Scene Around

Anti-Semitism in France...

As recently reported in the La Croix International, (and passing it along to you), some 300 leading French public figures signed a manifesto denouncing what they see as the new wave of anti-Semitism in their country. The manifesto was published recently in Le Parisien newspaper and was signed by politicians, as well as Jewish, Muslim and Catholic leaders.

Among the signatories were two leading Catholic officials: JOSEPH DORE, Bishop-emeritus of Strasbourg, and Father PATRICK DESBOIS, responsible for relations with Judaism at the French Bishops' Conference.

Others included actor GERARD DEPARDIEU, singer, CHARLES AZNAVOUR, and former president NICHOLAS SARKOZY.

"We demand that the fight against this democratic failure that is anti-Semitism becomes a national cause before it's too late. Before France is no longer France," reads to manifesto. "French Jews are 25 times more at risk of being attacked than their fellow Muslim citizens. In our recent history, 11 Jews have been assassinated and some tortured by radical Islamists because they were Jewish."

The murders date back to 2006 and include the 2012 fatal shooting of three schoolchildren and a teacher at a Jewish school by an Islamist gunman in Toulouse.

Three years later, an associate of those who massacred cartoonists at the satirical newspaper "Charlie Hebdo" killed four people at a Jewish supermarket in Paris.

In April 2017, an elderly Orthodox Jewish woman was thrown out of the window of her Paris apartment by a neighbor shouting "Allahu Akbar." And the latest shocking attack took place a few months ago when an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor was stabbed 11 times before her body was set on fire.

The statement urges prominent Muslim religious leaders in France to denounce anti-Jewish and anti-Christian references in the Quran as outdated so "no believer can refer to a holy text to commit a crime."

As the widow & mother of U.S. Military veterans...

I want to protect veterans, especially, from the following scams:

VA Loan Scam: Someone offers to refinance your loan at a lower interest rate.

Tech Support Scam: You get a message or email saying that there is a virus on your computer and you need to pay to remove it.

Phishing Scam: You receive a call or email about a program for vets that pays thousands in benefits, but they ask for your personal information.

Credit Card Scam: You get a call from a robocaller saying you can lower your interest rate.

IRS Tax Scam: Someone calls or leaves a message saying they work for the IRS and that you owe them money.

Charity Scam: You are asked to make a donation to support veterans but the charity is not a legitimate organization.

JCC39ers...

Cinema Sundays next feature will be shown on Aug. 26, 2 p.m. in the Maitland JCC Senior Lounge.

The movie featured is "The Florida Project" with Willem Dafoe.

Refreshments will be available.

Meet & Mingle Mondays will feature "The Jewish American" presented by SHELDON BROOK. It takes place at 1 p.m. in the Maitland JCC Senior Lounge on Aug. 27. Refreshments will be put out after the program and will be plentiful!

Shout Outs...

"Calories make it taste good," said LAURA RUSAKIEWICZ, a waitress at TooJay's Restaurant in Altamonte Springs. That was Laura's response to my request to "take all the calories out." She is a wonderful waitress and very pleasant.

And at Bagel King in Casselberry, always on the ball, JOSH DOBB saw that I was feeling a little light-headed and rushed me over my dessert! Also at the same Bagel King, waitress SUZANNE LIPTAK, a lovely looking, fast and efficient waitress, took good care of me and my guest.

(We enjoyed the service and especially the food that had NO calories!!)

Art at the JCC...

On Wednesday, Aug. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Roth Family JCC in Maitland, a program titled Jewish Canvas Art will take place.

Work with Bonnie Morgan, JCC's art teacher and Ringling College alum, to create a one-of-a-kind, piece of Judaic art. You will be guided through the painting process step-by-step to help you create your own unique masterpiece. Be sure to phone the JCC at 407-645-5933 to register.

I saw this on a t-shirt...

"The world's best antidepressant has 4 legs, a wagging tail, and comes with unconditional love." (I whole-heartedly agree!)

While on my recent visit to Chicago, I bonded with my "niece," KASEY, a 9-year-old German Shepherd mix that is an important part of one of my son's families. While there I noticed that we had an uncanny family resemblance! (Check for yourself!)

One for the road...

Izzy has taken to flying kites, but he's not very good at it. In fact, today he's having trouble controlling his kite-it's bobbing and weaving all over the sky. His wife Sarah, observing the scene from the window, calls out to him, "Izzy, I think it would be better if you had a piece of tail." 

Izzy replies, "When I asked you for that a little while ago, you told me to go fly a kite."