Lindsey Graham questions U.S. alliances with Saudi, Qatar & Oman
Plus, a preview of Davos 2026
Add JewishInsider on Google👋 Good Friday morning!
In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at what Cameron Kasky’s withdrawal from the NY-12 congressional race says about the influence of social media on political campaigns, and preview the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which begins on Monday. We profile Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton, who became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic when she led the state’s department of health, and talk to Israeli bobsled team pilot AJ Edelman as the Jewish state appears set to send a bobsledding team to the Winter Olympic Games for the first time. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff: Josh Harris, Rachel Goldberg-Polin and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz.
Today’s Daily Kickoff was curated by Jewish Insider Executive Editor Melissa Weiss and Israel Editor Tamara Zieve, with assists from Danielle Cohen-Kanik and Marc Rod. Have a tip? Email us here.
Ed. note: The next Daily Kickoff will arrive on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Enjoy the long weekend!
For less-distracted reading over the weekend, browse this week’s edition of The Weekly Print, a curated print-friendly PDF featuring a selection of recent Jewish Insider and eJewishPhilanthropy stories, including: Marine vet Ryan Crosswell aims to flip GOP-held Pennsylvania congressional seat; Mamdani’s antisemitism strategy: Reluctant to confront extremist threats while pledging to protect Jews; and Saudi Arabia’s talks to acquire Chinese-Pakistani JF-17 jets could complicate its pursuit of U.S. F-35s. Print the latest edition here.
What We’re Watching
- Mossad Director David Barnea is in the U.S. today, where he’s slated to meet with White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Miami to discuss Iran.
- Jacob Helberg, the U.S. under secretary of state for economic affairs, is in Israel today, where he will sign a joint artificial intelligence statement this afternoon with Israel’s National AI Directorate head, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Erez Eskel. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar will attend the event, being held at Jerusalem’s City of David.
- Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) yesterday announced a last-minute trip to Israel, where he’ll meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The trip comes days after President Donald Trump opted against immediate military action in Iran (more below) at the behest of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Oman — as well as Israel, which reportedly asked Trump to delay any strikes on Iran in order to give Jerusalem more time to prepare for an Iranian reprisal targeting Israel.
- New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, the first Jewish speaker of the council, is slated to announce a new legislative package to combat antisemitism in the city that includes an expansion of security funding for guards and safety officers, cameras for Jewish schools, mandating and funding security training at religious institutions, the creation of a hotline to report incidents of antisemitism to the city’s Commission on Human Rights, a call for the NYPD to establish perimeters around schools and places of worship, and over $1 million to support Holocaust education. Menin will make the announcement this morning at the Museum of Jewish Heritage.
- Iran International is hosting a town hall event this afternoon with former CIA Director Gen. (Ret.) David Petraeus.
- The Israeli American Council’s annual summit continues today in Hollywood, Fla.
What You Should Know
A QUICK WORD WITH JI’S MATTHEW KASSEL
Cameron Kasky’s announcement on Wednesday that he was ending his bid for a coveted open House seat in the heart of Manhattan and pivoting to focus on advocating for human rights in the West Bank didn’t come as much of a surprise — given the 25-year-old progressive political activist’s almost exclusive fixation on targeting Israel as a first-time candidate.
Kasky, a Democratic upstart who was among a range of contenders vying to succeed retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) in the 12th Congressional District, had recently returned from a visit to the West Bank, and his experience meeting with Palestinians had left him with “one concern,” he said, motivating his decision to drop out of the primary and seek to promote legislation to counter Israeli settler violence in the territory.
Without providing specifics, Kasky said he looked forward to sharing more details of what he called a “West Bank human rights emergency plan” and said he had “consulted with experts extremely well-versed in the matter” to ensure that “the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted.”
Still, while Kasky framed his so far loosely defined next act as a “chance to do what must be done” in the wake of his brief “human rights-centered campaign,” as he described it, his explanation about the sudden withdrawal avoided mentioning that he had been seen as an unserious candidate struggling to gain any traction in the crowded race.
