Have our people email your people. Share this sign up link with your friends 

OVERNIGHT: “2 Israeli Police Officers Killed in Attack in Old City of Jerusalem” by Isabel Kershner: “In an extraordinarily brazen assault early Friday, three Arab citizens of Israel armed with guns and knives killed two Israeli police officers guarding an entrance to Jerusalem’s holiest site for Jews and Muslims, an emotional and volatile focal point of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Police officers pursued the assailants inside the compound and exchanged fire; all three assailants were killed. The police announced that they had evacuated and closed the compound, and helicopters circled above the area after the attack. The closing of the holy site is an exceptional and potentially explosive measure; Israeli-imposed restrictions on Muslim entry to the compound have prompted spasms of rioting in Palestinian areas in the past.” [NYTimes] • Washington Post’s Ruth Marks Eglash shared graphic video of the incident [Twitter]

KAFE KNESSET — Calls to change the status quo on Temple Mount — by Tal Shalev and JPost’s Lahav Harkov: After this morning’s terrorist attack on the Temple Mount, the response from the Israeli Right was that something has to change. For Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan and Jerusalem Affairs Minister Ze’ev Elkin, the response was to consider tightening security. Others challenged the status quo of the past 50 years, by which the Jordanian Islamic Trust, known as the Waqf, manages the site. Culture Minister Miri Regev called to reduce the Waqf’s area of responsibility to the Al-Aksa Mosque alone, and not the entire Mount, and to open the area to all, at all times of day. Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan said Jews should be allowed to pray at the Temple Mount, which they are forbidden from doing today. Despite the calls for change, Netanyahu reassured Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that the status quo would remain. Abbas had called Netanyahu to condemn the attack. Read today’s entire Kafe Knesset here[JewishInsider]

Donald Trump Jr. in response to the BBC’s headline — “Israelis injured in gun attack near Jerusalem holy site” — tweets: “Um, BBC World is it time for a reminder that we discussed your anti Israeli bias a few weeks ago? 2 cops killed & this is your lead? WTF?” [Twitter]

SUN VALLEY 2017: “Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump Keep Low Profile During Talks on Political Divisions, Mid-East Peace” by Brent Lang: “On Thursday, the couple were spotted at a series of panels on Middle East peace and race relations, featuring talks from Charles Barkley and King Abdullah II of Jordan. The day’s talks were described as being uplifting. King Abdullah expressed optimism that Israel and Palestine seem to be more receptive to coming to the negotiating table, raising the possibility that the conflict-riven region might finally see peace. Neither Trump nor Kushner are scheduled to speak at the event. Guests said that they were very polite, with many moguls seeking out the First Family members. “People were coming up to them,” said one guest. “They’re controversial, but no one is treating them like pariahs.”” [Variety]

“Israel’s Secret Arab Allies” by Neri Zilber: “Taken as a whole, Israeli activities in Syria, Jordan, the West Bank, Egypt and the Gulf can no longer be viewed in isolation from one another. Rather, Israel is now involved in the Arab world’s military campaigns — against both Iran and its proxies, as well as against the Islamic State. It remains to be seen whether this is merely a temporary marriage of convenience against common foes or the start of an enduring strategic realignment.” [NYTimes]

IRAN DEAL’S TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY: “Trump administration plans to certify Iranian compliance with nuclear agreement” by Karen DeYoung: “The recertification, due Monday to Congress, follows a heated internal debate between those who want to crack down on Iran now — including some White House officials and lawmakers — and Cabinet officials who are “managing other constituencies” such as European allies, and Russia and China, which signed and support the agreement… Officials cautioned that Trump, who has made clear his disdain for the accord, could decide not to sign off on the recertification between now and the Monday deadline but said that was unlikely… Next Tuesday, the administration must also comply with a separate deadline, reporting to Congress on Iran’s overall nuclear behavior and deciding whether to waive reinstituting sanctions lifted under the accord.”[WashPost; TWS]  

“Sen. Tom Cotton urges Tillerson, Trump not to certify Iran deal” by Sally Persons: “The law Congress passed to hold Iran accountable requires the secretary of state and president to certify that this deal is in vital national security interest of the United States,” Mr. Cotton said on Fox News. “I simply wouldn’t certify that if I was the secretary of state or president… This is not in the vital national security interest. It undermines those interests.” … Mr. Cotton and fellow GOP Sens. Ted Cruz, David Perdue and Marco Rubio sent a letter to Mr. Tillerson as well, saying Iran has not only violated the terms of the agreement, but also progressed towards nuclearization.” [WashTimes] 

