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Iconic LI Winery Hits the Market to the Tune of $17.9M

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Bedell Cellars, a vineyard located in Cutchogue, Long Island, has been put on the market to the tune of $17.9 million.

Bedell has operated for 35 years. It sits on 75 acres and grows 10 varieties of grapes. The other stats are just as impressive: its total 95 acres includes a main residence built in 1710; a 10,000-square-foot facility with a tasting room, wine lab, barrel room, fermentation cellar, bottling line and offices; a 4,000-square-foot annex for events; an agricultural barn for machines and case storage; a tasting room and events building located at Corey Creek; and an 18th-century main house.

“The traditional, two-story, cedar-shingled home sits on 2.6 acres. At 1,825 square feet, it comes with four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a fireplace and the original stonewall basement,” reports the New York Post. “The outdoor space, by landscape architect Ed Hollander, includes a patio courtyard, a fountain, a 150-year-old maple tree and a working apple orchard.”

Bedell’s web site tells its story: “Kip & Susan Bedell planted their first grapevines here in 1980, with kip earning the moniker “Mr. Merlot” in Wine Spectator magazine. In 2000, Bedell cellars was sold to the Lynne family. Today, Bedell stands at the forefront of creativity and excellence in the modern American wine industry, and is widely regarded as the benchmark winery in the eastern US.”

Owner Michael Lynne passed away in 2019 after a lifetime of success in wine, food, theater, film, and art. After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1964 he founded an entertainment law firm, and in 1990 began a 28-year association with New Line Cinema, according to the web site. “He produced and distributed such films such as The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Austin Powers, Magnolia, Hairspray, Sex and the City, and Nightmare on Elm Street. During Michael’s tenure as CEO, New Line became the most successful independent film company in the world. Michael was also an esteemed contemporary art collector and Trustee of New York’s Museum of Modern Art. His beloved wife Ninah continues his legacy as the current owner.”

Trent Preszler, who serves as CEO, has worked at Bedell since 2002, and under his leadership the business has established a preeminent role in the American wine industry. “Trent’s fingerprints are on every detail of Bedell’s success, from the vineyard and winery to sales, marketing and operations. Trent served for 11 years on the Board of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, and is currently Chairman of Wine America,” according to the site. “Previously, he worked at The White House Office of Science & Technology Policy during the Clinton years, and was a Rotary Scholar at the Royal Botanic Gardens U.K. Trent graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Iowa State University and now proudly serves on their Board of Directors. He holds two advanced degrees from Cornell University: an M.S. in Agricultural Economics and a Ph.D. in Viticulture.”

Brooklyn Health Co Raises $65M for Technology to Help Low Income Patients

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Cityblock calls itself a “tech-driven provider for communities with complex needs.” Photo Credit: Fierce Healthcare

The Brooklyn-based health company whose stated mission is to use technology on behalf of low-income patients with complex medical conditions, was founded in 2017. Its initial location was in Crown Heights, and partnered with EmblemHealth’s AdvantageCare Physicians.

Cityblock calls itself a “tech-driven provider for communities with complex needs.” The startup “partners with community health organizations to deliver primary care, behavioral health and social services to Medicaid and low-income Medicare recipients,” notes impactalpha.com. “The backbone of its model is a software platform called Commons that links Cityblocks’ partners and care providers.”

The company is also doing business now in Waterbury, Conn., working in concert with EmblemHealth’s ConnectiCare. Executives plan to expand into North Carolina by the end of 2019 by working with Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

“The startup uses its technology platform, Commons, to facilitate communication among health team members who provide medical, behavioral and social services to Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in underserved neighborhoods,” reported Crain’s New York Business. “Patients’ care teams are made up of doctors, nurses, mental health providers and community health workers trained in coaching and managing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.”

In an announcement made on the web site medium.com Iyah Romm, CEO and co-founder explained that he launched Cityblock a year and a half ago “with the aim of building the first tech-driven provider for communities with complex needs. Today we bring radically better care to neighborhoods where the healthcare system has let people down — delivering care for medical and behavioral health needs, and the social challenges people face day-to-day. We believed we could achieve this by bridging technology with trusting, person-to-person relationships, in a manner designed to support providers and empower people to have a role in their own care.”

“Existing care delivery models simply don’t work for many in lower-income communities. As a result, many people in these communities get stuck in a cycle of emergency room visits and hospital stays,” said Elliot Geidt of Redpoint, who is a member of the company’s Board of Directors about the decision to invest in Cityblock. “Iyah, Toyin, Bay, and the Cityblock team are building an entirely new way of providing care for this large and previously underserved population.”

Cityblock now has about 180 employees, including health care providers, engineers and data scientists, and said it serves thousands of members, Crain’s reports. “It was spun out of Sidewalk Labs, the urban-focused innovation arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet that is led by former Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff. Sidewalk Labs participated in the Series B round along with existing investors Joshua Kushner’s Thrive Capital, Maverick Ventures, Town Hall Ventures and EmblemHealth.”

 

Axelrod Arts Center Brings a Touch of Broadway to Asbury’s Iconic Paramount Theater

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Partnership Leads Arts Resurgence at the Jersey Shore

A new partnership between Madison Marquette’s historic Paramount Theatre and the Axelrod Performing Arts Center [APAC] is set to bring two professionally-produced musical concerts–featuring Broadway stars–to the Asbury Park Boardwalk this summer.

Hosted at the Paramount Theatre and produced by the Axelrod, Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall is scheduled for June 23 at 7 PM, followed by the Doo Wop Project on June 27 at 8 PM. Tickets can be purchased at The Stone Pony, Blackbird Presents, and Axelrod Theatre box offices and on Ticketmaster.com. For additional information on the upcoming shows, please visit: http://apboardwalk.com/happenings/.

Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall, held on the fiftieth anniversary of Garland’s death, is the first recreation of the legendary singer’s live, recorded concert at Carnegie Hall in New York on the night of Sunday April 23, 1961, which has been hailed as “the greatest night in show business history”.

Hosted by Judy Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft, the concert will feature an orchestra conducted by Liza Minnelli’s former musical director Michael Berkowitz. The concert is being done in collaboration with the Judy Garland Heirs Trust and Garden State Equality and coincides with Asbury Park’s official kickoff for World Pride Week.

Grammy- and Emmy-nominated recording artist and America’s most distinguished archivist of the Great American Songbook, Michael Feinstein is thrilled about Asbury Park’s tribute to the great Judy Garland: “This is a watershed event in the history of Judy Garland’s musical legacy and is the first time the Garland concert will be performed with meticulous research and preparation, giving listeners a true sense of what the orchestra really sounded like in 1961. It’s a remarkable achievement, and the presence of Judy Garland’s daughter Lorna Luft will add a first-hand family member to help guide the audience through the experience. How wonderful that this ground-breaking event is finally happening!”

In addition to Luft, the concert will feature four Broadway stars: Tony winner Debbie Gravitte (Broadway’s Jerome Robbins Broadway, Les Misérables, They’re Playing Our Song); Karen Mason (Broadway’s Sunset Boulevard, Mamma Mia!); Joan Ellison (national tour The Boy from Oz and a Judy Garland specialist), and Gabrielle Stravelli (Bistro and Broadway World awards winner).

Garland’s live performances were a tremendous success, and the double album ultimately became a huge hit, winning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year and making Garland the first woman to win the award.

Next up, the Axelrod brings the wildly popular Doo Wop Project to the Paramount. The Doo Wop Project traces the evolution of doo-wop from the classic sound of five guys singing tight harmonies on a street corner to the biggest hits of today.

