44 F
New York
Friday, March 29, 2024
Home Blog Page 2645

New Downtown Condo Tower  Takes Some Unusual Design Twists

0
Rendering of 125 Greenwich Street. (Photo via Bizzi & Partners Development)

Bizzi & Partners Development has taken on a unique twist with its luxury condos in a new skyscraper located at 125 Greenwich Street in the Financial District of Manhattan.

The first turn around, mentioned in a recent article in The New York Times, is unlike the usual model of having amenity spaces on the lower floors, this new building has them on the 86th through 88th floors, at the tippy top of this magnificent 912-foot structure. This new development also reversed where the largest apartments normally go. Bigger units tend to be on the higher floors, but all the studio apartments in this building are above the 61st floor. Another major style change is this new building has mainly small units starting at a mere 418-square-feet, oppose to the recent trend toward vast wide-open spaces in high-end homes. 

Marc Palermo, a senior vice president at Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, which marketing and managing the sales for the building, told The Times, “With all the amenities at the top of the building, everyone has an opportunity to live at the top – not only that one special buyer.”

Rafael Viñoly Architects has designed this 273-unit building. Rafael is gaining recognition in New York for its tall slim towers, and just designed 277 Fifth Avenue and 432 Park Avenue. It was the developer’s love for the tall thin 432 Park that influenced the choice in architect. 

Bizzi & Partners’ chairman Giovanni Castellaneta told NYT, “Viñoly had already done one tower in midtown Manhattan that we liked a lot. We chose Viñoly because we thought he was the best in the market for this kind of building.”

Viñoly described his design as “a double I-beam” standing on end, with curved glass corners on the tower that is supported by a central core. 

He said, “It’s more like a column than a block. The whole intent was to try to make it appear as something more omnidirectional than just fronting the north, east, south and west.”

According to The NYT, “Those curved corners open up sightlines along diagonals, including toward the nearby National September 11 Memorial & Museum, he said, while also making the building more aerodynamic for stability in high winds. The tower is broken up by two bands with smaller footprints on floors 16 and 17, and 57 through 60, which are illuminated at night. The 16th floor houses a full-floor unit with private terrace and the other floors house mechanical equipment. The apartments and common areas are designed by March & White, a design firm with experience working on the interiors of superyachts and London private members clubs. 

‘We used our background in designing superyachts, and applied our learning of how you design small spaces to the interior of the smaller units here,’ said Elliot March, who runs the firm with James White. Details include kitchen cabinet doors that slide out of the way when open, concealed appliances and closets that come fully built out with shelves, drawers and hang rods.”

March explained that by using fine materials and acute detail, he said, “We were looking at making almost jewel-like objects.” 

A 50-foot lap pool, spa, yoga studio, fitness center media room and conference and dining room are all included among the amenity spaces. 

Apartments will be available for purchase starting later this month. According to The NYT, “studios starting at 418 square feet and $1.2 million, one-bedrooms starting at 752 square feet and $1.775 million, two-bedrooms starting at 1,268 square feet and $3.225 million, and three-bedrooms starting at 1,932 square feet and $4.625 million.”

By Mark Snyder

Rubenstein’s Somerset Partners to Move from Midtown to South Bronx

0

Somerset Partners is moving its headquarters to the Bruckner Building in the South Bronx. The Real Estate firm has signed a five-year lease for 3,000 square feet of space on the fourth floor of the building, located at 2417 Third Avenue, as reported by The Real Deal. The office should be ready to move into within 45 days. In the meantime, they will work out of a temporary space in the neighborhood at 2413 Third Avenue. The price for the new lease was not disclosed. “We love the space, love the building,” said Keith Rubenstein, Somerset’s founder, “and we’re doing so much up here, we thought it would be a good idea to relocate here and be here all the time.”

Somerset, founded in the year 2000, has acquired over $2 billion worth of office and multifamily properties across the country.  Somerset’s current office is in Midtown at 450 Park Avenue, which they used to own.  In 2007 the company had purchased that office tower for $509 million, setting a record high of $1,583 per foot. In 2014, it made a profit selling the building for $575 million to Oxford Properties Group and Crown Acquisitions.

The Bruckner Building is owned by Hornig Capital Partners and Savanna, which purchased the office building in 2015 for about $30.6 million.  Other tenants include, recording studio Polo Ground and the drone company Duro. “He (Rubenstein) could be anywhere, literally, in New York,” beamed Daren Hornig, managing partner of Hornig Capital, “and he chose the Bruckner Building.”

Rubenstein’s Somerset is hardly a newcomer to the South Bronx.  In 2015, the firm partner with the Chetrit Group planning a mega development purchasing two sites at the cost of $58 million. The massive waterfront residential project is located at 2401 Third Avenue and 101 Lincoln Avenue, which is very close to the Bruckner building. The projected seven-building complex, which is slated for completion in 2019, is planning to add 1,300 rental units to the South Bronx neighborhood. Construction has begun, with plans for two 25-story buildings and one 16-story building at 2401 Third Avenue.  At 101 Lincoln Avenue, the blueprint is to build three 24-story buildings and one 22-story building. The partners are still in the market for a construction loan of up to $500 million for the development.  

