Good morning, New York. In the spirit of the season, we’ve been checking out this list of scary Jewish movies, from our friends at Kveller.
ARREST: A 39-year-old neighborhood woman was arrested and charged with reckless endangerment and a possible hate crime for setting a fire in front of the Yeshivah of Flatbush on Avenue J in Brooklyn. (ABC 7)
- Video footage shows a suspect identified as Sharee Jones pouring a line of gasoline in front of the Modern Orthodox high school’s gates and lighting a match Thursday evening. No one was injured and there was no damage to the school.
- NYPD Chief Dermot Shea visited the school Sunday to deliver the news of the arrest.
- “The quick arrest sends a clear signal to those who hate in New York: they will be found, they will be arrested and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Gideon Taylor, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York.
- On Sunday, NYPD officers from the Brooklyn South patrol “met & noshed” with head of school Rabbi Joseph Beyda and his team “to re-assure them of our commitment to the safety of all NYers.” (Twitter)
ON THE BLOCK: Christie’s in New York will auction a watercolor by Vincent van Gogh next month, splitting the proceeds between the Texas businessman who owns it and the heirs of two Jewish families from whom it was stolen during World War II. (New York Times)
ALTER KAKTIVISM: Read more about the @oldjewishmen TikTok account, actors and comedians who stage fake but surprisingly relevant protests about the high price of lox and lack of public restrooms and post them to social media. (New York Post)
MIND THE GAP: In a lengthy profile, Azi Schwartz, the Israeli-born, motorcycle-riding cantor at Park Avenue Synagogue, tries to explain American Judaism to an Israeli interviewer. (Haaretz)
HELP LINE: The Orthodox Union’s Yachad division has launched a new referral service, called REACH, for New Yorkers with disabilities and their families. Call 1-877-Reach-52. (eJEwish Philantropy)
REMEMBERING
Huntington, Long Island native Brian Goldner, the CEO of the Hasbro toy company, died at 58. Goldner persuaded Hollywood executives to base big-budget films on toy classics like the Transformers, G.I. Joe and Battleship.
GIVING & GETTING
New Yorkers Jonathan and Dina Leader have created a grant program to boost smaller Jewish non-profits and innovative programs in the city.
- The Leader Accelerator will offer funding ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 plus managerial advice to as many as 10 applicants. Apply at grants@leaderfamilyfund.com.
- Jonathan Leader is the founder of Liberty Capital Management. “The best way to look at this is that we want to help second-stage projects get to the next level,” he told eJewish Philanthropy.
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Ami Ayalon, a former director of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, shares his thoughts and philosophy about what Israel needs to do to achieve relative peace and security and to sustain itself as a Jewish homeland and a liberal democracy. Buy tickets for this Commonpoint Queens virtual event here. $8 members/$10 non-members. Noon.
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92Y presents lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz in conversation with journalist Frank DiLella, along with performances from some of Schwartz’s notable stage hits, which have included “Wicked,” “Pippin” and “Godspell.” In person, $25. Buy tickets here. 7:30 p.m.
Photo, top: In a surveillance video, a suspect pours gasoline outside of Yeshivah of Flatbush, before lighting a match, October 14, 2021. (NYPD)
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