In their epic shows, The Doo Wop Project takes audiences on a journey from foundational tunes of groups like the Crests, Belmonts, and Flamingos through the influential sounds of Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, and The Four Seasons, all the way to songs from modern musicians like Michael Jackson, Jason Mraz and Maroon 5.

Featuring stars from Broadway’s Jersey Boys and Motown: The Musical, The Doo Wop Project brings an unparalleled authenticity of sound and vocal excellence to recreate and reimagine some of the greatest music in American pop and rock history.

“Asbury Park is known for its dynamic music and arts scene, and we are thrilled to welcome the Axelrod Performing Arts Center and their Broadway-quality productions to the Paramount Theatre,” said Pasqualina DeBoer, Marketing Director, Madison Marquette. “This partnership expands the range of entertainment available to visitors and local residents of Asbury Park just in time for the summer season.”

 

About Madison Marquette:

Madison Marquette—the developer behind the resurgence of Asbury Park— brings top tier talent to nationally recognized entertainment venues on the Asbury Park waterfront including Paramount Theatre, Convention Hall, Wonder Bar, and the world-famous Stone Pony. A truly thriving musical community, this storied city by the sea enjoys unparalleled historic architecture and a rich history as one of the most famous and entertaining resort destinations of the 20th century.

 

About the Paramount Theatre:

Paramount Theatre, along with the adjacent Convention Hall and the Grand Arcade connecting the two, is one of the most majestic landmarks in New Jersey. Over the years, this historic entertainment venue has hosted legendary performances by Tony Bennett, Elvis Costello, and Bruce Springsteen, just to name a few. With a seating capacity of approximately 1,600 guests, the legendary Paramount Theatre offers superior acoustics and stage visibility as well as a unique atmosphere that has been described as being simultaneously grand and intimate. Tickets can be purchased on ticketmaster.com or the Stone Pony box office. For more information about Paramount Theatre, visit apboardwalk.com.

 

About the Axelrod Performing Arts Center:

The Axelrod Performing Arts Center is New Jersey’s newest professional theater, producing main-stage musicals with casts and production teams from New York City and beyond, as well as original ballets, concerts and film festivals throughout the year. The Axelrod fosters artistic excellence by showcasing varied and distinct cultural programs that enrich the imaginative, intellectual, and creative soul, while cultivating an appreciation of diverse communities through the pursuit of the arts. For more information, please visit www.axelrodartscenter.com.

 

About the Asbury Park Boardwalk:

Asbury Park Boardwalk, which sits 50 minutes from New York’s Lincoln Tunnel and an hour from Philadelphia by car, is a city on the rise. It has been the recipient of an avalanche of media including being named ‘Coolest Small Town in America’ by Budget Travel Magazine and ’Best Boardwalk in America’ from Bella Magazine. Eater states, “Asbury Park has become the hottest dining destination”, one of the ‘Best Place to Travel Worldwide” by Travel + Leisure, “16 Places everyone will be talking about in 2017, by Yahoo, and ’Best Weekend Getaway’ by Timeout, just to name a few.

The Asbury Park Boardwalk offers unique full-scale restaurants and lounges, numerous specialty food concepts, and innovative boutiques. Madison Marquette brings top tier talent to nationally-recognized entertainment venues on the Asbury Park Waterfront including Convention Hall, Paramount Theatre, Wonder Bar, and the world-famous Stone Pony. A truly thriving musical community, this storied city by the sea enjoys unparalleled historic architecture and a rich history as one of the most famous resort destinations of the 20th century. For more information or to explore the Asbury Park Boardwalk at apboardwalk.com

 

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Passover

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Jewish worshippers on Passover in front of the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90

From traffic jams and chocolate-spread matzah to the largest Seder night in the world, check out these fun facts about Passover Israel-style

Loosen your trouser belts, everyone. The Jewish festival of Passover is upon us, meaning endless matzah, countless family meals and weirdly delicious peanut cookies are about to be consumed all across the world.

It’s no different in Israel, of course, where the week-long holiday is going to be celebrated in full vigor. However, there are some unique aspects to the holiday in the Holy Land, some more bizarre than others.

Here are 10 fun facts that make Passover in Israel so special.

  1. In Israel, an Arab citizen buys all of the country’s chametz

Jews aren’t meant to have any chametz, or leavened foods, in their homes during the holiday, and the home of the Jewish people is no different. The State of Israel does exactly like many of its Jewish citizens and sells all its leavened products to a non-Jewish acquaintance. It’s not only flour we’re talking about, but whole factories, bakeries, kitchens and storerooms.

For the past 20-odd years the lucky buyer has been Hussein Jaber, an Arab Israeli who buys everything off Israel’s finance minister and chief rabbis for an enormous sum, only to annul the deal a week later, when the holiday is over. Talk about (not) making some money.

  1. Passover is ultimate hiking season

If you’re planning on touring Israel during Passover, take a long, deep breath. The week-long holiday is prime travel time in the country. Not only are kids out of school and many parents off work, but the weather is absolutely perfect for hiking, kayaking, cycling and all other kinds of outdoor activities. But don’t let the crowds put you off – pack a matzah sandwich and enjoy the not-yet-scorching-hot weather together with everyone else.

  1. Israelis only celebrate one Seder night

Many Jews outside of Israel get to sit down to Seder night for two evenings in a row. Aside from helping avoid arguments about which side of the family to celebrate with, this custom is meant to ensure that the Seder is definitely being done on the right night.

In ancient times, authorities in Jerusalem determined the beginning of each Jewish month anew every time, and spread the word to diaspora communities via messenger. A concern arose that news traveling too slowly would mean that people outside of Israel would celebrate festivals on the wrong day. To solve this, it was decreed that each Yom Tov (festival) should be celebrated for two days, just in case.

Centuries later, this decree is still greatly upheld by Jewish communities worldwide. But in Israel, like in the past, one day is still considered enough. So don’t be surprised when Israelis gawk at the thought of having two such huge family occasions one day after the other.

  1. Seder-night traffic jams

Speaking of Seder night, there’s nothing like Seder-night traffic jams to make you wish you were celebrating the holiday on a remote, ideally empty, island instead of at your mother-in-law’s.

Since everyone plans on sitting down to dinner at about the exact same time, the roads are absolutely jam-packed in the two to three hours before sundown. Make sure to leave ages ahead of time (at least a good few hours) and consider spending the night at your host in order not to join the thousands of others making the late-night journey back home.

  1. Seder night is always unexplainably cold

One last fun fact about Seder night that’s not based on any particular research but only on years of recurring disappointment: Passover is officially the beginning of spring, but it sure doesn’t feel so when you freeze in your new and slightly flimsy holiday clothes that you were silly enough to think would perfectly fit the occasion. Bring a sweater or shawl with you to dinner, especially if you’re celebrating in hilly Jerusalem.

  1. What Israelis eat on Passover depends on where their family comes from

The general rule for Passover is not to eat any leavened grains. But for many Jews, particularly of European background, restrictions don’t only apply to leavened grain, but also to rice, legumes and even peanuts. The reason? Historic concern that people might mix up flour made from forbidden grains and from similar-looking foods.

Israel is a hotpot of many cultures and heritage and dietary customs greatly differ from family to family – so make sure to ask whether it’s okay to bring that quinoa salad.

