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Parshas Tetzaveh–“Clothes Make the Man”

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My interest in the relationship between a person and his or her clothing goes back to my early days in graduate school. I was taking a course on human personality, under the tutelage of a remarkably insightful and erudite woman, Dr. Mary Henle. I was so enthusiastic about the courses that I took with her that I asked her to supervise my master’s degree thesis.

I remember the morning I shared my proposed topic with her. I thought that one of the ways to assess personality was to take note of the kind of clothing that a person wore. I further postulated that not only does a person’s clothing tell us a lot about him or her, but the clothing that we wear actually has an impact upon us. Our clothing helps make us who we are.

Dr. Henle tactfully deflated my ego that morning. She said, “That’s just an old wives’ tale. Our personalities are very profound, subtle, and complex. At most, our clothing reflects just a superficial aspect of our identity. You give too much credit to the saying, ‘Clothes make the man.’ It is really only a wisecrack attributed to Mark Twain. There is nothing more to it than that.”

I subsequently chose another topic for my master’s degree thesis.

Many years have passed since that disappointing encounter, and Dr. Henle has long since passed away, although I remember her respectfully. During those years, I have learned that she was mistaken on many grounds. For one thing, the saying, “Clothes make the man,” did not originate with Mark Twain. Centuries before the American humorist, the 16th century Catholic theologian Desiderius Erasmus wrote: “Vestis virum facit,” which translates as, “Clothes make the man.” Not long afterwards, none other than William Shakespeare put these words into the mouth of the character Polonius in his famous play Hamlet: “The apparel oft proclaims the man.”

Truth to tell, statements about the relationship between a person and his clothing go back much further than a mere several centuries. Such statements originate in the Bible, and a passage in this week’s Torah portion, Parshat Tetzaveh (Exodus 27:20-30:10), is a case in point. We read:

“You shall bring forward your brother, Aaron, with his sons, from among the Israelites, to serve Me as priests…Make sacral vestments for your brother Aaron, for dignity and adornment. Next you shall instruct all who are wise of heart… to make Aaron’s vestments, for consecrating him to serve Me as priest.”

Maimonides, codifying the concepts which emerge from the Biblical text, writes: “A High Priest who serves in the Temple with less than his eight vestments, or an ordinary priest who serves with less than his four required vestments…invalidates the service performed and is subject to punishment by death at the hands of Heaven, as if he were an alien who served in the Temple… When their vestments are upon them, their priestly status is upon them, but without their vestments their priestly status is removed from them…” (Hilchot Klei HaMikdash, 10:4).

We are left with the clear impression that these vestments are external manifestations of the royalty and majesty of the priestly role. The clothing literally makes the man. Without the clothing, each priest is “ordinary”—one of God’s subjects for sure, but without any regal status. With the clothing, he is not only bedecked with “dignity and adornment”, but has become a prince, and can play a royal role.

Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, Ramban, makes this even more explicit. He writes, “These are royal garments. These cloaks and robes, tunics and turbans are even today (he lived in 13th century Spain) the apparel of nobility…and no one would dare to wear the crown…or the tekhelet (blue yarn) except for royalty.”

From this perspective, clothes make the man. With them, he is imbued with the spirit of royalty and can carry himself with regal bearing.

Others interpret the function of the sacred garments differently, but all agree that garments influence the wearer in some fashion. For example, Rashi, commenting on the verse, “Put these on your brother Aaron, and on his sons as well; anoint them, and fill their hands” (Exodus 28:41), points out that in the Old French language with which he was familiar, when a person received a new official position the nobleman would put gloves upon him, indicating that he now had the authority of a new position. Rashi uses the Old French word gant, which the reference books that I consulted translate as a “decorative glove.” This would indicate that the garments were a type of official uniform, not necessarily regal, but symbolic of a specialized responsibility. With the donning of the gant the person himself gained the self-assurance of authority and power.

The late 15th century commentator Rabbi Isaac Arama, in his classic Akedat Yitzchak, provides even stronger support for our contention that clothes make the man. He identifies a similarity between the Hebrew word for the Kohen’s uniform and the Hebrew word for ethical character. The Hebrew word for uniform is mad, plural madim, and the Hebrew word for a character trait is midah, plural midot.

Rabbi Arama notes that in Latin, too, the word habitus refers to both a special garment (e.g., a nun’s habit) and a character trait (e.g. a good habit). He persuasively argues that “just as it can be determined from a person’s external appearance as to whether he is a merchant or a soldier or a monk, so too, the discovery of our hidden inner personality begins with our external behaviors.”

For Rabbi Arama, that our clothing is metaphor for our moral standing is evident in this biblical verse: “Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments when he stood before the angel. The latter stood up and spoke to his attendants: ‘Take the filthy garments off him!’ And he said to him: ‘See, I have removed your guilt from you…’” (Zechariah 3:3-4).

Finally, there is another biblical verse which demonstrates the central role of clothing in “making the man.” And here we go back even further in history than this week’s parsha. Indeed, we go all the way back to the first parsha in the Torah, Bereishit: “And the Lord God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21).

Nechama Leibowitz comments: “Everything in the way of culture and civilization was given to man to discover and develop on his own, with his own capacities. Nothing in the way of repairing the world and settling it was given to him by God. Neither the discovery of fire nor farming nor building houses was revealed to man by God. Rather, he was required to invent all these procedures on his own. Only clothing was given to him from Above. “And the Lord…made garments.”

God made clothing for man. And clothing makes the man.

Ah, do I now wish that I had not abandoned my original idea for a master’s degree thesis. What a fascinating thesis it would have been!

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb is Executive Vice President, Emeritus of the Orthodox Union

Parshas Tetzaveh; Moshe Rabbenu Putting Himself on the Line

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The kohanim lit the menorah in the Sanctuary every evening and cleaned it out every morning, replacing the wicks and putting fresh olive oil into the cups. Photo Credit: http://www.unleavenedbread.co.za

This week`s parsha, Titsaveh, opens with the words, “V`Atoh titsaveh..,”–”And you shall command…” The words “and you” are puzzling.

Who is “you”, and why is “you” not identified?

You, of course, is a reference to Moshe Rabbenu, and for the very first time since his birth, his name does not appear in the parsha. Rather, HaShem refers to him by the anonymous “You.” But in this anonymity, Moshe speaks with great force and gives us a glimpse of his majesty.

Following the sin of the golden calf, Moshe pleaded “Forgive their sins, but if not, erase me from Your Book…”, and with those words, he put himself on the line and was prepared to sacrifice his own life for his beloved people.

But what sort of defense is this plea? How did Moshe hope that the erasure of his name from G-d`s Book would save his nation? One`s calling, one`s mission is to be found in one`s name. Therefore, Moshe reasoned, “If they committed such evil, it must be my fault–I must have failed as a teacher. Hence, erase my name.” Just as a parent pleads on behalf of his wayward child, “He`s really a very good boy. It`s all my fault. I wasn`t the parent I should have been..”, so Moshe Rabbenu in his unflagging love, accepted responsibility for the sins of the nation. G-d forgave the people, but Moshe`s name was omitted from the parsha.