Right across the street from that development, Somerset purchased a 16,000-square-foot warehouse at 9 Bruckner Boulevard for $7.5 million, in July 2016. Rubenstein plans to turn this space into a trendy new food hall for South Bronx residents to enjoy. “We have a great hospitality and restaurant concept that we want to do there,” Rubenstein told the Real Deal. “It will provide great food and beverage options at affordable prices for the existing community and new community.”

By:  Hadassa Kalatizadeh

Prospect Park Nursing Home to Become Luxury Apartments

0
Prospect Park Residence used to be the home of 140 elderlies and may now be converted into luxury apartments.

On Tuesday, September 12, plans were filed by the developer of the Prospect Park West, a pre-war building that was once home to 140 elderlies, to convert it into 67 luxury apartments. 

However, records of the Department of Building show an interesting turn of events in that a space for an “adult day care” will be located inside the new development. 

In October, the property was bought for $84 million by the Harlem-based developer Sugar Hill Capital. According to the new filing, the developer purchased the property with the intentions of transforming nine-story building into fancy luxury apartments with over-the-top amenities like a pet spa, wine vault and fitness center. Records also show that the plans are considering including an adult day care and medical offices on the premise. 

According to Sugar Hill Capital Partners spokeswoman Erin Holin, all the plans are still not final, and the developer may decide to change certain amenities as well as possibly make some of the units into condos, instead of rentals. 

Holin explained that this building will offer the “ideal confluence of comprehensive amenities, thoughtful design and convenient city access.” The building is located in the prime, popular area of Prospect Park West, with fabulous views overlooking Prospect Park and Grand Army Plaza. IBI Group’s architects were hired to design the project.  

It hasn’t been an easy path to get the original property, which was home to 140 seniors, vacated and part of Sugar Hill’s impressive portfolio. According to DNA Info, “The nursing home was abruptly dismantled in March 2014 when the owner, Haysha Deitsch, gave residents 90 days to pack their bags and leave before the facility shuttered. Most residents moved out, but a handful fought to stay and sued Deitsch and the state Department of Health, which oversaw the facility. During the lengthy legal battle, residents said they were harassed and mistreated at the facility. Deitsch eventually settled with the final five holdouts for $3.35 million to vacate the building. Deitsch and the state are still embroiled in a number of suits. In August, a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge thwarted the state’s attempt to throw out the Legal Aid Society’s case against the Department of Health, which aims to change the agency’s eviction policies for residents of assisted living facilities, reported the New York Daily News.” 

Throughout the borough of Brooklyn and all-around New York City, Sugar Hill has a variety of real estate projects. A dilapidated building in Park Slope at 187 Seventh Avenue was converted by the firm. Also, when the firm purchased 1713 Eighth Avenue, it enraged many residents with abrupt terminations of the leases of a dozen artist who were renting spaces in the building in which to work. 

By Mark Snyder

New Cornell Tech Campus Opens on NYC’s Roosevelt Island 

0
The campus will expand the mission and impact of the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Instituteu2014an academic partnership between Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell Universityu2014and directly foster technological innovation in key New York City industries.

Marking a new milestone for the ever-expanding technology and entrepreneurship community in New York City, Cornell Tech on Wednesday, September 13th officially dedicated its new campus on Roosevelt Island. The campus will expand the mission and impact of the Joan & Irwin Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute—an academic partnership between Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and Cornell University—and directly foster technological innovation in key New York City industries.

The Cornell Tech campus opening marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute’s ongoing work to foster innovation in New York and beyond,” said Professor Peretz Lavie, President of Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, while addressing faculty, local, city and state government officials, diplomats and press attending today’s new campus dedication. “In partnership with Cornell University, we’ve developed a model of graduate-level technology education that is unlike any other – one that’s tailor-made not only for New York City but for the challenges of the digital revolution. 

Drawing upon Cornell’s incredibly strong presence and network in New York, we’ve cultivated meaningful new ties between academia and industry, and developed an ecosystem that directly fosters innovation, world-class research and entrepreneurship, driving both economic growth and public good. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all Technion faculty members and staff who took part in this incredible project and worked tirelessly to make it a success. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done, and we couldn’t be more excited to take this next step.”

The Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute was established in 2013 with a $133 million gift from Joan Klein Jacobs and Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs, founding chairman and CEO emeritus of Qualcomm. Since then, it has become a catalyst for global entrepreneurship and a driver of New York’s emerging tech ecosystem and local economy. The Jacobs Institute draws upon professors, research and resources from both Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a leading global research university that has been vital in Israel’s emergence as the “Startup Nation,” and Cornell, a longtime leader in engineering and computer science with a strong presence in New York City.

“The ultimate goal of the Jacobs Institute is not only to attract excellent students, but to give them the kind of excellent education that will ensure they are both prepared and excited to address the real-world challenges faced by professionals in their industries,” said Dr. Irwin Mark Jacobs. “This new campus directly reflects that vision, and will be invaluable in supporting the Jacobs Institute’s ongoing work to cultivate innovation and entrepreneurship for many years to come.”

