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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.

Wegmans Food Market Sets its Sights on Brooklyn Navy Yard

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Wegmans Food Markets has set its sights on the Brooklyn Navy Yard. This fall, the chain aspires to open its first big-city location, in the long-ignored tract of the former military base called Admiral’s Row. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Wegmans Food Markets has set its sights on the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  This fall, the chain aspires to open its first big-city location, in the long-ignored tract of the former military base called Admiral’s Row. As reported by Bloomberg Business News, Wegmans has plans to open a 74,000-square-foot facility, with broad windows looking into the produce aisles.  Known as the nation’s top supermarket chain, it expects about 10,000 visitors daily at the Brooklyn Navy Yard market. It will be hiring 500 employees, for which it has already received 4,000 applications.

By: Hadassah Kalatizadeh

The name of this privately held, family-run chain may not ring a bell to many New Yorkers.   Based in Rochester, the chain has only 98 stores strewn across six states in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions. Its sales of about $9.2 billion, don’t seem like much to brag about in comparison to some of the giants like Krogers or Walmart. Still, Wegmans seems to have something special, especially for its loyal shoppers, known as Wegmaniacs.  

For the past three years it has been ranked as the nation’s top grocery store, as per a survey of shoppers by researcher Market Force Information. Sales per square foot at Wegmans are higher than those of any other supermarket chain, except for Whole Foods, according to Creditintell, a retail credit consulting firm.  At a time, when most brick and mortar supermarkets are struggling against online delivery grocers like Amazon.com, Wegmans is doing more than just surviving. “The entire U.S. grocery sector is hurtling towards a day of reckoning,” said Neil Saunders, an analyst at GlobalData Retail. “There is simply no avoiding this pain, and ultimately the battle will be about surviving rather than thriving.” Wegmans, though, he said is “head-and-shoulders above most U.S. grocers.”

Wegman’s new facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard will be a big test of whether Wegmans can duplicate its phenomenal small town success in New York City’s hustle and bustle market. On the one hand, there are 2.8 million people who live within 5 miles of the Navy Yard, with an average household income well above $100,000.  On the other hand, Wegmans will need to adapt to a drastically different environment and plenty of experienced competitors. “There are all different types of customers there, so we will offer the best of what we have,” says Chief Executive Officer Colleen Wegman.

The grocer also has ambitious plans to open five stores in North Carolina, its seventh state, in 2019.  The company hopes to succeed by giving shoppers a compelling reason to visit its stores. Wegmans “instills a corporate culture that’s almost like a cult”, says Doug Steiner, who in 2015 was handed the Admiral’s Row development contract on which the Brooklyn Navy Yard sits.

“We have no idea what’s going to happen,” says Chairman Danny Wegman. “But if you like people and you like food, that’s what our business is. It’s no more complicated than that.”

DeBlasio’s Challenge to Trump on Migrants Raises Fears on Future of NYC

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. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

The White House on Sunday, echoing President Donald Trump, said sending undocumented migrants to sanctuary cities throughout the United States that have protected them from deportation remains a possibility even though government agencies have said it would be impractical and there is no money allocated to do it.

By: Ken Bredemeier

“We certainly are looking at all options as long as opposition Democrats refuse to acknowledge the crisis at the border,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told the “Fox News Sunday” show.

Trump said late Saturday on Twitter, “Democrats must change the Immigration Laws FAST. If not, Sanctuary Cities must immediately ACT to take care of the Illegal Immigrants – and this includes Gang Members, Drug Dealers, Human Traffickers, and Criminals of all shapes, sizes and kinds. CHANGE THE LAWS NOW!”

Hundreds of cities, along with California, the country’s most populous state, have declared themselves as havens for migrants who have illegally crossed the southern U.S. border with Mexico, refusing the help U.S. immigration officials to track down the immigrants so they can be deported.

U.S. border authorities apprehended more than 100,000 undocumented migrants, mostly from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, at the border in March, nearly twice that in the same month in 2018.

