doesn't columbus offer more for jews than raleigh Yes, Columbus offers more for Jews than Raleigh, especially in terms of infrastructure, community size, and Orthodox resources. Here's a comparison based on what each city provides: 🕍 Jewish Life in Columbus, Ohio Strengths: Three vibrant Orthodox synagogues and a Modern Orthodox K–12 day school. A community Kollel, mikvah, eruv, and kosher dining options. JewishColumbus raises millions annually to support security, education, and Israel-related initiatives. The Jewish Community Center (JCC) has been active for over 100 years, offering wellness, education, and cultural programs. State tuition vouchers help reduce the cost of Jewish day school education. A warm, accepting Orthodox community with incentives like reduced JCC memberships and free synagogue memberships. 🕍 Jewish Life in Raleigh, North Carolina Strengths: A well-established Jewish community with Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Renewal congregations. The Raleigh-Cary JCC offers a 30-acre campus with recreational and cultural facilities. Active Jewish Federation supporting events, education, and Israeli engagement. Strong cultural presence, including a Judaic art gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Limitations: Smaller Orthodox infrastructure compared to Columbus. Fewer kosher dining options and less robust day school support. 🧠 Summary Feature Columbus, OH Raleigh, NC Orthodox Infrastructure Extensive Moderate Jewish Day Schools Multiple, with vouchers Limited options Kosher Dining Widely available Limited Community Size & Funding Larger, well-funded Smaller, growing Cultural Engagement Strong Strong If you're seeking a city with robust Jewish infrastructure, especially for Orthodox life or raising a Jewish family, Columbus is the stronger choice. Raleigh is still a welcoming and vibrant Jewish community, but Columbus offers more depth and support. Would you like help exploring neighborhoods in Columbus that are especially Jewish-friendly or comparing cost of living between the two cities? Edit in a page Also laws were passed in columbus that are jew friendly Yes, Columbus has taken notable legislative and executive steps to support and protect its Jewish community—making it one of the more Jewish-friendly cities in the U.S. Here are some key developments: 🏛️ Jewish-Friendly Laws and Actions in Columbus 1. Governor DeWine’s Executive Order on Anti-Semitism Signed in 2022, this order provides a clear definition of anti-Semitism for all state agencies, public colleges, and universities. It aims to combat hate speech and physical threats against Jewish individuals and institutions. Jewish leaders in Columbus praised the move as a strong stance against rising anti-Semitic incidents. 2. Senate Bill 297 Passed by the Ohio Senate, this bill expands ethnic intimidation laws to include riot and aggravated riot motivated by race, religion, or national origin. Specifically designed to protect Jewish students and communities from harassment and violence. 3. JewishColumbus Advocacy and Funding JewishColumbus, the city’s central Jewish organization, raises over $1 million annually for security initiatives. They actively report and respond to anti-Semitic incidents and work with local government to ensure safety and inclusion. 🧠 Why This Matters These actions show that Columbus isn’t just home to a vibrant Jewish community—it’s backed by legal protections, funding, and political support. This makes it a standout city for Jews seeking both cultural depth and civic safety. Would you like help exploring neighborhoods in Columbus that are especially Jewish-friendly or comparing it to other cities like Baltimore or Atlanta? Edit in a page Is it the most robust in the country? Columbus has a strong and growing Jewish community, especially for Orthodox families, but it’s not the most robust in the country when measured by population size, infrastructure, or historical depth. Here's how it compares: 🏆 Top Jewish Communities in the U.S. (2025) Rank City/State Jewish Population Why It’s Robust 1️⃣ New York City, NY ~1.6 million Deep historical roots, vast infrastructure, global influence. 2️⃣ Los Angeles, CA ~1.2 million Diverse denominations, major cultural institutions. 3️⃣ Miami/South Florida ~750,000 Strong Orthodox presence, vibrant Sephardic and Latin Jewish communities. 4️⃣ New Jersey (North & Central) ~600,000 Dense Orthodox communities, yeshivas, and kosher infrastructure. 5️⃣ Chicago, IL ~330,000 Historic Reform and Conservative institutions, growing Orthodox sectors. 🌟 Columbus, OH Jewish Population: ~177,000 statewide. Strengths: Strong Orthodox infrastructure, active Jewish Federation, and supportive state policies. Limitations: Smaller scale compared to major hubs; fewer kosher restaurants and cultural institutions. 🧠 Final Thought Columbus is exceptionally welcoming and well-organized for its size, especially for Orthodox families and those seeking affordability and community support. But cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami still lead in terms of scale, diversity, and global Jewish influence. Would you like help comparing Columbus to one of these top cities based on lifestyle, cost, or religious infrastructure? Robust laws Yes, there are robust laws and federal protections in the U.S. that support Jewish communities, and Columbus, Ohio has been particularly proactive in applying and reinforcing these protections. Here's a breakdown of key legal frameworks and recent actions: 🏛️ Federal Statutes That Protect Jews 1. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act Prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by recipients of federal funds. Although it doesn’t explicitly mention religion, Jews are protected when targeted for their ethnic or religious identity, especially under expanded interpretations. 2. 5 U.S.C. §§ 2301, 2302, 7201 These federal statutes prohibit discrimination in federal employment and recruitment based on religion. They ensure fair treatment for Jewish employees and applicants across all federal agencies. 3. Preventing Anti-Semitic Hate Crimes Act (H.R.3515) Introduced in Congress to expedite the review of anti-Semitic hate crimes. Recognizes that Jews are the most frequent targets of religious hate crimes in the U.S. Calls for stronger enforcement and tracking of anti-Semitic incidents. 🏙️ Columbus-Specific Actions Governor DeWine’s Executive Order: Defines anti-Semitism for all state agencies and public institutions, ensuring consistent enforcement and protection. Senate Bill 297: Expands Ohio’s ethnic intimidation laws to include religiously motivated riots and threats—directly protecting Jewish communities. JewishColumbus Advocacy: Raises over $1 million annually for security and legal support, and works closely with law enforcement and state officials to ensure Jewish safety and inclusion. 🧠 Final Thought While cities like New York and Los Angeles have larger Jewish populations, Columbus stands out for its proactive legal protections and community advocacy. It’s one of the few cities where state-level laws and executive orders have been tailored specifically to combat anti-Semitism and support Jewish life.
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Any interesting things in berkeley talk concerning free speech Thought for 9s The most recent flashpoint is a virtual talk UC Berkeley’s Students for Justice in Palestine hosted on the evening of October 7, 2026, titled “Al-Aqsa Flood Anniversary Talks.” Speaker Mohamed Abdou (author of Islam and Anarchism, formerly at Columbia, and on a virtual “Death to the Akademy” tour) spoke to roughly 25 people.Abdou described the third anniversary of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack—which the group itself calls Operation Al-Aqsa Flood—as “one of the most glorious days.” He linked U.S. settlement and Indigenous history to the Palestinian cause, argued students are complicit by attending universities built on “stolen land,” and said: “There is no free Palestine until a free Turtle Island. That means destroying it.” He has previously written that he was “with the muqawamah (the resistance) be it Hamas and Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad but up to a point.” Coverage and criticism also cite earlier remarks attributed to him telling students to “be proud of your hate for America.”Jewish student groups and organizations including the Jewish Student Union, AMCHA Initiative, and Combat Antisemitism Movement called the framing of the attack immoral or dangerous and asked the campus to deny him a platform. AMCHA explicitly said the event involved free speech, which it supports, while still flagging the rhetoric. UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof replied that the First Amendment protects the expression, while speech that constitutes harassment or discrimination on a protected category is not protected.That same day, Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky gave his annual Supreme Court talk at the Berkeley City Club. It included discussion of his recent book with UC Irvine Chancellor Howard Gillman, Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times, which addresses protest rules, disruption, and government pressure on faculty speech after the Gaza war. In an August 2026 message to the law school, Chemerinsky restated an all-comers policy for student groups, time-place-manner limits, and the view that even protected speech can trigger institutional duties if it creates a hostile environment, while disruption of events will not be tolerated.
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A veteran is a person who served in the active military, naval, air, or space service and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable.Military DefinitionService: Full-time duty in a branch of the Armed Forces (such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard).Discharge: Separation from service under honorable conditions, meaning it was not a dishonorable discharge.Combat: Combat experience is not required to be a veteran; anyone who completed their required service time is included.Reserves and National Guard: Members of these branches qualify if they were called to federal active duty by presidential order.General DefinitionThe word also means a person who has long experience or a lot of skill in a specific job, field, or activity (such as a "political veteran").