This omission is difficult to understand. After all, why should Moshe be penalized for his self sacrifice? In reality, he is not. In his absence, the greatness of his person is revealed more powerfully than ever before, for we are reminded that he was prepared to lay down his life for our sake. And more, it is always during this parsha that we commemorate Moshe Rabbenu`s yahrzeit which falls on Zayen Adar, the seventh day of Adar. It is on this day that Moshe was born and it is on this day that he died. Thus, forever and ever, when we come to this parsha and realize that Moshe`s name is missing, we also realize that it is the yahrzeit of our beloved Rebbe Moshe Rabbenu, the holy teacher of all Israel.

 

THE TEACHINGS OF THE MENORAH

Everything in the Tabernacle has a deeper meaning. For example, the menorah represents the sacred light of the Torah and therefore, everything about it is significant–the method of its kindling and the material to be used, as well as its placement. The Torah instructs us to place the menorah “outside of the Partition that is near the Testimonial Tablets” (Exodus 27:21), teaching us that the light of the menorah which reminds us of the eternal light of the Torah must guide us not only when we are in the confines of the sanctuary immersed in study and prayer, but even when we are “outside that Partition.” That light of the Torah must direct our lives, in our homes, in our workplace, or wherever life may take us.

The material -oil used for the lighting of the menorah must be pure olive oil, free of sediment, meaning that our Torah study must be accompanied by purity of heart and commitment. Furthermore, when lighting the menorah, we must be certain that the flame burns brightly, meaning that when we teach Torah, we must impart the lesson in such a way that the student fully understands its teachings.

We live in such menacing times–we have so much stress to contend with. Every day the world becomes more frightening. If ever we needed that pure light of Torah to energize us, give us hope and guide us, it is today. Let us make a commitment to illuminate our minds, hearts and souls with the eternal light of Sinai.

(Hineni.org)

Parshas Tetzaveh; Moshe Rabbenu Putting Himself on the Line

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The kohanim lit the menorah in the Sanctuary every evening and cleaned it out every morning, replacing the wicks and putting fresh olive oil into the cups. Photo Credit: http://www.unleavenedbread.co.za

This week`s parsha, Titsaveh, opens with the words, “V`Atoh titsaveh..,”–”And you shall command…” The words “and you” are puzzling.

Who is “you”, and why is “you” not identified?

You, of course, is a reference to Moshe Rabbenu, and for the very first time since his birth, his name does not appear in the parsha. Rather, HaShem refers to him by the anonymous “You.” But in this anonymity, Moshe speaks with great force and gives us a glimpse of his majesty.

Following the sin of the golden calf, Moshe pleaded “Forgive their sins, but if not, erase me from Your Book…”, and with those words, he put himself on the line and was prepared to sacrifice his own life for his beloved people.

But what sort of defense is this plea? How did Moshe hope that the erasure of his name from G-d`s Book would save his nation? One`s calling, one`s mission is to be found in one`s name. Therefore, Moshe reasoned, “If they committed such evil, it must be my fault–I must have failed as a teacher. Hence, erase my name.” Just as a parent pleads on behalf of his wayward child, “He`s really a very good boy. It`s all my fault. I wasn`t the parent I should have been..”, so Moshe Rabbenu in his unflagging love, accepted responsibility for the sins of the nation. G-d forgave the people, but Moshe`s name was omitted from the parsha.

This omission is difficult to understand. After all, why should Moshe be penalized for his self sacrifice? In reality, he is not. In his absence, the greatness of his person is revealed more powerfully than ever before, for we are reminded that he was prepared to lay down his life for our sake. And more, it is always during this parsha that we commemorate Moshe Rabbenu`s yahrzeit which falls on Zayen Adar, the seventh day of Adar. It is on this day that Moshe was born and it is on this day that he died. Thus, forever and ever, when we come to this parsha and realize that Moshe`s name is missing, we also realize that it is the yahrzeit of our beloved Rebbe Moshe Rabbenu, the holy teacher of all Israel.

 

THE TEACHINGS OF THE MENORAH

Everything in the Tabernacle has a deeper meaning. For example, the menorah represents the sacred light of the Torah and therefore, everything about it is significant–the method of its kindling and the material to be used, as well as its placement. The Torah instructs us to place the menorah “outside of the Partition that is near the Testimonial Tablets” (Exodus 27:21), teaching us that the light of the menorah which reminds us of the eternal light of the Torah must guide us not only when we are in the confines of the sanctuary immersed in study and prayer, but even when we are “outside that Partition.” That light of the Torah must direct our lives, in our homes, in our workplace, or wherever life may take us.

The material -oil used for the lighting of the menorah must be pure olive oil, free of sediment, meaning that our Torah study must be accompanied by purity of heart and commitment. Furthermore, when lighting the menorah, we must be certain that the flame burns brightly, meaning that when we teach Torah, we must impart the lesson in such a way that the student fully understands its teachings.

We live in such menacing times–we have so much stress to contend with. Every day the world becomes more frightening. If ever we needed that pure light of Torah to energize us, give us hope and guide us, it is today. Let us make a commitment to illuminate our minds, hearts and souls with the eternal light of Sinai.

(Hineni.org)

How Anti-Israel Bias in a Boston Suburb’s Public Schools is a Case Study of Emerging Nationwide Trend

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Experts contend that middle and high schools are becoming the next frontier in anti-Israel activism

Over the past decade, the Boston suburb of Newton has been beset by controversy over how the conflict in the Middle East is being taught in its public schools.

The concern over anti-Israel bias in the school system began in 2011, when a Newton resident complained to school officials regarding the use of a supplemental text called The Arab World Studies Notebook, which contained “false and defamatory” anti-Israel sentiment. While the school board eventually removed the textbook, accusations and further evidence of anti-Israel bias within the school system have continued, reaching a fever pitch during a Newton School Committee hearing in late November 2018.

“Unfortunately, faculty and school officials haven’t been open and accountable to the public, including to parents,” Andrea Levin, executive director of CAMERA, an international fact-checking organization that monitors the media. “At a November public hearing, the school committee voted unanimously against transparency—that is, against allowing the public to know what materials are being used in the classroom.”

While the debate over how to teach the Middle East conflict has consumed this quaint Boston-area suburb, home to one of the largest Jewish communities in Massachusetts, there has also been concern that the issues plaguing Newton are part of a wider national trend of anti-Israel sentiment seeping into high school classrooms across the country.

At a Jan. 28 event hosted by CAMERA at the Jewish Community Center in Newton, a panel of experts examined both the issues with curriculum in Newton, as well as other instances of anti-Israel bias in K-12 education that may be affecting younger students’ perception of Israel.

Miriam Elman, a professor of political science at Syracuse University and the new executive director of the Academic Engagement Network, said Newton is not alone in the use of anti-Israel materials within its school system.

“What’s happening in Newton schools is part of a trend in public schools nationwide,” she said.

In an article published in JNS in January, Elman and Levin noted that the anti-Israel ideologies are “trickling down” to high schools, which they term a “negative feedback loop.”

“Not only does anti-Israel hostility on college campuses influence the next generation of high school teachers, but these high school teachers are in turn sending kids up to college with a misinformed view of Israel,” said Elman.

