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30 As of Wednesday, it was said that Israeli and Lebanese officials are set to sit in the same room during the signing cerThe Jewish Home | OCTOBER 27, 2022 emony, but that may change. Israel and Lebanon are technically at war and have no diplomatic ties. Once the agreement is inked, Jerusalem and Beirut will send letters to the United Nations laying out the terms of the deal. The signing ceremony will come a day after gas production started at Karish, the offshore field at the center of the deal. Under the agreement, Israel will receive recognition for its buoy-marked boundary five kilometers (3.1 miles) off the coast of the northern town of Rosh Hanikra, which it established in 2000. After that, the boundary will follow the southern edge of the disputed area known as Line 23. Lebanon will enjoy the economic benefits of the area north of Line 23, includ-

Herzog Visits the U.S.

On Tuesday, President Isaac Herzog visited Washington, D.C.

In a meeting with U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Herzog stressed that the Israel-US relationship needed to remain above national politics.

“My visit here during this politically sensitive time, both in Israel and in the United States, is intended to underscore that our alliance is above all politics,” Herzog said. “It transcends all governments and political disagreements. That’s how it’s always been and that’s how it shall always remain.”

The President added, “I’m here in order to reaffirm that the close and deep friendship between us will continue, whatever the results of the elections in Israel or in the United States. Our bond is strong and unconditional.”

In a meeting with U.S. Jewish leaders, Herzog delivered a similar message with regards to Israel’s upcoming elections.

“You have elections and midterms; we have elections in Israel next week. I think one thing should transcend both — the friendship and close bond between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and it is a value that we must all cherish and work for. May I also add we must respect each other’s democracies,” Herzog said, adding, “First and foremost, the underlying rule should be ‘we honor and respect democracy.’”

At least two lawmakers have warned about Benjamin Netanyahu forming an alliance with firebrand Ben Gvir in the upcoming elections.

Netanyahu rejected U.S. criticism of Religious Zionism and Ben Gvir in a radio interview on Tuesday.

“We are a democracy, and we will decide who will be in the next government,” Netanyahu told Haredi radio station Kol Barama. “I know how to stand up for us. My ability is to not bow my head, and to say ‘no’ when necessary.”

On Tuesday, Herzog also met with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and is scheduled to meet U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday at the White House.

During the visit, the two sides have stressed the strength of the Israeli-U.S. relationship, lauded the Lebanon border deal, and highlighted the threat posed by Iran. Blinken expressed concern over recent West Bank violence and urged both sides to de-escalate.

Herzog is presenting evidence to U.S. officials which shows Iranian drones being used by Russia in its attacks on Ukraine.

U.S. Students’ Scores Plummet

Students across the United States are not doing well. According to an authoritative national exam released on Monday, students in most states and across almost all demographic groups have experienced troubling setbacks in both math and reading.

In math, the results were especially devastating, representing the steepest declines ever recorded on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation’s report card, which tests a broad sampling of fourth and eighth graders and dates to the early 1990s.

In the test’s first results since the pandemic began, math scores for eighth graders fell in nearly every state. A meager 26 percent of eighth graders were proficient, down from 34 percent in 2019.

Fourth graders fared only slightly better, with declines in 41 states. Just 36 percent of fourth graders were proficient in math, down from 41 percent.

Reading scores also declined in more than half the states, continuing a downward trend that had begun even before the pandemic. No state showed sizable improvement in reading. And only about one in three students met proficiency standards, a designation that means students have demonstrated competency and are on track for future success.

“I want to be very clear: The results in today’s nation’s report card are appalling and unacceptable,” said Miguel Cardona, the secretary of education. “This is a moment of truth for education. How we respond to this will determine not only our recovery, but our nation’s standing in the world.”

The exam, which is administered by federal officials and is considered more rigorous than many state tests, sampled nearly 450,000 fourth and eighth graders in more than 10,000 schools between January and March. The results are detailed for each state, as well as more than two dozen large school districts.

Many are pointing to pandemic restrictions as the cause for the bleak results.

For example, in Texas, where many schools opened sooner in the pandemic, students’ scores held steady in reading but showed declines similar to national averages in math.

In California, which stood out for dragging its feet in reopening schools, scores declined slightly less than national averages in several categories — about in line with Florida, which was a leader in opening schools sooner.

In announcing his decision to give up ownership of Hobby Lobby, CEO and founder David Green attributed the company’s success toG-dand cited his religion as the reason he is relinquishing it.

In an op-ed forFox News, Green claimed that “all my success had come from G-d.”

“As we were blessed by G-d, we saw it as a great privilege to give back. We’ve been able to provide hope through supporting ministries and planting churches all over the world,” he explained.

Green described thinking deeply about the future of the company before ultimately deciding to give up ownership. Green said he was inspired by Patagonia’s former owner, Yvon Chouinard, who transferred ownership of his company to a specially designed trust and nonprofit organization.