His harsh criticism of Israel generated online attention and helped him to build a relatively sizable and enthusiastic following on social media.
But Kasky’s early exit from the June primary, just two months after launching his bid, illustrates how digital clout is not a reliable indicator of meaningful voter support, particularly as a growing number of influencers has sought unsuccessfully to convert online popularity into a seat in Congress in a range of recent primaries.
It also underscores how Kasky’s anti-Israel views were likely alienating to many voters in one of the most heavily Jewish districts in the country — even as several far-left challengers across New York are taking on pro-Israel incumbents. One Democratic operative familiar with the district, which covers the Upper East and West Sides, called Kasky’s hostile positions on Israel a form of political “kryptonite.”
TO STRIKE OR NOT TO STRIKE
The red line that wasn’t: Will Trump back down from attacking Iran?
Even as President Donald Trump backed away from taking immediate military action against Iran, several leading foreign policy analysts believe a U.S. strike against the Islamic Republic remains a possibility, arguing that the administration may be deliberately keeping Tehran off balance and preserving its military options, Jewish Insider’s Matthew Shea reports.
Options open: “Even though Trump did not direct strikes on Wednesday, he is keeping options open,” said Dana Stroul, the research director at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, pointing to the administration’s decision to reposition the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East. “The buildup of military posture in the region over the coming weeks keeps plenty of military options on the table and maintains pressure on the Iranian regime.”
On the Hill: A bipartisan group of 59 House lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday urging the State Department to continue condemning Iran’s crackdown on protesters across the country, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
TIES TESTED
Graham questions Saudi alliance amid reports that Gulf states urged Trump against Iran strikes
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) warned on Thursday that he would be “dramatically rethinking” the “nature of” the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states if they “intervened on behalf of Iran to avoid decisive military action” by President Donald Trump against the Iranian regime. Graham made the comments in a post Thursday morning on X in response to reports that Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman urged Trump against striking Tehran to avoid disrupting oil markets and sparking broader regional conflict, and without a clear succession plan for regime change, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
What he said: “All the headlines suggesting that our so-called Arab allies have intervened on behalf of Iran to avoid decisive military action by President Trump are beyond disturbing. The ayatollah’s regime has American blood on its hands. They are slaughtering people in the streets,” Graham wrote on X. “If it is accurate that the Arab response is ‘action is not necessary against Iran’ given this current outrageous slaughter of innocent people, then there will be a dramatic rethinking on my part regarding the nature of the alliances now and in the future.”
DOCTOR’S ORDERS
Amy Acton became a household name in Ohio — now, she wants to be governor
Amy Acton is running for governor of Ohio this November as an outsider: a Democrat challenging 15 years of Republican gubernatorial rule, a medical doctor with no political experience, a “scrappy kid” from Youngstown who experienced homelessness as a child. But over a three-month period in the spring of 2020, she became a household name across the state. Every night, Ohioans watched Acton, then the statewide health director, in a white lab coat, describing the state’s COVID-19 precautions and trying to calm the anxiety people felt at the start of a new pandemic. Now, Acton is mounting her first political campaign — a bid for governor in a former swing state that has trended redder and redder in recent elections, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports.
Affordability focus: Acton, perhaps cognizant of the angst that followed pandemic shutdowns and mask mandates, is not making her COVID-era fame the focal point of her campaign. In a statement to JI, Acton said her campaign will focus on one of the most animating issues for voters and politicians alike right now: affordability. “I’m running for governor because people in my state are struggling with rising costs. There’s no breathing room,” Acton, who would be Ohio’s first Jewish governor if elected, said. “I refuse to look the other way while special interests and bad actors try to take our state backwards on nearly every measure. Everywhere I go, Ohioans are ready for change.”
