The Jew News Review - November 6, 2021
People are infrastructure too
Shabbat shalom JNR peeps!
A fall chill is in the Sharon air but I remain toasty in the JNR office, spinning some Steve Goodman on the turntable. Sandy and I just got our Covid booster shots yesterday, so my arm is a little sore but my mood is even more pained due to the email I was compelled to send this morning to The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC). The group, formerly led by the now deceased Sheldon Adelson, has invited the disgraced former President and current Orange Turd to speak at their annual conference. Thankfully, only approximately 20% of our fair tribe admit to being Republicans, but still, a number that is about 20 points too high, IMHO. I politely reminded the knuckleheads at the RJC that perhaps they should rethink validating the treasonous acts of the world’s most horrible human being.
But what a way to end this crazy week, with the passage of a bi-partisan infrastructure bill that should lay the foundations for a better, safer and prosperous nation! It would have been nice if the libs hadn’t shackled the bricks and mortar version with the Build Back Better human infrastructure version, but whatever. The tactic only cost one Governorship but maybe one positive outcome of the tactic will be a better Build Back Better law? Wishful thinking?
The week also saw the exciting conclusion of the most Jewish Baseball World Series evah! Thankfully the Atlanta Braves whipped the Astros in game 6 and sent the Astros packing with their inflated Texas-sized egos between their legs. But the Jew crew clearly came to play: Max Fried gets special kudos for an amazing outing in an era where starting pitchers average under 5 innings per game. With six shutout frames, he didn’t just go deeper into the game than any pitcher in this year’s series, he got more outs than any pitcher without allowing a run in a World Series clincher since 1985. The game contained what might have been the most Jewish play in any Major League Baseball matchup evah! In the bottom of the second inning, Astros star third baseman Alex Bregman stepped up to the plate and sliced Fried’s second pitch to right field, where Braves outfielder Joc Pederson easily caught it for out number two. That play marked the first time in baseball history that 3 bar mitzvah boys were involved in a single play. I am thinking of establishing an NFT of the video clip! Now if we could only get Joc to leave the pearls at home…..
Now, what of the news of the Jews? I can hear you all impatiently mumbling something under your breaths, so mumble no more and enjoy these items selected once again by yours truly for your reading enjoyment:
Royal Jewish Mitzvah - ♠️ In another world series, Jews were once again making history. Gershon Distenfeld, an Orthodox Jew from New Jersey, and a noted backgammon player, won the World Series of Poker and said he will donate his winnings. “My wife Aviva and I have been blessed with financial means and it’s a core value of ours to give both our money and our time to help make the world a better place,” he said. What a mench! (PokerNews)
A Native American Jew speaks her mind on the The Braves’ ‘tomahawk chop’ -Last week we reported on Rabbi’s who didn’t find the practice offensive. This week, we post an opposing viewpoint. The Washington Redskins and the Cleveland Indians have both changed their names. But the popular fan chant in Atlanta lives on. “Rather than destroying a team’s traditions, Jews – who know all too well the dangers of stereotypes – can take part in transforming a destructive pop culture phenomenon into one that is healthy and positive,” writes Mahrinah Shije. Read the OpEd >
This week included National Sandwich Day - One of my fond father memories is my dad’s love of a fatty frank (Hebrew National or Pearl, of course) encased in a fresh bulky roll, smothered with mustard and relish. MMMMMMM! check out this roundup of 9 super Jewish sammies curated by Molly Yeh, a Food Network host and Forward contributor. Click here for sammies.
Fiddler turns 50! The movie adaptation of “Fiddler on the Roof” premiered 50 years ago this week. But no-one played a better Tevye than my son-in-law, Ian Worgaftik at his Avon High School production. For the right amount of money I am willing to provide a link to the famous video. Or, read about this story of a young woman who converted to Judaism after playing a role in the now famous play at her summer theater camp. Click here for more.
Old antisemitic tropes found new life in Phoenix - I hate that every week I read more reports of anti-Semitism on campus’s and just about everywhere around the globe. Here is another one. It’s getting scary out there. After a woman went on a rant about how Jews are profiting from unsafe vaccines at an Arizona school-board meeting last week, the board president shrugged it off, saying “this is not something we can do something about.” In this OpEd essay, Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, argues that was a missed opportunity. “What’s most shocking about this episode,” is not what the speaker said, Greenblatt notes, “but that not one single person at the meeting had the courage to stand up and denounce her words as hateful, hurtful and untrue.” Read the OpEd >
Our “charming” new ambassador to Israel finally confirmed - 🇮🇱 The Senate confirmed Tom Nides as U.S. ambassador to Israel on Wednesday after Republican lawmakers lifted their hold on his nomination. Nides, a banker and former official in the Clinton and Obama administrations, ran Sen. Joe Lieberman’s vice presidential campaign in 2000, but we won’t hold that against him. Our senior political reporter, Jacob Kornbluh, says Nides “brings both political and diplomatic experience to the job, and has been characterized as ‘charming’ by people who have worked with him.” (JTA)
That’s all I have this week everyone. And hey, don’t let your guard down and continue to be careful out there!
Brad out.