JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Israeli Supreme Court justice apologized for a ruling which included words of condolence to the family of a Palestinian terrorist who died while serving a prison sentence.
Sami Abu Diak, who was serving three life sentences for the murder of an Israeli man at the beginning of the second Intifada, the killing of three Palestinians accused of collaborating with Israel and other attempted terror attacks, died last week in an Israeli hospital. He had petitioned the Supreme Court to receive treatment he said he was not getting.
The prisoner’s family and the Palestinian Authority had petitioned Israel to allow Abu Diak to leave prison and die at home. The request was refused.
Supreme Court justice Neal Hendel issued a ruling on Wednesday voiding the complaint in light of Abu Diak’s death in which he said he “shared in the sorrow of the family,” a common expression of condolence, and one which Hendel reportedly uses in all such cases.
Bereaved families organizations and others slammed for the condolence, as did the family of his Israeli victim Ilya Krivich.
“I had no intention of hurting anyone. I wish to express my deep regret to bereaved families who were hurt,” Hendel wrote in an apology, the Times of Israel reported.
The decision was recalled and reissued without the condolence, and signed by two other justices alongside Hendel, Haaretz reported.
MONTREAL (JTA)—A Jewish student leader at McGill University in Montreal is fighting efforts to oust her from the student union for accepting a trip to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Jocelyn Wright, a member of the Student Society of McGill University’s legislative council and board of directors, said she is “outraged and disgusted” by an SSMU call for her to resign Thursday for agreeing to the trip sponsored by Hillel.
She is refusing to resign or quit the trip, despite the threat of impeachment upon return.
The trip, called “Face to Face,” leaves at the end of the month and includes visiting Palestinian areas of the West Bank.
“As a Jew, my connection to Israel is one core aspect of my identity, and I hoped that the trip would help met experience Israel through a new lens,” Wright explained in a post on Facebook.
She called the effort to have her resign, “anti-Semitic.”
“The SSMU president singled me out and actively encouraged others to attack me,” she said in the post, adding that a non-Jewish councillor also planning to be on the trip has not received the same treatment.
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs’ Rabbi Reuben Poupko said in a statement: “[W]e are once again witnessing misuse of the student government platform to exclude a Jewish student. The SSMU’s persistent abuse of power and displays of hostility toward Jewish and pro-Israel students are clearly not representative of McGill’s mainstream student population.
“We call on McGill students to reclaim the SSMU from the ideological fringes and rebuild an open, tolerant and inclusive campus
environment,” he said.
In 2017, the SSMU failed in an effort to impeach a Jewish councillor for being pro-Israel and an ex-SSMU member tweeted to “punch a Zionist.”
(JTA) — Moshe Holtzberg, whose parents were killed in the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai when he was 2, was called to the Torah as a bar mitzvah.
Holtzberg was called to the Torah on Saturday in his home town of Afula in northern Israel, Chabad.org reported. A party was held on Sunday night in Kfar Chabad.
“As you make this important transition and cross a significant landmark in the journey of your life, the courage of [nanny] Sandra and prayers of the people of India will continue to bless you for a long, healthy and successful life,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a letter to Moshe, COLLive reported. “Your story continues to inspire everyone. It is one of miracle and hope overcoming tragedy and immeasurable loss.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also sent a note of congratulations: “We know that there is life amidst this tragedy. There is revival and there is hope. You come now with the love of the entire Jewish people, all citizens of Israel and very many outside Israel.”
Moshe’s parents Rabbi Gabi and Rivky Holtzberg were the directors of the Nariman Chabad House when it was attacked on Nov. 26, 2008. Four other Israeli and American visitors to the house also were killed.
The Chabad House was among 12 targeted locations in coordinated attacks by Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organization based in Pakistan.
The child was dubbed “Baby Moshe” when a photo of his terrified-looking nanny running from the besieged Chabad House clutching the little boy was splashed on the front pages of newspapers around the world.
In January, 2018, Moshe returned to Mumbai, accompanying Netanyahu on a state visit.
In September, Moshe celebrated the ceremony of Hanachat Tefilin, or putting on the tefillin for the first time, during a ceremony in Stony Point, New York, and visited the grave of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.