“The Iran Nuclear Deal Has Been a Blessing for Israel” by Carmi Gilon: “As a guardian of Israel’s security, my job was to prepare for the worst — while searching always for bold and proactive measures to head off disaster and stop threats in their tracks. The nuclear agreement is a good example of the kind of solutions to which I aspired. It has neutralized a major threat to the world, while ensuring that the United States and its allies have the tools, the information, and the leverage that they need to confront the Iranian danger and make the region, and the world, a safer place.” [FP] • Boris Johnson: Without the Iran nuclear agreement, the world would be in supreme danger [WashPost] 

JI VIEWPOINTS — Alan Solow, former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: “Two years into the deal, I think that the indications are that Iran is in compliance with the terms of the JCPOA. That is beneficial to Israel and the parties to the JCPOA. I believe that there is a very high likelihood that we are going to continue to see the deal complied with and that as a result of that, and developments that will occur in the future, it is highly unlikely that Iran will try to break out and get a nuclear weapon. And if they do – either during the duration of the JCPOA or afterward – that those who oppose Iran getting a nuclear weapon will have the resources in place to prohibit that from happening. I have no regrets about supporting the Iran deal and I believe that the implementation period to date has borne out my expectations.”

Solow on what the Jewish community should learn from the Iran deal fight: “Some of the controversy over the proposed agreement was, I think, overblown and unnecessary. I always respected the views of people that were different than mine and tried to listen to them, and I remain friends with a lot of people who I had a different point of view, and I expect to remain friends with those people. I don’t think that they are going to regret the position that they took any more than I can regret the position that I took. Look, we had an honest disagreement. I hope that what people do is not regret the position that they took but that all of us continue to look at it honestly as it moves forward over the years.”

Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: “The revelations just in the last days about what they have uncovered in Germany and the extent to which Iran has been seeking components for conventional and non-conventional missiles and their nuclear program there and elsewhere indicates that they in fact have not given up on their aspirations to have a nuclear weapon and the program didn’t end with the signing of the JCPOA. We know that they have advanced their ballistic missile program, their delivery capacity, have much faster centrifuges that are already operative or could be implemented very quickly, which means that they could cut the breakout time significantly. All of it shows that a lot has happened in the past two years. It is not that things have remained stagnant.”

Hoenlein on what the Jewish community should learn from the Iran deal fight: “I think that the assessments at the time were distorted about the role of the Jewish community. The American Jewish community by and large – there were some differences – stood in opposition to the Iran deal because they felt it didn’t go far enough, and I think a lot of those concerns have just been vindicated over time. When you ask what lessons should be learned, I don’t know what there is to be determined. One lesson that we learned is that we have to do a constant education of the American people, but by in large, the American people, the polls show that they got it. They understood it. And I think you saw some of that reaction in the last election that the people were not happy with the Iran deal. It is a myth that was created that the Jewish community was defeated or lost.”

JI’s Aaron Magid asked Republican Members of Congress what should be done about the Iran deal going forward given the assessment that they are in compliance with the JCPOA.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ): “Given Iran’s missile tests and the other ways Iran has acted in interests antithetical to the west, I think we should restore sanctions and maintain them until they dismantle their nuclear arms mechanism. The deal is a blight on Mr. Obama’s legacy and unfortunately it’s a shadow over the Republicans in the Senate that allowed Iran to embrace the nuclear option rather than move this towards a treaty.”

Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL): “It’s been a failed agreement. They’ve continued to break the agreement, I don’t think it’s good for us. I don’t think it’s good for Israel. Something like that again should not have been done by the President. I think the first thing to do is to strike it and then start over. There ought to be stronger sanctions in place.”

Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL): “[The deal] should be renegotiated. Start from scratch.”

Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ): “I think it will be very difficult [to renegotiate the deal] because there are other nations as well. I voted against it when I had the opportunity on the floor. The Iranians will eventually achieve the ability to deliver a nuclear weapon.”