“New York has long been the financial capital of the world, but the city is also home to a wide variety of other innovation-driven industries that make it particularly fertile territory for starting new companies,” said Ron Brachman, Director of the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute. “Drawing upon Technion’s rich history of innovation and its role in establishing Israel as the ‘Startup Nation,’ the Jacobs Institute is well-positioned to drive economic development in New York, particularly in the high-tech sector. In the coming years, new research, innovations and companies coming out of the Jacobs Institute will directly contribute to the thousands of high-quality jobs that are expected to be created in New York, and will help to define the city as a leader within the tech sector of the 21st century.”

The Jacobs Institute’s master’s degree programs—in Connective Media and Health Tech—focus on driving innovation in industries in which New York City has historically excelled, while always remaining anchored in technology. Graduates of these programs receive master’s degrees from both the Technion and Cornell—which, as of 2016, makes Technion the first international university to grant an accredited degree on U.S. soil. 

The Connective Media graduate program, the first degree of its kind in the world, is centered on computer science and engineering, the human and social impacts of technology, and entrepreneurship. The Health Tech graduate program, meanwhile, focuses on the cutting edge of transforming how healthcare is delivered and experienced, and was designed to develop innovative new products and services that address real healthcare needs.

The Runway Startup Program at the Jacobs Institute supports recent PhDs who are likewise able to draw on the resources New York City has to offer as they build on their research to develop tech companies on campus. Over the past three years, Runway postdocs have founded 16 companies—from a smart baby monitor to an urban planning analytics platform—and collectively raised $19 million in funding.

“As an alumnus of the Technion in Israel and the Jacobs Institute’s Runway Startup Program, I’ve seen just how impactful a true culture of entrepreneurship can be, and I consider my time at the Jacobs Institute to have been instrumental in much of my own success,” said Assaf Glazer, CEO of the aforementioned innovative baby monitor company Nanit, and member of the January 2014 Runway Startup cohort. “

As a postdoctoral student in the Runway Startup Program, Jacobs afforded me the resources I needed for my initial research and development, brand architecture, and networking. It quickly became apparent that New York City’s unique concentration of startups and consumer-focused companies would make it the ideal place to launch my business. New York City, Cornell Tech and the Jacobs Institute are true hotbeds of innovation, and I have no doubt that the new campus will extend that innovative spirit even further.” 

Last week’s dedication ceremony included Cornell University President Martha Pollack; Cornell Tech Dean and Vice Provost Daniel Huttenlocher; Technion President Peretz Lavie; Bob Harrison, Chairman of the Cornell Board of Trustees; former New York City Mayor, and Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies Michael Bloomberg; New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio; and New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Billionaire Makes “Buy of the Century” on UES Mansion; Gets 40% Discount

0

Joshua Harris, co-founder of Apollo Global Management, just purchased an oversized Upper East Side mansion for $45 million. He can be proud to have gotten almost a 40 percent discount off of last year’s asking price. Paula del Nunzio of Brown Harris Stevens originally listed the home for $72 million. In June, Brokers Sabrina Saltiel and Roger Erickson with Douglas Elliman relisted the home for $59 million. The gigantic home at 50 E. 69th St. is known as the Dommerich Mansion. It was built in 1917 for Otto Louis Dommerich, the international cotton mogul.  Of late, the space was used as a medical facility for pricey cosmetic surgery procedures.

Built by architect Henry C. Pelton, designer of the Riverside Church, the residence has a neo-French classic style. Decorated with a classic limestone façade, the colossal 21,070-square-feet property is six stories and 44-foot-wide.  It boasts 14 marble fireplaces and an original curved staircase leading to a stained glass dome, which is “illuminated from above,” as per the Zillow listing. The 5,030 square foot basement features 15-foot ceilings, two original elevators and a third commercial-grade elevator between the first floor and the basement. There is an additional 3,350 square feet of outdoor space on a second-floor terrace, a roof terrace and a terrace off the solarium. The home is on one of Manhattan’s best townhouse blocks. Only 11 Upper East Side mansions are 44+ feet wide, and none of them are for sale.

The NY Post quoted an insider who called the purchase “the buy of the century”. “When it first came on the market, Josh put in a ridiculously low offer for $47 million. Then he waited it out” said the source. “When the brokers came back to him, he lowered his initial offer by a few million more. Then he held on to the contract for months.”  Mr. Harris is also the owner of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, and has an ownership share in the NHL’s New Jersey Devils.

By:  Ellen Cans

Neiman Marcus Flagship in  Hudson Yards Getting Downsized

0

The Neiman Marcus flagship store, being built in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards, is getting downsized. The new store was slated to debut in 2018 and span three-stories, occupying a total of 250,000-square-feet. As per the NY Post, however, the opening has been pushed back to 2019, and there is debate as to how dramatic the downsizing will be. Some sources insist the change will be “incremental” and only about 10,000 square feet smaller than originally planned.  One industry source posed the worst-case scenario, saying the store could slash its size by nearly a third, or 70,000 square-feet. “The question becomes, given the environment, do they really need 250,000 square feet,” said one retail executive. “It sounds really big”.

