” upzoning on 14th Street from the Mayor and City Council last year, the transformation of the area south of Union Square into an extension of ‘Silicon Alley’ and Midtown South is in full swing… Community Board #3 Manhattan has already opposed the transfer, as have State Senator Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Deborah Glick. Borough President Gale Brewer, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, the City Planning Commission, and ultimately City Councilmember Carlina Rivera and the City Council will vote upon and decide whether or not this latest project is approved.”

Airlines: Boeing 737 MAX Jets Need Up To 150 Hours of Work Before Flying Again

By

-

05/29/2019

Travel - Airlines Boeing article - pic 1 — Officials from the three U.S. airlines that operate Boeing Co’s grounded 737 MAX jets, have said that after regulators approve the jets for flight again, each aircraft is expected to need between 100 and 150 hours of preparation before flying. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Officials from the three U.S. airlines that operate Boeing Co’s grounded 737 MAX jets, have said that after regulators approve the jets for flight again, each aircraft is expected to need between 100 and 150 hours of preparation before flying. American Airlines Group Inc, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines Co officials gave Reuters the estimate, in the first indication as to how long the MAXs will remain in storage. In March, the jets were mandated out of service following worldwide outrage about the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia, in which a total of 346 people were killed. As reported by VIN News, last week at a meeting in Miami, Boeing and the MAX customers discussed the necessary preparations, which include a list of tasks ranging from fluid changes and engine checks to uploading new 737 MAX software. The projected time frame does not include pilot training.

While Boeing did not comment on the time frame for the maintenance, spokesman Paul Bergman said the company’s engineering teams have been working together with its customers to decide how to efficiently get the jets back to work once regulators give the green light.

Southwest is the world’s largest MAX operator, owning 34 jets. American Airlines has the second most MAXs in the United States, owning 24. United has 14. All three airlines have already ordered dozens of more MAXs, intending to meet the increasing demands in air travel. Deliveries of the additional MAXs were halted following the worldwide grounding.

Airline officials said the jets would only be reinstated once regulators approve Boeing’s software update, meant to fix the jet’s MCAS systems, which reportedly played a role in both crashes. The software updates would afterwards need to be tested and pilots would need to be trained. Boeing has not as yet formally submitted the fix to the FAA.

Regulators are still deciding if pilots should test the crash scenarios in a simulator, which would cost airlines more money and time than Boeing’s suggested computer-based training. The jet maker has said that simulator training is not needed, and is recommending a mandatory computer-based audio course that explains MCAS and could be completed by pilots in about an hour at home, as per pilot unions. Boeing also offered supplemental training, including a video on emergency checklists. In the long run, each airline will likely be accountable for developing its own training regime.

Thus yet, the U.S. airlines have canceled MAX flights into July and August, delivering a setback to their revenues during the peak summer travel season. They will soon need to decide whether to extend cancellations, but the regulatory timeline is still ambiguous.

Is it Safe to Charge Your Phone at an Airport? Experts Say No

By

-

05/29/2019

Travel - Is Charging article — Caleb Barlow, vice-president of X-Force Threat Intelligence at IBM Security, recently told Forbes magazine in an interview that there may be hidden costs when you plug into a USB power charging station. Apparently, savvy criminals can rewire the terminals to fill phones with malware or steal private information. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Charging your phone at the airport?

Not a good idea.

Caleb Barlow, vice-president of X-Force Threat Intelligence at IBM Security, recently told Forbes magazine in an interview that there may be hidden costs when you plug into a USB power charging station. Apparently, savvy criminals can rewire the terminals to fill phones with malware or steal private information.

“Plugging into a public USB port is kind of like finding a toothbrush on the side of the road and deciding to stick it in your mouth,” Barlow told the business publication. “You have no idea where that thing has been.”

New research from the IBN X-FORCE indicates that the transportation industry has become the second-most attacked sector in 2018. “The financial services industry remained the most attacked sector of 2018, accounting for 19 percent of all attacks observed,” the report points out. “However, the transportation industry — which did not even make the top five list last year — moved to the second most attacked sector in 2018, with attempted attacks increasing threefold since the year prior.”