  1. Matzah with chocolate spread is a national treasure

Do like every Israeli and enjoy the most festive Passover breakfast possible: a matzah (or two) slathered in chocolate spread. Yes, it is enormously fattening. But it is also incredibly delicious. And don’t worry if you abstain from legumes on Passover – the local Israeli chocolate spread brand is kosher for Passover for all. Go on, treat yourselves.

  1. Supermarket aisles get all freaky

Even though the state itself sells its chametz before Passover (see #1), that doesn’t actually mean that all leavened products are shipped far away and kept behind lock and barrel.

In many supermarkets, for example, the offending items are simply covered in wrapping and kept off-limits for the week, rather than being schlepped away and back. This does make for a strange sight, leaving whole aisles draped in cloth or paper and the odd chametz item peeping from behind. Just don’t be tempted to reach out for it – it won’t be sold and might make others uncomfortable.

  1. Thousands of people gather for a priestly blessing in Jerusalem

Thousands of people praying in unison at the Western Wall in Jerusalem is a truly magnificent sight. It happens twice a year, during the intermediate days of Sukkot and Passover, when throngs of worshippers gather to receive the priestly blessing.

If you want to attend, do so by foot or public transportation, get there early and bring a hat and plenty of water. And most importantly – enjoy the empowering moment.

  1. The largest Seder night in the world hosts Israelis, but not in Israel

Guess where the largest Seder night in the world takes place. Hint: It’s not in Israel. Or New York, Miami, London or Paris. It’s in Kathmandu, Nepal. Yes, you read right.

Nepal is one of the most popular after-army trip destinations for young Israelis, and the prime travel season there coincides with Passover. This means that every year many thousands (!) of Israelis celebrate the festival there, albeit in rather less traditional surroundings.

For the past 30 years, Jewish outreach organization Chabad has been organizing mass Seders for backpackers in the Kathmandu area, reaching guest lists of 2,000 people. Participants come from all walks of life – secular, traditional, ultra-Orthodox – making the Nepalese Seder an inspiring festive event.

(Israel 21C)

Actress Lori Loughlin Panics about Potential Prison Time for College Admissions Scandal

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Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband are among the 16 parents who face charges for conspiracy in the infamous college admissions scandal. On Tuesday, the couple was indicted on charges of mail fraud and money laundering. If convicted, the pair will face up to 40 years in prison. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Actress Lori Loughlin and her husband are among the 16 parents who face charges for conspiracy in the infamous college admissions scandal. On Tuesday, the couple was indicted on charges of mail fraud and money laundering. If convicted, the pair will face up to 40 years in prison.

As reported by Fox News, the indication of potential prison time is finally sinking in for Loughlin, and panic is setting in. The Queens-born 54-year-old star from “Full House”, “Fuller House” and “When Calls the Heart” was downplaying the consequences of the whole ordeal, but now is terrified of the possibility of spending time behind bars. “She has been in complete denial and thought maybe she could skate by,” a source told E! News. “She refused to accept any jail time and thought the DA was bluffing. She was adamant she wouldn’t do any jail time.” Critics, including the sketch artist at the court, have said that Loughlin appeared “arrogant” during the court hearing. “Lori is finally realizing just how serious this is,” the source continued. “She is seeing the light that she will do jail time and is freaking out.”

Loughlin and her husband, fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli, were arrested last month for allegedly bribing their daughters’ ways into the University of Southern California (USC) for $500,000 each. The posh couple allegedly mad payments to the ‘charity’ of scam mastermind, William “Rick” Singer, to get their daughters Isabella and Olivia Jade recruited to the USC crew team, even though neither of the girls is a rower. Isabella and Olivia’s statuses at USC are on hold while the school’s investigations into the individual cases is ongoing. Olivia has become a YouTube and Instagram celebrity, but has lost several of her main endorsements in the aftermath of the scandal.

Some of the other parents indicted in the scandal, including Felicity Huffman, the actress from “Desperate Housewives”, have accepted a plea deal earlier this week, and plead guilty to charges. Loughlin and Giannulli rejected the plea deal. “They are not ready to make a plea like Felicity (Huffman) and go down that road. They are hoping to just let this play out in the judicial system. They are innocent until proven guilty,” a source close to Loughlin told CNN. “They wish the media would just leave them alone. They feel like there is no story and don’t understand why the press keep hounding them and following Lori to yoga.”

“Their lives will never be the same,” an insider said of Loughlin’s family. “They are scared and they don’t know what’s coming next. It all feels like a terrible nightmare.”

Madonna to Perform at Eurovision in Tel Aviv Despite Pressure from BDS Movement

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Madonna will headline next month’s Eurovision singing contest in Tel Aviv and will sing two different songs, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Jewish Voice for Peace launched a lengthy campaign aimed at getting Madonna to cancel her performance, saying “there’s no neutrality in situations of injustice.”

Various public figures in the United Kingdom such as Julie Christie and Ken Loach signed a formal letter urging BBC to lobby for the event to be relocated, citing Israel’s “violation of Palestinian human rights.”

Despite the BDS campaign and various antisemitic politicians both in the United States and abroad, such as Rep. Ilhan Omar, Democrat from Minnesota, and Jeremy Corbin, who leads Britain’s labour party, the State of Israel is still the only thriving democracy in the Middle East.

Omar Barghouti, who is one of the founders of the BDS movement, previously said that he opposes “a Jewish state in any part of Palestine.”

Mr. Barghouti was banned from entering the United States on Thursday. Airline employees told him that he was unable to fly to the United States, the Arab American Institute said, according to NPR.

“Barghouti was not provided an explanation for his denial of entry beyond ‘immigration matter,” they told NPR in a statement.

“Visa records are confidential under U.S. law; therefore, we cannot discuss the details of individual visa cases,” a spokesperson with the State Department told NPR.

“Omar Barghouti is a leading Palestinian voice on human rights. Omar’s denial of entry into the U.S. is the latest example of the Trump Administration’s disregard for those rights,” James Zogby, the President of the Arab-American Institute, said in a statement.

“Having spent considerable time here as a student and while on speaking tours, Omar visiting America was never an issue before,” he continued. “It is clear this arbitrary political decision is motivated by this administration’s effort to silence Palestinian voices.”

“At a time when some members of Congress are advocating for regressive anti-BDS bills and resolutions, when states have passed legislation targeting the non-violent boycott movement in violation of our protected First Amendment rights, it is disturbing that policy makers and the American people will not have the opportunity to hear from Omar directly about his views,” he added. “The voices of advocates for Palestinian human rights, whether through political targeting or regressive, discriminatory laws, are silenced when discussions or debates are denied.”

Amnesty International said in February that Israel should “end the arbitrary travel ban on human rights defender Omar Barghouti,” according to the Arab-American Institute.

Yankees Ranked Most Valuable Franchise in MLB on Forbes List

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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

On Wednesday, April 10th, Forbes’ released its Baseball Franchise Value list. In it, the New York Yankees got a boost for their egos. The Yankees was named Major League Baseball’s most valuable franchise. The team’s value is now estimated to be $4.6 billion, an increase of 15 percent over last year’s figure. The Yankees made $668 million in revenue, and $29 million in income.

The Yankees Franchise bought back the YES Sports television Network, which broadcasts Forbes’ “SportsMoney” show, for $3.5 billion from Disney in March. The Yankees team is owned by Yankee Global Enterprises, an LLC controlled by the family of the late George Steinbrenner, a Cleveland-based shipbuilder, who bought the team in 1973 for $8.7 million. The Yankees have been members in the American League since 1901, and in the East Division since 1969. The Yankees team has won 40 AL pennants, and 27 World Series championships.

