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August 29, 2016 at 9:51 pm
Jerusalem - When Israeli soccer agent Tzvi Kritzer decided to build a monument in the Lithuanian town of Molėtai (Malat in Yiddish), where most of his family was murdered during the Holocaust, and to bring the relatives of the victims to the town for a memorial march, he was told to expect 20 to 30 people.
A year later, on August 29, 2016, more than a thousand people, including the president of Lithuania, arrived in Molėtai for the largest memorial ceremony in the country’s history to honor Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
The relatives of the victims from Israel, Canada, the United States, and elsewhere walked about two kilometers from the local synagogue, where Jews were kept during the Holocaust for three days without food and water, to the location of the massacr...
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August 29, 2016 at 9:50 pm
Baltimore, MD – Aug. 29, 2016 - It is with deep sorrow that BaltimoreJewishLife.com informs the community of the petirah of Mr. Moshe Weiss, son of Mrs. Weiss and brother of Mrs. Esta Sitrin
Shiva is being observed at 3212 Bonnie Rd. Hours are Tuesday - Thursday 11 AM - 8:30 PM, and Friday 11 AM - 3 PM.
Bila HaMaves LaNetzach...
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August 29, 2016 at 9:09 pm
Baltimore officially has had 200 homicide victims in 2016 after an autopsy confirmed a 42-year-old man found dead Friday just west of downtown had been fatally stabbed.
The victim, identified Monday as Franswhaun Smith, was found Friday about 7:50 a.m. in the 700 block of Murphy Lane, in the Heritage Crossing neighborhood that was formerly the site of the Murphy Homes public housing development.
Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said an autopsy confirmed he had been stabbed in the back.
It is the fifth consecutive year Baltimore's homicide tally has reached 200 after recording 197 in all of 2011. That was the first time the city had recorded fewer than 200 victims since the late 1970s.
Last year, 344 people were killed in Baltimore, the city's highest hig...
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August 29, 2016 at 9:00 pm
A new kuntres has been recently been released addressing a simcha, chosson and kallah and how one should act. The kuntres was released by HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita.
The kuntres has a disclaimer, stating that while the rulings reflect the position of Rav Kanievsky, one should not rely on them “הלכה למעשה” without asking privately regarding each matter. The kuntres includes:
· The father of the chosson speaking with the kallah, with Rav Chaim stated it is permissible if there is a need, and one may say “Gut Shabbos” and “How are you”.
· Regarding the minhag of Sephardim to have a ‘Shabbat Chatan’ after the chasenah, if the case deals with a Sephardi chosson learning in a Ashkenazi yeshiva, the Shabbos should ...
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August 29, 2016 at 8:50 pm
Chicago - A former Chicago transportation official was sentenced on Monday to 10 years in prison for using his influence to expand contracts for the city’s red light traffic camera program in a $2 million bribery scheme.
John Bills, 55, was convicted in January on every charge he faced connected to the scheme, including mail fraud, wire fraud, filing false tax returns and bribery.
In addition to the 10-year sentence, U.S. District Judge Virginia Kendall ordered Bills to make more than $2 million in restitution payments, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
According to the Chicago Tribune newspaper, Bills told the judge before sentencing that he committed “immoral” acts and had a “broken moral compass,&rdq...
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August 29, 2016 at 8:48 pm
San Jose, CA - Apple Inc has been sued by owners of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones who say a design defect causes the phones’ touchscreens to become unresponsive, making them unusable.
According to a proposed nationwide class-action lawsuit filed on Saturday, Apple has long been aware of the defect, which often surfaces after a flickering gray bar appears atop the touchscreens, but has refused to fix it.
The plaintiffs linked the problem to Apple’s decision not to use a metal “shield” or “underfill” to protect the relevant parts, as it did on versions of the iPhone 5.
“The iPhones are not fit for the purpose of use as smartphones because of the touchscreen defect,” according to the complaint filed in federal court in San J...
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August 29, 2016 at 7:44 pm
Washington - A fellow real estate billionaire of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has revoked his support for the candidate after incurring blowback for planning a fund-raiser in his name this weekend.
Martin Selig, a Jewish property developer who fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1939, originally cast his support for Trump as the default choice of a career member of the Republican Party.
“The fact that these are the two people who have been nominated for president, you have to live with that,” he said, in his tepid endorsement of the candidate.