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Gov. Gavin Newsom targets antisemitism in California schools with new law In signing the law, Newsom rebuffed objections from the state's main teachers union and others. Gavin Newsom sits with students in elementary school classroom. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a measure aiming to clamp down on antisemitism in schools on Tuesday. | Rich Pedroncelli/AP By Eric He 10/07/2025 04:06 PM EDT Updated: 10/07/2025 08:08 PM EDT Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday signed into law a controversial bill that aims to clamp down on antisemitism in schools, shrugging off objections by a powerful teachers union and others that it will restrict what teachers can say about Israel’s war in Gaza and other hot button topics. The bill, AB 715, cleared both chambers of the Legislature unanimously in votes that belied the tensions leading up to its passage in the final hours of legislative session earlier this month. During a last-minute hearing to debate the bill, the chair of an Assembly committee vented he was being forced to “choose between fighting antisemitism and supporting a bad policy bill that is opposed by every single education advocacy organization.” 00:00 02:00 Read More Newsom rejected such concerns and was unswayed by opposition from the California Teachers Association, a major force in state politics. He sided instead with the Jewish Legislative Caucus and leading Jewish organizations such as Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California, which had made the measure their only legislative priority for the year. In pushing for the bill, the groups cited a surge in antisemitic incidents in California and members recounted their own experiences, particularly amid the turmoil in the Middle East following Hamas’ attack on Israel two years ago. Tuesday marked the second anniversary of the attack. “At a time when antisemitism and bigotry are rising nationwide and globally, these laws make clear: our schools must be places of learning, not hate,” Newsom said in a statement. Much of the requirements in the law, which takes effect on January 1, are open to interpretation. Teachers must be “factually accurate” in lessons and adhere to unspecified “standards of professional responsibility,” while avoiding “advocacy, personal opinion, bias or partisanship.” It also creates an Office of Civil Rights within a state agency, which will include an “antisemitism prevention coordinator” to consult with school districts and advise lawmakers on preventing antisemitism in schools. Newsom on Tuesday also signed SB 48, a companion bill that creates four additional coordinator positions meant to guard against discrimination based on someone’s religious beliefs, race and ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. The coordinator positions were part of a late deal the Jewish caucus made with other diversity caucuses, whose members objected to a bill focusing only on antisemitism. The two measures were contingent on the other passing. Despite that agreement, education groups, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups still urged Newsom to veto the bill. The ACLU, in a letter to the governor, claimed the measure contains “vague and overbroad provisions” that will restrict curriculum that is inclusive and historically relevant, create a chilling effect on students and teachers and invite lawsuits. The Council on American-Islamic Relations blasted the bill in a letter to Newsom as “especially harmful to the mental and emotional well-being of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim youth,” saying AB 715 rendered their stories “invisible and even punishable, deepening feelings of isolation and alienation at a time when they most need affirmation and inclusion.” In a public message to the legislature explaining his decision to sign the law, Newsom called for follow-up legislation next year to address those concerns, noting that “representatives from the entire education ecosystem ... expressed deep commitment to the goals of the bill, along with urgent concerns about unintended consequences.” “Public schools play a foundational role in our democracy, and we must continue to make our schools safe learning environments for all students while fostering critical thinking skills in the context of challenging conversations,” Newsom said. David Goldberg, president of the California Teachers Association, highlighted Newsom’s comments on unintended consequences, calling them “significant.” “At a time when too many are seeking to attack academic freedom and weaponize public education, AB 715 would unfortunately arm ill-intentioned people with the ability to do so,” Goldberg said. Democratic Assemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur and Dawn Addis, introduced the antisemitism measure in July after an earlier piece of legislation, which would have placed tight guardrails on curriculum for ethnic studies classes, was knocked down by the teachers union and other education groups. To drum up needed support for AB 715, Zbur and Addis agreed to major amendments during the last week of the legislative session, including the removal of language on what constitutes an “antisemitic learning environment.” David Bocarsly, executive director of JPAC, called the signing a “historic day for California’s Jewish community and for every child who has ever felt unsafe, unseen, or unwelcome at school.” “By signing AB 715, Governor Newsom has sent a clear and powerful message: antisemitism, like all forms of hate, has no place in our public schools, period,” Bocarsly said. “This law is more than policy – it is a promise that Jewish children, their families, and all students, deserve a great public education and classrooms free from hate and discrimination.” Watch: The Conversation Play Video1:40 Kevin O'Leary: US stake in Intel is 'waste of taxpayer dollars' Filed Under: California
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