MEDIA WATCH: “Tucker Carlson Is Doing Something Extraordinary” by Peter Beinart: “On Iran, Carlson made an argument that was considered too dovish for even mainstream Democrats to raise during the debate over the nuclear deal: He questioned whether Tehran actually endangers the United States. He told Peters that “we actually don’t face any domestic threat from Iran.” And he asked [Max] Boot to “tell me how many Americans in the United States have been murdered by terrorists backed by Iran since 9/11?”” [TheAtlantic]

DRIVING THE CONVERSATION — Yesterday, Netanyahu praised the Trump administration’s objective approach to Israeli-Palestinian conflict as Trump takes credit for Mideast water deal. “This administration has a more objective approach to the conflict,” Netanyahu said in a midnight interview on Channel 20. [YouTube] 

“Noting ‘Trump Effect,’ Former U.S. Officials Praise Israeli-Palestinian Water Deal” by Amir Tibon: “According to [Dan] Shapiro, “probably any new administration would have that advantage, but the fear factor with Trump gives Greenblatt some added leverage. I hope he’ll use it for more than just water and electricity deals, like getting negotiations relaunched on a realistic basis.” Martin Indyk… also praised the agreement. “It was years in the making and will be years before it is implemented, but it’s a positive step in a sea of negativity – and Jason Greenblatt deserves credit for that,” he said… Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Robert Danin told Haaretz… that the agreement… “has little implications for the deal that President Trump seeks. So long as there are no real negotiations taking place, such limited steps to help the Palestinians on the ground can be advanced. But once serious negotiations begin – and that itself is a big if – then these sorts of measures are likely to become much more contentious.””[Haaretz] 

“A Good Story About Israelis and Palestinians” by Seth Siegel: “The biggest news out of the press conference… is that senior water officials from Israel and the Palestinian Authority shared a stage and warmly engaged with each other. It is, so to speak, a high-water mark in Israeli-Palestinian history regarding this precious resource… As the Palestinian Authority turns toward a more pragmatic approach in addressing water, but also the environmental and energy needs of their people, it will lead to an economically more secure Palestinian political entity and perhaps even to better outcomes in the larger political negotiations.” [NYTimes] 

Aaron David Miller emails us… “Israeli-Palestinian water talks have been the untold success story and have gone on for years. But in this case is really untethered from any notion of the ultimate deal. Indeed, Bibi might easily say you see we can cooperate without one. I wish you could say it’s a confidence builder and a bridge to a final status deal but I just don’t believe it.”

Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route to France: “I’d say the only thing more difficult than peace between Israel and the Palestinians is healthcare.” [NYTimes] 

ON THE HILL — State Dept Questions if Taylor Force Act ‘Accomplishes’ Objective of Stopping Terror — by Aaron Magid: “It is not clear that the Taylor Force Act as currently drafted would help accomplish these objectives,” Stuart Jones, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said during a hearing at the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa yesterday. “For the first time in 52 years in the Palestinian prisoner payment program, the Palestinians have already cut funding to 277 Hamas affiliated former prisoners,” Jones said, calling it a “step forward.” While amendments have been proposed to the Taylor Force Act such as adding a National Security waiver or maintaining some of the humanitarian assistance, Jones insisted, “the administration is not going to take a position on those proposals.” [JewishInsider] 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT — “Trump Lawyer Marc Kasowitz Threatens Stranger in Emails: ‘Watch Your Back , Bitch’” by Justin Elliott: “In another email, Kasowitz wrote: “I’m Jewish. I presume you are too. Stop being afraid. Call me. Or give me your number and I will call you. I already know where you live, I’m on you.  You might as well call me. You will see me. I promise.  Bro.”” [ProPublica]

“Trump’s Lawyer Apologizes for a Profane Tirade” by Rosie Gray: “Mr. Kasowitz, who is tied up with client matters, said he intends to apologize to the writer of the email referenced in today’s ProPublica story,” Kasowitz’s spokesman Mike Sitrick said in a statement. “While no excuse, the email came at the end of a very long day that at 10 pm was not yet over. ‘The person sending that email is entitled to his opinion and I should not have responded in that inappropriate manner,’ Mr. Kasowitz said. ‘I intend to send him an email stating just that. This is one of those times where one wishes he could reverse the clock, but of course I can’t.’” [TheAtlantic] 

