Articles By
Mitch Stern
Mitch Stern is a writer and researcher for VosIzNeias. Mitch writes for several major news organizations.
- London - Chief Rabbi Encourages Jews To Join Police Force July 17, 2015 11:04 AM | 4 Comments London, UK - On Wednesday, Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis encouraged Jewish men and women to join the Metropolitan Police force, saying that for the benefit of "all of our society,' Jews need to play a role and be "part of that protection force." the JC.com (http://bit.ly/1Sryh3C) reports that Rabbi Mirvis made his comments immediately following a briefing by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir... Read more »
- Washington - Trump Polling Into 1St Place Among Republicans, Struggles Against Hilary Clinton July 14, 2015 06:36 PM | 6 Comments Washington, D.C. – According to a USA Today/Suffolk University Poll, Donald Trump is leading in the GOP race, but his efforts are stilted when up against Hilary Clinton. Trump is the weakest competitor amid the top seven GOP candidates against Democrat Clinton, according to USA Today (http://usat.ly/1M9eyXM). In a hypothetical head-to-head against Clinton, Bush is the strongest candidate... Read more »
- New York - Melissa Mark-Viverito Blasts Trump In Interview, Calls Him ‘Charlatan’ July 2, 2015 03:05 PM | 7 Comments New York - In an interview on the The Brian Lehrer Show, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito had some choice words for Donald Trump and the aftermath of his comments on Mexican immigrants. When asked for her thoughts on Trump, Mark-Viverito called him a “Charlatan,” a “Huckster” and a self-promoter who “needs to become a pariah.” “People shouldn’t want to do business... Read more »
- Pine Bush, NY - Pine Bush School District Settles Anti-Semitic Harassment Lawsuit With $4.48M Payout June 29, 2015 04:59 PM | 5 Comments Pine Bush, NY - The Pine Bush School District in upstate New York has agreed to pay $4.48 million to settle a 2012 lawsuit that alleged five current and former Jewish students suffered anti-Semitic harassment. The lawsuit states that school officials failed to take appropriate and timely action to protect the students, reports the New York Times (http://nyti.ms/1Jtr6sg). The school... Read more »
- Vienna - Israeli Photographer Causes Disturbance On Austrian Flight, Tells Police They Killed 6M Jews June 19, 2015 02:30 PM | 9 Comments Vienna – An Israeli passenger on a flight from Vienna to Tel Aviv caused a disturbance and over a one-hour delay Tuesday after he refused to check-in camera equipment, and told Austrian police, “You killed six million Jews. You want to kill another one?” Photographer Yossi Davidov his three companions began arguing with flight attendants over taking camera equipment onto the flight... Read more »
- Washington - Author Reveals President Reagan Carried Pistol Outside Of White House June 19, 2015 12:15 AM | 0 Comments Washington - While doing research for his latest book, “The President’s Shadow,” author Brad Meltzer says that Ronald Reagan carried a .38 caliber pistol with him every time he left the White House. Reagan would keep the pistol in his briefcase and took it on Air Force One, according to the Daily Mail (http://dailym.ai/1CfKFMM). It’s not known if President Reagan carried the gun... Read more »
- Albany, NY - Assembly Dems Want To Change Primary Date Next Spring Due To Passover June 18, 2015 05:00 PM | 2 Comments Albany, NY - Assembly Democrats want to change the proposed presidential primary date next April because it falls during Passover. In a letter sent to the Democratic National Committee, Dems said the proposed date of April 26, 2016 is “offensive” to the values of the Democratic Party, reports New York Daily News (http://nydn.us/1RcTMVf). The legislature has to approve a primary date... Read more »
- London - Numbers Show Hundreds Of ‘Missing’ Haredi Boys In London’s Education System June 18, 2015 04:58 PM | 7 Comments London - New numbers released by the Department for Education revealed that hundreds of Orthodox Jewish boys in the borough of Hackney in London, England, are not in the official education system. Despite attempts by authorities to register the yeshivas where it has been believed many boys were studying, statistics show that seven times as many teen girls as boys in Haredi schools in Hackney... Read more »
- New York - Former Israeli Ambassador To U.S. Criticizes American Jewish Liberals June 17, 2015 05:13 PM | 10 Comments New York - The former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, states in his new book “Ally” that the anti-Israel coverage that comes from American media is largely due to Jewish journalists, and condemns President Obama and American Jewish liberals. In the book – due to be released next week – Oren says that the claim, “Jews control the media” is anti-Semitic, but then goes... Read more »
- Jerusalem - Israel’s Reform Jews Call For Removal Of Religious Affairs Minister Over ‘Offensive’ Comment June 17, 2015 03:22 PM | 12 Comments Jerusalem – Leaders of Reform Jewry in Israel are demanding the removal of the new minister of religious affairs David Azoulay after he called the Reform movement a “disaster for the nation” Wednesday. Azoulay, a member of the Orthodox Mizrahi Shas party, made his comment in a meeting with Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked regarding the government’s position on Women of the Wall, the... Read more »