“The USA has the absolute legal right to have apprehended illegal immigrants transferred to Sanctuary Cities,” Trump said. “We hereby demand that they be taken care of at the highest level, especially by the State of California, which is well known for its poor management & high taxes!”

The U.S. now houses thousands of migrants at the border but is running out of beds and instead is releasing new arrivals into the U.S. on their promise to appear at asylum hearings that might not occur for two years.

The Department of Homeland Security has said that Congress has not appropriated any money to transport the migrants from the border to far-flung sanctuary cities across the U.S., while the Immigration and Custom Enforcement agency has called it an “unnecessary operational burden.”

Sanders said, “Nobody thinks this is the ideal solution,” sending migrants to sanctuary cities. But she said mayors of cities “who want this… should be looking to help” Trump resolve the crisis at the border. She accused Congress of wanting to spend “all of its time investigating the president” rather than dealing with the immigration turmoil at the border.

Trump tweeted, “So interesting to see the Mayor of Oakland and other Sanctuary Cities NOT WANT our currently ‘detained immigrants’ after release due to the ridiculous court ordered 20-day rule. If they don’t want to serve our Nation by taking care of them, why should other cities & towns?”

Trump was referring to a court ruling prohibiting the U.S. from detaining migrant minors, those under 18 years old, for more than 20 days, before being required to release them to relatives in the U.S. or other care givers.

A key Republican lawmaker, Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told another Fox News show, “Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo,” that after the current two-week congressional recess ends, he would introduce legislation that would authorize the detention of children beyond 20 days, “toughen up our asylum standards,” and allow migrant children to be returned to Central American countries, which is not now allowed once they have entered the United States.

“We’re never going to change this with troops and walls at the border,” Graham said of the immigration crisis. “Doing what we’re doing is not working.”

He added, “If you get one foot into the United States,” migrants can seek asylum. “The word is out that if you come with a minor, you’re never going to get deported. We need to change that narrative. We need troops at the border. We need a law. But these U.S. laws are insane.”

Trump said late Saturday on Twitter, “Democrats must change the Immigration Laws FAST. If not, Sanctuary Cities must immediately ACT to take care of the Illegal Immigrants – and this includes Gang Members, Drug Dealers, Human Traffickers, and Criminals of all shapes, sizes and kinds. CHANGE THE LAWS NOW!” Photo Credit: Shutterstock

The plan would put thousands of immigrants in cities that are not only welcoming to them, but also more likely to rebuff federal officials carrying out deportation orders. Many of these locations have more resources to help immigrants make their legal cases to stay in the United States than smaller cities, with some of the nation’s biggest immigration advocacy groups based in places like San Francisco, New York City and Chicago. The downside for the immigrants would be a high cost of living in the cities, according to an AP report.

AP also reported that the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University announced this week that an analysis found that immigrants in sanctuary cities such as New York and Los Angeles are 20% less likely to be arrested out in the community than in cities without such policies.

“With immigrants being less likely to commit crimes than the U.S. born population, and with sanctuary jurisdictions being safer and more productive than non-sanctuary jurisdictions, the data damns this proposal as a politically motivated stunt that seeks to play politics with peoples’ lives,” said George Gascon, district attorney for San Francisco.

Trump has grown increasingly frustrated over the situation at the border, where tens of thousands of immigrant families are crossing each month, many to claim asylum. His administration has attempted several efforts to stop the flow and he recently shook up the top ranks of the Department of Homeland Security.

The idea to ship immigrants to Democratic strongholds was considered twice in recent months, but the White House and Department of Homeland Security said the plan had been rejected. But Trump said Friday he was still considering the idea.

“We certainly are looking at all options as long as opposition Democrats refuse to acknowledge the crisis at the border,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders told the “Fox News Sunday” show. Nobody thinks this is the ideal solution,” sending migrants to sanctuary cities. But she said mayors of cities “who want this… should be looking to help” Trump resolve the crisis at the border. She accused Congress of wanting to spend “all of its time investigating the president” rather than dealing with the immigration turmoil at the border. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

“Due to the fact that Democrats are unwilling to change our very dangerous immigration laws, we are indeed, as reported, giving strong considerations to placing Illegal Immigrants in Sanctuary Cities only,” Trump tweeted. He added that, “The Radical Left always seems to have an Open Borders, Open Arms policy – so this should make them very happy!”