TRADITION AMID TRANSITION
At Davos 2026, much change — but Shabbat dinner remains
The World Economic Forum kicks off in Davos, Switzerland, on Monday, with topics set to address a world that has been much changed since the last gathering a year ago. For one thing, founder Klaus Schwab will no longer be front and center, following his departure as WEF chair last spring; instead, attendees will hear from WEF President and CEO Børge Brende, WEF co-chairs André Hoffmann and Laurence Fink, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin when the first plenary convenes on Tuesday morning, Jewish Insider’s Melissa Weiss reports.
Admin attendance: Marking a shift from the Biden administration, during which only senior White House officials attended the forum, President Donald Trump will travel to Davos, where he is slated to speak on Wednesday afternoon local time. Joining Trump is a delegation that includes White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and AI and crypto czar David Sacks.
A fixture: Some attendees will depart Davos on Friday following the conclusion of official events, but others will stay for the annual Shabbat dinner, attended by a who’s who of Jewish — and non-Jewish — guests.
CASE CONTINUES
Court rules protest leader Mahmoud Khalil can be rearrested
A federal appeals court ruled on Thursday that former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil, a leader of the school’s anti-Israel protest movement, could be rearrested. Khalil was released in June from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Louisiana, where he had been held for three months, Jewish Insider’s Haley Cohen reports.
Panel ruling: A three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reopened the case on Thursday, instructing the lower court to dismiss Khalil’s habeas petition, a court filing that challenged his incarceration and eventually secured his release. In a 2-1 ruling, the panel decided that the federal district court in New Jersey that issued Khalil’s release did not have jurisdiction over the matter and that it should have been handled in immigration court, which is part of the executive branch overseen by the Justice Department, meaning Khalil is now liable to be rearrested.
MILAN 2026
Israel set to send a bobsledding team to the Winter Olympic Games for the first time
The Israeli bobsled team’s road to the Winter Olympics in Milan has been as twisting and winding as the Eugenio Monti Sliding Centre course in Cortina that will take sleighers hurtling down a mountain in the Italian Dolomites. The four-man team is part of a small group of Israeli winter athletes who have been training hard to qualify to compete at the highest level, but they have faced additional challenges on their road to the elite competition. In contrast to their fellow competitors, most of the Israeli team has been serving in IDF reserve duty during the Gaza war, missing key training days and competitions. The team has also faced obstacles from the Israeli Olympic Committee. Now, despite it all, the athletes are likely to qualify for the Milan games, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov reports.
AJ’s aspirations: Israeli bobsled team pilot Adam “AJ” Edelman, 34, grew up in an Orthodox family in Brookline, Mass.; his older brother is Emmy-winning comedian Alex Edelman. Playing competitive winter sports since preschool, Edelman made aliyah in 2016 and represented Israel in skeleton in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games. After that, he set a goal to bring the first Israeli bobsled team to the Olympics. On Sunday, the four-man Israeli team finished fifth in the North American Cup at Lake Placid, N.Y., likely clinching a spot in Milan. Edelman said that an Israeli bobsled team would stand out and be remembered, “a legacy performance. It’s like the actual talented version of ‘Cool Runnings,’” he said, referring to the John Candy film about an unlikely Jamaican bobsled team competing in the 1988 Olympics.