“Kushner pushed for more aggressive defense of Trump Jr. meeting” by Tara Palmeri: “[Jared] Kushner called for full-on combat… A source close to Kushner…  said that while he doesn’t have an exact plan for an overall Russia response, he was angry that there wasn’t a more robust effort from the communications team. Kushner wanted them to complain about chyrons on cable news, call reporters to update stories with White House statements, and unleash surrogates immediately. He was angry that there were no talking points offered to surrogates, the source said. One senior administration official suggested that two aides from the communications shop be dedicated just to updating chyrons… [An outside] adviser said that Spicer has privately griped about the demands from Kushner.” [Politico] 

“Ivanka and Jared begin the plunge from grace” by Eugene Robinson: “Among Manhattan’s progressive upper crust, Jared and Ivanka — they really are first-name-only celebrities at this point — were expected to at least temper the hard-right policy positions being pushed by other presidential advisers. If this indeed is what they are trying to do, they’ve had a negligible impact to date.” [WashPost] • Sen. Blumenthal: ‘Jared Kushner ought to resign’ [TheHill] 

“Donald Trump Jr.’s Russian meeting: An unusual way of conducting political research” by Fredreka Schouten: “Jeff Berkowitz, a veteran Republican opposition researcher, said the task instead should have fallen to a lower-level campaign researcher or paid consultant, rather than the candidate’s son. Berkowitz… said the revelations about the younger Trump’s meeting with the Russian also serve to underscore the bare-bones nature of his father’s unorthodox political operation… “You didn’t have gatekeepers to handle these things and decide whether it was something useful,” Berkowitz said of advance vetting of the Veselnitskaya meeting. “Everyone in politics would have taken that meeting. This is the nature of politics,” he said. But, he added: “It just should have been someone other than Donald Jr.”” [USAToday] 

** Good Friday Morning! Enjoying the Daily Kickoff? Please share us with your friends & tell them to sign up at [JI]. Have a tip, scoop, or op-ed? We’d love to hear from you. Anything from hard news and punditry to the lighter stuff, including event coverage, job transitions, or even special birthdays, is much appreciated. Email [email protected] **

BUSINESS BRIEFS: Hudson Bay Urges Sabra Holders to Reject Care Capital Deal [Bloomberg] • Patrick Drahi’s Altice Buys Portugal’s Media Capital [Variety] • Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has a message for laid-off Microsoft workers: Work for me [BusinessInsider] • Ex-broker sues hedge fund for $5M over layoff dispute [NYPost] • Steve Ballmer tells us that he is absolutely not moving the L.A. Clippers to Seattle [BusinessInsider] • First Israeli accelerator program lands in China [TechNode] 

“Dov Charney Couldn’t Keep American Apparel, So He Restarted It” by Matthew Townsend: “Stepping off the production floor into sparse offices reveals another familiar touch. There’s a conference room equipped with a cot, messy sheets, and a pillow. “I live in here, by the way,” Charney says. “I will not leave. This is my bed. This is my room. This is where I sleep.” He once did something similar in his American Apparel years, taking up residence at a malfunctioning distribution center.” [Bloomberg] 

STARTUP NATION — Marc Andreessen on the Israeli model for startups: “In our case, although we have occasionally invested in particularly special startups based outside the US, such as Transferwise and Improbable, we generally invest either in startups based entirely in the US, or startups that use what might be called the “Israeli model” of building R&D in their home country but building SG&A (sales, marketing, finance, legal, etc.) in the US. As suggested by the name, some of the best Israeli startups have been executing this model for the last 20-30 years; more recently, we are seeing founders from many other countries… pursue the same model.” [Stripe] 

“Taxi King now without 800 medallions — and a law license” by Julia Marsh and Danielle Furfaro: “Former “Taxi King” Gene Freidman has lost… now his law license. A Manhattan appeals panel suspended the hack honcho from the bar “until further order” in part because of bad checks he allegedly wrote. Freidman — who was stripped of 800 medallions by the Taxi & Limousine Commission in April, shortly before he was arrested for tax fraud — didn’t comply with a judicial probe into the check scheme, according to a ruling released Thursday by the Appellate Division. In addition, Freidman “failed to provide information” about a contempt motion involving Citibank, the decision states.” [NYPost] 