What do you do with your holiday time? I love museums and their stores almost as much as I love libraries. Going into an exhibit can feel like traveling to another place or another time and I always see things from a new perspective.
Lisa Niver and Joan Weinthal Clayton at NMWA
I recently went to the National Museum of Women in the Arts for the first time in Washington D.C. I specifically went there to see the new Judy Chicago exhibit, The End: A Meditation on Death and Extinction, to honor the memory of my mentor who recently died. It is a moving exhibit and the first room is an exploration of Elizabeth Kubler Ross’s five stages of grief. The second room is personal musings on mortality and the third room focuses on creatures and communities like polar bears, Mexican gray wolves, orchids, bleached coral reefs, frogs, penguins and turtles. Habitat destruction and other environmental issues are bringing these animals and plants to the brink of extinction. The exhibit includes nearly 40 works of painted porcelain and glass, as well as two large bronze sculptures. The pieces are smaller in scale and include Chicago’s handwriting. It feels very personal almost like reading her journal. Chicago is asking us, now that you are faced with these realities, what are you willing to do?
Joannie Parker, my mentor, taught my high school Women’s Studies class about Judy Chicago and took us to see her installations including both The Dinner Party and The Birth Project.
Lisa Niver and Judy Chicago at Jeffrey Deitch Gallery for Visionary Women Salon
Recently, I was able to meet Judy Chicago when she was in Los Angeles for the opening of her exhibit at The Jeffrey Deitch Gallery. Visionary Women hosted a salon in her honor with a discussion about women in art including Judy Chicago, Andrea Bowers and Connie Butler.
Many of my best museum experiences have taught me about important women. Currently at the National Museum of American Jewish History on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, you can see Notorious RBG, a phenomenal exhibit about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I loved it so much I went twice when it was at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. I was inspired and saw both recent movies about her, read her book and wrote about her for The Female Quotient on her birthday.
Last year at the Skirball Cultural Center, I learned about Mexican-born, American Jewish writer Anita Brenner (1905–1974). I was spell-bound by the exhibit and her journey to becoming a journalist. I had never heard of her but learning about her life story helped me work think differently about some of my own issues with my career in journalism.
Lisa Niver, Penn Quaker and Rabbi Faith Dantowitz
In New York City, I visited The Jewish Museum with my friend from University of Pennsylvania, Rabbi Faith Dantowitz, and we even brought the PENN Quaker with us. We explored the exhibit: “Edith Halpert and the Rise of American Art.” I had never heard of her and I was amazed to learn what she accomplished.
I loved the story of how Halpert met and advised Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. She represented artists including Georgia O”Keeffe and worked to change her reputation that Steiglitz had immortalized. She believed folk art was important, helped her artists have their own exhibits and promoted racial integration. She was the first mainstream art dealer to represent an African American. When an artist she represented, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, who was a Japanese born painter, was labeled an enemy alien, she kept supporting him and made a retrospective of his work.
Whether you are looking for a new perspective on death and dying, or on your career aspirations, if you are interested in the path to becoming a Supreme Court Judge, or be the first to promote certain artists, or be exposed to people, places, experiences from the past and present in all different mediums, I highly recommend a visit to the museum!
I am so grateful to have recently seen carefully curated exhibits about Jewish women who have changed all our lives! Make sure to find your favorite exhibit in your home town or on your next travels. I wanted to share these stories today as it is Museum Store Sunday. You can learn more about art, nature, culture, science and history at a museum near you.
“On December 1, 2019, for the third consecutive year, more than 1,200 museum stores representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, 18 countries, and five continents will offer inspired shopping at museums and cultural institutions during Museum Store Sunday – an exciting annual event and shopping campaign that encourages consumers and museum visitors to consciously contribute to the future sustainability and success of each museum and cultural institution.”
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennett approved the planning of a new Jewish neighborhood in the West Bank city of Hebron.
The new Jewish neighborhood would double the number of Jews living in Hebron, according to the defense ministry. There currently are about 1,000 Jews living in Hebron in small enclaves amid some 215,000 Palestinians.
The new neighborhood will be built near the city’s old market, which has been owned by Jews since the early 1800s. A Palestinian market operated there first under the Jordanians, and then with Israel’s permission between 1967 and the 1990s.
