In a world full of bad and scary news, this particular story made my blood run cold when I read it: An 83-year-old Jewish lady was raped in her own home by an 18-year-old monster. This sick criminal snuck inside while she was cleaning, attacked her in the most vicious way possible and nearly killed her.

As if that wasn’t horrific enough, she was then subjected to another terrible experience, dealing with the court system. Because he chose a trial rather than a plea, the poor victim had to testify while he glared menacingly and mocked her!

She is so brave, it takes my breath away. I can’t even imagine how she summoned the courage to do it, after the living hell she has been through. Let’s pray this animal is convicted and sentenced to Life in prison! People like him should never, ever be in society again.

The Jewish community is mourning the death of famous photojournalist and author, Ruth Gruber. This 105-year-old (!) dynamo documented some of the most significant moments in history—Stalin’s Russia, Nazi Germany, World War II, Nuremburg trial, etc.

Anyone who as ever seen the epic film Exodus will be familiar with her work, if not her name. It was her initial interest and article that brought world-wide attention to the terrible plight of Jewish refugees whose ship was seized by the British and denied entry into Israel (just prior to modern Statehood, it was known then as “Palestine”).

Focused on humanitarian causes and exposing injustice, her reporting always strove to put a real face on what others showed as merely anonymous suffering. Ruth was truly one of a kind and will be dearly missed!

A challah baking event in Cleveland had a record turnout of 1,500 ladies who came together to enjoy an evening of community and cooking. It was hosted by The Shabbos Project, which is an international, grassroots movement that strives to connect Jews from various backgrounds for the Sabbath.

I love events like these because it’s a way to do Jewish outreach in a non-religious way. So many Jews would love to participate in group activities but don’t feel comfortable attending temple. By offering programs like challah baking, which are low-cost, fully inclusive, and non-controversial, we can reach many people who have fallen away from traditional Judaism.

Photo credit

A Jewish mural that was painted on the side of a NYC building over 40 years ago was destroyed on Monday. This well-know mural featured six different themes that highlighted various aspects of the Jewish experience: the Holocaust, Ellis Island immigration, the Munich Olympics massacre, sweatshops, labor unions, and the Forward newspaper.

I find it rather odd that the mural was painted over if the building is supposed to be demolished in the near future—very curious timing, to say the least. To add insult to injury, the community wasn’t even informed beforehand. Such a sad occurrence!