“I experienced a similar decision-making process with my ownership of Hobby Lobby; I chose G-d,” he said.

Like Chouinard said, “Instead of ‘going public,’ you could say we’re ‘going purpose.’

“That bigger mission and purpose helped me realize that I was just a steward, a manager of what G-d had entrusted me,” Green wrote. “G-d was the true owner of my business. When I realized

He explained that his realization of “stewardship,” rather than ownership, drove him to pay workers $18.50 an hour, close the business on Sundays, and close by 8 p.m. each evening. He said he felt a responsibility to care for his employees in these ways.

Hobby Lobby is a company that owns a chain of 969 arts and crafts stores in 47 states, except in Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont. Green is the son of a preacher. On his website, the company declares, “Honoring the L-rd in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.” All stores are closed on Sundays to “allow employees time for family and worship,” according to signs posted on the front doors of their retail stores.

Trapped Underground

Five people remain trapped 200 feet underground at Arizona’s Grand Canyon Caverns after an elevator broke down on Sunday.

The issue was discovered on Sunday evening when visitors went to leave the popular tourist attraction near Peach Springs, Arizona, about 100 miles west of Flagstaff. Several people were able to walk up the 21 flights of stairs to get out. Five visitors, though, were either unable to safely walk up the stairs or chose to stay behind with those who physically couldn’t.

The rest of the group was provided accommodation and food that night by a small hotel and restaurant adjacent to the dry caverns, which are among the largest in the United States.

34 Authorities now believe that the issue with the elevator is mechanical in nature, as opposed to being electrical. An exterThe Jewish Home | OCTOBER 27, 2022 nal generator was brought in on Monday and did not fix the problem. A spokesperson said the sheriff’s office has sent a search and rescue team with a basket apparatus that can lift people up the elevator shaft one-by-one, in the event that the technicians cannot repair the elevator quickly. Yankees’ Season

Ends

At one point in early July, halfway through the six-month regular season, the New York Yankees were on pace to set a significant record. The two winningest teams in Major League Baseball history are the 1906 Chicago Cubs and the 2001 Seattle Mariners, both of which won 116 regular-season games. The Yankees were headed toward 119.

Then, their charmed season fell apart. Everything that went right in the first half – health, performance, wins – didn’t in the second. The Yankees recovered in September, won the American League East and finished the regular season in

And in this best-of-seven AL championship series between the league’s top two seeds, the gap between the perennially contending Houston Astros and the Yankees was painfully wide and clear. With a seesawing 6-5 loss in a rain-delayed Game 4 on Sunday that capped a sweep, the Yankees added the coda to a season that began with so much promise but ended the same way as so many others before it.

Despite so much spending and effort, the Yankees have not been to or won a World Series since 2009.

“It’s an awful day, just an awful ending,” manager Aaron Boone said shortly after the game. “It stings.”

The Astros, on the other hand, ended their sixth consecutive trip to the ALCS with a repeat visit to the World Series. After losing it last year to Atlanta, the Astros get a chance to redeem themselves starting Friday in Houston against the Philadelphia Phillies, who toppled the San Diego Padres in the NL championship series on Sunday.

Leading 5-4 in the seventh inning thanks to a home run by center fielder Harrison Bader, Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres tossed the ball wide of shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa at second base, allowing Jose Altuve to advance and Jeremy Peña to reach base.

The next batter, Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez, smacked a game-tying single to right field. The following hitter, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, sent a pitch from right-handed reliever Clay Holmes into right field to give his team the winning difference.

“The thing about this team is that they don’t panic,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said after the game. “They never panic. They try to find a way.” (© The New York Times)

Alaskan Rep. Party Censures McConnell

The Alaska Republican Party voted on Monday to censure Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for spreading “divisive and misleading statements” about their endorsed candidate in Alaska’s Senate race.

The party said that McConnell’s financial support for incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) in the Senate race against fellow Republican Kelly Tshibaka was “in direct contradiction” to the party, according to a copy of the resolution posted Monday night on Facebook.

“Much of the financial support from the Senate Leadership Fund has been used for malicious political attack ads targeted at our endorsed candidate, Kelly Tshibaka, that are gross distortions of fact,” the resolution reads. “We request the Senate Leadership Fund immediately stop the attack ads against Kelly Tshibaka and discontinue the support of all other opposing candidates.”

The resolution passed by a 49-8 vote, according to local news reports.

The Alaska Republican Party also censured Murkowski, a 20-year incumbent, last year after she voted to convict former President Trump in his impeachment trial for his role in the January 6, 2021, events at the U.S. Capitol.

Tshibaka is endorsed by Trump, who has become a vocal critic of McConnell and has pushed for the Senate leader to step down.

Alaska’s November general election is a ranked-choice process, where a candidate needs more than 50 percent of the vote to win.

Tshibaka and Murkowski are the two front-runners in the race.