As per Wikipedia, the team won more titles than any other franchise in the four major North American sports leagues. Forty-four Yankees players and eleven Yankees managers were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, including legends Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra. That’s probably thanks to the hefty payroll that the team has used historically to attract talent. The team was originated in Baltimore and moved to New York in 1903. The Bronx-based team was first named the Highlanders, and officially renamed the Yankees in 1913.

In the Forbes most valued “Business of Baseball List”, the Los Angeles Dodgers are ranked second, worth about $3.3 billion. The Dodgers made $549 million in revenue and an impressive $95 million in income. Third place on the list belongs to the World Series champions, the Boston Red Sox, at $3.2 billion, up 14 percent for the year. Next are the Chicago Cubs valued at $3.1 billion, followed by the San Francisco Giants at $3 billion. The New York Mets are ranked in 6th place, with an approximate value of $2.3 billion, up 10 percent in wealth since last year.

Forbes’ franchise value list estimates that the Miami Marlins is the least valuable team, or #30, at $1 billion, one step behind Tampa Bay Rays, which is valued at $1.01 billion.

Last year, on Forbes’ list of Most Valuable Sports Teams, the Yankees were the second highest valued sports franchise in the U.S. and the fifth in the world, with an estimated value of approximately $4 billion. In that 2018 list, the Dallas Cowboys football team, was the top valued sports team, worth an estimated $4.8 billion, up 14% for the year. The Cowboys had actually retained the title of most valuable sports franchise in the world for three consecutive years.

Anti-Semitism Lawsuit vs Newton Schools to Include Violation of 1st Amendment

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Students Forced to Perform Islamic Rituals; Taught Qur’an Divine, Bible Forged

Taxpayers suing to stop anti-Israel and anti-Semitic history lessons in Newton Public Schools (NPS) have added to their lawsuit new claims under the First Amendment’s religion clauses. The amended complaint alleges that instructional and educational materials used to teach about the religion of Islam in NPS ninth-grade world history classes have no secular purpose, advance religious beliefs, and coerce participation in religious exercises.

As detailed in the extensively-documented 495-page complaint, public school students in Newton are evaluated and graded on how well they participate in Islamic rituals. Students are required to create banners proclaiming “there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger,” and their grades are penalized if they failed to comply. Teachers present disparaging Islamic religious beliefs about Jews and Christians as fact. Students must memorize, recite, and analyze Islamic religious texts, including verses from the Qur’an such as, “Is not Allah the best of the Judges?” and, “Surely Allah is High, Great.”

“While teaching about religion from a literary and historic viewpoint, presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, is constitutionally permissible in public schools,” said Karen Hurvitz, attorney for the taxpayers, “teaching religion itself is not. It is unconstitutional for public schools and their employees to promote religious belief, or to have the students practice religion.”

A significant research effort by Americans for Peace and Tolerance (APT), which was made available to the plaintiffs, brought to light the process by which these highly problematic instructional and educational materials on Islam have been developed, approved, and taught at Newton high schools.

Charles Jacobs, APT’s president, said, “There are reports that things like this are happening around the country. It’s outrageous. I hope this lawsuit provides a model for parents across America. We stand ready to help.”

“There is a manipulative dynamic at Newton high schools,” said APT executive director Ilya Feoktistov. “The most ideologically extreme teachers develop instructional and educational materials on controversial topics, and then influence other teachers to adopt these materials into their own curriculum.”

In addition to the First Amendment claims, plaintiffs allege that NPS, through their curricula, promote stereotypes against Jews and Israeli-Americans, in violation of the Equal Rights Amendment of the Massachusetts Constitution, the Massachusetts Student Anti-Discrimination Act, and civil rights regulations. According to the complaint, students are taught that Zionism has “little connection” to Jewish history in “Palestine;” that the Jews exploited the Holocaust to gain sympathy for Zionism at the expense of “Arab plight;” and that the Israelis treat the Palestinians like the Nazis treated the Jews.

Encouraged by the taxpayer lawsuit, Jewish and Israeli-American NPS students have begun to publicly speak out about the hostile environment they face in the school.

Plaintiffs seek a court ordered review of the NPS curriculum for constitutional and civil rights law violations, a declaratory judgment that NPS curricula violate the First Amendment, and an injunction against the use of unconstitutional curricula in NPS classrooms.

Is Excluding Religious Schools from a School Choice Program Constitutional?

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When Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Missouri, decided that they wanted their playground resurfaced with car tire scraps, they probably didn’t think that Agudath Israel of America would end up invoking their experience in a brief filed before the Supreme Court.

Agudath Israel has filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief in the Supreme Court of the United States in a case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, involving a Montana tax credit program for donations to scholarship funds for students attending private schools. The Montana Department of Revenue ruled that the scholarship could not be used at religious schools, on the grounds that the state Constitution contained a provision that prohibited government aid, even indirect aid, to religious institutions. The Department’s decision was challenged in court, and, eventually, the Supreme Court of Montana upheld the position of the Department. Agudath Israel had submitted a brief in that case as well, arguing that under the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution, states should not be allowed to exclude religious institutions from public benefit programs.

In its current brief, Agudath Israel urges the United States Supreme Court to hear the Montana case. The brief argues that under the Supreme Court’s own precedents, notably Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, decided in 2017, government grant programs may not exclude religious institutions from benefits solely because they are religious institutions. In that case, the Court held that a Missouri program that provided state funding for playground resurfacing could not, under the Free Exercise Clause, bar churches and other religious institutions from the funding program.

The Agudath Israel brief argues that there should be no constitutional distinction between a state denying funds from religious institutions for playground resurfacing and denying private school scholarship funding from students who choose to attend religious schools. If the Supreme Court agrees to hear the case and upholds the program, it would be a significant precedent, especially in states that have provisions in their constitutions that bar aid to religious institutions, and could pave the way for expanded programs of parental choice for the religious school community.

The brief was signed by Mordechai Biser, Special Counsel for Agudath Israel; Abba Cohen, Agudath Israel’s Vice President for Government Affairs; and Mark Kurzmann of Kurzmann Law Offices, as Counsel of Record. Agudath Israel thanks Scott Whitman, a law student at Georgetown Law Center, for his assistance with the research and drafting of the brief.

Short and Deep Insights for Seder Night

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We all want good and thoughtful ideas to share at the Seder. This collection of short and deep insights for the Seder are organized in such a way that each one is independent, but they also develop into a deeper theme when you read them all together. I hope they will aid you on your journey towards a meaningful and transformative Seder night.

 

Why Do We Announce All the Steps of the Seder?

On no other chag do we announce all the steps of the holiday ritual aloud before proceeding to perform them. On Sukkos, we don’t say: “Lulav, Shofar, Sukkah…”, on Purim, we don’t say: “Megilah, Mishloach Manos, Matanos Li’Evyonim, Hamantaschen…”. So why on the Seder night do we begin by announcing all the different steps of the Seder?

Any great journey begins with a clear goal and destination. As we say every Friday evening in Lecha Dodi, “Sof ma’aseh bi’machshava techilah”- the physical result originates first within the mind. In order to accomplish anything great you must first create a clear target and determine what direction you must take to get there.