One of the problems, she explained in her talk, stems from Title VI under the Higher Education Act, which provides federal funding for international-studies programs such as Middle East Studies departments found at universities throughout the country that have been accused of anti-Israel bias.

The campus watchdog group AMCHA Initiative published a list of more than 200 anti-Israel Middle East Studies professors at departments through the country.

“Young teachers, trained in humanities departments with an anti-Israel message, are taking those messages into public-school classrooms. The consequence is that, more and more, students are arriving on university campuses with grossly distorted views of the Jewish state,” said Elman.

As part of the Title VI’s requirements, “departments have to do outreach to K-12 as part of the program’s funding,” she added.

In turn, often these outreach programs to K-12 schools will sometimes include BDS groups or speakers.

‘Teachers use the Internet or workshop packets that are not vetted’

Elman pointed to one example in the Los Angeles Unified School District, where a voluntary workshop titled “Learning About Islam and the Arab World” was organized by the LA chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FORUSA), an interfaith organization that supports the BDS movement.

Similarly, in Newton, concern has been raised over the “Middle East Day” program, where BDS speakers and an anti-Israel film were screened, according to Levin.

Following the May 2018 “Middle East Day” program, the Boston chapter of Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Community Relations Council wrote Newton Superintendent David Fleishman expressing concern over the “quality and credibility” of films and resources that were used.

“Unfortunately, when we recently reviewed what’s being taught in the classroom, we found demonstrably false and one-sided information with a clear ideological bent against Israel,” said Levin.

“We’re also very concerned that BDS-supporting guest speakers have been invited to address— unchallenged—large groups of students on school grounds. All the while, the superintendent is telling parents that any claims of anti-Israel bias are ‘baseless.’ It’s very problematic.”

Elman said oftentimes, what remains the most problematic are outside content and speakers.

She said that while textbook publishers are generally responsive to issues regarding anti-Israel bias found in their material, teachers, knowingly or unknowingly, will use anti-Israel materials in their classrooms.

“Often, materials teachers use from the Internet or workshop packets that are not vetted,” she noted. “Most teachers are unwitting participants in the negative feedback loop.”

As such, Elman said that efforts to combat anti-Israel bias need to start in the middle or high schools.

“Major Jewish organizations were slow to recognize and respond to anti-Israel activity on college campuses. My fear is that, once again, they’re not adequately responding to this negative feedback loop that is occurring between high school and college,” she said. “It’s the new frontier in anti-Israel activism. Newton is a case study of it.”

            (JNS.org)

Best Hotels in Israel for 2019

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King David Hotel in downtown Jerusalem. Photo by Abir Sultan/Flash90

From north to south and east to west, from desert lodgings to five-star luxury, we’ve curated 20 outstanding hotels for your next Israel vacation

The range of accommodations in Israel is quite astounding when you consider just how small this country is. With incoming tourism at an all-time high, ISRAEL21c offers you a list of best hotels in 20 exciting categories, whether you prefer urban luxury or desert glamping.

KING DAVID JERUSALEM HOTEL: Best landmark hotel

It’s no exaggeration to use the word “legendary” to describe the King David, a landmark in Israel’s capital city. Opened in 1931, the King David consistently ranks as one of the Robb Report’s top 100 hotels in the world and has won multiple awards.

The King David and its newer neighbors on “luxury hotel row” overlooking the Old City Jerusalem – the Mamilla, Waldorf-Astoria and David Citadel – all placed in the top 11 hotels on Conde Nast Traveler’s “Top Hotels in the Middle East: Readers’ Choice Awards 2018.” But the 206-room King David (ranked #2 on that list) remains the preferred address for visiting prime ministers, presidents and kings.

Address: 23 King David St., Jerusalem

Amenities: Outdoor pool, fitness center, spa, kosher meat restaurant, kosher dairy restaurant, bar, business services, butler service

BERESHEET HOTEL & RESORT: Best desert hotel

Guests at this Isrotel Exclusive Collection property at the edge of the one-of-a-kind Ramon Crater enjoy breathtaking wildlife scenery from the luxury of 111 one- or two-story private-entrance villas and suites situated on 12.5 acres. Thirty-nine of the ground-floor rooms open to personal infinity pools, while the upper-floor rooms open to balconies.

Guests without a personal pool can use the large outdoor swimming pool positioned at the crater’s edge, voted “Coolest Pool in the World” by Travel Agent Central magazine in 2018. No cars are allowed in most parts of the resort beyond the parking lot; guests are transported in electric golf carts.

Address: 1 Derekh Beresheet, Mitzpeh Ramon

Amenities: Outdoor pool, indoor heated pool, fitness center, spa, tennis courts, kosher restaurant

CARMEL FOREST SPA: Best spa hotel

Carmel Forest Spa in northwest Israel. Photo: courtesy

Leave the kids home, shut off your phone and prepare to be pampered at this secluded 126-room Carmel Mountains resort whose spa is so famous that its name graces every sister spa in the Isrotel Exclusive Collection.

SpaFinder named the resort Best Spa in the Middle East several years in a row.

Each day the hotel offers optional activities and classes, such as guided nature hikes, tai chi, concerts and nutrition workshops. No guests under 16 are permitted, making for an exceptionally quiet atmosphere for romantic getaways or group retreats. The only time you need to get out of your provided terry robe is for dinner, before which a rep will call you to discuss your dietary needs.

Address: HaBonim, Beit Oren

Amenities: Indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Turkish bath, fitness center, spa, kosher restaurant, wine bar, tennis court

U CORAL BEACH CLUB EILAT ULTRA ALL INCLUSIVE: Best family hotel

U Coral Beach Eilat Hotel. Photo: courtesy

This 282-room Fattal property in the Red Sea resort town puts the emphasis on “all inclusive,” offering access to a private beach and a wealth of activities for the whole family from windsurfing and snorkeling to dance lessons and archery, cooking workshops and social games. There’s onsite live evening entertainment, and up to five meals per day (special meals can be pre-ordered).

U Coral is exceptionally child-friendly, offering the all-day Fattal Hotels’ Kids Club, children’s entertainment, and babysitting, as well as infant gear – such as cribs, baby bathtubs and bottle warmers — on request. The hotel won a Trip Advisors Travelers’ Choice Award in 2018.

Address: Almog Beach Marina, Eilat

Amenities: Outdoor swimming pool, gym, spa, kosher Italian dairy restaurant, babysitting, tennis/soccer/basketball/volleyball

BAYIT BAGALIL: Best suite hotel

This Orchid Hotels property in the heart of the Upper Galilee’s Biria Forest is built from local Galilee stone to blend in with the landscape.

The hotel offers 33 luxuriously equipped suites, ranging from the 85-square-meter Villa Royal with private pool and Jacuzzi to the 45-square-meter Garden Suite with large balcony. Guests can enjoy herbal tea and homemade cookies around the lobby fireplace. Children are allowed only in July and August or by special arrangement.