A Sad Day in St. Louis

On Monday, Orlando Harris, a 19-year-old former student, opened fire in a St. Louis school, killing two people and injuring several others. The shooter was armed with a long gun and nearly a dozen high-capacity magazines – enough ammunition for a “much worse” situation, police Commissioner Michael Sack said. The murderer was killed by authorities.

Authorities credited locked doors and a quick police response – including by off-duty officers – for preventing more killings at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School.

Alexandria Bell, 15, was killed at the scene and a 61-year-old health and physical education teacher, Jean Kuczka, was pronounced dead at a hospital, Sack said. The gunman died at a hospital after a gun battle with officers, he said.

Seven other teenagers were injured, some of them with gunshot or graze wounds, and others with abrasions. One had a fractured ankle. They were

36 all in stable conditions, the commissioner said. There have been at least 67 shootThe Jewish Home | OCTOBER 27, 2022 ings on school grounds this year in the United States. Adidas Cuts Ties with Kanye

Adidas on Tuesday ended its partnership with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, after the musician made a series of offensive and antisemitic comments.

Adidas said in a statement: “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness.”

It added, “After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. Adidas will stop the Adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.”

The company noted that this would have a short-term negative impact of up to $246 million on net income in 2022 due to high seasonality in the fourth quarter.

It added that it was the “sole owner of all design rights to existing products as well as previous and new colorways under the partnership” and would provide more information during third quarter earnings on November 9.

The German sportswear giant had faced pressure from the public and its own employees to cut ties with Ye, who said on a podcast on Oct. 16: “I can say anti-Semitic things, and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”

“In the end, Adidas’ action sends a powerful message that antisemitism & bigotry have NO place in society,” the ADL said after Adidas dropped the singer.

Talent agency CAA confirmed it had dropped Ye as a client Monday, and he was let go by Balenciaga last week.

Twitter and Instagram blocked him over antisemitic remarks.

Adidas began working with Ye in 2013, and in 2016 signed a deal to manufacture and distribute items from his Yeezy clothing line. Their relationship has been rocky. Although, Adidas previously said the partnership has had a “tremendous impact” on its business and is one of the most successful collaborations in the history of its industry, Ye had publicly criticized Adidas, along with some of his other corporate partners such as retailer Gap, in recent months.

Adidas was founded in 1924 by two brothers, Adolf and Rudolf Dassler – hence the name “Adidas,” a combination of “Adi” for Adolf and “Das” for Dassler. The company, based in Weimar-era Germany, quickly made a name for itself by pioneering some of the earliest spiked shoes – drilled through with nails to help runners on uneven terrain.

On May 1, 1933, with the company’s fortunes on the rise and Hitler having just assumed power in Germany, the Dassler brothers formally joined the Nazi party. Under Nazi rule, the company grew by leaps and bounds.

Rudolf was a more ardent devotee of Nazi ideology than Adi, but both brothers carried their party membership cards and signed off their letters with “Heil Hitler.”

Can Spiders Hear?

This may not be the most important question you have, but scientists have recently found out that spiders can pick up sounds – and essentially “hear” – through their webs. These busy insects don’t have ears, but they sense vibrations in their webs and, with tiny, sensitive hairs, comprehend sounds that way.

“It’s basically using the web as the ear,” said Ron Miles, a professor of mechanical engineering at Binghamton University who researches acoustics (the study of sound) and vibrations. In a new study, Miles and his co-authors found that spiders responded to sounds played near their webs.

Previously, the researchers had measured how a single strand of spider silk moved in response to sounds in the air. They found that “the web silk itself is really good at detecting sound,” Miles said. That discovery prompted the question: Could spiders use their webs to hear?

To study hearing in animals, scientists normally insert electrodes into the animals’ nerves and look for “spikes” that show a nervous system response, Miles said. That’s tough to do in a spider. So instead of using electrodes, researchers placed orb-weaving spiders (the type that spin wheel-shaped webs) in a specially designed quiet room. They tracked how the spiders reacted to different sounds played on a loudspeaker.

“We had to show that the sound was getting to the spider only because of the airborne path, and it wasn’t coming through some vibration,” Miles said. “And sure enough, the spider responded.” Depending on how loud the sound was, spiders crouched, stretched, turned, or raised their forelegs. Researchers noticed that the spiders turned their bodies toward the sound, suggesting the arachnids knew where the noise originated.

The ability to use a web like a giant extended ear could help spiders detect prey. If an insect is flying nearby, for instance, “that’s going to cause the web to vibrate because of the sound,” Miles said. “That kind of gets the spider’s attention.”

Dry Shampoos Recalled

Unilever has recalled certain Dove, Nexxus, Suave, TIGI and TRESemmé aerosol dry shampoos because of the potential presence of benzene, a chemical that can cause cancer.

The affected products were produced prior to October 2021 and were distributed at retailers nationwide.

They include products such as Dove Dry Shampoo Volume and Fullness, Dove Dry Shampoo Fresh Coconut, Nexxus Dry Shampoo Refreshing Mist and Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Refresh and Revive.