The Seder is made up of 15 steps. This is the same number of steps up to the Beis Ha’Mikdash, and the same number of “Shir Hamaalos” psalms–songs of ascension. The Seder is likewise a 15 step process of ascension, a 15 step journey towards spiritual greatness. However, you do not accidentally achieve spiritual greatness, it requires extreme dedication. The Seder night is a genuine journey, an opportunity to tap into something special. On the Seder night, we are trying to experience true freedom, a deeper connection with Hashem, gratitude, and an understanding of our mission here in this world. Only when we lay out the steps and create a clear destination for our Pesach Seder can we achieve the extraordinary.

 

What’s With All the Questions?

One of the notably prevalent themes of the Seder is that of asking questions. While “Mah Nishtanah” is the most obvious example, the commentators explain many other parts of the Seder as purely serving as an impetus for children to ask questions. It’s not only children, though, who are enjoined to question. The Gemara in Pesachim (116a) says that if a man’s child cannot ask the questions, then his wife should, and if he has no wife, he must ask himself questions. Even if two Torah scholars are sharing their Seder together, they should ask each other. Why is questioning such an integral part of the Pesach Seder?

The only way to learn is to question. A question creates a gap- it allows you to recognize your current limitations, to step outside the illusion that you already know everything. You can only learn something once you realize that you don’t already understand it. The Gemara in Gittin 43a says that you can only understand something if you were originally mistaken. Only by recognizing that you don’t already know something, can you then break it down, analyze it, and see it in a new way, thereby building a newer and deeper understanding. If you think you already fully understand something, you’ll never allow for your mind to develop a new way of seeing it. Only by realizing a lack in your understanding and perception can you then develop deeper paradigms.

The Seder night is the time of passing over our mesorah- our tradition and legacy. It’s a night when we speak about emunah-faith, the meaning of being a Jew, and our purpose in this world. In order to teach these lessons to our children and ourselves in a deep and lasting way, we must encourage the Seder participants to ask questions, no matter the age or knowledge level.

Our yetser hara- evil inclination- convinces us that we are perfect, that we already know everything. As such, there’s no need to question. This pitfall is personified by Eisav, who was born fully hairy. Hair is the outermost expression of a grown human being–Eisav projected the belief that he was completely developed and therefore required no additional development. The name “Eisav” itself is the word “asui”–meaning made or completed. Eisav represents the illusion of being complete, perfect, not requiring any further work or growth.

Our goal and mission as the Jewish People is to grow, develop ourselves, and fulfill our potential. On the Seder night, as we focus on whom each of us can become, we ask questions–creating holes that we then yearn to fill with additional knowledge, insight, and growth.

 

The Ke’ara: A Pathway Into the Spiritual

The ke’ara- the Seder plate–contains many symbolic foods that we use throughout the Seder, such as matzah, a shank-bone, charoset, and an egg, among others. Some of these are eaten during the course of the Seder, while others we simply look or point at. What is the meaning of these simanim? Is there a deeper meaning behind displaying them on our Seder tables?

The simple answer is that we display these foods in order to engage the children, to encourage their curiosity and questions. We use simanim to accomplish this because children are not capable of grasping conceptual or intellectual ideas. They live within the world of the finite, and they require something concrete and tangible- something they can see and touch- in order to relate to a concept. Therefore, in order to include our children in the concepts and ideas that are taught and developed at the Seder, we use physical simanim to actively engage them.

There is a deeper idea which can be learned here as well, one that is applicable not only to children but to those of all ages. The most fundamental understanding that one can develop in this world is that there is always something deeper than that which appears on the surface. Living in a physical world can compel one to forget to seek out the spirituality inherent within every object, event, and person in this world. Seder night is when we instill within ourselves the pillars of emunah and our mission as the Jewish People. On this night, we must all learn this powerful principle. Each physical object on the ka’arah represents a world of profundity, but this is not limited to the Seder plate alone. There is spiritual depth within everything, we need only look for it.

 

What’s Our Goal in Telling Over the Story of Yetzias Mitzrayim?

We conclude the paragraph of “Avadim Hayinu” by proclaiming, “v’chol hamarbeh li’saper bi’yitzias Mitzrayim, harei zeh mishubach”–whoever elaborates on the Exodus from Egypt, behold, this is praiseworthy. The Rambam- Maimonides- codifies this as a legitimate halacha of Seder night. What is the meaning of this statement? What is the importance of telling over the Pesach story at great length, and why on this night specifically?

There are two ways to understand the statement of “v’chol hamarbeh.” The first is on a quantitative level, that one should tell over as much as possible of the exodus story. The second is a qualitative approach, that one should delve into the miracles and wonders that Hashem performed when taking us out.

There is, however, a third way to understand this statement, one that gives us a new perspective on Yetzias Mitrayim and the goal of our Seder night. Yetzias Mitzrayim was not merely a historical event, rather it was the birth of the Jewish People–our people, you and me. The story did not end with the birth of the Jewish People, it continues with them growing into the nation they are meant to become. When the Jewish People left Mitzrayim, we journeyed to Har Sinai and Matan Torah, where we were given the Torah and our mission in this world as Hashem’s chosen nation. This is the story that we have continued throughout history, that you and I are commissioned to continue to this very day.

Sippur means to tell over a story, and the hagaddah says that whoever does this increasingly is praiseworthy. Jewish history is not only “his”-story, it’s our story. It is our mission and destiny, and we must continue to grow and thrive in this mission. The goal is to make yourself a part of the Jewish story, to continue what began with Yetzias Mitzrayim, to become the person you were meant to be. V’chol hamarbeh…. harei zeh meshubach.

 

Wine on the Seder Night… Really?

Pesach is a spiritual time, where we connect to some of the deepest themes of Judaism. Why then do we spend the night drinking wine? We see repeatedly that wine is a very dangerous and damaging entity, connected to many infamous sins. According to one opinion, the eitz ha’da’as was a grape vine. Immediately after the mabul, Noach became intoxicated, repeating Adam’s original sin. Lot and his daughters errored with wine. According to one opinion, Nadav and Avihu’s sin was performing the avodah while intoxicated. If so, why do we spend our Seder night drinking wine?

Nothing in the physical world is objectively good or evil, rather, everything has the potential to be used for either good or evil. The choice is solely up to you! Electricity is neither good nor bad. An outlet can be used to charge your appliances, but it can also give you an electric shock. The same applies to money: it can be used to enable Torah learning, but it can also be used to fund destruction and chaos. A charismatic personality can be used to inspire others to grow or to seduce them down a twisted path. Everything in this world is merely potential, waiting to be used. Evil, therefore, is really the misuse of potential, when we choose to use an object for something other than its true purpose. Evil is the breakdown and corruption of good. This is why the Hebrew word for evil is rah, which means brokenness or fragmentation.

The reason why Hashem created the world in such a way is so that we can have free will. We get to choose whether to use things for their true purpose, actualizing their potential, or to misuse them, getting pulled into the clutches of evil.

 

The More Power, The More Potential

Having established that everything has the potential to be used for good or evil, it’s also important to realize that the more power there is, the more potential there is. For example, a 220 watt outlet can either charge your phone or give you a small electric shock you. But 20,000 watts can either light up your neighborhood or electrocute you. The more power, the more potential. Of course, this results in an important principle: the value in any power is only in as much as it can be controlled. Otherwise, the more power you have, the more destruction you will have, as we often see with nuclear energy and money. Just think about giving a child the power to cross the street by himself. When do you give him such a power? Only when he has the ability to control it, to know when not to cross the street.

