Kennedy Krieger CEO, Gal Gadot, anti-Semitism stats and more
Police presence increased in Anne Arundel Co. schools
Anne Arundel County students may notice an extra police cruiser or more officers on campus this week as the school system confronts an online threat made at Pasadena’s Northeast High School, as well as heightened anxieties following recent horrific school shootings elsewhere in the country, according to Baltimore Fishbowl. Anne Arundel County Public Schools said in a statement to parents and students issued via Facebook Feb. 25 that “as a precaution and to help ease fear and anxiety of students, parents, and staff, you may see an increased additional police presence at schools tomorrow and throughout the week.” Tensions were also high for the Glen Burnie High School community after an incident from last week that led to more rumors, which pushed administrators to reach out to parents there as well. That was due to an off-campus situation involving a former student and a current student. Anne Arundel County police have warned parents that their children should know online messages are taken seriously, and “they will be held accountable for their actions.”
Read more: Anne Arundel County Schools boost police presence in light of threats, anxieties at high schools
Head of Kennedy Krieger stepping down
The man who’s helped grow the Johns Hopkins-affiliated Kennedy Krieger Institute for the last three decades is stepping down from his post as CEO, according to Baltimore Fishbowl. Dr. Gary Goldstein is expected to retire in several months, once the institute specializing in pediatric developmental disabilities appoints a new CEO and president. Goldstein has led the East Baltimore-headquartered institution since 1988. “It has been a great privilege to lead Kennedy Krieger Institute over the past 30 years,” he said in a statement. “Through our interdisciplinary approach to patient care, research, professional training and special education, we have positively impacted hundreds of thousands of children, young adults and families. We’ve grown to become one of the largest academic institutions in the world serving children with developmental disorders and their families.” Kennedy Krieger served 24,000 patients in 2017, nearly nine times as many as it did when Goldstein was appointed CEO, and drew $30 million in research funding last year, up from $700,000 in 1987, according to a release. The institute has also expanded its special education programs to three outside campuses around Maryland. It now reaches 550 students annually. Goldstein plans to continue working with the Kennedy Krieger Foundation after he retires. The institute’s board of directors will undertake a national search for his replacement.
Read more: Head of Kennedy Krieger Institute stepping down after 30 years
50 percent of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign
A TV news poll found that 50 percent of Israelis believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, beset by corruption accusations, should resign. Some 33 percent of respondents said he should remain in office, according to results of the Hadashot survey released on Feb. 21 following the latest developments in the scandal known as Case 4000. The snap poll by the privately owned station also found that 42 percent of respondents favored early elections due to the allegations, with 36 percent opposed and preferring to wait until the scheduled vote in November 2019. The Gallup organization in a report issued Feb. 21 found that prior to the corruption allegations, slightly more than half of Israelis, or 52 percent said in 2017 that they approved of how Netanyahu was handling his job as prime minister. Netanyahu’s lowest approval rating was 35 percent in 2012, when he also faced allegations of corruption, Gallup reported. A poll published on Feb. 21 by Israel’s Channel 10 found that if new elections were held today, the Likud party with Netanyahu as its leader would still receive the highest number of Knesset seats, with 27, followed by the centrist party Yesh Atid with 23. If Netanyahu stepped down as party leader, according to the poll, Likud would still win 26 seats.–JTA
Another major discovery in Israel
An impression of what is believed to be the 2,700-year-old personal seal of the prophet Isaiah was uncovered in Jerusalem. Isaiah lived during the eighth century BCE and prophesized about the return of the Jews from the Babylonian exile. Israeli archaeologist Eilat Mazar of the Hebrew University reported on her discovery Feb. 22 in the Biblical Archaeology Review magazine. The impression of the seal, or bulla, was found during excavations in the area just below the southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The seal was found about 10 feet from where a seal of King Hezekiah was found three years ago. The seal bore the name of Isaiah in Hebrew and is followed by the first three letters of the Hebrew word for prophet, or Navi. The aleph is missing and it is not clear if it was on the seal but was too damaged or did not appear on the seal, meaning that it belonged to someone else named Isaiah. The fact that it was found so close to a seal of King Hezekiah lends credence to the theory that it belonged to the prophet, however. Isaiah is believed to have served as a spiritual adviser to the king. There are several biblical references to meetings between the two men.—JTA
Soaring number of Sephardic Jews acquire Portuguese citizenship
Nearly 1,800 descendants of Sephardic Jews acquired the Portuguese nationality in 2017 under a law enacted two years earlier, with another 12,000 still in the application process, officials in Lisbon said. The tally for last year is six times higher than the total for 2016, during which the application of the law hit bureaucratic snags amid political changes. The increase in naturalization under the law, which Portugal passed in 2013 and enacted in 2015 as a form of making amends for the persecution of Jews during the Inquisition that began in the 16th century, comes amid a host of initiatives by the government to strengthen the country’s ties to Jewish audiences and recognition of its Jewish heritage. A similar push is underway in Spain, which passed a similar law of return simultaneous to the Portuguese one and which has naturalized more than 5,000 applicants. In Lisbon, a large Jewish museum is under construction and is on schedule to open next year.
