Major League Baseball (MLB) has ceased running advertisements for musician Roger Waters’ upcoming tour.
B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin announced in a Feb. 7 statement that MLB told them “that ads promoting Waters have run their course and there are no plans to schedule any more ads on the MLB platforms. MLB also noted that it had no anti-Semitic intentions by running these ads.”
MLB confirmed to the Associated Press that this is the case.
“There are no plans to schedule any more ads on the MLB platforms,” it said.
Kaufman and Mariaschin had written a letter to MLB on Jan. 29 urging them to end their promotion of Waters’ ads, calling him an anti-Semite for supporting the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, putting a Star of David on a floating pig and demonizing Israel.
“[Waters] has blamed ‘the Jewish Lobby’ for intimidating anti-Israel critics like him,” they wrote. “And he has falsely labeled the Jewish state a ‘racist apartheid regime’ and claimed Israel is guilty of ‘ethnic cleansing.’ ”
Pro-Israel activists praised MLB’s move.
“Bravo @MLB!” Arsen Ostrovsky tweeted. “There should be no room for the hate and racism of @rogerwaters!”
A Nazi flag was seen hanging in a Maryland high school window on Feb. 8.
A photo of the flag went viral on social media; images reveal the flag could be seen from the entrance of Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick, Md., as people were heading to a basketball game that evening.
Daniel Lippy, the school’s principal, wrote in an email to students’ parents on Feb. 10 that the flag was being used for a World War II history class and was left hanging. He added that it was taken down as soon as school officials became aware of it.
“We have taken steps to ensure that this never occurs again,” Libby wrote.
School Superintendent Theresa Alban said in a statement to Fox 5 D.C. that the school has issued an apology to the community over the matter, stating that the flag’s values are abhorrent and antithetical to the school’s values.
“We understand the seriousness of this matter and care deeply for our community’s immediate recovery and belief in [Frederick County Public Schools] as a school system, which celebrates diversity,” she said.
Alban added that the school will be responding with “appropriate action.”
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Washington, D.C. Education Director Seth Gordon-Lipkin said in a statement, “While we acknowledge that hate symbols, like the Nazi flag displayed at this school, can be effectively used for educational purposes, it is imperative that educators consider the harmful impact that this sort of offensive imagery can have on students with marginalized identities. Even if a hate symbol is used with educational intent, the context in which it is presented matters to students’ feelings of safety and acceptance in their schools.”
He added: “ADL has reached out to Governor Thomas Johnson High School to offer its resources and best practices in handling this difficult subject matter in order to ensure that this incident is used as a teachable moment and to foster a safe, inclusive climate for all students.”
On Jan. 28, 2020, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) held a special workshop to discuss and determine the future of affinity programs in the state of California. Under the unfounded basis that affinity programs are not reaching underserved communities, the CDI, led by Commissioner Ricardo Lara, has issued recommendations to significantly regulate the existence of affinity programs that practically taking them off the table as an option for all of us that utilize the cost savings benefits.
In early September, when this issue was brought to the public via a hearing in Los Angeles, faith and community leaders attended and spoke out. Many represented those communities the Department claims to protect. Yet despite such a vigorous grassroots effort to make sure the CDI knows how important access to affordable insurance and other affinity benefits are to the myriad communities that utilize then, the Department has further recommended to move forward with gutting affinity programs altogether.
Living in California is difficult enough for most people; with the cost of living skyrocketing, even those that are gainfully employed struggle to make ends meet each month. For so many of us in the Jewish community, those costs are even greater when you consider the price of kosher food, Jewish day school, synagogue membership and the many holidays we spend our hard-earned pay on. Having access to more affordable insurance coverage is not a small factor. It is, in fact, the difference between making it through the end of the month or not; scrimping on other essential expenses, such as healthcare or food; or having any semblance of a life outside of work and worrying about our economics.
California is supposed to be a leader in progress and possibility. Taking away affinity programs from the entire state doesn’t improve anything—it only sets us back and will definitely equal greater costs and challenges for the majority of Californians. The CDI purports that affinity programs only benefit higher income residents, but most people using affinity programs, to the tune of 70%, hardly fit that definition. They are nurses, teachers, truck drivers, secretaries and administrative professionals. They are every-day hard working men and women, and they don’t deserve to lose out on benefits that actually, tangibly help them.
What the CDI needs to do is figure out how to make affinity options more available and within reach of the communities they claim aren’t being reached. They need to diversify and expand the definition of affinity group, allow smaller organizations to create them, and launch an educational campaign to ensure that every Californian has information about how to join and capture the benefits that so many of us rely upon
The very least the CDI can do is consider the actual facts and listen to the many voices that continue to speak out against the proposed regulations of affinity programs. Myself, along with other Rabbis, church leaders, community based organization and union leaders, have taken the time over the last few months to make sure the needs of our communities will be considered in this discussion and in their decision. We hope the CDI will do all that is in their power to hold an actual discussion, hear what the real community impact will be, and make the right decision that will not only protect the existence of affinity programs in California, but make them available and accessible to everyone in the state.