Address: Biria Forest, Hatzor Haglilit

Amenities: Outdoor heated swimming pool, fitness center, spa, tennis court, basketball court, kosher Galilean-style restaurant, free bicycles

ELMA HOTEL AND ARTS COMPLEX: Best arts hotel

An exciting trend in Israel’s hospitality industry is art hotels showcasing local talent as part of the permanent design concept. Most are found in Tel Aviv: Diaghilev Live Art Boutique Hotel, Artplus Hotel, Leonardo Art Hotel and new Link Hotel & Hub.

The Elma takes the concept a step further with two large painting and sculpture galleries, four studios for artists-in-residence offering master classes, and two full-size concert halls. And while the Tel Aviv art hotels have a young urban vibe, the Elma is situated on a hilltop in the picturesque, pastoral wine country of Zichron Ya’akov. It offers 84 rooms, suites and freestanding cottages.

Address: 1 Yair Street, Zichron Ya’akov

Amenities: Outdoor and indoor swimming pools, Turkish bath, spa, kosher chef restaurant, poolside restaurant, espresso bar

NYX HERZLIYA: Best business hotel

NYX Herzliya is within a short walking distance of the high-tech center. Photo: courtesy

The seaside city of Herzliya has several top-notch hotels geared specifically to business travelers, given its substantial high-tech ecosystem and its proximity to the startup capital in Tel Aviv.

Fattal’s new concept hotel for business travelers is situated in walking distance of the Herzliya Pituah high-tech center and Mediterranean beaches, offering a balance of work and play. NYX Herzliya was built with smart meeting rooms with fully-equipped workspaces, a business lounge and an expansive conference hall. The hotel’s public areas host modern artwork collections by Israeli artists.

Address: 19 Abba Eban Boulevard, Herzliya

Amenities: Rooftop bar, kosher dairy chef restaurant, fitness center, spa, indoor pool

HAGOSHRIM HOTEL & NATURE: Best kibbutz hotel

Many Israeli kibbutzim supplement their income by running guest houses or hotels, some of them quite luxurious. Hagoshrim Hotel & Nature is one of the fancier ones, with 184 uniquely decorated rooms and suites and a lot of extras such as a nature trail and sculpture garden.

Built on the ruins of an Ottoman-era winter palace, the hotel is surrounded by streams, springs, a spice garden, waterfall and restored windmill.

Nearby are popular nature sites including the Banias Reserve, Mount Hermon and Hula Lake. Notably, Hagoshrim Hotel has ecology-minded installations such as recycling stations, and donates food and equipment to local social-welfare organizations.

Address: Kibbutz Hagoshrim, Upper Galilee

Amenities: Spa, sports and health center, lobby bar, kosher restaurant using local ingredients

THE NORMAN: Best boutique hotel

This consistent award-winner featuring individually designed rooms, hand-painted tile floors and original Israeli artwork was named best hotel in Africa and the Middle East in Condé Nast Traveler’s “Top Hotels in the Middle East: Readers’ Choice Awards 2018” and was cited in Travel + Leisure’s “25 Rooftop Pools to Dream About While You Sit in the Office.”

The 50-room boutique hotel, opened in December 2014, occupies a prime location in two restored 1920s Bauhaus buildings with a citrus garden between them. It’s on a quiet side street off bustling Rothschild Boulevard and 10 minutes from the beach. The friendliness and efficiency of the staff is frequently noted in online guest reviews.

Address: 23-25 Nahmani St.

Amenities: Rooftop infinity pool and deck, Japanese tapas restaurant, French-Mediterranean brasserie, Library Bar, gym, spa, yoga and Pilates classes,

KFAR HANOKDIM: Best Bedouin-style accommodations

Consistently a favorite with tourists, Kfar Hanokdim in Arad offers 46 desert-style air-conditioned rooms with indigenous handcrafted furniture and en-suite bathrooms, with a small cooking area nearby.

There are also sleeping tents and nine goat-hair heated guest lodges sleeping four to eight people, featuring wood floors, sleeping futons, coffee-making facilities and an elevated veranda from which to savor the desert views (bathroom facilities are nearby along with a small cooking area and place to build a campfire).

Address: PO Box 1568, Arad

Amenities: Breakfast buffet, grapevine-roofed lounging zulas, Bedouin coffee-making ceremony and Arab feast, camel and donkey rides

THE SETAI: Best Sea of Galilee hotel

Lobby of Setai Sea of Gallilee hotel. Photo: courtesy

The Setai Sea of Galilee, which claims to have the largest spa complex in Israel, opened in mid-2017. One of its first guests was Conan O’Brien, who was in Israel that August to film an episode of “Conan Without Borders.”

Situated on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret), the pastoral hotel includes 110 rooms and “villas”; the ground-floor villas have private infinity pools while the second-floor villas have outdoor hot tubs. Guest-room balconies afford views of the Golan Heights to the northeast and the city of Tiberias across the sea.

Address: Tza’alon Beach near Ein Gev

Amenities: Outdoor infinity swimming pool, spa with indoor pool and Turkish bath, fitness center, kosher chef restaurant featuring locally sourced ingredients, wading pool, children’s club, free bicycles

BEIT SHE’AN GUEST HOUSE: Best youth hostel

The 18 properties that make up the Israel Youth Hostel Association are well-known as spacious, well-maintained and economical accommodations for groups, families or any travelers on a budget.

Beit She’an Guest House in the Jordan Valley, near the major archeological national park at Beit She’an, boasts many of the features you’d find at a hotel — a swimming pool, free Wi-Fi and kosher breakfast — and has the added advantage of a stunning view over the valley and the Gilboa mountain range.

The 62 rooms (private rooms and dormitories are available) are air conditioned/heated and have a TV, mini-bar, electric kettle and bathroom with bath and shower. Besides breakfast, additional meals can be ordered in advance to take on the road or eat in the 250-seat dining room.

Address: 129 Menachem Begin Blvd., Beit She’an

Amenities: Outdoor swimming pool, snack bar, Internet stations, cinema system, basketball court, TV room, lecture halls equipped for audiovisual presentations

SHKEDI CAMPLODGE: Best glamping accommodations

Two guest tents, six wooden cabins and – best of all – a romantic “Dream Bus” with a private yard make up this quaint site located between the Dead Sea and the Arava region. It’s an ideal and convenient point of departure to the many hiking trails in the area as well as the ever-popular Dead Sea, for those looking for a more rugged experience than the luxury hotels provide.

Groups, families, couples and individuals can be accommodated. Each cabin has a private dining and seating area, including a BBQ stand and outdoor lighting. Except for the bus, restroom and shower facilities are shared.

Address: Moshav Neot Hakikar

Amenities: Fully equipped shared kitchen, central bonfire dome, hammock dome, bar with free Wi-Fi

POLI HOUSE: Best urban hotel

Opened in 2016, this 40-room Brown Hotels property next to Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market is housed in a meticulously restored Bauhaus building with a storied history as a commercial office space, clandestine printing press and children’s shoe store. It appeared on the New York Times’ 2016 list of 7 Notable New Hotels and on Wallpaper’s Best Urban Hotels 2017 Shortlist.

Wallpaper enthused about the interior design by Karim Rashid, who “has taken his cues from the tech-savvy, forward-thinking city, with neon colors, mesmerizing graphics and ultramodern shapes,” and about the rooftop “where an infinity pool and sweeping city views make for an impressive first impression.”