Back in in 2014, when Neiman made the deal with Related Companies to build and lease its first namesake in New York City, the moral was more optimistic. Now it seems as though all luxury retailers are facing an epidemic of dwindling mall traffic, as consumers increasingly shop online. Neiman Marcus’ weakening financial state, coupled with a challenged retail environment have led to talks of scale backs. The Dallas-based luxury chain, which also owns the Bergdorf-Goodman stores, has had declining sales for the past seven quarters, and is hampered by close to $5 billion of debt. Neiman, which is owned by private equity investors Ares Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, has even explored a potential sale of the company. Hudson’s Bay Co., owner of Saks Fifth Avenue, was the foremost candidate to purchase Neiman, but in June the companies terminated their negotiation, and Neiman said it is no longer up for sale. Related also discussed taking up an ownership share of the department store, earlier in the year.

Related, which is spearheading the ambitious Hudson Yards project on Manhattan’s West Side, has a lot riding on Neiman.  The developer is building a massive 1 million-square-foot complex of commercial, residential and retail space. Neiman, however, is the only major anchor slated to open at the complex. While the department store is only trying to limit its own financial risk, the implication of the downgrade may have a devastating domino effect on Related’s ability to attract other luxury retailers to the development. 

Related has kept sprits high, saying that Hudson Yards has commitments to occupy 70 percent of its available retail space. “As always contemplated, Neiman Marcus is now well under construction on their flagship that spreads across three floors of the Shops & Restaurants of Hudson Yards,” said Related.

By:  Hadassa Kalatizadeh

Giant Indie Movie Theater  Hits Midtown West

0
Landmark Theatres has opened a gigantic eight-theatre complex in Midtown Manhattan.
Billionaire Mark Cuban is the co-owner of 2929 Entertainment, which purchased Landmark Theatres in 2003. (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

For the first time in a decade and a half, Midtown Manhattan got its first new movie theater on Friday, September 15.

On West 57th Street between 11th and 12th Avenues, billionaire Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner’s Los Angeles-based movie chain Landmark Theatres has opened a gigantic eight-theatre complex. The complex is 30,000-square-feet within the retail portion of the Durst Organization’s 32-story mixed used building, which contains 709 units and was designed by the Danish architect Bjarke Ingel. The duration of Landmark’s lease and the rent rates have not been revealed. 

According to Crain’s, “The new cinemas will show independent, foreign language films and documentaries in super luxe auditoriums. The theaters will have wall-to-wall screens with laser projection and oversized leather chairs, and electric recliner seats with footrests. The concession stand will serve artisanal treats like Melt ice cream sandwiches, Sweet & Sara vegan smores and Treat House goodies. The theater also has a full bar, JD’s Place, and views of the Hudson River.”

Landmark Theatres’ president and chief executive Ted Mundorff said, “We are creating a new destination for cinema. Today more than ever, audiences have discriminating tastes and high expectations. We take great pride in our customer service and delivering the best in film and are confident we will exceed our customers’ demands.”

Crain’s reports, “The new theater complex comes amid a building boom in arthouse cinemas across the city as newcomers enter the market and longtime players undergo renovations. At the same time, older unrenovated theaters are closing their doors. Another Landmark theater, the Landmark Sunshine cinema on the Lower East Side, is expected to shutter in January. That cinema has reportedly been struggling since 2012, when the local community board voted against a plan for the theater to serve food and drinks.”

By Rebecca Gold

DeBlasio Promises “The World”  at Sheepshead Bay Town Hall

0

In under three hours, Mayor Bill de Blasio managed to promise Sheepshead Bay residents everything from new bus shelters and $20 million for updated/expanded sewer infrastructure to free adult literacy classes and a twice-per-year deployment of “skimmer vessels” to clean floating trash from the bay’s inlet. Whether any of these things come to fruition remains to be seen, but residents left hopeful and pleased that they’d been heard. 

City Councilmember Chaim Deutsch (D-Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marine Park, Midwood, Sheepshead Bay) co-hosted the Town hall, which featured dozens of leaders from various city agencies like sanitation, transportation, and schools. It is the latest in City Hall’s ongoing events in different neighborhoods. Over 250 people attended the overflow event in PS 811’s cafeteria and auditorium. 

“It is important to tackle the nitty gritty quality of life issues, whether that’s a blocked driveway or marijuana smoking,” Deutsch told the crowd before touting some recent achievements of his own — $200,000 for extra trash pickups, over $15 million for renovations and improvements to local parks and playgrounds, and an increased income threshold for eligibility to receive certain senior and homeowner discounts.

Located on Brooklyn’s southeastern coast, the 48th Council District is home to a diverse range of immigrant communities, senior citizens, city workers, and multi-generational families. Its distance from most subway lines leads to quality of life and affordability issues to take precedence for many residents.