Neil Raphael Finestone died Jan. 23 at his Beverly Hills home.
He was born Nov. 15, 1957, in Montreal to Rita Finestone and the late Bernard J. Finestone.
Finestone earned a bachelor’s of commerce degree in economics from Concordia University Business School in Montreal. He earned his certificate in financial planning from USC’s financial planning program.
Finestone’s early business experience included insurance brokerage training at A.F.I. Insurance Brokers in Montreal, along with finance and administration in various assignments with Proctor & Gamble in Toronto, where his areas of responsibility included the supervision of western Canada, Sunkist Growers, Inc., in California. Here, his assignments also included the international sales and marketing of citrus commodities and manufactured products.
Finestone became a financial planner in 1983 and earned the professional designation of certified financial planner (CFP) from the College for Financial Planning in Denver, and chartered life underwriter (CLU) and chartered financial consultant (ChFC) from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa.
He was a third-generation owner of Finestone & Sons Ltd. (Canada), founded in 1924, specializing in cross-border estate and financial planning and was one of approximately 35 life insurance professionals in California who was granted the life and disability analyst license from the California Department of Insurance, indicating fiduciary and recognized expert status.
Finestone was an expert skier, enjoyed white river rafting, mountain biking, hiking, and was a member of the Del Rey Yacht Club in Marina del Rey.
He is survived by wife Angela; daughters Erin and Mia (Naftali) Posner;son Bryan; stepchildren Avonlea Jacobs and Felipe Orozco; one grandchild, mother Rita; brother Paul.
(JTA) — The Jewish community of Belarus held a memorial service to honor film actor Kirk Douglas, the Belarusian Jewish community’s most famous descendant.
The memorial was held in Minsk on Sunday, during a joint Limmud FSU/Regional Nahum Goldmann Fellowship meeting. It included a remembrance prayer and a moment of silence conducted by the the capital city’s chief rabbi, Rabbi Shneur Deutsch, and the chief rabbi of the nation’s Progressive Jewish community, Grisha Abramovich.
Douglas, who died last week in Los Angeles at the age of 103, was born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York, to Yiddish-speaking Jewish parents Bryna and Herschel Danielovitch from the Mogilev region of Belarus.
“This evening, this community honored the memory of one of its greatest descendants, who in addition to being a world-renowned movie star was first of all a proud Jew,” Chaim Chesler, founder of Limmud FSU, said at the service. “Even the young members of the Jewish community of Belarus know about and honor Kirk Douglas, and that is evidence, more than anything else, of the special connection that existed between the star, his Judaism in general and Jewish history in particular.”
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Joe Biden rejected pressure from a coalition of left-wing groups to have presidential candidates boycott the Israel lobby AIPAC’s policy conference.
An activist with IfNotNow, the anti-occupation group that is leading the initiative, confronted the former vice president in New Hampshire and cast her question in the context of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The activist noted that Biden led the effort to get Congress not to reject the agreement while the American Israel Public Affairs Committee endeavored to scuttle it.
“No, because I’m there to convince,” Biden said in a video of the encounter posted Sunday by IfNotNow on Twitter, “convince them to change their position.”
Among the Democratic presidential candidates, only Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has committed to skipping the policy conference, which takes place at the beginning of March. Of those who have been asked by IfNotNow, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said he would not object to attending and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said he would have to check his schedule.
The conference takes place in the days leading up to Super Tuesday, the sweep of 15 or so primaries, but in the past candidates busy on the campaign trail have made time to address the conference via video link.
Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Ben Platt has added another honor to his trophy collection. He was named the 2020 Man of the Year by Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals for his contributions to entertainment. The 54th and youngest recipient of the Pudding Pot, Platt joins the company of such predecessors as Paul Newman, Robert De Niro, John Travolta, Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Neil Patrick Harris, and most recently Milo Ventimiglia. A roast, a sing-off, and other antics were part of the festivities,
The “Dear Evan Hansen” star expressed his desire to return to the theater stage, but said it’s contingent on his production schedule for Season 2 of his Netflix series “The Politician,” now underway. “It’s been a privilege to be here today,” he said in his acceptance speech. “I haven’t spent time on any college campus much to my parents’ chagrin. If I could choose to spend my day with any type of person it would be with theater people so thank you for welcoming me or welcoming me and I hope I do well by this award.”
Although there was a big surprise at the 92nd Academy Awards when “Parasite” was named Best Picture in addition to its expected win for Best International Feature, Jewish frontrunners Taika Waititi and Joaquin Phoenix did win, for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor respectively.
Waititi, who had previously won the Writers Guild of America award for his “Jojo Rabbit” screenplay, thanked his mother, Robin Cohen, for giving him the book on which it is based and its author Christine Leunens. “This is dedicated to all the indigenous kids in the world who want to do art and dance and tell stories,” the half-Maori filmmaker said. “We are the original storytellers and we can make it here as well.”
Earlier on the red carpet, Waititi explained why he made his movie. “I’ve always been fascinated with children’s experiences in times of conflict, what they go through, and I wanted to make a film about that,” he said. “But also, it seems to have a lot more resonance because of the resurgence of hate and intolerance in the world, and I feel like, sadly, we still need films like this. We still need to be teaching lessons on how to be a good person.”