The market buildings will be rebuilt and will remain in Palestinian hands, the Jerusalem Post reported citing the defense ministry.
The property above the market buildings on the ground floor must be “returned to Jewish hands,” the newspaper reported citing a statement by Bennett’s spokesperson.
A massacre in Hebron in 1929 left 67 Jews dead and led to the evacuation of Jews from the city. Jews resettled there after the 1967 Six-Day War.
Bennett was named defense minister earlier this month by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who previously held the portfolio.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israeli fighter planes struck what the Israel Defense Forces identified as Hamas “terror targets” in retaliation for a rocket fired on southern Israel.
The rocket was fired on Israeli territory on Friday night. It landed in an open area and no damage or casualties were reported. About two hours later military projectiles that were not rockets were fired from Gaza on Israeli territory.
The retaliation came early on Saturday morning, striking a Hamas military compound in northern Gaza, according to the IDF.
Earlier on Friday, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the stomach by Israeli troops and killed while demonstration on the Gaza border with Israel. Official demonstrations on the border had been ordered canceled earlier in the week by protest organizers, but some took place anyways.
(JTA) — Christmas ornaments and bottle openers featuring the site of the former Auschwitz Nazi death camp are for sale on Amazon.
The Auschwitz Memorial and Museum called Amazon out in a tweet on Sunday which said “Selling “Christmas ornaments” with images of Auschwitz does not seem appropriate. Auschwitz on a bottle opener is rather disturbing and disrespectful. We ask @amazon to remove the items of those suppliers.”
The Auschwitz ornaments include the iconic image of train tracks leading to the entrance of Auschwitz, and an image of reconstructed barracks with a path down the middle.
Among the other Polish landmarks featured on the porcelain Chirstimas ornametns are Wawel Castle in Krakow, Centennial Hall in Wroclaw, and the riverfront of the city of Gdansk. The company also sells Christmas ornaments featuring landmarks from other countries including the United States. U.S. ornaments include a view of the city from the Chicago River, the Grand Canyon in Arizona and ZIon National Park in Utah.
Hanukkah is this month with the first night of candle starting Dec. 22 and ending the 30th. But it is never too soon to start planning for your holiday season gift shopping. Aiming to give you gift suggestions for a variety of ages, backgrounds and price-points, as a follow-up to my recent “Black Friday” round-up, below are 18 more Holiday 2019 gift and/or brand suggestions.
Art 4 All Hats Art 4 All offers adjustable, snapback hats that feature gorgeous, Western landscape-inspired original artwork. These hats are both fun and somewhat-mysterious while also keeping the sun out of your eyes. Abby Paffrath, a Breckenridge, Colorado native, is the artist behind these hats. As largely inspired by both her love of the Colorado mountains and her time spent in Bali. When not in her studio, Paffrath works as an art educator for a Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based nonprofit group called pARTners.
Meat Handler & Shredder by The Grommet Meat-shredding claws – a.k.a. “bear paws” — are often imitated, but Meat Handler & Shredder are the real deal, durable and made in the U.S.A. Its 6 super-sharp prongs easily shred meat, and offer a great grip to lift large roasts or turkeys, holding them stable when carving. Their minimal, ergonomic design is easy to grip and easy to clean, with almost nowhere for bits of food or juices to hide. Yet another great home product from The Grommet.
Calphalon Temp iQ Espresso Machine with Grinder and Steam Wand
Calphalon Precision Heat Espresso Machine With Grinder The CalphalonEspresso Machine with Grinder uses precise grinding and even heating to create the perfect tasting espresso. Its integrated conical burr mill grinder features 30 adjustable grind settings for fresh espresso with every use. The brewing system features thermoblock heating technology and PID temperature control to evenly heat during espresso extraction, combined with gentle pre-infusion, which blooms the espresso grounds at the beginning of the extraction. Also available from Calphalon are the Calphalon ActiveSense Blender and the Calphalon IntelliCrisp 2-Slot Toaster. These and other great offerings are now available via Amazon.
Fresh N’ Lean Meals Fresh N’ Lean is reportedly the #1 organic meal delivery company in the United States. Laureen Asseo is the 28-year-old founder and CEO of the company, which she founded at the age of 18 in her one-bedroom apartment. Currently it operates out of a 55,000-square-foot facility with hundreds of employees. The company offers a variety of meal-delivery options, and let’s face it, who wouldn’t love the gift of regularly receiving delicious food you don’t have to cook or clean up after?