Worthy Reads
Fear Factor: In The New York Times, Stanford University professor Abbas Milan posits that the Iranian leadership’s leveraging of fear and repression to maintain control over the country for decades is no longer as powerful as it once was. “The fearlessness shown by the demonstrators is why this uprising may prove enduring. Western powers should take this into account in supporting them; ignoring these increasingly powerful movements means forfeiting the chance to help the people of Iran rid themselves of this nightmare and to bring about a more peaceful and democratic Middle East. Fear is the cement of every authoritarian structure. Not ideology, not theology, not even brute force on its own can keep the towering edifice in place. Fear does. When it dissipates, the usual tools of oppression, from prisons and thugs, to murder and official media, lose their power to dissuade a disgruntled population from rising up. Bereft of fear, the question is no longer whether authoritarian rule will collapse, but when.” [NYTimes]
Wrong on Iran All Along: Foreign Policy’s Steven Cook considers the faulty beliefs underlying decades of U.S. foreign policy vis-à-vis Iran. “The revolutionary ardor of its leadership was actually a rhetorical cover for an Iran that was practical and realistic. This framing led to the notion that Iran’s leaders were susceptible to American, or Western, diplomacy and financial incentives. … A full-on Foucauldian ‘archaeology of knowledge’ is not necessary to figure out where these ideas come from and how they have been reinforced. They stem from the preferences of people who have power in Washington (both Democrats and Republicans), who they choose as their interlocutors, and how they imagine the world. The result is that certain Iranian expats get to share their views with senior U.S. officials, opine on the media, and participate in war games and other simulations with various U.S. government agencies.”[FP]
Oh, Canada!: In Newsweek, Jesse Brown warns that rising anti-Israel activity in Canada and Ottawa’s response to it are laying the groundwork for more attacks targeting the country’s already vulnerable Jewish community. “Statistics confirm the extent of the crisis. Though Jews comprise less than 1 percent of Canada’s population, we are now the number one target of police-reported hate crimes targeting religion. A comparison of Statistics Canada data against FBI data shows that a Jew in Canada is significantly more likely to be the target of a police-reported hate crime than a Jew in America. The weak responses from Canadian leaders to antisemitism stand in stark contrast to their forceful condemnations of Israel. [Canadian Prime Minister Mark] Carney has even promised to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu should he ever set foot on Canadian soil. The protesters are emboldened by these high-level validations and have shifted their targets from elected officials to their Jewish neighbors.” [Newsweek]
Word on the Street
President Donald Trump announced the creation of the Board of Peace, adding that names of the group’s members would soon be made public; Jared Kushner, who served in the first Trump administration and has been a key player in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, hailed the board’s creation as “a historic new beginning in the Middle East”…
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said during an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday that “all options are on the table” in terms of a U.S. response to Iran’s crackdowns on protests; Iran’s deputy envoy to the U.N. criticized what he alleged was Washington’s “direct involvement in steering unrest in Iran to violence”…
The Treasury Department announced new sanctions on Iranian officials, including Ali Larijani, the head of Iran’s national security council, over the country’s violent crackdown on protesters…
The U.S. criticized South Africa’s allowance of Iran’s participation in naval exercises off the coast of Africa this week; the exercises included several members of the BRICS nations, including China and Russia…
Paul Atkins, chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, is in Israel this week; Atkins met yesterday with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee…
Reps. Greg Landsman (D-OH) and Max Miller (R-OH) wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the Department of State to support efforts by Israel’s Magen David Adom to acquire U.S.-built armored ambulances…
Reps. Dave Min (D-CA) and Claudia Tenney (R-NY) sent a letter, signed by 15 additional House members, to Trump, calling on the State Department to work with the congressionally funded Open Technology Fund to help restore internet access in Iran…
Gothamist does a deep dive into efforts by the Mamdani mayoral administration in New York to fast-track its appointments process, resulting in the hiring of at least one official who was found to have made antisemitic remarks on social media…
Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris purchased the historic Halcyon House in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood for $28 million…
eJewishPhilanthropy’s Jay Deitcher spotlights a new initiative by a St. Louis rabbi that uses AI to map Torah commentary…