The transportation of immigrants who are arrested at the border to large and faraway cities would be burdensome and costly at a time when Immigration and Customs Enforcement is already stretched thin, having released more than 125,000 immigrants into the country pending their immigration court date since Dec. 21. They are currently being released mainly in border states.

The AP report indicated that flights chartered by ICE cost about $7,785 per flight hour, according to the agency, and require multiple staffers, including an in-flight medical professional. The agency also uses commercial flights. Doing longer transports would increase liability for the agency, especially considering that many of the immigrants in its care are families with young children.

And despite the consideration given to releasing the immigrants on the streets to sanctuary cities, the Trump administration actually has plenty of jail space to detain families. As of April 11, the nation’s three facilities to detain immigrant families were nowhere near capacity, including a Pennsylvania facility housing only nine immigrants.

It’s also unclear how long the immigrants would stay in these cities because they are required to provide an address to federal authorities, typically of a family member, as a condition of their release.

“It’s illogical,” said Angela Chan, policy director and senior attorney with the San Francisco-based Asian Law Caucus. “It’s just alarming that they are spending so much effort and so much time to engage in political theater.”

According to the AP report, the Trump administration has long pushed back against cities with sanctuary policies, which generally prohibit local authorities to cooperate with federal immigration police, often by refusing to hold people arrested on local charges past their release date at the request of immigration officers. More than 100 local governments around the country have adopted a variety of these policies.

“New York City will always be the ultimate city of immigrants, the president’s empty threats won’t change that,” New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said in a statement.

But Trump seemed ready to step up his fight with the cities, vowing to “give them an unlimited supply” of immigrants from the border.

Boys Town Jerusalem Presents Spirited Passover Video

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Boys Town Jerusalem is one of Israel’s premier institutions for educating the country’s next generation of leaders in the fields of technology, commerce, education, the military and public service. Since its founding in 1948, BTJ has pursued its mission of turning young boys from limited backgrounds into young men with limitless futures. From Junior High through the college level, the three part curriculum at Boys Town -academic, technological and Torah – is designed to turn otherwise disadvantaged Israeli youth into productive citizens of tomorrow. Boys Town’s 18-acre campus is a home away from home for its more than 950 students. More than 7,500 graduates hold key positions throughout Israeli society. For more information, please visit their website at boystownjerusalem.org.

FIDF SUPPORTERS HEADING TO POLAND AND ISRAEL WITH HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS AND ISRAELI MILITARY OFFICERS

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More than 40 Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) supporters from across the country will embark on a mission to Poland and Israel, May 2-10, with Holocaust survivors and alongside 45 soldiers and officers representing all branches of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Joining the delegation will be Holocaust survivor Sophie Tajch Klisman, 89, of Detroit. Klisman, along with her sister Felicia, survived the Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and Salzwedel concentration camps. The youngest of four children, she was only 10 years old when Nazi Germany occupied Lodz, forcing the family into the Lodz ghetto of 68,000 Jews. Both sisters were liberated from Salzwedel in April 1945, and immigrated to the U.S. in 1949, settling in the Detroit area. The remainder of their family perished.

“If I look at the rest of the family, they were already adults and grown-ups and here was this child; that was just a miracle that I survived; it was meant for me to survive,” Klisman said. “I just hope in conclusion, that nobody, nobody should have to live through such terrors, such horrible conditions at such a young age, or at any age. It was a horrible experience, but I’m glad that I finally was able to tell it.”