LuminAID LuminAID, the latern tech group that formed following the earthuake in Haiti, is on a mission to give back with each purchase, and through its flagship Give Light Get Light program, LuminAID solar lights have been distributed in over 100 countries around the world. By sponsoring a light for a family in need, supporters earmark a solar lantern or solar phone charger to go directly to the organization of their choice. More than 50,000 solar lights have been sent to families through the Give Light Get Light Program. The recipient will enjoy receiving a gift that not only makes them feel good but is doing good for others around the globe. Charity angle aside, some of LuminAID’s lanterns are “2-in-1,” operating as both a solar-powered lantern and phone charger.
Kinsho Kitchen Kinsho Kitchen makes fun lunchware for tasty treats. With its new Lunch Tote, you can easily pack a beautiful meal with an appealing presentation. Its new bento boxes also add health into the equation, perfectly-portioning meals for diners of all ages. Kinsho’s products are made of eco-friendly plastic, while its bento boxes are BPA-free and provide double-walled, air core insulation.
White Leaf Provisions The husband and wife team of Keith and Meghan Rowe created White Leaf Provisions taking on the sugary problems of today’s baby food. With the belief that healthy soil equates to healthy food, White Leaf is a family-run business which brings the first 100% U.S. regeneratively-grown and manufactured biodynamic, organic and GMO-free baby food to retail in the U.S. Their farmers follow a truly organic approach to farming, promoting biodiversity and letting mother nature take the lead in every aspect of their fruits life. Most importantly, the food is formulated with a child’s palate and nutritional needs in mind.
BloChair BloChair makes instant chairs that can be inflated for use anywhere. These inflatable chairs are comfortable like a beanbag, yet strong enough to easily hold a 250-pound person. Absolutely great for relaxing no matter the locale.
Out Of The Woods Bags Out Of The Woods bags answer the consumer demand for products to be more environmentally and ethically-centered. The brand’s sleek and functional collection of food-centric and everyday bags are made from Supernatural Paper, a washable, renewable, lightweight material derived from paper that matches the strength and aesthetics of leather while being 100 percent animal-free. For the holidays they are offering a variety of great cooler bags, lunch bags and wine totes – all under $30! My favorite offering is the Out Of The Woods Dolphin Cooler, which has a large front pocket that is a handy space for stash or personal belongings in addition to its high-quality webbing and thick Supernatural Paper handle grips.
Pop Culture Died In 2009 THNK994 is the team behind the Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan 1994 Museum and such pop-up exhibits as Anna Wintour Double-Crossing Her Legs and Goddess: The Exhibit. That THNK1994 team recently teamed up with influencer Pop Culture Died in 2009 to create a limited-edition capsule clothing collection for the holiday season. The collection includes a The Cropped Pool Water Hoodie and matching Pool Water Leggings, t-shirts and beanies bearing amusing slogans. The deadline for the final round for ordering is Dec. 30.
Loveless Café Gift Sets Nashville Tennessee’s historic Loveless Cafe is known for its world-famous biscuits and also for serving over 500,000 food enthusiasts, locals, out-of-town guests and celebrities each year. As with last year, Loveless Café is keeping up its tradition of offering exciting subscriptions and holiday-themed items. Among the current offerings from the Nashville staple are its Jammin Biscuits Gift Set (which includes a 2-pound bag of Biscuit Mix and assorted fruit preserves), its Pumpkin Butter and its Sweet Sentiments Spatula and Tea Towel.
Ekster Wallets After raising over $1,000,000 in its previous crowd-funding campaign, Ekster — the world’s largest smart wallet brand — has launched its third-generation product line. This time they have engineered both the slimmest and the first voice-activated smart wallet to date. Owners can now ring their wallet, find it on a map or even make use of the widespread Chipolo community to help locate their missing belongings. These RFID-blocking wallets are held together by handcrafted premium leather for a luxury look and feel and provide instant card access at the click of a button. They are also compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Ekster’s solar technology is now even being implemented by major global shipping companies like Fedex to track containers. Its new limited-edition Metro 52 line is absolutely worth looking into.