 

Wine: The Most Potent Physical Entity

The Vilna Gaon explains that wine is the greatest paradigm of physical potential. On the one hand, it is clearly dangerous, and its misuse leads to complete and utter disaster. But when used properly, it lifts you up. The spiritual nature of wine is evident in its nature. Physical things rot, wither, and decay with time, such as the human body and food. Wine, however, only improves with time. Furthermore, as R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach explains, when it comes to most foods and drinks, the more you have, the less you want. You become full and lose your appetite. With wine, however, the opposite is true. The more you have the more you desire.

Wine is also able to open up the mind, and allow it to transcend its normal limitations. As Chazal explain, “nichnas yayin yatzeh sod”- when wine enters, secrets are revealed [both yayin and sod have the gematria of 70].The meaning is that wine opens up your consciousness to a level of experience that transcends the revealed level of reality.

This is why we have wine at every point of kedushah- at every point where we want to uplift the physical. It’s our way of showing that we’re taking the physical, something that has the potential for both spirituality and spiritual emptiness, and using it for the good. We therefore make kiddush on wine on Shabbos, on Yom Tov, at a wedding, by a bris milah, and for other such holy celebrations.

We drink wine at the Seder in order to uplift the night of Pesach. We are uplifting our Seder experience, but we are tapping into a larger experience as well. The Ramban explains that the grand miracles of Pesach are meant to instill within us the understanding that not only are the open reversals of nature miraculous, but the day-to-day workings of nature are miraculous as well.

Hashem performed outstanding miracles when taking us out of Mitzrayim, but the entire world of nature is a constant miracle of Hashem as well. This means that every aspect of this physical world is vested with Godliness, with the potential for spirituality, and we can therefore uplift every single thing we encounter to a state of holiness. As we retell over the Pesach story at the Seder, we learn about the inherent spirituality present within every facet of the physical world. What better way to do this than with wine?

State Dept Issues Travel Warnings to 35 Countries for U.S. Travelers

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The State Department announcement comes after American tourist Sue Endicott and her local driver were kidnapped at gunpoint last week in Uganda. An unknown amount of ransom was reportedly paid after the hostage takers demanded $500,000. Four other people were taken at the same time, but they were freed while Endicott and her driver were taken from the park, officials said. Photo Credit: CBS News

On April 9, 2019, the Department of State introduced a new risk indicator to their public Travel Advisories in order to communicate more clearly to U.S. citizens the risks of kidnapping and hostage taking by criminal and terrorist actors around the world. The new “K” indicator is part of their ongoing commitment to provide clear and comprehensive travel safety information to U.S. citizens so they can make informed travel decisions.

The Department issues Travel Advisories for every country around the world, offering standardized levels of advice based on established risk indicators such as crime, terrorism, civil unrest, natural disasters, health, and other potential risks. The Travel Advisories for 35 countries have been updated to include a “K” indicator for the risk of kidnapping and/or hostage taking: Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Russian Federation, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine (in Russian-controlled eastern Ukraine), Venezuela, and Yemen. See the full Travel Advisories for more details: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html.

The change comes after American tourist Sue Endicott and her local driver were kidnapped at gunpoint last week in Uganda.

An unknown amount of ransom was reportedly paid after the hostage takers demanded $500,000.

Four other people were taken at the same time, but they were freed while Endicott and her driver were taken from the park, officials said.

The State Department said it was aware of the rescue.

“We are aware of reports that a US citizen hostage was recovered on April 7 by Ugandan security officials,” a State Department spokesperson told CNN. “Privacy considerations prevent us from commenting further at this time.”

Ugandan police announced Tuesday that they made arrests in the kidnapping, saying that they were “actively investigating” the incident but declining to clarify how many people were detained.

In a statement that appeared on its web site, the State Department said that it “has no greater responsibility than the safety and welfare of Americans overseas. The Bureau of Consular Affairs works closely with the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and the entire U.S. interagency to serve and protect Americans overseas and to prevent and resolve cases of kidnapping and hostage taking. We will continue to update our public information as part of our ongoing commitment to serve U.S. citizens as they travel abroad.”

JetBlue to Expand its Horizons with Inexpensive Flights to London

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JetBlue will be expanding its horizon. On Wednesday April 10th, the low-cost NYC-based carrier announced that it plans to begin service for transatlantic flights. As reported by CNN Business News, JetBlue said that as of 2021, it will begin to offer “multiple daily flights” to London, UK. The flights will depart from JetBlue’s two major US hubs, New York and Boston. The airline has been hinting its intentions for several years now and has finally made it official.

“Twenty years ago, our founders had a simple formula for choosing a new market – it had to be overpriced, underserved, or both,” said Joanna Geraghty, president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “London is the largest metro area JetBlue doesn’t yet serve from both Boston and New York, and we could not be more thrilled to be changing that in the years ahead. The fares being charged today by airlines on these routes, specifically on the premium end, are enough to make you blush.”

JetBlue said it will provide “affordable fares” for flights to the British capital. The airline, which is known for its free perks including snack, internet, extra legroom and individual televisions, is already flying internationally to Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. London will be JetBlue’s debut into European skies. For the long hauls, JetBlue will need larger planes. It has changed 13 of its current orders from the Airbus 321 to the Airbus 321LR. The new planes will provide a long-range version of the single-aisle aircraft. The change will facilitate service to the new cities that were not “previously accessible,” said JetBlue. The airline has also said that it will redesign its first class cabins for these flights.

JetBlue, which is the sixth-largest airline in the United States and boasts servicing 42 million customers annually, will face fierce competition in its new routes. Delta, American Airlines, United Airlines, as well as European-based airlines, including British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Norwegian Airlines have flying between London and the two US cities for years now. JetBlue criticized the “mediocre service” presently offered by its rivals and said it will “raise the bar on what travelers can expect from a low-cost carrier.”

Despite JetBlue’s confident stance, low cost carriers have historically had financially barriers to success, especially in the past year. WOW Air, based in Iceland, and Primera Air, from Denmark, recently went out of business.

JetBlue has yet to announce which London airport it will fly into. Further information on schedules and fares will be announced in the next few months.

 

Essential Tourist Tips for Your Passover Stay in Israel

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Visiting Israel for Passover? ISRAEL21c tells you how to survive and thrive despite possible food-, weather- and traffic-related challenges

Few things seem more appropriate than visiting Israel during the holiday of Passover. It is this very time of year that one can feel a palpable connection to the Bible and the Israelites who made their journey out of slavery and into the promised land.

Jews with limited options back at home by way of Passover-friendly food might find relief in coming to a place where it’s so easy to be kosher for Passover (but there’s a catch!).

Spending the holiday in the Holy Land might also mean sparing yourself the hassle of spring cleaning at home, but we digress.

Let this list be your guide into the nuances of Israeli society during this weeklong holiday — the good, the bad and the downright bizarre.

  1. Book well in advance

Thousands of Jews flock to Israel during Passover, so hotels and hostels book up quickly and last-minute bookings, should they be available, are going to cost you a pretty penny. Plan your trip many months in advance to ensure a spot.

  1. Know that most Israelis eat kitniyot

What are kitniyot, you ask? That would be any kind of rice, grain, legume, or starchy vegetable like corn and peas. In the Sephardic tradition, Jews eat these foods on Passover, while for their Ashkenazi counterparts these foods are forbidden by custom.

The Sephardic custom has become more prevalent among the general Israeli public (with the notable exception of ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi communities).

This means that most Israeli supermarkets sell kosher-for-Passover cornflakes alongside the matzah-ball mix, and many Israeli eateries serve kosher-for-Passover rice. Many hotels in Israel serve kitniyot during Passover too, so be sure to do your research before booking your trip to find out which hotels can accommodate however you choose to eat during the holiday.