Among the local elected officials that attended the event included State Sen. Roxanne Persaud, Assemblymembers Steve Cymbrowitz and Helene Weinstein, District Attorney Eric Gonzales and Democratic District Leader Ari Kagan. 

Quality of life issues did indeed dominate the line of questioning that ensued: Can the city provide training in trades, family ESL programs, and after-school programs? Why aren’t voting pamphlets not translated into Russian? Cars are making illegal U-turns and hitting people. Can you fix the broken curbs so seniors don’t trip and fall? Can you add more bus shelters and bus stops? When will our schools get air conditioners? Why aren’t bikes allowed on the Coney Island Boardwalk after 10 a.m.? Will there be more affordable and senior housing coming? Why, after Hurricane Sandy, do we still not have an evacuation plan or a resiliency plan? 

Yes, more Select Bus Service (aka express buses) buses would be coming to Kings Highway starting in the summer of 2018, said de Blasio, noting that an additional $20 million in upgrades would bring street medians between East 23rd and 27th Streets “by the end of November.” 

In addition, the mayor and commissioners assured people that the aforementioned ESL classes would be coming “soon,” hosted by the city’s We Are New York project, broken sidewalk tree pits will be fixed, a “graffiti-free blitz” would be coming to Sheepshead Bay Road and Coney Island Avenue, election flyers would be translated and translators dispatched to poll sites, and air conditioners are on their way once electrical systems are updated. Bicycles would also be allowed on the boardwalk after 10 a.m. between Columbus Day and Memorial Day weekends. 

By: Heather J. Chin
(Kings County Politics)

The Story Behind the Man  Who Created NYC’s Ferry Fleet

0

Back in March 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the winner of the NYC Ferry contract to be Hornblower. Junior Volpe was well aware that his life would not ever be the same again.

AS the ferry company’s director of special projects, Volpe would be responsible for managing the design, construction and delivery of a fleet of 20 high-speed passenger speed boats, as per the NYC Ferry contract. The order of new vessels was one of the largest in the history of U.S. maritime. 80 percent of the order had to be completed and delivered within just over a year, the summer of 2017. 

Volpe said, “Normally it takes eight or nine months to build a boat like this from scratch. Now we were going to be building more than a dozen simultaneously. Nothing like this had ever been done before.”

According to an article in Crain’s, “Once Hornblower got approval for the design, the company found two shipyards in the Gulf Coast with enough capacity between them to handle the order. Volpe left his Wall Street office near Pier 11 behind and began spending one week a month at company apartments near the shipyards, either in Mobile, Ala., or Lafayette, La. By September 2016 he was living three and half weeks a month on the Gulf Coast, overseeing the work. Shipyards operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.” 

Volpe explained to reporters, “When you’re down there, there’s no holidays. There’s no Sunday. You just go, go, go.”

In 1999, straight out of the military, Volpe made the move from Brazil to New York, with only the desire to work in construction management.  

Volpe said, “I always saw myself in production, involved in making and building things. Building what? I didn’t know.”

Crain’s reports, “His first job was as an apprentice fiberglass fabricator helping to build yachts at a shipyard in Mamaroneck, Westchester. He worked his way up to joinery outfield manager, in charge of a yacht’s interior, and then moved into vessel design and construction. So when it came to overseeing the assembly of a fleet, he was not afraid to get into the details—like the welding style of the windows, the shade of paint and the upholstery fabric.”

“We needed consistency. We didn’t want a passenger or a crew member to notice any difference between the boats from either shipyard,” he said.

A month ahead of schedule, Hornblower delivered five ferries by May. This was enough to begin ferry service one month early, and a great victory for Volpe. He said, “I was nervous, stressed, relieved and proud.”

By Hannah Hayes

$600K Spent to Protect Orthodox Jewish Speaker at UC Berkeley 

0

Record security at UC campus to protect conservative pundit Ben Shapiro amid threats from Antifa. 5 arrested for violence and weapons.

Conservative pundit Ben Shapiro spoke at the University of California at Berkeley Thursday night amid threats of violence from the radical Antifa group.

Berkeley spent approximately $600,000 to protect Shapiro and students who wished to hear him speak. Leftist activists slammed Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew, as a “neo-Nazi” and a “white supremacist.”

The campus was placed on virtual lockdown as metal detectors, concrete barriers and police barricades were set up to keep the peace.

Shapiro slammed Antifa for making the expensive measures necessary. “Free speech isn’t free. It costs over $600,000 thanks to Antifa.”

Free speech isn’t free. It costs over $600,000 thanks to Antifa.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) September 14, 2017

“Conservatives here have done something amazing. They’ve achieved something incredible,” Shapiro said during his speech. “If you look outside, there’s K-bar everywhere. They’ve built basically these structures to keep Antifa from invading the premises.

“So that means Berkeley has achieved building a wall before Donald Trump did,” he added.

Local police were permitted to use pepper spray on individual protesters if the expected violence got out of hand. The extensive security measures scared off the majority of the protesters, and the event was held without the feared violence. Three protesters were arrested for possessing weapons prior to the event.

