OP-ED – I read recently of a city in which a school set up for rejected but problem-free children was forced to close by communal influence because – according to an affected parent – it attracted families deemed unworthy of joining that community. [READ ORIGINAL LETTER HERE] Has the narrative been overstated? I don’t know. […]

Duluth – A suspect was arrested in connection with the fire that burned to the ground a historic synagogue in northern Minnesota. The Adas Israel Synagogue in Duluth, Minnesota caught fire early on the morning of September 9. The building was more than 100 years old. Matthew James Amiot, 36, was arrested on Friday on […]

The Holocaust diary of Polish Jewish teenager Renia Spiegel will finally be published after being sealed away in a New York bank vault for nearly 70 years, CNN reported. Spiegel was born in 1924 and lived in Przemysl, Poland, which was invaded by the Nazis in 1941. Her diary chronicles her escape from bombing raids […]

Knoxville – Anti-Semitic graffiti was found on “The Rock,” an iconic structure at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. The words “Jews did 9-11” and “Google: Dancing Israelis” were found etched on “The Rock” on Wednesday, the 18th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. “Google: Dancing Israelis” refers to the conspiracy that a group of […]

Washington – The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that Cherrie Daniels has been tapped to be its Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues. Founded in 1999, the Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues “develops and implements U.S. policy to return Holocaust-era assets to their rightful owners, secure compensation for Nazi-era wrongs, and ensure […]

Orlando – A Florida man who threatened to shoot up a local synagogue and has said publicly that he hates Jews was apprehended on Friday by the FBI. Hanson Larkin, 25, was in an Orlando federal court the same day, charged with making threats through interstate communication to, according to police, a Jewish man that […]

California – California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a bill that protects the right of Jewish residents to place a mezuzah on their doorposts, including dormitory rooms and apartments. Senate Bill 652, known as the “Mezuzah Bill,” mandates that property owners “shall not enforce or adopt a restrictive covenant or any other restriction that […]

Lakewood – Rabbi Shlomo Gissinger of Lakewood, NJ passed away today. Rabbi Gissinger was the Rav of Khal Zichron Yaakov, one of the largest congregations in Lakewood. Rabbi Gissinger was well known far beyond Lakewood, as a leader and Posek. He was involved in numerous organizations in the community. Rabbi Gissinger had fallen ill over […]

Sweden – The popular video blogger PewDiePie announced a donation of $50,000 to the Anti-Defamation League, then rescinded it a day later after fan feedback. PewDiePie, whose name is Felix Kjellberg of Sweden, made the announcement of the donation on Wednesday during an online celebration of surpassing 100 million subscribers, saying he wanted to get […]