  1. Get to know the Israeli Passover supermarket (a different animal altogether)

Going back to the Israeli supermarket, you might find in the days leading up to Passover that the grocery store has covered or blocked off most of its shelves, leaving only kosher-for-Passover items on view.

Although the cocoa powder is technically right there under the paper or plastic cloak, do not be tempted to grab it if you’re feeling a bit rebellious, as big chain grocery stores like Shufersal and Rami Levy block check-out of such items at the cashier during the holiday.

If you’re fascinated with this new supermarket experience, make a game out of it! Create a scavenger hunt in search of the most unlikely items marked “Kosher for Passover.” Toothpaste, dog food and dish detergent all make for good contenders.

And in case keeping kosher for Passover is not your thing, simply visit supermarkets in towns with large Arab populations, such as Nazareth or Acre, to get the goods you want, no questions asked.

  1. Get familiar with gluten-free

Looking to go gluten free, but haven’t been able to get the push you need? Spending Passover in Israel might be the perfect time to give it a whirl.

Since most cafés simply offer gluten-free options during this weeklong holiday, you can get a sense of how this dietary choice feels for you, while collecting ideas for delicious gluten-free dishes to replicate back in your own kitchen.

  1. Save money by learning how to cook on vacation

Eating out on vacation can get shockingly expensive very fast, not to mention that many restaurants and bakeries in Israel are closed for the Passover holiday because they do not want to bother with the intense process of prepping for the holiday (or maybe because the kids are out of school and it’s an opportunity for a family vacation).

In any case, you might consider renting a vacation apartment that has a kitchen and cooking up your own meals, or getting back to basics by getting familiar with hotel cooking hacks like these.

  1. Join a Seder or a festive restaurant meal

If you really want to rest and relax, and you can’t stand the thought of making your own Seder meal on vacation, let Israel’s hotels and gourmet restaurants feed you and your family. It may come at a hefty price (upwards of ₪400-600 per person) but it is sure to be a meal you will never forget.

If you keep kosher, you can enjoy a full and elegant Seder experience at numerous hotels including the high-end Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem or Hilton Tel Aviv. Of course, it goes without saying that you should book these as far in advance as possible.

If you don’t keep kosher, you could have a mini Seder in your hotel room and then go out to a restaurant like Adom in Jerusalem’s First Station, serving matzah balls (that include baby shrimp!) alongside mini gefilte fish, chestnut gnocchi, ribeye steak with garlic confit, and chocolate matza cake for dessert, or the Norman Hotel’s Alena Restaurant in Tel Aviv serving up chef Barak Aharoni’s special herbed matzah balls, alongside a menu highlighting seasonal produce, including beetroot risotto, slow-cooked lamb, and even charoset.

  1. Do a reverse Exodus

This might be a good time to see the famed Petra, the world heritage site and ancient Nabatean city in Jordan. After all, the Israelites wandered a bit in modern-day Jordan on their long way from Egypt into Israel.

Wadi Musa, the closest town to the archaeological site, means “Valley of Moses” and contains a site called “Moses’s Spring” — which Jordanians believe to be the location where Moses impatiently struck a rock after being commanded to find water there, according to the biblical story.

If you are in prime hiking shape, consider hiking all or some of the north-south Israel National Trail from either direction.

  1. But brace yourself for the hamsin

Pesach in Israel signifies the changing of seasons. Winter is behind us and the hot summer lies in wait. Often this means dry, hot windy weather known as hamsin or sharab.

To combat this less-than-welcome change from cool winter rains, make sure to pack all the necessary summer gear just in case: water bottles, sunglasses, flipflops and sunscreen.

  1. Adjust your Seder to have lighter foods

Passover Seder food can be heavy on eggs, oil, fat and rich foods like brisket, chopped liver and kugel. If you decide to take on the task of making your own Seder you may want to consider lightening things up to match the warm breeze in the air.

Let seasonal fruits and veggies take center stage in your celebratory meal or make it all about finger foods and appetizers. Little nibbles, rather than a heavy feast, will make your holiday meal into a delight, instead of weighing you down and giving you the meat sweats.

(Israel 21C)

To the Orthodox Jewish Community: Measles Vaccination is Pikuach Nefesh

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There is a small, yet very vocal and influential group of “anti-vaxxers” living in our heimishe communities. While I am not questioning their love for their children, they are making a tremendous chillul Hashem and putting all Jews at great risk, both from measles, and rachmana leztlan, anti-semitism. I plead that everyone read this critically important pikuach nefashos article.

All the cases of measles identified so far in this very large, ongoing outbreak are traceable to our communities in Eretz Yisroel, Europe, New York, New Jersey, Michigan and elsewhere. This has made countless headlines in the medical and secular press, all revolving around Orthodox / Ultra-Orthodox Jews spreading disease. Imagine what the headlines were in the Dark Ages regarding the Jews and Black Plague. Hashem yerachem.

All the cases are directly related to heimishe unvaccinated persons – not housekeepers, janitors, nor other people from outside our community, as has been incorrectly suggested.

There is absolutely no one who disagrees with the psak that a parent must remove his or her child to safety when danger is present. Indeed, this psak serves, in part, as the basis for the ruling of HaRav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, zt”l, that providing normal childhood vaccinations is a parental obligation.

HaRav Asher Weiss, shlita, poseik for Shaare Zedek Hospital, maintains that it is a mitzvah and chiyuv to get vaccinated. HaRav Weiss further states that yeshivas have the right – and even the obligation – to protect students and refuse admission to unvaccinated children. HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein, shlita, and HaRav Elyashiv have ruled that parents may insist that unvaccinated children be excluded from class so that their children are not put at unnecessary risk.

HaRav Moshe Shternbuch, shlita, head of the Eidah HaCharedis in Eretz Yisroel, has written an extensive teshuva stating exactly the same psak.

Almost all other gedolei Yisroel – including HaRav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, zt” l, HaRav Yehoshua Newirth, zt” l, and, yibadeil bein chayim lechayim, HaRav Elya Brudny, HaRav J. David Bleich, HaRav Reuven Feinstein, HaRav Hershel Schachter, and HaRav Mordechai Willig, shlita– have all ruled that there is no basis in halacha for suggesting that vaccinations be avoided. All strongly require children in our outbreak setting to be vaccinated immediately.

It is downright dishonest to officially attest that Jewish law forbids vaccination, which is the only way to avoid mandatory state vaccination laws in NY and NJ. No poseik ever has stated that vaccination is against Jewish law.

It is ignorant to state that vaccinations contain non-kosher materials and are therefore assur(forbidden). All the great poskim permit porcine (pig) valves for people with heart disease, and pig or non-kosher beef insulin to be used by diabetics.

The MMR has been conclusively shown in numerous, carefully-done scientific studies in millions of patients to be absolutely unrelated to autism. Indeed, the most recent study looking at over 600,000 children followed for years demonstrated that autism was actually less common in vaccinated children.

These are just three examples of misinformation provided by orthodox anti-vaxxers. Why do we let such incorrect non-halachic, non-scientific positions to be the cause of a huge chillul Hashem?

Why are people not following the medical experts as halacha requires? Why are precious children unnecessarily exposed to lethal illnesses? How could we cause “Orthodox Jews Cause Disease” to be the lead story on major print and other news media? Why are health departments and governments in our “medina shel chessed” talking about fining Jews and closing Yeshivas? Why are non-Jews afraid to sit next to us on trains or go to our stores?