Also joining the mission will be Holocaust survivor Gizella “Gita” Mann, 89, of Israel. Mann’s community in Hungary was forced into a ghetto and later brought to Auschwitz, where she and her sister were separated from their family. Gita was later separated from her sister and sent to Germany, where she worked for most of the war. After narrowly escaping death, she was taken to Sweden and stayed there until 1946. She returned to Hungary after the war and reunited with her sister and three brothers. In 1948, she moved with her then-fiancé to Israel, where she stayed until emigrating to the U.S. in 1964, and finally returning to Israel five years ago. Mann has two children who live in New Jersey, and she currently lives in Jerusalem.

Led by FIDF National President Bobby Cohen and FIDF National Director and CEO Maj. Gen. (Res.) Meir Klifi-Amir, the nine-day “From Holocaust to Independence” mission will span Jewish history, from its darkest moments to its most triumphant. Israeli soldiers and Holocaust survivors will accompany the FIDF supporters on a trip across Poland, starting in Krakow, once home to more than 60,000 Jews, and tracing the community’s steps from the city’s ghetto to the Buczyna forest, where the Nazis executed more than 800 children, and then to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camps.

The entire delegation will then fly to Israel on an Israeli Air Force (IAF) airplane, after the IDF Chief of the General Staff granted the FIDF delegation exclusive access, and land at an IAF base. The group will visit IDF bases and meet soldiers serving on Israel’s front lines, commemorate Yom HaZikaron – Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror – and celebrate Israel’s 71st Independence Day.

“This historic mission will survey Jewish modern history through the eyes of those who survived the horrors of the Holocaust and those who risk their lives to defend the Jewish homeland,” said Klifi-Amir. “We’ll celebrate our story of heroism – from near annihilation, to the triumph of establishing the state of Israel. When we march tall and proud through the gates of the Auschwitz-Birkenau camps, together with Holocaust survivors, FIDF supporters, and 45 Israeli officers in uniform, gratefully flying the Israeli flag, we will send a clear message: that we are here, we will never forget, and we will do whatever we must do to protect our country and our people to guarantee – Never Again.”

“This mission serves as one of the last opportunities for survivors to return to Auschwitz and share its dreadful stories,” said Cohen. “We will walk through the gates of hell, where countless Jews suffered and perished at the hands of the Nazis. We will ensure the stories of survivors live on, safeguarded by those brave soldiers who defend and protect the state of Israel, and Jewish people around the world.”

WJC President Ronald S. Lauder: “We stand in Solidarity with France and Catholic Church Amid devastating Notre Dame fire”

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The World Jewish Congress stands in solidarity with the people of France and the Catholic Church amidst the fire that has engulfed the nearly 1,000-year-old Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral, WJC President Ronald S. Lauder said Monday.

“The World Jewish Congress and our affiliated communities in more than 100 countries stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of France and the Catholic Church in the face of the unimaginable devastation of the Notre Dame Cathedral, a blow that has struck straight to the heart of Paris,” Lauder said. “Notre Dame has for centuries stood proud and tall as an inimitable icon, a symbol of the country’s great culture and history. We pray that there are no injuries or loss of life in this tragedy, and that the destruction can be restored to allow this unparalleled structure to return to its position of symbolic majesty on the Parisian skyline.”

Statement from the President on ICC

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4/12

Today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced its unanimous rejection of a request to investigate American military and intelligence professionals who served in Afghanistan.  This is a major international victory, not only for these patriots, but for the rule of law.  We welcome this decision and reiterate our position that the United States holds American citizens to the highest legal and ethical standards.  Since the creation of the ICC, the United States has consistently declined to join the court because of its broad, unaccountable prosecutorial powers; the threat it poses to American national sovereignty; and other deficiencies that render it illegitimate.  Any attempt to target American, Israeli, or allied personnel for prosecution will be met with a swift and vigorous response.

NYPD Shomrim Pre-Passover Food Distribution

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Rabbi Leonard (Yehuda) Blank, director of Chaplaincy Commission and External Affairs, Rabbinical Alliance of America; Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, executive vice-president, Rabbinical Alliance of America; NYPD Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass, and NYPD Shomrim President Spencer Strauss.