“No violence, no nothing. And now we are spending well into six figures so that I can say many of the same things. It’s utterly absurd,” Shapiro said in his speech.

Several protesters shouted outside the auditorium: “Speech is violent, we will not be silent!”

“Thanks to Antifa and the supposed anti-fascist brigade for exposing what the radical left truly is,” Shapiro told the large audience. “All of America is watching because you guys are so stupid. It’s horrifying, I am grateful, and you can all go to hell, you pathetic, lying, stupid jackasses.”

Shapiro praised the police for preventing violence at the event.

“These are the folks that stand between civilization and lawlessness,” adding that “the only people who are standing between those ATMs and the Antifa are the police, and all they get from the left is a bunch of crap.”

Several scuffles occurred following the speech, when protesters clashed with police and counter-protesters. Two more people were arrested.

By: Gary Willig
(INN)

Atlanta Jewish Community &  OU Assist Irma’s Florida Evacuees

0
Hurricane Irma slams into Florida

Facing predictions of a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, the largest storm the Atlantic had ever seen, the OU’s Southeast Regional Director, Naftali Herrmann told his daughters’ nanny that they planned to evacuate from their home in Boca Raton to Atlanta. When he invited her to join them, she asked “Who do you know in Atlanta?” “We don’t know anyone,” was his response “But the Jewish community is one family.”

Packing up their belongings, he took a last look at his house before driving away and felt emotional as he wondered what their house would look like upon their return. “Our house is our home”, he said, “It’s terrifying to think that our home which is supposed to be where we are safe can no longer afford that safety.”

Naftali and his family were one family among an estimated 350 Jewish families who evacuated from southern Florida, to be embraced by the warmth of the Atlanta Jewish community; for most of them, they had never met their hosts before.

Looking at the laughing camaraderie as the Florida visitors mingled with their Atlanta hosts at Kiddush, you would never imagine the worry they felt at what might happen to their homes- or the memories of the 20 hours spent in traffic, fearful that they would run out of gas, and with a fear unique to observant Jews, that they would be stuck on the road for Shabbat.

In the jubilant dancing at Kabbalat Shabbat, the festive communal meals at both of Atlanta’s largest shuls, the community-wide kumsitz on Saturday night and concert on Sunday morning, all of which had hundreds of attendees, one could sense the Florida families had found an oasis from the week-long stress and fear they had experienced as they prepared for the hurricane’s arrival.

The Atlanta Jewish community, known for its warmth and hospitality has opened its doors to hurricane victims before, in 2005 to evacuees from Hurricane Wilma and in 2016, to Savannah and Charleston evacuees from Hurricane Matthew. Once again, as soon as calls went out that hosts were needed, community members eagerly signed up, offering their homes to Florida evacuees for as long as needed, with one family hosting 75 people for Shabbat dinner and others willing to not only house families, but even families with dogs, cats and a snake! But with the two largest Orthodox synagogues, Beth Jacob and Young Israel of Toco Hills at around 500 and 215 families respectively, to feed another 1500 people was as Rabbi Adam Starr of Young Israel of Toco Hills explained, “like bringing in another congregation”. Finding so much food to feed so many people was a challenge.

The Orthodox Union was quick to step in and help out. With a $50,000 donation from the organization and donations from Jewish communities across the world, Yehuda Friedman, Associate Director of Synagogue Services at the OU helped to provide truckloads of food for Shabbat and the week, including 300 pounds of schnitzel, 3,000 hot dogs, 2,500 hamburgers, 1,200 challah rolls and 25 cases of pre-made lasagna. They also provided 50 dozen boxes of Krispy Kreme donuts and 75 pies of pizza which were served at the Kumsitz.

By: JV Staff

Are There More Neo-Nazis  in America than Jews?

0

Former grand wizard of Ku Klux Klan, David Duke

Survey suggests neo-Nazis outnumber Jews by roughly 2-to-1 in the US – not including other white supremacists

How many Americans identify with white supremacist or neo-Nazi ideologies? According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, the number is surprisingly high.

The survey, conducted in conjunction with the University of Virginia Center for Politics and published last week, surveyed 5,360 American adults for their views on radical movements in the US, including Antifa, neo-Nazism, Black Lives Matter, white nationalism, and the “Alt-Right”.

While each movement or ideology was only supported by a minority of American adults according to the poll, with a large majority opposing them, this minority sometimes translates into millions numerically.

The Antifa movement – a violent far-left group which has instigated riots targeting addresses by conservative speakers like Ben Shapiro, Ann Coulter, and Milo Yiannopoulos – has the backing of only eight percent of American adults. But out of a total US population of some 324 million, that’s equivalent to between 20 to 21 million adults.

White nationalists make up a similar proportion of the population, with 8% of respondents saying they backed white nationalism, compared to 65% who said they opposed it.

Even neo-Nazism appears to enjoy a surprisingly large following, with only four percent of American adults translating to more than 10 million people identifying with neo-Nazi ideology.