Why have hundreds of unvaccinated Jewish children in the U.S., and thousands more in Israel, contracted measles, a potentially fatal disease? Two have tragically died in Israel, with many more hospitalized. Are we living in the 1950s?

In my humble opinion – as a community rav and board-certified infectious diseases physician – it is because we somehow have forgotten basic halacha. Halacha states that if a dispute exists on whether a patient should eat on Yom Kippur, or if Shabbos desecration is necessary to save a life, we must follow the most competent and/or majority of expert physicians.

On the question of vaccinating children against the major vaccine-preventable illnesses, both the most competent and the majority of experts hold the same view. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, all 50 State Departments of Health in the U.S., the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society, the American College of Physicians, plus every other major professional infection control organization in the world are unanimous in their opinion. “Leis man depalig.” No expert organization disagrees.

The evidence is overwhelming that vaccination is the only way to control these preventable fatal diseases. B’chasdei Hashem, no one dies anymore of smallpox; polio is almost wiped out. Why? Solely because of very successful vaccination programs. Rachmana liztlan, why should anyone in 5779 die from measles?

Imagine if parents were to insist their child come to school armed with a revolver. Would even the most ardent gun rights activist defend them? Of course not. So why are we letting children come to our shuls, schools, and camps spreading serious potentially life-threatening illness that could have been prevented by vaccination?

We are living in very scary times, replete with anti-Semitism, chillul Hashem, and fatal contagious illnesses. I feel compelled to publicly speak out (again) against “vaccination hesitancy, and the grossly inaccurate halachic and medical information being publicized by well-meaning but totally ignorant orthodox Jewish anti-vaxxers. It’s a matter of pikuach nefesh.

Dr. Aaron Glatt is the Director, Halachah & Medicine Commission of the Rabbinical Alliance of America/Igud HaRabbonim

The Danger of Ilhan Omar & Her Cronies

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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

The three evil witches elected to congress in 2016 seem to be leading their party in a direction that will cause grief not only to Israel, the free world and our Jewish citizens, but to the nation as a whole. These rookie congresswomen, Ilhan Omar (D-MN). Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), both radical Muslims joining with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), appear to be the new policy makers of the Democrat Party. Whatever nonsense these women spout, however false and dangerous, is supported by their weak-kneed, cowardly colleagues who appear to be swept up in the tornado like force created by this trio of extremists.

Cortez, a 29-year-old former Boston College educated bartender without any apparent or visible knowledge of anything in particular, spouts her own lunatic theories of weather, economics and false Israel history. Although she has the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Bernie Sanders groveling at her feet, her presence is wearing thin with her constituents and she may not survive the next election. However, the two militant Islamists, Omar and Tlaib, are a different story. They are to be taken seriously. Their heavy Muslim districts guarantee them lifelong congressional stints no matter how much Jew and America hatred they espouse. In fact, the more the better for them. Tlaib’s office proudly displays a map with Israel renamed “Palestine” and she casts her vote against any aid and support of Israel. She supports the BDS Movement, the academic boycott of Israel and has as her hero, Louis Farrakhan. Yet the Jewish members on her side of the aisle embrace her. Stupidity.

Ilhan Omar, a Somali refugee who was once married to her brother (figure that one out) has recently blasphemed the Twin Tower, 9/11 terror attack with these words at a Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) meeting: “Here’s the truth. for far too long we have lived with the discomfort of being a second-class citizen and frankly, I’m tired of it and every single Muslim in this country should be tired of it. (CAIR) was founded after 9/11 because they recognized that some people did something and that all of us were starting to lose access to our civil liberties.” “SOME PEOPLE DID  SOMETHING???” These were Muslim terrorists who killed over 2,500 Americans of all races, creeds and religions. And every single Democrat now running for president wholeheartedly supported her when even the far left media hinted that she failed to tell the correct story of September 11, 2001. No matter your opinion of President Trump, we congratulate him for speaking out for all Americans by castigating Omar for her degrading this sorrowful day of infamy. We won’t hold our breaths waiting for those of her political party to do the same.

 

Judea Pearl Slams NYU for Conferring Award to Students for Justice in Palestine

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In a highly controversial move, the NYU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) — which often conflicts with the university’s administration — was selected to receive the President’s Service Award. Photo Credit: Facebook

In a highly controversial move, the NYU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) was selected to receive the President’s Service Award, the group announced on Facebook on April 4, according to a report on the NYU news web site.

Edited by: JV Staff

“We are thrilled to announce that we have been selected to receive a presidential service award at NYU,” SJP wrote in a Facebook post. “Despite the pushback we have received from our institution.”

The President’s Service Award is will be presented on Wednesday, April 17th. This particular award is conferred upon students and student organizations that have positively impacted the NYU community through significant contributions to either community service and civic engagement or student leadership and campus programming.

The annual service award goes to more than 50 extra-curricular clubs and 100 individuals selected by a group of student affairs staffers from across the university and a student representative, according to university spokesperson John Beckman.

The NYU news web site also reported that SJP’s most recent efforts have been in the context of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement which seeks for countries, institutions and individuals to isolate Israel economically, politically, academically and culturally. Recently, SJP declared a victory in December, when the Student Government Assembly voted in support of a resolution that referenced the BDS movement.

The Washington Free Beacon reported on Tuesday that Judea Pearl, the father of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, has raised his voice in staunch opposition to the decision of NYU to give this award to the SJP chapter.

Pearl, a winner of the Turing award, denounced his alma mater New York University and jettisoned his status as distinguished alumnus after the school honored Students for Justice in Palestine for its “extraordinary and positive impact on the University community.”

Pearl graduated from NYU in 1965 and was given a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013. He is a professor of computer science at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also runs an organization named after his son Daniel Pearl, a journalist who was killed by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002.

Pearl spoke out against NYU’s decision in a letter to college president Andrew Hamilton, as was reported by the Algemeiner.

“In the past five years, SJP has resorted to intimidation tactics that have made me, my colleagues and my students unwelcome and unsafe on our own campus,” Pearl wrote. “The decision to confer an award on SJP, renders other NYU awards empty of content, and suspect of reckless selection process.”

Pearl went on to say that his past concerns voiced to university officials “have been met with platitudes about ‘free speech’ despite the fact that the US State Department now includes, in its definition of discrimination, intimidation based on race, religion and ethnicity.”

“I know the difference between free speech and campus norms,” he wrote. “Entrusted with the mandate of maintaining a climate of learning and mutual respect, your office should distance itself from the SJP selection and explained to the campus why such distancing is necessary. In the absence of a corrective action by your office the academic standing of this university is begging for other voices to call out the Orwellian character of (SJP’s) award.”

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said that NYU’s decision to honor SJP is “a slap in the face to the Jewish community, including Jewish graduates and significant donors.”

“It is devoid of any ethical basis, rewarding professional propagandists who legitimize terrorism and demonize the Jewish State of Israel,” he said, adding that other NYU affiliates should follow Pearl’s example, according to the Algemeiner.

NYU Realize Israel, a pro-Israel group on campus, publicly denounced the university granting SJP the award and claimed that SJP has contributed to a negative environment for some students. The group sees support of the BDS movement as anti-Semitic.

“By presenting the NYU President’s Award to SJP, not only is our university condoning violence and discrimination against members of the NYU community, but it is declaring that this type of behavior represents the ethos of our university,” the group wrote on Facebook.