On Sunday, April 14, 2019, the NYPD’s Shomrim Society once again assembled in the Community Room of the Grand Street Coops to prepare and distribute Passover food packages to members of the Jewish Community.  This annual Lower East Side event attracts top brass of the NYPD, as well as community leaders, who return to the cradle and mother neighborhood of New York City’s Jewish Community to preform the great Mitzva of ensuring that all members of the Jewish faith will be able to enjoy the Passover Holiday.

NYPD Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass, and NYPD Shomrim President Spencer Strauss greeting NYPD Shomrim Members, volunteers, Rabbi Leonard (Yehuda) Blank, director of Chaplaincy Commission and External Affairs, Rabbinical Alliance of America; and Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, executive vice-president, Rabbinical Alliance of America.

Among the great NYPD Shomrim executives in attendance were President Spencer Strauss, 1st Vice President Gary Marcus, Assistant Sergeant at Arms Josh Zuker, Marshal Philip Weisbord, NYPD Chief Chaplain Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass, Financial Secretary Murray Ellman, Executive Secretary Stuart Portner, Recipient Coordinator Marcia Portner, and Scott Pomerantz, president National Conference of Shomrim Societies, and president Port Authority NY/NJ Shomrim Society and Boy Scout Troop 76 leader.

Rabbi Leonard (Yehuda) Blank, director of Chaplaincy Commission and External Affairs, Rabbinical Alliance of America, and Rabbi Mendy Mirocznik, executive vice-president, Rabbinical Alliance of America also participated in the Pre-Passover food distribution.

The nicest part of the day was the hard work of the energetic youngsters of Boy Scout Troop 76 and students from Yeshiva of Flatbush who worked hand in hand and tirelessly with Shomrim members to pull off another successful Passover food distribution.

Crown Heights College to Grant Al Sharpton an Honorary Degree; Outrage Ensues

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Outrage has ensued after Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights has announced its intention to grant an honorary doctorate degree to Rev. Al Sharpton. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Outrage has ensued after Medgar Evers College in Crown Heights has announced its intention to grant an honorary doctorate degree to Rev. Al Sharpton.

By: Nina Ferducci

The College, which is funded by New York taxpayers, intends to grant an honorary doctorate degree to Mr. Sharpton — who many say increased tensions during race riots in the early ’90s.

The race riots began after Gavin Cato, then 7, was accidentally ran over by the motorcade of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson — who headed the Lubavitch Hasidic section.

Hours after the accident, Yankel Rosenbaum, a Hasidic scholar, was approached by a sizeable mob who yelled: “Kill the Jew” — who ultimately stabbed him, killing him.

At Mr. Cato’s funeral, Mr. Sharpton said that he died because of “the social accident of apartheid.” He went on to refer to Jews overall as “diamond merchants.”

One day following Mr. Cato’s accidental death, Mr. Sharpton rallied local activists in Crowd Heights — and ultimately starting rioting. In just four days of rioting, looting and blazes, led by Mr. Sharpton, 152 cops and 38 local residents were injured, and over 25 police cars were wrecked.

An internal document drafted by the college obtained by The New York Post makes no mention of the riots led by Mr. Sharpton, and instead, notes that he founded the National Action Network to “increase voter education, provide services to those in poverty, uphold police accountability, and support small community businesses.”

“This is not a person you honor,” Norman Rosenbaum, Yankel’s brother, told The Post. “Within the last 27 years, he hasn’t changed. The same character is there.”

“I think he’s a fraud and a charlatan whose actions over the years speak for themselves and they’re not good actions,” Mr. Rosenbaum continued. “He’s a man who does not promote peace. He’s not told the truth.”

Medgar Evers College also ignores Mr. Sharpton’s infamous defense of Tawana Brawley, who made up a lie and falsely claimed in 1987 that she was abducted and later raped by a group of white men. Mr. Sharpton never apologized, when Mrs. Brawley’s claims turned out to be untrue.

“I can’t believe the guy’s being recognized for anything,” Steven Pagones, a former Prosecutor who Mr. Sharpton falsely accused of aiding the fake attack, told The Post.