Plugging one’s own charger into a wall socket is safer, he points out. “Let’s say I’m a bad guy … I go into an airport … I’m not going to easily take apart the charging station, but it’s easy just to leave my cord behind,” he told the magazine. “Now, if you see an Apple charging cord, you’re likely to grab it or just plug into it. But inside this cord is an extra chip that deploys the malware, so it charges your phone, but now I own your computer.”

Paul Sems of TrustedSec recently told wkyc.com in Cleveland that criminals and stick their own chip into a USB port or cord to do awful things. “There’s something called Juice-Jacking. There’s Trust-jacking. There’s these sophisticated software packages that can go ahead and disguise your phone and expose your entire phone to a criminal element,” Sems said.

Sems said he recommended that travelers bring their own chargers with them on trips. “It’s the simplest thing Just put it in your bag with you plug in with a regular 100 volt outlet and you’ll be safe. The second thing is {bring a portable charger]…if you want to have another option there are little adapters available that make sure they filter out all data communications so the only thing your getting is power.”

Bruce Schneier, a security technologist and Fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, recently told the web site lifehacker.com that travelers can buy what is known as a USB condom. It keeps data exchange through a USB cable from happening by shutting down data pins and permitting just power pins to connect through.

Michele Baio, Formerly of Lesters, Joins Staff of the Coquette Kids High Fashion Boutique

By

-

05/29/2019

Fashion Review - Michele Baio article - pic 1 — Coquette Kids, the high fashion boutique for the latest in children’s wear (Avenue U and East 4th Street) is exceptionally delighted to announce that Michele Baio, formerly of the iconic Lesters has joined their staff.

Coquette Kids, the high fashion boutique for the latest in children’s wear is exceptionally delighted to announce that Michele Baio, formerly of the iconic Lesters has joined their staff. Having recently closed after 70 years in business, Lester’s achieved iconic status among Brooklyn’s varied children’s clothing shops. Under Michele’s leadership as the executive in charge of their layette department, Lesters was in the forefront of expanding their selection and, as such, created an impressive legacy for the quality of their merchandise, the diversity of their designer lines and their outstanding customer service.

Now, Michele brings her years of expertise to Coquette Kids where an atmosphere is being created that is perfectly suited for a full-service layette venue. After 25 years at Lesters, Michele had earned a stellar reputation along with an impressive following of customers. As a veteran of the business, Michele’s knowledge and honesty has assisted thousands of customers in choosing their selections; thus instilling them with complete confidence in her skills.

Michele Baio brings her years of expertise to Coquette Kids where an atmosphere is being created that is perfectly suited for a full-service layette venue. After 25 years at Lesters, Michele had earned a stellar reputation along with an impressive following of customers

Michele said, “It is my great honor and privilege to serve the customers that call Coquette Kids their ‘home’ for all their children’s wear selections. I am thrilled to be a part of the Coquette Kids vibrant team of experienced fashion consultants. Starting a designer layette department at Coquette Kids is a really exciting project that we are all looking forward to. Additionally, we are now offering worldwide shipping options and we have vastly enhanced and improved the Coquette Kids web site, www.coquettekids.com.”

To celebrate Michele joining the Coquette Kids staff, during the month of June, this outstanding boutique will be offering a 20% discount on all layettes as well as offering a free gift to all customers!

But, who are the people behind Coquette Kids? From whom are you buying your children’s clothing? Founded in 1993 by Bunny Benhooren, Coquette Kids has a world-renowned reputation for specializing in European imported children’s clothing as well as haute couture that includes an extraordinary collection of custom designs.

As a high-end boutique that caters to a discerning clientele, Coquette Kids has expanded to two locations – one in Brooklyn, NY and the other in Deal, NJ, selling special couture clothing for all ages, ranging from newborn to 16 years old.