Solo New York Sporty, versatile, and super-light, the Solo Leroy Rolling Duffel meets carry-on requirements for most major airlines, making it the ideal piece of luggage for a holiday trip. It boasts features like two front zippered pockets, a separate shoe/laundry compartment, push-button telescoping handle system, and easy-glide wheels; all while having a sleek and stylish design. Also great from Solo is the Solo Grand Travel TSA Backpack, priced at $99.99, which ought to make going through airport security a breeze.
OMG Accessories Those seeking a carry-bag of a more light-hearted nature ought to look into the OMG Accessories brand. The trend-driven brand for kids and teens recently added Unicorn Backpacks, Crossbodies, Wallets, and Rolling Luggage to its holiday collection. The ingenuity of OMG Accessories can be found in thousands of retailers around the world, including Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Dillards, and Von Maur. CEO Anne Harper founded the company in 2009, which reportedly has millions of customers.
Tavour Washington State-based Tavour is a company that tries thousands of beers from small craft breweries, ultimately bringing you the gems you cannot get at your local store. In turn, Tavour works directly with hundreds of independent breweries to curate craft beer gift boxes with one-of-a-kind selections. With selections as diverse as the Vanilla Ice Cream Stout from Wild Leap Brew Co. in Georgia and the Juicy IPA from WeldWerks Brewing in Colorado, a Tavour purchase may be ideal for any sort of gift offering.
Mileo’s Elixir Oud Elixir Oud is a luxury facial oil harnessing the anti-aging powers of Oud and purity of 3000 flowers in every bottle. Due to its small particle size, it feels light like a serum, but moisturizes intensely like a cream due to its heavy molecular weight. It can be applied to the facial area on its own, or with other products, like a serum and/or cream. All of itsingredients are organically-cultivated, wild-crafted, and/or ethically farmed. Thus, Mileo products are 100 percent pure, chemical-free, and pesticide-free.
JLAB Audio’s JBuds Founded in 2005, JLab Audio is an award-winning designer of personal audio products including Bluetooth earbuds, headphones and speakers. Not only famous for its intuitive products with awesome sound for people on the move, JLab’s products are also renowned for coming with world-class customer support. JLab’s JBuds Air family of products have been called the “#1 True Wireless Earbud under $100.” Aside from being truly wireless via Bluetooth technology and in-ear comfort, expect up to 6 hours of usage on a single charge and sweat protection.
Chefclub’s Kiddoz Chefclub is the world’s leading producer of entertaining recipe video. Its Kiddoz kit comes with 6 clever measuring cups, a 20-recipe cookbook, and additional recipes that are available via the app. The measuring cups and cookbook work together to create a new cooking language, simple enough for kids to use on their own and fun enough for everyone to enjoy. When combining the kit with the mobile app and videos, the entire cooking experience becomes interactive and engaging for kids and easy for families to enjoy together.
The Night Sky Thanks to The Night Sky, you can give a gift of the stars. The Night Sky makes an incredible memorable gift that will be treasured for years to come, as The Night Sky makes it easy to create an 18″ x 24” star map of any memorable occasion. The unique and personalized star map is printed on high-quality, Art Matte paper with over 190-gram weight. You can choose from 8 different styles at any place or time in the world to memorialize the night that your heart skipped a beat. I personally have a framed map made by The Night Sky on my dining room wall to commemorate my 2017 wedding.
(JTA) — A rabbi visiting London was beaten and left on the ground bleeding in the city’s Stamford Hill neighborhood.
The incident occurred on Friday night, the London-based Campaign Against Anti-Semitism reported.
The unnamed man described by British media as a “senior rabbi” flew out of London after Shabbat for Israel.
The two teenagers who assaulted the rabbi allegedly shouted “Kill Jews” and “F*** Jews” during the attack, according to the Shomrim of Stamford Hill. The attack has been reported to London Police.
The attack is not believed to be related to the attack on the London Bridge by an alleged member of the Islamic State which occurred earlier in the day, the Jerusalem Post reported.
A demonstration against Jew-hatred in politics and mounting anti-Jewish hate crime is scheduled for Dec. 8 in Parliament Square, the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism reported.
