Did NYT Op-Ed Propose Banning Jews and Other NewBits

Bret Stephens, in a January 18, 2018 Op-Ed in The New York Times, proposes banning Jews in “A Modest Immigration Proposal: Ban Jews.” I assume he is making a historical reference to Jonathan Swift’s “IMmodest Proposal” to eat the children. Bret’s issue? Many Jewish immigrants had a Communist sympathizer in their families. Should all Jews have been banned? Jews, Italians, and Slavs – non Nordic peoples – were considered the shitholes of their periods by many policy makers and pundits. Should Jews have been banned?

The campuses of List/Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Pennsylvania are still in mourning for the loss of their students over winter break after a crash in Costa Rica that killed the members of the Steinberg and Weiss families. Now, Penn is stricken by the murder of a sophomore, Blaze Bernstein, in Southern California over break. Blaze disappeared on January 2; his body was discovered days later in a park where he met a friend. He had been stabbed nearly two dozen times. Under arrest this week for his murder is a high school classmate with whom Bernstein was meeting: Samuel Woodward. According to the accused murderer, Bernstein kissed him as they sat in Woodward’s car, and in a rage, Woodward killed Bernstein. Bernstein’s parents, Gideon Bernstein and Jeanne Pepper Bernstein, have asked the world to do acts of kindness this week in tehir son’s memory. Bernstein, who was planning to major in Psychology, was recently named a top editor for “Penn Appetit,” the school’s undergraduate culinary publication.

Dr. Mathilde Krim, a celebrated geneticist, virologist and scientist, and a foremost AIDS activist, passed away at 91. Her words and energy raised millions of dollars in the fight against HIV/AIDS illnesses, at a time when few were interested in helping. She was a co-founder of amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. Born to an anti-Semitic family, she rebelled and moved to Switzerland as well as to Israel. She volunteered for the Irgun and even briefly married an Irgun comrade. She converted to Judaism and worked for the Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, where she published several groundbreaking studies. Later, she married a a Weizmann Institute trustee: Arthur Krim.

Shouting “LET MY PEOPLE STAY,” over six dozen Jewish leaders and activists were arrested in Washington DC’s Capitol Hill Russell Senate Office Building on Wednesday, as they protested for those undocumented immigrants known as “Dreamers.” Some wore their Tallits. Many of the arrested represented synagogues, Federations, the Reform movement, Bend the Arc, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and T’ruah. Among the elected lawmakers who popped by to greet the protesters were Members of Congress Ted Deutch and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Senators Leahy, Durbin, and Sanders.

Speaking of BOLDness. Teen Vogue reports that Amani Al-Khatahtbeh – who blogs under the name of MuslimGirl on MuslimGirl.com – has rejected a ChangeMaker Award from Revlon. Why? Because Revlon hired actress Gal Gadot, an Israeli Jewish woman and former IDF soldier, as a spokesperson/ambassador. @Amani is an outspoken critic of Israel and supporter of Ahed Tamimi, the 16 year old who was arrested on several counts of attacking (punching, slapping) Israeli soldiers.

The Frisch School, an Orthodox Jewish school in New Jersey, asked children to write letters to the White House that would praise President Donald J. Trump’s decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Rabbi David Sher sent a template email to the students with sample words, such as “courageous leadership.” Jared Kushner, the President’s son in law graduated from Frisch, and his family has donated millions of dollars to the school. Some parents were offended and asked the school to remain apolitical. After complaints, Rabbi Ciner, the school’s principal, later told students that the letters were voluntary. No word on whether there would be a letter writing campaign in support of DACA Dreamers in the school’s community.