“Trump’s Russian Laundromat” by Craig Unger: “One of the developers, Tamir Sapir, had followed an unlikely path to riches. After emigrating from the Soviet Union in the 1970s, he had started out driving a cab in New York City and ended up a billionaire living in Trump Tower. His big break came when he co-founded a company that sold high-tech electronics. According to the FBI, Sapir’s partner in the firm was a “member or associate” of Ivankov’s mob in Brighton Beach. No charges were ever filed, and Sapir denied having any mob ties. “It didn’t happen,” he told The New York Times. “Everything was done in the most legitimate way.” Trump, who described Sapir as a “great friend,” bought 200 televisions from his electronics company. In 2007, he hosted the wedding of Sapir’s daughter at Mar-a-Lago, and later attended her infant son’s bris.” [NewRepublic]

Netanyahu’s spokesman David Keyes responds to Tom Friedman’s recent piece on the Israel-US Jewry relationship: “Thomas L. Friedman claims that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has burned bridges with American Jews. Never mind that he just ordered the accelerated expansion of a pluralistic prayer space at the Western Wall and has consistently demonstrated his passionate commitment to strengthening Israel’s relations with Jewish communities around the world. Mr. Friedman claims that Prime Minister Netanyahu “is setting himself up to be a pivotal figure in Jewish history — the leader who burned the bridges to a two-state solution.” Never mind that the Palestinian leadership turned down repeated offers for statehood, has refused to meet for direct negotiations for nearly a decade, pays terrorists hundreds of millions of dollars each year and continues to call for the disappearance of Israel.” [NYTimes] 

TALK OF THE TOWN: “Miami Beach teens will no longer perform with Roger Waters due to anti-Israel controversy” by Samantha Gross: “Twelve members of a Miami Beach Parks summer program were supposed to have a dress rehearsal with the band… and perform “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)” on stage alongside Waters… In a statement Thursday afternoon, however, Miami Beach spokeswoman Melissa Berthier said the teenagers would no longer be participating… Earlier on Thursday, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation accused the star of anti-Semitism ahead of his show on the Us + Them Tour at AmericanAirlines Arena, referring to the singer’s anti-Israel views.” [MiamiHerald] 

Voters See Anti-Semitism As a Serious Problem In U.S.: “A new Rasmussen Reports… survey finds that 65% of Likely U.S. Voters think anti-Semitism is at least a somewhat serious problem in America today, including 24% who believe it’s a Very Serious problem. Twenty-nine percent (29%) don’t believe anti-Semitism is a serious issue, with five percent (5%) who think it’s Not At all Serious.” [Rasmussen] 

“Tillerson says we may not need an anti-Semitism envoy. He’s wrong” by Ira Forman, Hannah Rosenthal and Jonathan Greenblatt: “It is not only the American Jewish community supporting the continuation of the special envoy’s office. Tillerson need only talk to Democrats and Republicans in Congress, to nongovernmental organizations such as Human Rights First, to our democratic allies in France, Germany and Britain, and to our professional diplomats who have served in dozens of countries where anti-Semitism has surfaced. If he were to do so, he would find essentially unanimous support for the strengthening of this office… America’s voice in the fight to counter anti-Semitism is desperately needed — now more than ever.”[WashPost] 

“After 500 Years, an Italian Jewish Rebirth” by Michael Ledeen: “While anti-Semitism is on the upswing in many parts of Europe, Judaism and Jews are experiencing a renaissance in Italy. The country is most strongly associated with the Roman Catholic Church, but Jews have been here for thousands of years. Given Italy’s place as a political laboratory in the Western world, its role in the revival of Judaism—particularly in the south—is worth watching.”

“Perhaps the clearest indicator of the strength and depth of Jewish popularity comes at mealtime. Jewish food, including kosher food, is suddenly chic. Restaurants in Rome’s Jewish ghetto are regularly packed. You can even get fried artichokes made “Jewish style” at takeout stands. Kosher food and wine are now regularly featured at national food fairs and can be purchased at upscale stores throughout the country. “Regular people are selling and buying Jewish food precisely because it’s Jewish,” says the Italian journalist Carla Reschia. “Food is an example, but you can see it also in literature: In a country where Jews number less than 0.1%, Jewish authors are disproportionately popular.”” [WSJ] 