If the survey is accurate, self-identified neo-Nazis outnumber Jews by roughly two-to-one in the US, with some six million Americans identifying as Jewish, or about 1.9% of the total population (including children).

While membership in neo-Nazi organizations is low, with groups like the National Socialist Movement (NSM) boasting only a few hundreds of registered members, many of whom are inactive, other recent polling data tends to corroborate the Reuters/Ipsos survey’s findings.

In August, a Washington Post/ABC News poll showed that 9% of Americans find neo-Nazism and white supremacist views acceptable, compared to 83% who said such ideologies were unacceptable. 

By: David Rosenberg
(INN)

Argentine Investigators to Say Jewish Prosecutor was Murdered

0

It has been revealed that Nisman had drafted arrest warrants for then President Cristina Kirchner (pictured above) and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman before he was found dead.

Report: Forensic analysts have determined that Alberto Nisman was murdered and did not commit suicide

A team of forensic analysts has determined that Alberto Nisman, the special prosecutor who claimed that the former President of Argentina covered up Iran’s role in the deadly bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center, was murdered and did not commit suicide, JTA reported Thursday, citing local media.

A new toxicology report on Nisman’s body found traces of the drug ketamine, an anesthetic used on animals, and posited that at least one other person forcefully held him down around the time of his death, the Infobae digital news outlet and the TN cable news network said.

The team of investigators plans to present the report next week to Eduardo Taiano, the lead prosecutor looking into the circumstances of Nisman’s death. Taiano will then decide how to present the evidence to the Justice Department, according to JTA.

Nisman, who was Jewish, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his apartment in January 2015, the day before he was supposed to present a report on the 1992 AMIA Jewish center bombing to Argentine lawmakers.

It has been revealed that Nisman had drafted arrest warrants for then President Cristina Kirchner and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman before he was found dead.

Those warrants charged that Kirchner orchestrated a secret deal to cover up Iranian officials’ alleged role in the attack. She denies the allegations.

Previous scientific tests showed that Nisman likely did not shoot himself, but the case languished until last year, when it was moved to a federal court that handles political murder cases.

After Nisman’s death was initially labeled a suicide, his family – who insists he was murdered – commissioned its own independent forensic investigation. 

By: A7 Staff
(INN)

UK Eases Threat Level After  Police Arrest Second Suspect

0

Britain eased its terrorist threat level Sunday from “critical” to “severe” after police arrested a second suspect in the bombing of a subway train in London.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said the second arrest was an indication that “good progress” was being made in to the investigation of Friday’s attack that injured 30 people, all but one of whom have now been released from hospitals.

The “severe” threat level indicates British authorities now believe another attack is highly likely, while the “critical” designation meant an attack was seen as imminent.

Police said in they arrested a 21-year-old man in the west London suburb of Hounslow, which is home to London’s Heathrow Airport, just before midnight Saturday. He was arrested under Britain’s Terrorism Act.

Authorities searched a home in the London suburb of Stanwell, also neighboring Heathrow Airport, that was linked to the second suspect, who was not identified.

Earlier Saturday, an 18-year-old man was arrested in the port area of Dover, a major ferry terminal for travel between Britain and France.

“He was arrested on the suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism,” Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Neil Basu said at a Saturday news conference.

Basu said the first arrest was “significant.” Following that arrest, police evacuated the Dover port and a suburban London neighborhood as they searched a nearby house.

Residents of the neighborhood say the house that was searched is occupied by an elderly couple — Penelope and Ronald Jones — who have taken care of foster children for decades. Queen Elizabeth honored them for their efforts in 2010.

Basu said a “number of items” were recovered from the Dover terminal, without giving further details.

Basu also said investigators were keeping an “open mind” as to whether more than one person was involved in the attack.

“We are still pursuing numerous lines of inquiry, and at a great pace,” Basu said. “Our priorities… are to identify and locate any other suspects,” he added.

Islamic State jihadists claimed responsibility for the attack, but Home Secretary Rudd discounted it.

“It is inevitable that so-called Islamic State or Daesh will try to claim responsibility, but we have no evidence to suggest that yet,” she told the BBC. Rudd said authorities will try to determine how the suspects may have been radicalized.

Earlier, she had dismissed as “pure speculation”  President Donald Trump’s claim, made Friday on Twitter, that a “loser terrorist” behind the attack was known to Scotland Yard.

British Prime Minister Theresa May had already rebuked the U.S. leader for the remark, saying, “I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.”

By; Walter Metuth

 Exclusive Jewish Voice Interview with WJC President Ronald S Lauder as We Enter the Jewish Year of 5778

0

Lauder, the former US Ambassador to Austria and the youngest son of Estee Lauder, is among the most prominent philanthropists in the Jewish world.

What do you see as the greatest challenges facing the Jewish people today?

One of the most pressing challenges facing the Jewish world today is the question of how to keep the flame of Jewish life burning bright. Reinvigorating Jewish communities outside of Israel and instilling in Jews around the world a shared sense of Jewish pride and responsibility is a vital priority. Every Jew, no matter where they live, should know what it means to be Jewish.