Backstage, Waititi talked about “the things before tonight that have made me feel validated about making this film. One of them was that Mel Brooks, one of my heroes, gave it his seal of approval,” he said. Another was the positive reaction from people whose parents had been in concentration camps. “And when the Shoah Foundation said they were going to make it part of the curriculum, that for me sealed everything and made me feel it was worthwhile.”
Joaquin Phoenix: Arturo Holmes/ABC
In his acceptance speech, “Joker” star Phoenix used his time to be a “voice for the voiceless…whether we’re talking about gender inequality or racism or queer rights or indigenous rights or animal rights, we’re talking about the fight against the belief that one nation, one race, one gender or one species has the right to dominate, control and use and exploit another with impunity. I think that we’ve become very disconnected from the natural world and many of us, what we’re guilty of is an egocentric world view, the belief that we’re the center of the universe.
“We go into the natural world and we plunder it for its resources,” he continued. “We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth, we steal her baby. Even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. And then we take her milk that’s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal. When we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.”
The star-studded roster of presenters included Tribe members Natalie Portman and Timothée Chalamet, who presented Waititi’s screenplay award, Gal Gadot, Beanie Feldstein, and Steven Spielberg, who introduced the In Memoriam tribute to those who passed away this year.
Josh Gad introduced Idina Menzel’s performance of Best Song nominee “Into the Unknown” from “Frozen 2,” for which ‘Elsas’ from around the world joined her.
Laughter, celebration and diversity were well represented in Santa Monica on Jan. 8 for the 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards. Unlike the Oscars, the Spirit Awards specifically recognize the achievements of independent filmmakers and promote the finest independent films of the year.
Host Aubrey Plaza gave the Oscars a run for their money in terms of entertainment which was filled with a Judy Garland opening number and a musical ode to Laura Dern.
Many Tribe members attended the social celebration of film including Noah Baumbach, Benny and Josh Safdie, Adam Sandler, Beanie Feldstein, Idina Menzel, Scarlett Johansson, Joey King and Nick Kroll.
Feldstein was celebrating with her “Booksmart” family of fierce women including director Olivia Wilde and co-star Kaitlyn Dever. The comedy about two high school best friends took home best first feature.
In the press room, Wilde said she was inspired to create a modern-day female comedy about friendship because of trailblazer Nora Ephron and other female writers/directors.
“Hopefully this movie itself is a kind of role model. I hope there’s directors out there that say ‘you know what I’m gonna go for it’ because of this,” Wilde said. “I really admire all the directors that blazed the trail before me. You know this movie was really in the spirit of Amy Heckerling and Nora Ephron and so many other female directors. I hope we can continue their legacy and inspire more ladies to get out there and direct.”
“Uncut Gems” may have been snubbed from the Oscars but Adam Sandler and the Safdie Brothers were happy to be recognized for their work on the film which took home three awards.
Benny Safdie and Ronald Bronstein took home the award for best editing for creating an anxiety-driven rhythm for the film. Benny and his brother Josh then accepted the award for best director, their first win after receiving nine nominations, and Sandler took home best male lead.
The “Uncut Gems” team collectively won the unofficial Spirit Award for best speeches. The Safdie’s made the crowd erupt with laughter as they both gave two different speeches at the same time for Best Director.
“This is incredible,” Benny Safdie said. “Sandman we wouldn’t be here without you so thank you.”
Meanwhile, Sandler turned on his iconic Sandman voice to provide his two-page acceptance speech where he shared his gratitude to everyone who has stayed with him throughout his career while also taking a dig to the Oscars which snubbed him of an acting nomination.
“Tonight as I look around this room, I realize the Independent Spirit Awards are the best personality awards of Hollywood,” Sandler said. “Let all those feather-heads…get their Oscars tomorrow night. Their handsome good looks will fade with time. Our Independent personalities will shine on forever.”
After accepting his award, he noted that while he is a little heavier now compared to when he was on “Saturday Night Live,” he is still the same goofy guy.
The Safdie’s, who have been working on “Uncut Gems” for the past 10 years, said that Sandler was their pick to play Howard from the beginning.
“When you love Adam Sandler from the very beginning you know that he doesn’t do anything that isn’t great,” they said. “The dream was always Sandler.”
Jewish writer and director Noah Baumbach also took home the Spirit Awards for best screenplay and the Robert Altman Award for “Marriage Story.”
Starring Johansson, Dern and Adam Driver, Baumbach created a film focusing on love, family and divorce based from his own personal experiences.
Upon expressing gratitude to the other writers in the room and admitting that writing is “agony,” he also acknowledged his partner, Academy Award nominee and Film Independent Award winner Greta Gerwig who was nominated for several awards this year for “Little Women.”
“I want to say hi to Greta,” he said, “Even though she made a movie too expensive for the Spirit Awards, she is no less independent than anyone here. You’re amazing, and my inspiration, and everything. ”