Address: 1 Nahalat Binyamin St., Tel Aviv

Amenities: Rooftop heated swimming pool and cocktail bar, spa, breakfast garden café, business services, free bicycles

EFENDI: Best Western Galilee Boutique Hotel

Nestled in the picturesque narrow lanes of coastal Acre (Akko) overlooking the sea and the historic city walls, the Efendi Hotel was opened in 2012. Its wine cellar is based on bricks from the Byzantine era more than 1,500 years ago. The main lobby includes a foundation from the Crusader era (900 years ago) in its midsection and restored walls and foundations from the Ottoman period (more than 400 years ago). Italian artisans were flown in to restore the hand-painted ceilings and a fresco of Istanbul painted in 1878 in honor of the new Orient Express train station.

The boutique hotel is the fulfillment of a dream long held by Uri Jeremias, chef and proprietor of the famed Uri Buri fish restaurant in Acre. The layout consists of 12 suites spread out over three levels, each of which has four uniquely decorated guestrooms and a central communal salon with a sitting area.

Address: Louis IX St., Old Acre

Amenities: Spa, restored 400-year-old Turkish bath found on site, wine bar in a renovated Crusader-era wine cellar

THE COLONY: Best Heart-of-Haifa Hotel

The 40-room Colony Hotel is smack in the middle of the German Colony, the restored historic center of Haifa, in a preserved edifice built as a hotel in 1920.

Completely renovated by new owners in 2006-2008, The Colony affords a breathtaking view of the world-famous stepped Baha’i Gardens only a two-minute walk to the south, while the beach promenade beckons five minutes to the north. Restaurants, cafés and shops also surround the hotel, and the city’s tourist info center is right next door.

Address: 28 Ben-Gurion Blvd., Haifa

Amenities: Spa, 24-hour business center, kosher breakfast room and lobby bar, events rooftop, garden

THE WELL INN: Best Beersheva B&B

A five-minute walk from the Central Bus Station and Abraham’s Well tourist center in this unofficial capital of the Negev, the Well Inn is in a quiet area of the artsy Old City in two century-old stone homes that once housed the midwife and the chef, respectively, of Hadassah, the first hospital in the city. They were restored in 2014 by the new owners and currently encompass five spacious studios and suites, each decorated uniquely.

Address: 24 Gershon Duvenboim St., Beersheva

Amenities: Free breakfast, outdoor courtyards, Wi-Fi, kitchen facilities

CNAAN VILLAGE: Best Golan Heights Boutique Hotel

Chosen for three years in a row as one of the leading small hotels in the Middle East by Trip Advisor, the Cnaan Village Boutique Hotel & Spa features five double suites, each with a private terrace, large Jacuzzi, fireplace, kitchenette and complimentary fruit, chocolate and wine. A full Israeli breakfast is served by the pool, and in the lobby there are homemade cakes and cookies , fruit, coffee and tea, chilled Lambrusco in summer and hot cider and wine in winter.

Address: Had Nes, Golan Heights

Amenities: Spa, outdoor/indoor heated pool, hot tub, wine-tasting at local boutique winery

HERBERT SAMUEL: Best downtown Jerusalem hotel

Boutique hotels, hostels and B&Bs are springing up in downtown Jerusalem like mushrooms. Sitting in the middle of it all is the 5-star Herbert Samuel, occupying an iconic location at the junction of the Zion Square and Nahalat Hashiva pedestrian promenades, conveniently close to a light-rail stop.

The hotel’s 137 rooms and suites are decorated with local Jerusalem stone and the 11th-floor restaurant offers 360-degree panoramic views of the capital city.

Address: 25 Shamai St., Jerusalem

Amenities: Spa, gym, indoor pool, wet and dry sauna, free bicycles, kosher restaurant

DANIEL DEAD SEA HOTEL: Best Dead Sea hotel

The Daniel Dead Sea’s 302 luxury rooms, including 12 suites, are floored with locally produced ceramic tiles and feature breathtaking views of the desert scenery and the Dead Sea against the backdrop of the Moav Mountains. There’s a paved walkway to the recently expanded beach for hotel guests. The hotel offers daily activities ranging from fitness classes and walks to nutrition workshops.

Address: Ein Bokek

Amenities: Spa, gym, indoor and outdoor pools, pub, children’s club, tennis and basketball courts, kosher dairy and meat restaurants, poolside grill, solarium, business lounge, classes on health, beauty, nutrition, fitness.

               (Israel 21C)

Human vs. Monkey Brains: Why We Have More Mental Disorders

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Humans’ superior cognitive and adaptive abilities and their tendency to anxiety, depression and other mental diseases may be two sides of same coin

Comparing human brains to monkey brains reveals that our more evolutionarily advanced brains may be more efficient but are also less robust, according to new research from Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science.

Neurobiology Prof. Rony Paz explains that our brains are like modern washing machines – technologically sophisticated but more vulnerable to breakdown and costly disorders.

Neurobiology Prof. Rony Paz explains that our brains are like modern washing machines – technologically sophisticated but more vulnerable to breakdown and costly disorders. “Why, on the one hand, do humans have such superior learning, cognitive and adaptive abilities and, on the other, this tendency to anxiety, depression and other mental diseases? We have shown that these may be two sides of the same coin,” said Paz. Photo Credit: American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science

“Why, on the one hand, do humans have such superior learning, cognitive and adaptive abilities and, on the other, this tendency to anxiety, depression and other mental diseases? We have shown that these may be two sides of the same coin,” said Paz.

Raviv Pryluk, a research student in Paz’s research group, devised a way to test and compare the efficiency of the neural code in the pre-frontal cortex, where higher functions like decision making and rational thinking occur, and the amygdala, a more evolutionarily ancient region that is responsible for the “fight or flight” basic survival functions, as well as emotions.

The neural code in the “more evolved” pre-frontal cortex showed more efficiency than the amygdala, both in humans and monkeys. And the neural code of both areas in the human brain was more efficient than its monkey counterpart. But the higher the efficiency of a particular neural code, the more it was prone to errors.

“Evolution works with trade-offs,” said Pryluk. “There may be a zero-sum game between efficiency and robustness; and our complex, multidimensional brains have gained one at the price of the other.”

Their findings, recently published in the journal Cell, may help to explain why disorders as ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD and autism are common in humans.

The Weizmann scientists worked in collaboration with Prof. Itzhak Fried of Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv and UCLA Medical School in Los Angeles, as well as Hagar Gelbard-Sagiv of Tel Aviv University and Yoav Kfir, at that time a research student in Paz’s group.

            (Israel 21C)

Strengthen Your Deltoids to Help Prevent Shoulder Injuries

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Two out of every three people will experience a shoulder injury or problem at some point in their lives.

One reason: When it comes to training, the anterior, or front, deltoid muscle gets almost all the attention, while the medial and posterior deltoids get the cold shoulder.

For a study sponsored by the American Council on Exercise, scientists from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse evaluated popular shoulder exercises to see which were most effective.