Bunny Benhooren, the founder of Coquette Kids is pictured here with neighborhood children at the Mary Tawil fashion show in 2016

Coquette Kids carries over 100 brands – each one carefully chosen by their team of buyers. Every season, Coquette Kids’ priority is to seek out the most beautiful, exciting new designers to offer. Their buying team has over 25 years of experience in childrens’ wear, selecting the very best products and brands.

Every season, they travel the world to ensure that Coquette Kids has the very best in fashion choices for their customers.

The selection of designer brands at Coquette Kids ranges from the most prestigious designers – such as Dolce & Gabbana, Young Versace, Emilio Pucci, Fendi, and Balmain – to small, up-and-coming brands.

Moreover, Coquette Kids is at the forefront of organizing children’s fashion shows with proceeds going directly to a variety of charitable organizations.

Known for its exquisite apparel, exceptionally professional presentation and truly remarkable customer service, Coquette Kids continues to be the one-stop shop for all of your children’s clothing needs.

For an appointment please call 718-627-7000 or contact Michele directly at 917-865-9622. You can also visit the Coquette Kids web site at: coquettekids.com to view their latest fashions!

Trump Winning in European Elections

By

-

05/29/2019

Editorial - Trump Winning article — Pictured above is UK Prime Minister Theresa May. Recently, she announced that she would resign her post due to the bellicose pushback she has been received from leftist political parties in Britain that oppose taking takes to make the Brexit vote a reality. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Europe has always been considered a pariah by our nation. The recently commemorated Memorial Day brought to mind the hundreds of thousands of young Americans who sacrificed their lives in two massive wars so that those Continentals could once again mess themselves up. They did it after WWII in flirting with Communism, embracing the crippling philosophy of Socialism and then signed the European Union (EU) virtual death warrant that has brought these elitists to their knees. This past weekend’s EU vote indicated that the common citizens, the serfs, have had enough and voted overwhelmingly to signal that the progressives are on their way out. But give thanks again, to the land of the Stars and Stripes.

The results of the European Union (EU) vote throughout much of Europe has demonstrated that President Trump’s policies regarding trade and illegal immigration and standing up to radical Islam are working. Anti-EU parties have made big gains securing outright victory in France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary and Poland, among others. Nigel Farage’s UK’s Brexit Party, France’s Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and Italy’s Matteo Salvini’s League Party all declared victory in their respective countries. Throw in the conservative wins in Poland and Hungary to make this a slam-dunk defeat for those who welcomed in millions of Muslims to destroy their Western outlook.

According to our so called, self-identified betters, the Leftist Progressives, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Wasn’t Europe a utopia? Weren’t we told time and again that it was a secular, socialist paradise where the atheist, the Muslim, the GLBTQ gang supposedly lived together in peace and harmony and the Jew and Christian were treated with disdain and chased out with many acts of accepted terror? Not anymore.

Most assuredly we will now be hammered with many complicated, intellectual, political rationalizations about the trend this vote signals but what it boils down to is that people are proud of who they are! Americans want to be Americans! Brits want to be Brits and French want to be French. Global citizenship and world-wide kumbaya is bubkis. Look how well the United Nations functions. We are all different and national pride motivates us to do better. Competition works. Perhaps this is an indication that the Trump attitude depicting self-worth, self-respect and aggressiveness against the evils of socialism, Communism and Islamofascism really works. Maybe, just maybe, there’s hope for the future generations.

The Poshest New Yorkers Buy and Sell Their Homes in Secret

By

-

05/28/2019

New York - The Poshest article — The city’s poshest mansions are increasingly inaccessible and unadvertised, even to other millionaires. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

New York’s real estate market is mostly an open market, available to all, especially thanks to listing websites such as StreetEasy, Trulia and Realtor.com. Notwithstanding, the city’s poshest mansions are increasingly inaccessible and unadvertised, even to other millionaires.

