News

 It is only the beginning of 2020, and already within the span of the first five days of the new year, the Jewish community saw what could possibly be the two most widely attended Jewish events of the year. First, on New Year’s Day, 90,000+ people packed into frigid MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, to celebrate the completion of the Daf Yomi. The following Sunday, on January 5, an estimated 25,000 people braved the cold to march across the Brooklyn Bridge in protest of the ever-increasing number of anti-Semitic attacks in the New York Metropolitan area and across the country.

There needs to be a change in the public debate about anti-Semitism. Last week, after the horrific shootings in a Jersey City kosher grocery store that left four victims dead, including a Jersey City Detective, you would expect there to be an enormous outcry of some sort. Following both the Tree of Life (2018) and Poway (2019) synagogue shootings, major debates took place over gun control and White supremacism. Of course, the topic of anti-Semitism came in third in those discussions. However, since the shootings took place, there is no talk of gun control, no talk of White supremacism, and only a small smattering of anti-Semitism discussion.

 At this point we can all recognize that there has been a massive shift in American culture over the last 20 years. We can look to public opinion on issues like the LGBTQ community and racism as obvious examples, but just how far have the changes seeped into society? The truth is that everything you consume can have an effect on you. The more frequently a message is sent, the stronger the effect. For example, a commercial that you frequently see or hear can have long-lasting effects on you. I still have the IO Digital Cable commercial from the early 2000s rolling around in my head. But this holds true with more than just advertising. It also comes when dealing with traditional forms of media, and it is especially potent when targeted at children. And who is the undisputed king of producing children’s content? Disney.

Hospitals are suing patients. It’s a scary time in healthcare now that hospitals have resorted to filing suit against delinquent patients. The New York Times reported on this last month, which was only five months after NPR reported the same thing. It’s no wonder that most major 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls have robust plans for changing the healthcare industry. According to both NPR, and the Times, the suits are generally filed, not against uninsured patients but against underinsured patients. These are individuals who thought they were covered for medical expenses, but it turns out that they are absolutely not. At least they aren’t covered to the extent they should be.

It always humors me when Hollywood pats themselves on the back when they attempt to deconstruct conservative messages. They basically have three-step move. Step 1: Place a conservative character in a position where they would have to make an unenviable decision. Step 2: Project a liberal understanding of how conservatives think on said character. Step 3: Force said character to make the decision that contradicts his/her ideological beliefs, thus confirming that the liberal reasoning behind conservatism is correct. This often plays out very subtly on political shows such as The West Wing, but it always amuses me when shows that generally stay away from politics decide, seemingly at random, that they should make a statement.

 This year, the Anti-Defamation League honored comedian and actor Sacha Baron Cohen with their International Leadership award. Two weeks ago, at their Never Is Now summit, the ADL invited Baron Cohen to deliver the keynote address. The target of his ire was social media companies, but mostly Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Now, although I use both websites regularly, I am well aware of the many dangers that exist on these platforms. You may have seen selected clips of this speech, and a lot of what Baron Cohen said may resonate strongly with you. However, like many edited clips, it’s the background of what he said that brings out the true message Baron Cohen was trying to convey. So this week I would like to work through some of the messages Baron Cohen, and by extension much of the liberal elite, was delivering, and explain why they are not the obvious interpretation he would like you to believe.