SPORTS BLINK: “CC Sabathia vacations with Amar’e Stoudemire in Mexico” by Mara Siegler: “Yankee pitcher CC Sabathia and his wife, Amber, are vacationing with former Knicks star Amar’e Stoudemire, his wife Alexis and radio personality Angie Martinez. The athletically endowed group has been spotted all over the four-star Nizuc Resort & Spa just outside of Cancún, Mexico. “They’ve been snorkeling, zip-lining and relaxing on the beach,” says a source. “CC has been resting his arm.”” [PageSix] 

“‘It’s Not the Fault of the Sandwich Shop’: Readers Debate David Brooks’s Column” by Lela Moore: “David Brooks’s column “How We Are Ruining America” struck a nerve among New York Times readers, who wrote to us by the thousands to debate the social codes of the elite. Readers also took on the roles of money and education, or the lack thereof, in success. And yes, gourmet sandwiches came under fire too. Mr. Brooks’s article topped the Times’s Most Emailed list and received more than 3,200 comments… Mr. Brooks’s anecdote about taking a friend to a gourmet sandwich shop, whose menu of Italian cheeses and meats, he said, illustrated the cultural barriers between the more- and less-educated, received much criticism, snark and humor.” [NYTimes] 

DESSERT: “Taco Tuesday: Kosher birria tacos” by Jonathan Gold: “The food is strictly kosher – the carnitas are made from beef and duck instead of pork, the chopped carne asada has a dryish texture you may not be used to, the flour tortillas are lard-free, and you’re not going to be seeing cheese or sour cream. Also, MexiKosher is closed on Saturdays and Friday night.” [LATimes] 

WINE OF THE WEEK — Yatir Rosé 2016 — by Yitz Applbaum: It has been a few weeks since I have written about wines here, mostly because of extensive travel and also because I have not had any exposure to many new wines recently. The other week, I hosted a wine tasting at the OneTable/Jewish Insider Friday night dinner in Aspen, Colorado with over 100 attendees. I decided to see if I could help stimulate some interesting conversations amongst the group with an exuberant, fresh, somewhat spicy Rosé. It worked. The conversations were helped by the wine and the wine tasted better in that company.

The 2016 Yatir Rosé is a bit deeper then many Rosés to which I am accustomed. This wine is composed of 67% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, and 3% Viognier. It sits on the skin for 48 hours before being pressed which gives it its wonderful color. This unique blend yields sharply defined tastes of peaches, plums and overripe raspberries. Unlike many Rosés this blend creates a long finish, so it takes a bit of time to finish the first bottle. The second bottle goes down much easier.  Drink this with fresh melons, berries and raw meats. [YatirWinery]

WEEKEND BIRTHDAYS — FRIDAY: Architect, urban designer, educator, theorist and author, he is most identified with Habitat 67, a housing complex built in conjunction with Expo 67 (the 1967 Montreal World’s Fair), Moshe Safdie turns 79… MLB pitcher (1971-1981) for the Giants, White Sox, Cubs and Orioles, now a sportscaster and author, he won the Cy Young Award and was an All Star in 1980, Steve Stone turns 70… Film producer, best known for the Lethal Weapon series and the first two Die Hard movies, Joel Silver turns 65… Film producer and a theatrical producer, in 2012 he became the first producer to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, Scott Rudin turns 59… Media columnist for the Chicago Tribune, he has been a working journalist since he was17 years old, Phil Rosenthal turns 54… Veteran PR, political communications and media strategist, principal at Oakland-based Full Court Press Communications, past president and now board member of the Oakland Hebrew Day School, Daniel Eli Cohen turns 48… Rapper and record producer from Brooklyn, he is the producer, founder and CEO of Uncle Howie Records, William “Bill” Braunstein, better known as “Ill Bill,” turns 45… Program analyst at Crown Family Philanthropies in Chicago, Rachel Giattino turns 27… Daniel Jeydel, Associate Director within Neo@Ogilvy celebrating his birthday in Jerusalem with REALITY Sports… Scott Shagrin… Menachem Shemtov… Susan Farrell…