By: Hellen Zaboulani

Take the ritzy apartments at 220 Central Park South, for example. At the 953-foot-tall urban country club developed by Steve Roth and designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern, no one knew there were apartments available for sale until after they were sold. As reported by the NY Post, numerous eager and affluent buyers were brushed away. Only a group of insiders were in the know, and the prospective clients were each handpicked. The Midtown building is now mostly sold, despite the strict vetting process and a slowing market for high priced condos. Among other well-known buyers in the building, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin purchased a penthouse there in January for a whopping $238 million, shattering the record for the most expensive home sold in the entire country.

Of the 43 NY homes that sold for over $20 million in 2018, 21 of them were not formally on the market when they were sold, as per Compass data. The hushed transactions, known as whisper sales, can be a result of disgrace, divorce or bankruptcy, but in more cases than not, it is just a matter of privacy. Many affluent homeowners just don’t want other people to know their net worth, or how much they made or lost on a transaction. Aside from that though, there is a certain feeling of extravagance in knowing that you were the chosen one, who was offered what no one else was permitted to see. “If you want to get someone’s attention with a whisper, scream!” says Leonard Steinberg, of the brokerage Compass. “220 [Central Park South] was the loudest whisper I have ever heard in my life. People feel like they are buying into a club that is word-of-mouth only and for ‘people like us.’ That has value for them.”

There is almost no way to know how many of these secret listings are available at any given time. Further, since many of the elite have more than one home, anything may be up for sale if the price is right.

“If you talk to anybody but the top-tier brokers, they’ll tell you that they hate whisper listings,” because they can often take longer to sell and fetch lower prices, says Douglas Elliman broker Noble Black. “It’s very inefficient. A lot of brokers don’t even know about those listings. But those unknown brokers can bring serious clients to the table.”

Netanyahu Orders Bill to Dissolve Parliament as Coalition Hopes Fade

By

-

05/28/2019

FOR E-MAIL BLAST - Netanyahu Orders article — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Plenum Hall of the Knesset (Flash90/Noam Revkin Fenton)

The bill is aimed, in part, at preventing President Reuven Rivlin from appointing anyone else to form the government.

By: WIN Staff

The Knesset appeared poised to vote on Monday for a bill to dissolve parliament, less than two months after the last general election.

The prime minister’s move to introduce a Knesset dissolution bill is meant to pressure Avigdor Liberman, head of the Israel Beiteinu party, into accepting a coalition deal with a new Netanyahu government.

The maneuvering is taking place amid difficulties faced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in forming a new governing majority ahead of the Wednesday midnight deadline.

At the center of the dispute is Liberman’s insistence on the passage of a conscription law to increase army enlistment in the haredi religious sector and his refusal to accept any changes to the bill. Haredi parties negotiating to enter the government reportedly have accepted a compromise on the legislation presented by Netanyahu.

If Liberman refuses to join the new government, the coalition would include only 60 members in the 120-seat Knesset.

MK Miki Zohar of Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party told Israel’s Channel 12 that he was introducing a bill to dissolve the Knesset at the prime minister’s behest, which, if passed, would mean a return to the polls.

Zohar reportedly said that the bill is also meant to stop President Reuven Rivlin from handing over the responsibility of forming a new government to anyone else. Choosing someone to form a government is one of the more important roles of Israel’s largely ceremonial president.

This bill is expected to pass, if it actually comes to a vote, because Liberman reportedly would support it, as would some other opposition factions. The Blue and White party, which – like the Likud – won 35 seats in the April election, is expected to vote against dissolving the new Knesset because it wants the opportunity to form a new government if Netanyahu fails.

Later reports have indicated that parties might change their vote for the final reading of the bill, reducing the chances of it passing.

A presidential source told World Israel News: “Clearly, if Netanyahu cannot form a government, the president would ask [Blue and White leader Benny] Gantz. But what Mr. Rivlin would really like is Likud and Blue and White working together if at all possible.” (WIN)

Israeli Superstar Gal Gadot Pegged as Huawei’s New Celebrity Sponsor

By

-

05/28/2019