Mr. Pagones told the Post that Mr. Sharpton is now “worried about his own political agenda, and that’s it.”

If the proposal to grant Mr. Sharpton the honorary doctorate degree passes a vote before CUNY’s Committee on Academic Policy, Programs, and Research, it will go up for a vote before the organization’s regular board next month.

Airbnb Draws Scrutiny for Donations to NY Senator’s Campaign Following Favorable Legislation

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Last year, Airbnb’s campaign arm, Stronger Neighbors PAC, spent close to $500,000 in support of NY State Senator James Skoufis, a Democrat from Orange County. Photo Credit: www.nysenate.gov

Airbnb has drawn scrutiny after the introduction of legislation that, if passed, would legalize and regulate home-sharing in the city and throughout the state.  The main sponsor of the piece of legislation is state Sen. James Skoufis, a Democrat from Orange County. Last year, Airbnb’s campaign arm, Stronger Neighbors PAC, spent close to $500,000 in support of Senator Skoufis.  

By: Ilana Siyance

On Thursday, the home-sharing site was censured by a broad range of critics from across the political spectrum.   There was renewed attention to the contributions, and whether this very favorable legislation might be as a result of the campaign support.  “This is a bad bill that puts tenants in harm’s way while paving the way for the loss of affordable housing,” Mike McKee, the treasurer of the progressive advocacy group Tenants PAC, said in a statement. “No amount of campaign spending should be worth selling out housing protections or going back on your own word to clean up Albany’s pay-to-play culture.”

“After accepting a half-a-million in donations from Airbnb interests, Senator Skoufis changed his position on home-sharing,” Senate Republican Leader John Flanagan said in a statement. “There is no bathroom stall where he could hide from this long enough, and no tweet that he could use to shade the truth. This pay-to-play behavior from the Senate’s Investigations Committee Chair likely warrants its own investigation.”

As reported by the NY Daily News, records show that last year Airbnb spent more than twice as much on Skoufis than it did on all the other candidates it backed put together. The company’s PAC spent $498,273 on TV, radio, digital and print ads in support of Skoufis’s campaign. Only $224,000 was spent by the group on four other candidates combined.  

Skoufis, too, took the heat with charged comments against him on twitter.  In one particular exchange with the Hotel Trade Council, Skoufis pushed back, cancelling a meeting with what he called the “unprofessional thugs” at the union.

Skoufis’ proposed bill, which is backed by Airbnb, would have limitations such as a ban on short-term rentals in affordable housing or rent-stabilized units and limit city residents to listing a single property on home-sharing sites. It would also require home-sharing sites to register the names of hosts with the state and collect occupancy taxes on behalf of the city and state. Currently, the law impose heavy fines on homeowners who rent out their entire home for less than 30 days, and opponents hold the proposed laws don’t provide enough oversight on the home-sharing industry.

“Anyone accusing him of sponsoring a bill because of campaign support does not know him and has not bothered to look at his record as a legislator,” said Skoufis’ communications director Jess Gulotta, in defense of the 31-year-old lawmaker. “He supported the bill before that PAC even gave him money. This is a matter of policy and the opposition is using personal slander to get their way.”

Infamous Slumlords Make $188.7M Housing NYC’s Homeless in Leased Properties

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Photo Credit: Shutterstock

The infamous Podolsky brothers, who are known for being slumlords, are raising millions to house homeless New Yorkers after selling over 20 buildings to the city for a total of $173.5 million — more than the appraised value.

By: Marcus Tentrite

Financial documents show that the brothers, Jay and Stuart Podolsky, made an income of $188.7 million dollars in leasing various property over the last five years.

After selling 21 buildings to the city above market value, they will retain seven buildings to house the homeless — taking in millions of dollars.

New York City officials told the New York Post Thursday that the program will come to an end by Dec. 2020.

“As we continue our shelter transformation plan, we are phasing out all of their remaining shelter locations by the end of next year,” Isaac McGinn, a spokesman for the City’s Department of Homeless Services, told The Post.