- New York - Millionaires Projected To Control More Than Half Of Global Wealth By 2019 June 15, 2015 11:30 PM | 16 Comments New York - A Global Wealth report states that millionaires are expected to control 46 percent of the global wealth by 2019. The report, from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said the wealth gap will continue to widen as the number of millionaires grows, reports CNBC (http://cnb.cx/1cXeefh). The report says the number of millionaires grew worldwide to 17 million in 2014, and that millionaires... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Absolut Co. Files Lawsuit Against Brooklyn Orthodox Jewish Company Over Infringement June 10, 2015 04:00 PM | 17 Comments Brooklyn, NY - Absolut Co. filed a complaint in New York federal court last Thursday to halt Brooklyn-based Happy Hearts’ production of what they say is a knockoff of Absolut Co.’s Kahlua coffee liqueur. The coffee liqueur, allegedly made by Happy Hearts Wine LLC located on 18th Ave and 45th Steet, looks very similar to Kahlua in its labels, bottle shape, color and the name –... Read more »
- New York - NYC Proposes New Legislation For Harsher Fines On Home-Swapping Sites June 10, 2015 03:10 PM | 3 Comments New York - Manhattan City Council members proposed new legislation Wednesday that would hand down tough fines on property owners who list units on Airbnb and other home-swapping sites. Council members Helen Rosenthal and Ydanis Rodriguez proposed new legislation that would raise the fine for a first offense from $1,000 to $10,000, with a maximum penalty increasing from $25,000 to $50,000... Read more »
- New York - NYPD Commissioner Bratton Says Criminal Records Create Difficulty In Hiring Non-White Officers June 9, 2015 11:51 PM | 12 Comments New York – Police Commissioner Bill Bratton in an interview with The Guardian stated that it is difficult to hire non-white police officers because of the high rate of criminal records among black and Hispanic men. Police departments across the nation are trying to diversify their departments after widespread national killings of black men by white police officers, but according to Bratton... Read more »
- London - Belz Schools Retract Ban On Women Driving Children To School June 5, 2015 11:46 AM | 30 Comments London – Two ultra-Orthodox Jewish schools in the Belz sect of London have retracted their ban on female drivers taking their children to school after they were told the ban was unlawful by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The Commission, after consulting with the Department of Education, sent a letter to the schools stating the ban is illegal, reports The Guardian... Read more »
- Riyadh - Saudi Arabia Cabinet Calls For Stop To “Judaism” Of Jerusalem June 2, 2015 10:28 PM | 13 Comments Saudi Arabia – The Saudi Arabian cabinet called on the international community Monday to stop the “Judaism” of Jerusalem through the fast-pace building of settlements, violations in occupied Palestinian territories and through the division of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The cabinet stated that Israel had moved some offices to areas of occupied Jerusalem and had been arresting Palestinians, saying... Read more »
- Jerusalem - Digital Ink Rendering: Israeli Developers Raise Over $500K For New Tech Device On Kickstarter June 2, 2015 09:39 PM | 0 Comments Israel – Funding website Kickstarter has helped raise $633,000 so far for the developers of a new smart pen for mobile input devices, designed by Israeli company OTM Technologies. Phree allows the user to draw on almost any kind of surface, such as a door, a table, a window or the back of your hand, according to the Kickstarter site (http://kck.st/1RHmkrX). The device is easy to use when... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Black School Bus Driver Sues Borough Park Satmar School Over Slurs, Owed Back Pay June 2, 2015 01:47 PM | 43 Comments Brooklyn, NY – An African-American school bus driver is suing the United Talmudical Academy of Boro Park for $2 million for discrimination for being called, “monkey friend” and “blackie” while on the job. Willis Baker, 56, filed a lawsuit against the ultra-Orthodox Jewish school and Yanke Shaefer, who hired him, reports Newsweek (http://bit.ly/1FrORu8). Baker stats in the lawsuit... Read more »
- Jerusalem - Gov. Economist: Israel’s Financial Projections Are Weak If More Haredim, Israeli Arabs Don’t Join Workforce June 1, 2015 09:27 PM | 5 Comments Jerusalem – Numbers released two years ago by the Central Bureau of Statistics regarding Israel’s demographics have sparked interest in the financial security of the state by 2059. Assaf Geva, an economist in the Finance Ministry, has been studying the numbers for the past 18 months, and the future doesn’t look bright, reports Haaretz (http://bit.ly/1Kz5Rlr). According to Geva... Read more »
- London - Hasidic Sect Banning Female Drivers At School Defends Beliefs June 1, 2015 09:00 PM | 33 Comments London – Hasidic schools in London that announced last week that children would be banned if driven to school by their mothers wrote a letter to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan defending their stance on the topic. The schools apologized for the “unfortunate” choice of words, but stand by their decision, stating the efforts are being taken to stop the fall of religious principles and... Read more »
- Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Man Finds Jewish Girl His Family Hid During WWII June 1, 2015 04:03 PM | 5 Comments Brooklyn - A Polish man who now lives in Brooklyn has found the Jewish woman he and his family hid from the Nazis when she was just a young girl during WWII. Edward Pieniak, 74, who had been searching for Teresa Wisniewska for years, finally found her with the help of various Jewish organizations and the Daily News, according to the media organization (http://bit.ly/1EOtZf0). Pieniak believes... Read more »
- London - Fashion Designer John Galliano Meets With Rabbi, Holocaust Survivor For Rehab Project June 1, 2015 03:00 PM | 2 Comments London - Fashion designer John Galliano, who was convicted in 2011 in a French court for making public anti-Semitic comments to a woman, has been meeting with a rabbi and Holocaust survivor as part of a rehab program. Galliano has had meetings with Rabbi Barry Marcus of London and Holocaust survivor Harry Olmer, 87, who was a teenager when he was imprisoned in labor camps during the... Read more »
- Manchester, UK - Jewish Woman Not Able To Work Shabbos Granted Court Settlement After Losing Job Offer May 29, 2015 12:42 PM | 5 Comments Manchester, UK - A Jewish woman who was turned down for a job allegedly based on religious reasons won a $24,000 settlement in court by employment tribunal judges. Aurelie Fhima, 23, was awarded the settlement for loss of earnings, injury to feelings and fees, reports the Daily Mail (http://dailym.ai/1SGJ3Gf). Fhima says she interviewed at travel agency Travel Jigsaw, but her application... Read more »
- Maryland - Baltimore State Attorney Credits Shomrim For Help Identifying Robbery Suspects May 29, 2015 11:19 AM | 3 Comments Maryland – The State’s Attorney office for Baltimore credited a Community Liaison who has close ties to the Shomrim of Baltimore for helping to solve a robbery case in which a woman was attacked while walking with her two children. Assistant Attorney Amy Brown credits Community Liaison Isaac Schleifer with helping her attain evidence to file felony charges against two people who robbed the... Read more »
- Vatican - Pope Retracts President Mahmoud Comment, Says Not Recognizing Israel Equals Anti-Semitism May 28, 2015 06:58 PM | 6 Comments Vatican – Pope Francis retracted an earlier statement calling Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “an angel of peace” and reportedly sent an email to a journalist stating that those who don’t recognize Israel are guilty of anti-Semitism. Portuguese-Israeli journalist Henrique Cymerman tweeted Thursday that the pope emailed him saying, “’In an email we got from Pope... Read more »
- New York - Jewish Man Proves Existence Of God In Brooklyn Court May 28, 2015 04:37 PM | 8 Comments Brooklyn, NY – God proved his existence in Brooklyn Court Wednesday, making believers out of a Magistrate judge and credit-reporting agency Equifax. God Gazarov, 27, settled his lawsuit against Equifax for failing to provide him and a lender with his credit report, stating they couldn’t give him a credit report because they couldn’t process his name as God, according to New York Daily... Read more »
- Sydney, Australia - Jewish Man Riding Bicycle Killed In Australia May 28, 2015 12:48 PM | 4 Comments Sydney, Australia - A mohel and father of four was hit by a car and killed Thursday in Australia just months after moving there with his family. Dr. Henri Sueke, 36, was killed on his way to work. He and his wife, Danni, had just moved to Australia from England before Passover, reports the Jewish Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1Ksqbow). PerthNow (http://bit.ly/1FFs4gJ) reports Sueke was cycling... Read more »
- London - Children Of Belz Sect Banned From U.K. Schools If Mothers Drive Them There May 28, 2015 11:21 AM | 49 Comments London – The British leaders of the Belz Hasidic sect in the U.K. have publicly stated that women are not allowed to drive, and that children whose mothers drive them to school will be banned starting in August. Leaders from Belz schools sent out a letter last week stating that allowing female drivers is against the modesty rules of the sect and goes against the “norms” of general... Read more »
- New York - New Bill Introduced In Albany Would Cover Expensive IVF Treatments May 27, 2015 11:41 AM | 15 Comments Albany, NY – A new bill introduced in Albany is looking to cover the expensive cost of in-vitro fertilization. Sponsors of the bill said that the cost of in-vitro, ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 per treatment cycle, unfairly eliminates couples who can’t afford it from trying to have their own baby, according to the New York Post (http://bit.ly/1FYNF71). Insurance ratepayers will have... Read more »
- London - Chief Rabbi Calls On Jewish Communities To Report Child Sexual Abuse To Police May 26, 2015 05:53 PM | 27 Comments London - The Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth released a statement Tuesday stating that it is imperative that child sexual abuse be reported in the Jewish community. Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis’ statement follows the conviction of a Haredi teacher last week of sexual abuse (http://bit.ly/1FC8YrD). Todros Grynhaus, 50, of Salford was convicted of five... Read more »