Popular Deltoid Strength-Training Exercises

  • Barbell upright row
  • Battling ropes
  • Bent-arm lateral raise, great for the medial deltoids
  • Cable diagonal raises
  • Dips
  • Dumbbell front raise
  • Dumbbell shoulder press, tops in training for the anterior deltoids
  • Push-ups
  • Seated rear lateral raise, excellent for the posterior deltoids
  • 45-degree incline row, excellent for the medial and posterior deltoids

While no single exercise can work all three parts, start building a shoulder workout with two that target most of the muscles. Build up to three sets of eight to 15 reps each. At first, you may only be able to lift very light dumbbells, but with consistency, you’ll develop strength over time. When you can complete three full sets, it’s time to increase your weight.

For the seated rear lateral raise, sit on the edge of a bench, feet flat on the floor, a dumbbell next to each foot. Bend over to bring your torso as close as you can to your thighs. Hold a weight in each hand with elbows bent slightly so that each weight is against the outside of each calf. Slowly lift your arms out to the sides and up to shoulder height; your back should stay straight and not move. With control, slowly bring the weights back to start. Repeat up to 15 times.

For the dumbbell shoulder press, stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. With a dumbbell in each hand, raise your arms out to the sides until level with your shoulders. Bend your elbows so that your forearms make 90-degree angles with your upper arms, then rotate wrists so that palms are facing forward. This is the start position. Slowly straighten your arms up toward the ceiling. Then with control, lower them to start. Repeat up to 15 times.

Always start a shoulder workout with exercises that target the posterior deltoids because they’re the weakest of the group. As a reminder, strength train no more than three times a week, allowing 48 hours between sessions, and always after warming up the body with light cardio activity.

            (HealthDay News)

New-Found Molecules May Treat Obesity, Fatty Liver Disease

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Illustrative photo by Dmitry Tkachev via Shutterstock.com

Hebrew University scientists use novel algorithm to identify 27 molecules with significant potential for pharmaceutical success

In a newly published study in Scientific Reports, a team from Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Institute for Drug Research reports its discovery of 27 new molecules that activate a protein called PPAR-delta, which has the potential to increase physical endurance and trim waistlines by getting muscle cells to burn more fat.

Illustrative photo by Dmitry Tkachev via Shutterstock.com

These molecules therefore hold promise for the treatment of fatty liver disease and obesity, among other ailments.

A new, award-winning algorithm developed in the lab of Prof. Amiram Goldblum sifted through a database of 1.56 million molecules and picked out 27 with strong therapeutic potential, as determined by biologists at the Novartis Genomic Institute in San Diego.

Integra Holdings, Hebrew University’s biotech company, determined that 21 of the 27 molecules have the potential to reach pharmaceutical success, especially as a possible cure for fatty liver disease (also known as non-alcoholic steato-hepatitis), the leading cause of liver cancer in the Western world. Further evaluations are underway.

Israel’s Heller Institute of Medical Research is now testing PPAR-delta’s physical endurance properties on mice.

Goldblum is cautiously optimistic about his team’s findings and predicts that in a few years several of these molecules could be in the pipeline for clinical studies on humans. They may also be helpful for wound healing and prevention of kidney toxicity in diabetics.

“With such a large group of highly active molecules, there is a high probability to find treatments for several common diseases. However, we should wait till all the experiments are done before we get our hopes up too high,” Goldblum said.

             (Israel 21C)

Killer in Court: Smiling Palestinian Terrorist Charged with Brutal Murder of Israeli Teen Girl

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Arafat Irfayia, charged in the shocking slaughter of Israeli teenager Ori Ansbacher, appeared smiling in court on Monday.

The prime suspect in the brutal rape and death of 19-year-old Ori Ansbacher, of blessed memory, was arraigned in a Jerusalem court on Monday and charged with murder. Arafat Irfayia, 29, showed no signs of remorse and appeared to be smirking during the proceedings.

Ansbacher was walking in the woods in a nature reserve near Jerusalem when she was attacked by Irfayia, who left his home in Hebron with a knife. Her body was found Thursday and Irfayia was tracked down within 48 hours to an abandoned building near the Jamal Abdel-Nasser Mosque in el-Bireh, adjoining Ramallah.

Strong DNA evidence linked him to the killing. The knife that was believed to be used in the attack was found at the time of his arrest.

Israeli authorities say they learned that Irfayia had been hiding in the mosque, which they raided on Friday. Irfaiya was not found but troops confiscated security camera footage from the neighborhood, leading them to conduct a second raid on the nearby abandoned building, where Irfayia was arrested.

On Sunday morning, Irfayia reenacted the killing for Israeli investigators at the scene of the crime.

Authorities have labeled it a “nationalistic crime” given Irfayia’s family openly identifies with Hamas and the fact that Irfayia has distributed material for the terror group.

Given the ghastly nature of Ansbacher’s killing, several Israeli politicians have called for the death penalty. Although there is a death penalty on the books, it has been used only twice in Israel’s history. Former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, whose party had sponsored a bill that would make the death penalty easier to apply, renewed his calls for it to be passed in the wake of the killing.

Ansbacher, a native of Tekoa, a Jewish town in Judea, was serving her year of national service at a youth center in Jerusalem. She loved nature and her friends have asked people to tour the country and post pictures of their trips in her memory. (WIN)

NYC Jail Guards’ Union Boss Norman Seabrook Headed to Prison in Graft Case

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Norman Seabrook is headed to prison for five years, pending an appeal, because of corruption. Photo Credit: YouTube

A New York union head is headed to prison, even though he once was the man who was supposed to look out for the very corrections officers who will be looking after him now while he’s in his cell, according to Vos Iz Neais News. Norman Seabrook is headed to prison for five years, pending an appeal, because of corruption. It’s a disappointing sight for those who knew the man for his work as a union boss who got results for his people.

U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein told the court room how long he would be in prison, and that court room was packed with observers. Even Charles Oakley was there and got to hear her ask “why do good people do bad things?”

The judge also said “Mr. Seabrook, I believe, was blinded by his own sense of importance and a desire to benefit himself after having benefited others for so long.”

Seabrook continues to maintain his innocence, as he suggested when asked about his lack of remorse.

“How can you be remorseful for something you didn’t do?” he asked in return.

The 58-year-old boss had his conviction happen to him back in August because he was found to have taken $60,000 in cold-hard cash bribes in order to move $20 million to a hedge fund, with 95 percent of that money being lost.

Jona Rechnitz, who was a witness during the trial, spoke about telling Seabrook about an investment on a free trip to the Dominican Republic, which later led to him giving Seabrook $60,000 in a designer bag.

His lawyer, Paul Shechtman, almost got the judge to agree to letting him stay free until the appeal process finishes.

Back in August, people were wondering about exactly what a certain GoFundMe account was being used for.

As the New York Post recently put it, “The crooked former union boss for city correction officers is apparently no longer accepting cash in Ferragamo bags — an in-law has set up a GoFundMe account. The account asks for $100,000 to defray family expenses “in this time of need,” meaning as the ex-boss, Norman Seabrook, awaits a Nov. 30 sentencing in Manhattan federal court on conspiracy and wire fraud.”