The brothers raked in massive profits by providing space to the city to shelter the homeless under two different programs — traditional shelters and “cluster” units.

The City’s purchase of the 20+ apartment buildings in two boroughs, Brooklyn and the Bronx, acquires the clusters which the Podolsky brothers owned, which made $48.6 million between July 2013 and June 2018.

The pair also leased eight buildings as additional shelters, where they made a larger profit — $140.1 million over the same five year period of time.

Someone who works for the City told The Post recently that they shut down one of the Podolsky standard shelters in December 2018, reducing the number of shelters owned by the pair to seven.

New York’s Department of Homeless Services never entered into an agreement directly with the brothers, but, rather signed contracts with nonprofit organizations which rented space in buildings owned by the pair — which then billed City Hall to be reimbursed.

The unusual payment relationship hid the amount of money which the brothers made in a relatively short period of time.

Both brothers as well as Zenek, their father, plead guilty to a slew of criminal charges in the late ’80s, which including putting hookers and drug dealers in several buildings to remove tenants. Both Podolsky brothers were sentenced to five years on probation, while their father spent 90 days in a local jail.

They were sentenced to five years probation, while Zenek spent 90 days in jail.

The criminal past was brought to light again as a result of the City announcing the purchase of the buildings. The brothers also came under fire after The Times reported that Frank Carone, the main attorney for the Brooklyn Democrat Party, represented the brothers in the transaction.

Scott Stringer, who is the New York City comptroller, subpoenaed the records from the acquisition last week.

Top NYC officials have often defended the acquisition as part of a proposal to shutter the cluster program by 2020 — which originally started under Rudy Giuliani’s time as mayor.

Iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, Engulfed in Flames, Burns to the Ground

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The historic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, with centuries-old historical treasures such as some of the oldest stained-glass windows in the world, burned to the ground in a large fire on Monday — ultimately collapsing portions of the spire, bringing additional turmoil to Paris following months of protests by so-called “Yellow vest” protesters.

By: Harry Cherry

“Everything is burning, nothing will remain from the frame,” Andre Finot, the spokesperson for the Notre Dame cathedral told reporters Monday evening.

Mr. Finot added that the cause of the fire is currently unknown, however, early French media reports quoted fire officials, who said that the blaze could be “potentially linked” to a costly renovation on the Church’s spire.

First responders tried to salvage top-notch artwork in the cathedral, officials said Monday.

The fire started around 6:30 p.m. local time — causing the French President, Emmanuel Macron, to cancel a planned address about the “Yellow Vest” protests throughout France – – which has caused widespread damage and violent riots throughout the country.

“It is like losing a member of one’s own family,” Pierre Guillaume, a Paris resident, told The New York Times. “For me, there are so many memories tied up in it.” The 12th-century cathedral is one of the most infamous religious attraction throughout the world, along the Seine river.

“It’s been 800 years that the Cathedral watches over Paris,” Camille Pascal, a French historian, told BFM. “Happy and unfortunate events for centuries have been marked by the bells of Notre Dame.”

“We can be only horrified by what we see,” he added.

“This is just horrible,” Mohamed Megdoul, a local film producer told The Times. “A thousand years of history which is being wiped away.”

“This belonged to the whole world, and now it is disappearing,” he continued.

“So horrible to watch the massive fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris,” President Donald Trump posted on Twitter, responding to the disaster. “Perhaps flying water tankers could be used to put it out. Must act quickly!”

The Cathedral was quickly evacuated shortly after the blaze began — resulting in no casualties thus far.

French law enforcement officials began, minutes later, blowing whistles, directing residents, visitors, and tourists and move away from the blaze, reports said.

“A terrible fire is underway at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris,” Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, said on Twitter. “I invite everyone to respect the security perimeter.”

“There’s a history of churches and synagogues and other houses of worship falling victim to construction fires,” Glenn Corbett, a Professor of Fire Science at John Jay College, which is located in New York, told The Times.

French President Emanuel Macron said on Twitter that he is “sad tonight to see this part of us burn.”