Read more: A soaring number of Sephardic Jews acquired Portuguese citizenship in 2017
U.S. anti-Semitic incidents more than double
The number of anti-Semitic incidents in the United States spiked in 2017, according to a new report by the Anti-Defamation League. There were 1,986 acts of anti-Semitism in the U.S. last year, according to an ADL audit released on Feb. 27. That is more than double the total from 2015, which was 942. It’s also a 57 percent increase over the 2016 total of 1,267. The audit said that the rise is due in part to an increase in people reporting incidents of anti-Semitism. The 2017 number includes more than 160 bomb threats sent to Jewish community centers and other institutions early that year. A Jewish teen from Israel has been arrested for making the vast majority of those threats, which were all not credible. Discounting the JCC bomb threats, reported incidents still increased by 43 percent over 2016. Anti-Semitic incidents on schools and college campuses also doubled in 2017 for the second year in a row. Non-Jewish elementary and high schools experienced 457 anti-Semitic incidents, compared to 235 in 2016 and 114 in 2015. The states that saw the most anti-Semitic incidents were those with large Jewish populations. New York had 380 incidents of anti-Semitism, while California had 268 and New Jersey had 208.
Read more: Anti-Semitic incidents in 2017 more than double the US total from 2015, ADL says
Weinstein Company declaring bankruptcy after sale falls through
The Weinstein Company will declare bankruptcy after a $500 million deal to sell the production company fell through. The company, which has struggled to stay solvent since allegations of sexual misconduct against co-owner Harvey Weinstein were made public in October, made the announcement late Feb. 25 in a statement. The company is co-owned by Bob Weinstein. Harvey Weinstein was dismissed from the company shortly after dozens of women came forward to make public accusations. “While we recognize that this is an extremely unfortunate outcome for our employees, our creditors and any victims, the board has no choice,” the company said in the statement. “Over the coming days, the company will prepare its bankruptcy filing with the goal of achieving maximum value in court.” The deal reportedly fell through after the group in negotiations to buy the company did not agree to provide interim funding to keep the 150-employee studio in operation until the final deal was signed. The group had offered to pay roughly $275 million for the Weinstein Company, plus the assumption of $225 million in debt. The sale to the group of investors had been expected to be finalized two weeks ago, but was delayed after the State of New York filed a lawsuit against the Weinstein brothers and their production company for violating laws against sexual harassment and sexual abuse. The civil rights lawsuit calls for the defendants to pay restitution and damages to the victims, something that had not been provided within the framework of the sale of the company. The sale that collapsed on Sunday was said to include tens of millions of dollars for victims of Harvey Weinstein and a mediation process for reaching settlements, according to the New York Times.–JTA
Gal Gadot to present at Academy Awards
Israeli actress Gal Gadot will make her debut as a presenter at the Academy Awards ceremony. The “Wonder Woman” star was among 10 new presenters announced on Feb. 21 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Others include Mark Hamill of “Star Wars” fame and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. “Wonder Woman,” despite its box office success, did not receive any Oscar nominations. Gadot also appeared this year as Wonder Woman in the film “Justice League.” She presented a Golden Globe Award last month for best actress to Rachel Brosnahan for her role in the Amazon TV series “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” The Oscars ceremony, which is celebrating its 90th anniversary, will take place on March 4.—JTA
It’s #NationalPancakeDay
Go to IHOP and get a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes through 7 p.m. (Some locations will offer the deal through 10 p.m. Customers aren’t required to pay for their pancakes, but IHOP does ask that guests leave a donation of any size to go toward charities like Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Shriners Hospitals for Children, according to Fortune. IHOP aims to raise $5 million to honor its 60th anniversary of serving up fresh flapjacks.
Read more: IHOP Is Giving Out Free Pancakes Today for National Pancake Day. Here’s How to Get Them
J-Words for Purim:
Purim Seudah
Meaning: Holiday meal
Usage: The Purim Seudah is a highlight for many who enjoy eating and drinking in abundance.
Shalach manot
Meaning: Purim basket
Usage: We sent shalach manot to our friends in Puerto Rico for the holiday.
Purim begins at sundown on Feb. 28 and ends the evening of March 1.
Go to facebook.com/JMORELiving every Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. to watch Need to Know with Editor-in-Chief Alan Feiler. Join the discussion on the week’s news and current events.
As he gets ready to leave for California, Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg looks back on his time in Baltimore and his 10 years writing for Jmore.
Michael Olesker pays tribute to WJZ’s retiring Marty Bass, a longtime fixture on local TV screens.
The Orioles' weak defense plays a major role in the nightly carnage, writes Michael Olesker.