SATURDAY: Nobel laureate in Physics and author of “The G-d Particle, Leon M. Lederman turns 95… President and chairman of the board of the Annenberg Foundation, a multibillion-dollar charity formed by her father (Walter Annenberg), Wallis Annenberg turns 78… Member of the British House of Lords, he is a professor, medical doctor, scientist, television anchor and Labour Party politician, Baron Robert Maurice Lipson Winston turns 77… Entrepreneur and CEO of several large corporations, creator of the first cable TV shopping channel in the 1980s later purchased by QVC, now CEO of FLW (sponsor of bass fishing tournaments), Irwin L. Jacobs turns 76… Four time winner of the World Series of Poker, Mickey Appleman turns 72… One of the four Talmudic scholars who serve as Rosh Yeshiva of Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, one of the largest yeshivas in the world with more than 6,000 students, Rabbi Dovid Schustal turns 70… Congresswoman since 1989, former Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen turns 65… EVP at the Aspen Institute responsible for its policy and public programs, he was a Rhodes Scholar and he clerked for Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart (1980-1981), Elliot Gerson turns 65… Partner in the California-based appellate law firm of Greines, Martin, Stein & Richland, Feris M. Greenberger turns 61… Regional Director in Florida for the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, Miriam Baron Jankovits turns 61… Professor at the UCLA School of Law, expert in human rights, international criminal law and international trade, Richard Harold Steinberg turns 57… Member of Congress since 2011 (D-Rhode Island-1), previously mayor of Providence (2003-2011), his mother is Sabra née Peskin, David Nicola Cicilline turns 56… Anchorage-based attorney, a member of the Alaska House of Representatives since 2012, Andrew Lewis “Andy” Josephson turns 53… Former UK Labour Party member of Parliament (2001-2013) including three years as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, now CEO of NYC-based International Rescue Committee, David Miliband turns 52… Rabbi in Beverly Hills after almost seven years at the Shul on the Beach in Venice CA, blogger at ShulOnTheInternet and FinkOrSwim, Eliyahu Fink turns 36… Baltimore native, now in Denver as the West Coast Regional Director for the Israel on Campus Coalition, Jonathan Steven (“Jon”) Falk turns 29…

SUNDAY: Former State Department official under JFK and LBJ, later VP of Continental Airlines, and then Managing Editor of the NY Times, James L. Greenfield turns 93… Billionaire, former member of Knesset, winner of the Israel Prize, real estate developer and philanthropist, Stef Wertheimer turns 91… One of the three co-founders of Comcast Corporation, he served as its chief financial officer and vice chairman, Julian A. Brodsky turns 84… San Antonio-based financial advisor and real estate broker, Norman Lee Nonkenturns 70… World reknowned violinist, violist, and conductor, Pinchas Zukerman turns 69… Co-creator of the the first-ever spreadsheet program (VisiCalc), he currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer of Alpha Software, Daniel Singer “Dan” Bricklin turns 66… Former high ranking civilian official in the Bush 43 Pentagon, now a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, Douglas J. Feith turns 64… Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Avodah in Newton Centre, MA, since 1997, Rabbi Keith Stern turns 63… British solicitor advocate, he was chairman of The Jewish Chronicle, Anthony Julius turns 61… Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and screenwriter, Tony Kushner turns 61… Professor of psychology and philosophy at Tel Aviv University, Carlo Strenger turns 59… President of Viacom Music and Entertainment Group until January 2017, Doug Herzog turns 58… Co-founder of Ares Management, and owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, Tony Ressler turns 58… Owner of interests in many Israeli firms including IKEA Israel, Israel Discount Bank and the Shufersal supermarket chain, Matthew Bronfman turns 58… Canadian journalist working for CNN International and La Presse, Jonathan Mannturns 57… Chicago-based philanthropist, Victoria Rivka Zell turns 49… Former NFL offensive lineman Ariel Solomon turns 49… Israeli former professional tennis player, noted for her fitting last name for a tennis player, in 2003 she was ranked 15th in the world, Anna Smashnova turns 41… Marketing and communications strategist at Los Angeles-based Meteorite Social Impact Advisors, Steven Max Levine turns 33… Former White House Jewish Liaison in the Bush 43 administration (2006-2009), now a director in the Atlanta office of Rubicon Global, Scott Raymond Arogeti turns 33… Eric Reiner turns 26… Chief of Staff of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Jim Rosenberg… Legislative Director for Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-15), Louise C. Bentsen… Chantal Low Katz… George Nahas…

Gratuity not included. We love receiving news tips but we also gladly accept tax deductible tips. 100% of your donation will go directly towards improving Jewish Insider. Thanks! [PayPal]