What should we be celebrating in this Rosh Hashanah?

As I reflect on the state of our people, I am proud that just 72 years after the Shoah, the Jewish people are standing stronger than ever. Despite facing continued, existential threats and vexing internal challenges, the Jewish people have persevered. Our community has much to be proud of, from a renaissance of Jewish arts, learning, and culture, to our homeland, a vibrant, sovereign Israel that serves as a beacon of democracy and liberal values.

What can Jews around the world do in the face of the recent controversy surrounding the Kotel shared prayer space and disagreements about conversion legislation and the general subject of religious equality in Israel?

At a time when the size of the Jewish community is stagnant, except for the Orthodox, we must do more to encourage Jewish people to feel included, not excluded. The Kotel, Judaism’s holiest site, is a great example: it should be a place where all Jews feel welcome.

Israelis, for the most part, understand this and seek Jewish unity and deeper bonds with the Diaspora. They are likewise aware of the strategic implications and national security imperative of maintaining Jewish solidarity.

I firmly believe solutions acceptable to all sides are possible. The sheer complexities and political sensitivities that issues like the Kotel and conversion present should not deter stakeholders. Instead, what is required is more creativity, restored trust, and renewed commitment by all sides.

On the Palestinian front, what can be done to advance the peace process? Is a deal still attainable?

Yes, I believe deep in my bones that a two-state solution is still within reach. It remains a vital national interest, not just for Israel, but for the Jewish people more broadly. Given current demographic trends, inaction is simply not an option. With common economic and security interests binding all sides, and a palpable shift in the Arab world’s attitudes toward Israel, there has never been a better time to achieve a deal. I am confident President Trump will make significant progress in the months ahead.

As is usually the case, the High Holidays coincide with the United Nations General Assembly’s annual gathering in New York. What do you say to those who are skeptical that Israel and the Jewish people can ever be treated fairly at the UN?

Winston Churchill famously hoped that the United Nations would be a “true temple of peace.” But for much of its history, it has instead functioned as an anti-Israel political cabal. Thankfully, that seems to be slowly changing. The new secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, addressed the World Jewish Congress conference in May, and he assured us that he will do everything in his power to reverse the international organization’s history of anti-Israel bias. And the new US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, is a breath of fresh air. The UN’s culture of hostility toward Israel, cultivated over decades, will be tough to overcome, but I am hopeful that the UN will begin to treat Israel more fairly in the future.

You are quite active philanthropically in Israel. What recent projects are you most proud of?

My family’s love of Israel is central to our identity. Our recent philanthropy in Israel has focused on the intersection of education and economic opportunity. We funded a new, state-of-the-art dormitory at Technion, which opened a few months ago. When I first visited the campus, I was in awe of its dynamism—it’s very much the engine that powers the “Startup Nation.” At the opposite end of the country, in the Negev, I’m proud to have founded the Lauder Employment Center in Beersheba, which connects students at Ben-Gurion University with quality jobs and local civic life.

Any final words?

I want to wish all of your readers a happy, healthy, and fulfilling new year. Shanah Tovah U’metukah.

Police to Investigate Haredi Riot; Erdan: Cops Apparently ‘Lost Control’

0

Police “may have lost control” of a protest by ultra-Orthodox Jews in Jerusalem Sunday, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Monday, but added that demonstrators also attacked police officers.

Speaking to the Israel Broadcast Corporation (Kan), Erdan noted that nine officers were injured in the melee, which took place. But he said that video footage of officers kicking, beating and pushing non-violent protesters were “appalling” and that the police internal investigation department unit would investigate the incident.

“At least from the footage, it appears that the officers lost control and used unreasonable force,” Erdan said.

Nine officers were wounded and the same number of haredim arrested as hundreds of people descended on the outskirts of the capital’s haredi Geula neighborhood to protest plans to apply the IDF military draft to ultra-Orthodox youth, blocking roads and throwing rocks at police.

One of the detainees was the grandson of Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Kohn, leader of the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak sect in the Meah Shearim neighborhood a short distance from the protest

Haredi protests in northern Jerusalem have become frequent in recent years as the army has cracked down against draft-dodgers – individuals who opt out of military service in order to study in religious seminaries (yeshivot) but who do not actually attend classes. In addition, haredim have frequently protested against IDF programs to create frameworks in the army that are consistent with haredi mores and values, and ultra-Orthodox soldiers are regularly subjected to verbal abuse and physically attacked in haredi communities around the country.

Left-wing politicians were quick to condemn the violence.

“Yet another instance of police violence,” said Meretz Party Chairwoman Zahava Gal-on. “We’ve seen incidents like this in the past, but they passed as if nothing happened.

“I call on the police to bring the officer to justice.”

Former Defense Minister Amir Peretz added that while he supports efforts to apply the draft to the haredim, it is no less important to ensure citizens’ right to protest.

“Police and border police units are responsible for the most fractious, explosive points in Israeli society,” Peretz said in a media statement. “Despite the complicated [nature of these issues] we must not allow ourselves to get to a situation in which we lose control.” 

By: TPS