Selig has now reversed course, stating that he will not participate in the planned August 30 fund-raiser, ever donate money to Trump’s cause, or even vote for the GOP nominee come November.
“Do yo...
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August 29, 2016 at 7:28 pm
Orlando, FL - Orlando’s major theme parks are now offering free bug repellant to visitors as concerns about mosquito-transmitted Zika virus mount in Florida.
Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort and SeaWorld Orlando on Sunday began offering the mosquito spray and lotion free of charge at their parks.
No mosquito-transmitted case of the Zika virus has been found in central Florida. But theme park officials say they’re offering the repellant as a precaution and to ease the fears of visitors.
The Department of Health is investigating mosquito-transmitted Zika cases in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties in South Florida, as well as in Pinellas County in the Tampa area.
Zika causes a mild illness in most people but can lead to severe brain-related birth defects i...
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August 29, 2016 at 7:04 pm
Washington - Hillary Clinton is telling supporters that she doesn’t know “which Donald Trump” will show up at the presidential debates.
Clinton told supporters at a private fundraiser in New York’s East Hampton Monday that she is “running against someone who will say or do anything.” The Democratic presidential candidate said her Republican opponent may try and convey “gravity” or he could seek to “score points.”
Clinton called this year “the most unpredictable electoral season.” Her remarks were audible to reporters held in a nearby room.
She stressed that the race was not over yet and said that she had recently been warned that many people “will be paying attention for the first time” when they ...
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August 29, 2016 at 7:04 pm
Washington - The United States on Monday met President Barack Obama’s goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees into the country, the White House announced.
Obama sought a sixfold increase in the number of Syrian refugees provided safe haven in the United States. After a slow start, the administration was able to hit the goal about a month early and just a few weeks before Obama convenes a summit on refugees during the 71st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Obama would have been hard-pressed to make the case for other countries to do more with the U.S. failing to reach a goal that amounts to only about 2 percent of the 480,000 Syrian refugees in need of resettlement. Millions more Syrians have fled to neighboring states such as Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon and ...
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August 29, 2016 at 7:04 pm
San Francisco - Apple is expected to show off a new iPhone next week when the company holds its fall product launch event in San Francisco.
The tech giant announced the date for the Sept. 7 launch by sending out invitations to technology journalists and industry analysts on Monday.
Apple didn’t provide any details, in keeping with its usual practice, but it traditionally announces one or two new iPhone models at its annual September event. Apple may also show new models or features for other products like the Apple Watch or Macbook computer.
The Cupertino, California company sold more than 214 million iPhones over the last 12 months. But sales are down from a year ago, and analysts will be watching closely to see what changes Apple has made in the newest models.
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August 29, 2016 at 5:18 pm
According to reports, Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) clarified today, in private conversations, that he has no intention of bargaining with Hamas for the return of the bodies of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin.
Shaul and Goldin were both killed during Operation Protective Edge, Israel's push to rid Gaza of terrorism and smugglers tunnels. Hamas has been holding their bodies since, in the hope of trading their bones for the freedom of live terrorists and murderers.
"By my estimation, the bodies of the soldiers will not be returned to Israel, I don't see it happening. I was also against the Shalit deal in the past, and I don't intend to cut a deal with Hamas in the future," the Defense Minister said, according to Channel 10.
In 2011, Israel made an a...
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August 29, 2016 at 5:00 pm
Drug-dispensing contacted lenses could offer new hope to people suffering from glaucoma, which causes blindness, after they were found to be at least as effective as eye drops.
Researchers say that the lens, which is designed to deliver medication gradually, may improve the treatment of patients who struggle with eye drops, which can be imprecise and difficult to self-administer.
It is estimated that more than 500,000 people in England and Wales have glaucoma, a build-up of pressure on the eye, but many more people may suffer from the condition without having been diagnosed.
Doctor Joseph Ciolino, an ophthalmologist at Harvard Medical School, said: "We found that a lower-dose contact lens delivered the same amount of pressure reduction as the latanopro...
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August 29, 2016 at 4:59 pm
TRAVELERS REST, S.C. – School officials’ decision to ban students from displaying the American Flag at a recent football game is creating controversy in a South Carolina school district.