True, the move has been less than a wild success with scarce funds donated to the former boss. Seabrook funneled nearly $20 million in union funds into dodgy hedge fund Platinum Partners. This kind of corruption starts with something as simple as cops allowing placard corruption. Once people are allowed to park wherever they want at will, even with fake, stolen, and expired placards, and cops decide to not enforce these rules, then where does it end? Why not accept some bribe money here or there, is the way the thinking eventually goes.

Protestors Target NY’s Guggenheim Over Sackler Family’s OxyContin Agenda

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More drama continues to chase the Sackler family following revelations that suggest the family knew about the dangers of opioids yet pushed them anyway through its company Purdue Pharma.

After protestors made their voices heard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where an area is named after the Sacklers, the action moved just a few streets up Central Park East at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Saturday night because the museum has ties to the family that peddled OxyContin, Huffington Post reported.

Like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim has an area named after the Sackler family, in this case the Sackler Center for Arts Education. The area was created almost 20 years ago and has different labs and theaters. While the museum benefits from this area and some of the funding it sorely needs, sometimes wealthy people and corporations use charitable givings as a means of influence peddling. Across Central Park, the Museum of Natural History remains controversial because of its ties to groups like Blackstone and has a section called the David H. Koch Dinosaur Wing, named after the notorious polluter, political donor, and climate denier.

The protestors did a “die-in” that was meant to illustrate the victims who were lost to the greed of the Sacklers and the evil opioids they pushed. The mothers, brothers, sisters, and friends who were turned into addicts and put into an early death. People dropped leaflets that looked like prescription pads, to draw attention to the “blizzard of prescriptions that will bury the competition,” according to court filings, in which the Sacklers appear giddy at the thought of profiting off of people’s destructive and deadly addictions, at the same time that they publicly said opioids were safe.

A new study even shows that an aggressive campaign was waged through the use of marketing directly to doctors, which is legal in the United States. A county-by-county analysis showed that opioid use after an area was exposed to more marketing increased, explained lead researcher Dr. Scott Hadland.

“The counties that had the most opioid product marketing from pharmaceutical companies were the counties that subsequently one year later had more opioid prescribing and had more opioid overdose deaths,” Hadland said.

He spoke about the court filings, which suggest that the Sacklers misled the public about the dangers of opioids.

“The investigators have focused on these large-value payments where a small number of doctors will get tens of thousands of dollars to help promote an opioid product,” Hadland said. He added the caveat that “our data are suggesting that the bigger public health problem is actually a much more subtle practice.”

According to Hadland, “The dollar value of these payments is less important than the number of these marketing interactions that take place. The widespread practice of taking doctors out to lunch or dinner to talk about opioid products is probably contributing more to the opioid crisis in the U.S. than these less common instances of docs receiving really large-value payments.”

Woody Allen Sues Amazon for $68M Over Movie Deal Gone Sour

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Famous film director Woody Allen wants damages of $68 million or more over Amazon’s decision to yank its deal with Allen over allegation that he sexually molested one of his kids, in 1992. Allen would have had four films featured on Amazon had the deal not fallen through. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Famous director Woody Allen isn’t happy with the way he was treated by Amazon, enough so that he decided it’s time to take on this behemoth of an entity in court, according to The New York Times.

Allen wants damages of $68 million or more over the company’s decision to yank its deal with Allen over allegation that he sexually molested one of his kids, Dylan Farrow, 7, in 1992. Allen would have had four films featured on Amazon had the deal not fallen through.

“That allegation was already well known to Amazon (and the public) before Amazon entered into four separate deals with Mr. Allen,” according to the lawsuit that Allen filed in a Manhattan Federal District Court. “And, in any event, it does not provide a basis for Amazon to terminate the contract. There simply was no legitimate ground for Amazon to renege on its promises.”

Allen’s case rests on his claims that the allegations gave Amazon an excuse to end their relationship by “referencing a 25-year old, baseless allegation against Mr. Allen.” No charges have been filed against Allen, and the director has continued to deny the allegations.

The Jewish Voice reported back in December 2017 about a Los Angeles Times opinion article that Farrow wrote with the title “Why has the #MeToo revolution spared Woody Allen?” The New York Times reported that the article led to a number of Hollywood figures to cut ties with Allen, including Greta Gerwig, Colin Firth and Peter Sarsgaard.

Amazon and Allen put out a movie back in 2016, so there was already an established relationship between the two. Amazon agreed to work with Allen on four of his films on August of 2017, according to the lawsuit. These are the films now at question in the lawsuit after Amazon decided to not distribute them anymore.

The Jewish Voice has reported about Amazon and its close relation to New York. The company said last year it had selected a site on Long Island City to place its 25,000 employees but didn’t buy any space for offices.

“The company’s brass had to endure a series of hearings in the City Council in recent weeks, in which politicians blasted Amazon’s record on labor issues and its refusal to accede to a unionization drive at its Staten Island distribution center,” reported Bloomberg News and Crain’s New York Business.

Farrow’s story also speaks to a larger movement that took over many news cycles in the past year and a half after stunning allegations of rampant and systemic sexual misconduct by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein shook not just the country but most of the world, helping to spark the #MeToo movement. Simply put, women want to be treated as equals, as human beings and not objects of entertainment to be controlled and manipulated by powerful men like Weinstein.

Rep Ilhan Omar Causes Firestorm with Accusations that Pro-Israel Lobby is Paying off the GOP

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Photo Credit: Breitbart.com

Republicans and Democrats speak out against Rep. Ilhan Omar’s accusation of payoffs to support Israel.

Newly elected U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, is again causing controversy in pro-Israel circles, this time with an accusation against the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

The newest controversy is an offshoot of previous remarks by the Muslim member of the House of Representatives which included her accusation that the Jewish State had “hypnotized the world” into supporting its positions. She has also voiced support for the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement.

This led to Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s vow on Friday to “take action” against her if the Democratic majority did not do so first.

Omar on Sunday responded on Twitter to McCarthy’s threat, by saying, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” a reference to the $100 bill featuring Benjamin Franklin.

The Minnesota representative seemed to be making a clear accusation that the House minority leader was paid off to act in defense of Israel. It prompted Batya Ungar-Sargon, an editor at The Forward, a Jewish publication, to tweet: “Would love to know who llhan thinks is paying American politicians to be pro-Israel, though I think I can guess.”

“AIPAC!” Omar vehemently replied, a reference to the strongest Israeli lobby group in Washington.

AIPAC tweeted in response to the accusation: “We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship. Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests,” said the lobby group. “We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work,” AIPAC added.

The criticism of Omar has not come from members of the Republican Party alone. Chelsea Clinton, the daughter of former president Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, said: “We should expect all elected officials, regardless of party, and all public figures to not traffic in anti-Semitism,” Clinton said.

Rep. Max Rose, a freshman Democrat from New York, wrote: “Congresswoman Omar’s statements are deeply hurtful to Jews, including myself. Implying that Americans support Israel because of money alone is offensive.”

Rep. Rose said that “at a time when anti-Semitic attacks are on the rise, our leaders should not be invoking hurtful stereotypes and caricatures of Jewish people to dismiss those who support Israel.”

