going home ... to yerushalayim: Around the Globe

04 April 2019

Around the Globe

Jews worried as Quebec moves to ban religious items on public workers
So-called secularism bill will keep police officers, teachers and others from wearing kippahs and crosses, but critics say real target is Muslim hijabs. [. . .] This is the fourth attempt by successive Quebec governments to pass a secularism law. timesofisrael

Is There An Anti-Semite Working at NYC Housing Authority?
This is simply shocking. On the NYC Housing Authority website, there is an application for HPD’s “Compliance package”. There is a question which states “Please identify the ethnicity of the majority ownership of the filing entity”.

The choices are: White, Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native America, Hasidic Jew, and Not Applicable.

Where are all the politicians in NYC to question this blatant anti-Semitism? They must be too busy condemning Councilman Kalman Yeger for rightfully stating that there is no country on earth called “Palestine”, and for rightfully calling Rep. Ilhan Omar – an anti-Semite. theyeshivaworld

Eritrean Worker Tries To Sue Kretchnif Rebbe, But The Case Goes Sour In Court
Hasidic Father and Son Viciously Assaulted in Newark, NJ; One in Critical Condition.
Shimon Klein and his adult son Yoel were in the offices of NFI Footwear when they buzzed an unknown number of individuals into their office, and were then beaten with a hammer and a fire extinguisher. YWN

HATE IN OKC: ‘Gas The Jews’ Graffiti at the Oklahoma Democratic Party Office
Racist and anti-Semitic graffiti as well as anti-LGBTQ epithets were spray painted on the front door, walkway and other areas outside the state Democratic Party headquarters in Oklahoma City, said former Democratic Gov. David Walters, who owns the building with his wife, Rhonda. Swastikas were also spray-painted onto the doors. The building houses other tenants, but Anna Langthorn, executive director of the Oklahoma Democratic Party, said she believes the graffiti targeted the party. “It does specifically say Democrats and has an arrow pointed at the door,” she said. YWN

New York Police Department reported
last year anti-Semitic hate crimes in the city were up 25 percent over 2017.
Recent incidents included the smashing of the front window of a synagogue in Bushwick, Brooklyn (prompting the city to increase security for Jewish houses of worship), the kicking a of a stroller pushed by a Jewish woman, a number of beatings, and several incidents of vandalism and arson.

ADL Rosemberg said that he receives an average of 23 complaints a week, not all of which end up being categorized as anti-Semitic or racist incidents. After receiving a complaint, his team investigates to determine if the incident rises to the level of a hate crime. The ADL also proactively monitors the media to spot incidents, often contacting the NYPD to check if they heard about a specific occurrence. In the case of Brooklyn, which has “seen a marked increase in assaults,” Rosemberg said that his organization has found it “incredibly important to respond when every single one of these incidents occurs.”

Late last year the FBI reported that overall, hate crimes increased by 17 percent in 2017, with hate crimes against Jews rising by more than a third and accounting for 58% of all religion-based hate crimes. However, Rosemberg noted that the overall level of anti-Semitic sentiment has remained mostly flat, hovering between 12% and 15% for years. timesofisrael

“What has changed, he said, “is the emboldenment of the people that think that way to act out. People feel emboldened to act out because of the climate, because of the way national rhetoric has been shaped.”

Winter Storms Continue In Israel; Mudslide Damages Nazareth Home; Evacuations in the Golan

YWN B’chasdei Hashem, after the Shabbos rainfall, Kinneret officials report an increase of 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) in the past week.

Since the beginning of this winter season, the increase has been 2.57 meters (8.43 feet). This year was indeed critical, as Water Authority officials warned if the Kinneret does not gain considerably, it will reach the point of no return and the fresh water may become salinated, rendering it non usable as a source of potable water forever. The Kinneret, whose level has continued to rise since the onset of the winter, received 30 millimeters of rainfall, while Ma’alot received more than 90.

ArutzSheva Reports:
The Kinneret's (Sea of Galilee) water level rose 11 centimeters in a single day, and 15.5 centimeters since Friday. Currently, the Kinneret stands at 211.96 meters below sea level, 1.04 meters above the lower red line, and 3.16 meters below the upper red line signaling that the lake is full.

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