On Friday, Travelers Rest High School principal Lou Lavely banned students from carrying American flags into a football game against Berega High School, because a lot of students at Berega are Hispanic. Lavely contends the American flag could have been used to taunt those students, WNCN reports.
“Some events at last evening’s football game have resulted in concerns being raised in our community. I am writing to assure that any decisions made regarding American flags being permitted into the game were made in the best interests of all attending the game and in the spirit ...
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August 29, 2016 at 4:58 pm
A 9-year-old child has just been airlifted to a trauma center after falling off a cliff.
Catskills Hatzolah received calls at around 3:40PM Monday afternoon for reports of a child that fell off a cliff at the Minnewaska State Park in Kerhonkson, NY.
Paramedics rushed to the scene, and a Medevac was requested. The child suffered head, chest, and arm injuries.
The child was extricated by rescue personnel from the bottom of the cliff, and was flown by the chopper to the Westchester Trauma Center.
Please say tehillim for Yehoushu ben Alter Chaya Devorah.
Located in Ulster County, NY Minnewaska State Park Preserve is situated on the dramatic Shawangunk Mountain ridge, which rises more than 2,000 feet above sea level and is surrounded by rugged, rocky terrain. The park features numerous wat...
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August 29, 2016 at 4:43 pm
New York - The Republican National Committee asked the charity of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s family on Monday to produce all correspondence its staff had with the U.S. State Department while Clinton served as America’s most senior diplomat.
Clinton’s campaign to win the Nov. 8 presidential election has been dogged by criticism that donors to the Clinton Foundation may have expected special favors from the U.S. government in return. She says donors to the global charity receive no preferential treatment.
“The Clinton Foundation can play a vital role in filling important gaps in the public record by demonstrating its commitment to transparency and making public all correspondence its officials had with the State Department during Secretary Clinton...
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August 29, 2016 at 4:41 pm
The Lithuanian military will equip its 88 new Boxer armored fighting vehicles with the Samson MK II, advanced Israeli-made remote weapons stations, Israel Defense reported on Monday.
According to Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the makers of the Samson MK II, the technology is “designed for use on any modern light-armored, high-mobility fighting vehicle, new or upgraded, without modifications…the system’s configuration provides the commander with full ‘hunt-kill’ capabilities without interfering with the gunner’s current missions.”
The Israel Defense report said the Samson MK II systems to be delivered to Lithuania will include “a 30mm automatic cannon, 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun … and Rafae...
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August 29, 2016 at 4:40 pm
Israel’s Education Ministry has successfully integrated more Arab teachers in Jewish schools, revealing a 40 percent increase in the last three years, Walla, an Israeli news site reported.
The number of Arab teachers instructing in English, math and science jumped by 76 percent while Arabic language classes gained a 40 percent increase in Arabic teachers from 2013 to 2016, according to Ministry of Education figures.
Haaretz recently reported that there was a shortage of qualified English teachers in Jewish schools, which explains the why there’s been a drop in English-language proficiency among Israeli high school graduates, according to a Ministry of Education report.
The Ministry of Education tackled the problem in 2013 by launching an integration program ...
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August 29, 2016 at 4:36 pm
The decision by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to investigate a French team for anti-Israel discrimination is welcome, an official from the international Jewish human rights organization that had urged the governing soccer body to take action told The Algemeiner on Monday.
“Politics is a factor in sports, but politicizing it impugns its values of fair-play and the pleasure of the game,” said Dr. Shimon Samuels, director for international relations at the Simon Wiesenthal Center-Europe, who called on UEFA to hold the team St. Etienne accountable for banning Israeli flags during a match last week against Beitar Jerusalem, while allowing French and Palestinian flags to fly.
In a letter to UEFA’s president on Mon...
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August 29, 2016 at 4:32 pm
Israeli job-seekers who encountered a want-ad published by the country’s largest public bus company were outraged that it required applicants not to be overweight, Israel’s Channel 10 reported on Monday.
According to the report, which appeared on the network’s “Orly and Guy Morning Show,” the ad specified that “no drivers with a 30-35 Body Mass Index will be accepted.” This means that nobody considered fat is eligible to become a driver for Egged.
Ayelet Kalter, an expert in the treatment of obesity and eating disorders in Israel, expressed ire over the ad. “We are a very fat-phobic society,” she told Orly and Guy. “If a fat person walks down the street, 85 percent of the public thinks terrible t...