The American Jewish Committee termed Omar’s statements “stunningly anti-Semitic.” (WIN)

Trump Retains Explosive Wildcard in Battle Over Border Security

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President Trump’s planned trip Monday to the border city of El Paso, Texas comes days before U.S. government funding is due to lapse once again and as suspense builds over Trump’s vague but persistent threat to declare a national emergency if Congress declines to pay for wall construction along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The president really does believe that there is a national security crisis and a humanitarian crisis at the border, and he will do something about it,” White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press program. “He’s going to do whatever he legally can to secure that border.”

“I do expect the president to take some kind of executive action, a national emergency is certainly part of that … if we [lawmakers] don’t reach a [border security] compromise,” North Carolina Republican Rep. Mark Meadows said on CBS’ Face the Nation program. “This president is going to build a wall one way or another.”

Democrats insist there is still time for a politically divided Congress to forge and pass a spending bill that strengthens America’s southern border.

“Nobody wants a shutdown, nobody wants the president to use some kind of emergency powers,” Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester said on Fox News Sunday. “We just need to do our job, and we can do it.”

Trump was resolute at last week’s State of the Union address to Congress.

“Where walls go up, illegal crossings go way down,” the president said. “I’ll get it built.”

So far, no deal has been reached by a bipartisan bicameral conference committee tasked with finding a compromise on border security before U.S. government funding expires on Friday. But Trump holds a wildcard – his authority as commander-in-chief to declare a national emergency and bypass Congress altogether.

“I don’t think anybody questions his legal authority to declare a national emergency,” Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California said late last week.

“That would be a gross abuse of power, in my view,” Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen told VOA. “It’s pretty clear you can’t declare an emergency just because you can’t get your way 100 percent in the Congress. So let’s try and work this out through the normal process.”

In the abstract, the president’s authority to declare a national emergency is not in question.

“It turns out that the federal statute books are actually littered with hundreds of places where a president can declare national emergencies in various contexts,” George Washington University law professor Paul Schiff Berman said, who added that some statutes do allow a president “to move around money within the federal budget to address the emergency.”

But there is a catch: the very concept of an emergency as a sudden and dire situation.

“All of these statutes were written it appears with the idea that every once in a long while, there would be a true crisis—could be a natural disaster, could be a foreign invasion, something like that—where the need to act quickly was so important that the president would need these national emergency powers because there just wouldn’t be enough time for Congress to convene,” Berman said. “None of those [envisioned situations] would apply in a case like building a wall which is going to take many, many years, if it ever happens at all.”

A national emergency declaration from Trump would almost certainly trigger swift lawsuits as well as congressional action to overturn it. (VOA)

Attorneys for Harvey Weinstein’s Accusers Pull Out of Settlement Talks

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Attorneys for the women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual impropriety have reportedly pulled away from settlement talks. Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Attorneys for the women who have accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual impropriety have reportedly pulled away from settlement talks.

One of the issues is apparently who will pay for legal fees for the board members of Weinstein’s former entertainment studio.

The ongoing negotiations have been aimed at building a treasure chest of monies to be used as compensation for the female accusers.

Last week, Weinstein distance to himself from the ongoing discussions, according to people close to him.

“Since last year,” reports the Wall Street Journal, “lawyers for Mr. Weinstein, his former film studio and its onetime board members, the New York attorney general’s office and insurance companies had been negotiating what they had hoped would be a sweeping settlement of many civil lawsuits pending against Mr. Weinstein. The goal had been to create a fund to compensate women who have and haven’t filed legal claims. The parties worked with a professional mediator outside of court.”

One of the areas of disagreement was said to be exactly who would cough up the $12 million to cover the legal fees of former board members of Weinstein’s studio. In addition to these civil cases, the disgraced movie producer still faces civil litigation that includes a case brought by New York State Attorney General accusing Weinstein of various civil rights violations.

Earlier this month, actress Monica Potter went public with a claim that she lost a role in the 1999 movie The Cidar House Rules because she was not amenable to Weinstein’s sexual overtures.

Potter, being interviewed on WKYC, a television station in Cleveland, OH, said that Weinstein propositioned three separate times, once in London and twice in New York. On both occasions, she said, Weinstein was clad only in a bathrobe. She said, “I belted him. I flat out belted him… I really hit him where it hurt, so yeah, I missed out on that role because of that hairy pig… I didn’t do something, so therefore I missed out on it. I’m not saying the person who got it did. I’m just saying I didn’t.”         

Others continue to weigh in on the scandal. The newspaper Variety recently ran with comments from actress Juliette Binoche, who opined that Weinstein has “had enough” public embarrassment, and that “now justice has to do its work.”         

Binoche, who worked with Weinstein on movies like Chocolat and The English Patient, said that she “almost want(s) to say peace to his mind and heart, that’s all. I’m trying to put my feet in his shoes. He’s had enough, I think. A lot of people have expressed themselves. Now justice has to do its work.

Sale of $238M Manhattan Penthouse Spurs Talk of Creating Pied-A-Terre Tax

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With an increased public sentiment on the political left towards soaking the rich, the sale of a $238 million penthouse apartment in Manhattan has people talking about imposing taxes.

The apartment, located at 220 Central Park South, has spurred talk of finally taking action on a five-year-old bill that would create a so-called pied-à-terre tax in New York.       

The apartment was purchased in January by Kenneth C. Griffin, a hedge fund billionaire. The transaction, according to the New York Times, tops the price of the next most expensive home in the United States by more than $100 million, raised eyebrows. As the Times put it, it was “a stark reminder that when wealthy buyers like Mr. Griffin purchase expensive apartments as second homes or investments, New York City and the state get less financial benefits. If the buyers live out of state, they are not subject to state or city income taxes, and do not pay New York sales tax while outside the state.”         

A pied-à-terre tax levies an annual tax assessment on homes whose value is $5 million or more. According to those who are discussing it, it would apply – this is the key provision — to residences that are not the purchaser’s primary residence.

The heightened tax has been less than popular with legislators in New York for several years. Drafted by Democratic State Senator Brad Hoylman in 2014, it has been back-burnered by Senate Republicans. Now that the traditionally high-tax Democrats have taken over the majority in the Senate, it is being looked at anew.      

As reported by Curbed New York, “Rumors about Griffin’s uberpricey penthouse purchase began swirling in 2016, as plans for the building became more concrete. But Steven Roth, the head of Vornado Realty Trust, which is developing the building, has kept most details about the project under wraps; he’s also reportedly vetting every resident of the building personally. But closings began last fall, shedding some light on who is snapping up apartments in the luxury tower; since then, only a handful of apartments—all in the $12-$30 million range—have officially sold, per city records. Other rumored residents include Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler.”

“Earlier this month, Ken also paid $58.75 million for part of a building in Chicago, and $122 million for a home in London, setting records in both cities,” reported House Beautiful in January. “Still, the penthouse purchase represents the most expensive home ever bought in the wealthiest country on earth. What is he getting at 220 Central Park South that’s worth such an eye-watering price?”         

The majesty of the address is something to ponder, House Beautiful added. “You don’t have to be a New Yorker to appreciate the address: 220 Central Park South is, of course, on the southern end of the city’s iconic park, so the penthouse looks out over the entire 2.5 miles of green to the north (with Manhattan stretching out to the south). It falls between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, near Columbus Circle. Every residence in the building has a view of Central Park.”