A London art gallery is putting up for sale four sketches by British art and spy Brian Stonehouse, who was captured by the Nazis while working undercover with the French Resistance and sent to Dachau; Stonehouse’s works, drawn in charcoal the day after he was liberated from Dachau, depicted both victims of the Holocaust as well as their surroundings…
Random House announced the upcoming publication of Rachel Goldberg-Polin’s memoir, When We See You Again, about the effort to free her son from Hamas captivity; the book, which she said “recounts the first steps of a million-mile odyssey that will take the rest of my life to walk on shattered feet,” will hit stores on April 21…
Senior Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members, including a local commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip on Thursday…
Israel’s Defense Ministry reported a 40% increase in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among soldiers since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks, with more than half of soldiers being treated for war injuries having been diagnosed with PTSD…
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was killed at a TPUSA event in September, will be posthumously honored at the upcoming International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem later this month…
The Financial Times reports on the Iranian regime’s efforts to quell the country’s anti-government protests, which included training live fire on unarmed demonstrators and cutting off internet access and international phone calls…Attorney Leonard Jacoby, who with his law school friend Stephen Meyers started a firm to provide low-cost legal support to the majority of Americans who either couldn’t afford quality legal counsel or qualified for government-assisted legal services, died at 83…
Pic of the Day
Survivors of the Nova Music Festival massacre gathered on Wednesday, together with families of victims of the attack, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and guided site visit at the Diane Goldman Kemper & Robin Kemper Home for Inclusivity, located in the Ilanot Forest outside of Netanya, Israel. The event marked the public unveiling of Beit Nova, a permanent home dedicated to recovery, support and remembrance for survivors and bereaved families, funded primarily by UJA-Federation of New York. Pictured at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, from left: Mark Medin, the federation’s executive vice president; Eric Goldstein, its CEO; Ofir Amir, co-founder and survivor of the Nova Music Festival; and Reef Peretz, chairperson of The Tribe of Nova Foundation.
Birthdays
Film and stage actor best known for his roles on “The West Wing” and “The Big Bang Theory,” Joshua Malina turns 60 on Saturday…
FRIDAY: Founder of Jones Apparel Group (including Jones New York, Stuart Weitzman and Nine West) and film producer, Sidney J. Kimmel turns 98… Author of 12 novels for young adults, sports journalist for The New York Times, ESPN, CBS and NBC, he served as the ombudsman for ESPN, Robert Lipsyte turns 88… Real estate developer, a superfan of the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, he is known for sitting courtside at every home game, Alan “Sixth Man” Horwitz turns 82… Socially conservative talk radio host and relationship advisor since 1975, on Sirius XM Radio since 2011, author of over 20 books, Dr. Laura Schlessinger turns 79… Chef, food writer, culinary editor for the Modern Library, host of PBS’ “Gourmet’s Adventures With Ruth,” recipient of six James Beard Awards, Ruth Reichl turns 78… Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel until mid-2024 and dean of Yeshivat Hazon Ovadia, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef turns 74… Uzbekistan-born Israeli entrepreneur and industrialist, Michael Cherney turns 74… Longtime VP for government affairs and director of the Washington office of Agudath Israel of America, Abba Cohen turns 70… CEO of Belfor Property Restoration with more than 14,000 employees spanning 34 countries, he appeared in an Emmy-nominated episode of CBS’ “Undercover Boss,” Sheldon Yellen turns 68… Founder, chairman and CEO of RealNetworks which produces RealAudio, RealVideo and RealPlayer, Robert Denis “Rob” Glaser turns 64… First employee and subsequently first president of eBay, internet entrepreneur, philanthropist and movie producer, Jeffrey Skoll turns 61… Educational entrepreneur with a Ph.D. in behavioral psychology, she is the founder and CEO of Cognition Builders, Ilana Kukoff… Senior editorial producer at CNN, Debbie Berger Fox… Chair of the Cheviot Hills chapter of WIZO USA, The Women’s International Zionist Organization, Amy Graiwer turns 53… Former U.S. ambassador to Jordan, now VP for outreach at the Middle East Institute, Yael Lempert turns 52… San Francisco-based technology reporter for The New York Times, Sheera Frenkel… Assistant professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, he is a former speechwriter for Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and former Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), Rob Goodman… Canadian actor and singer, Jacob Lee “Jake” Epstein turns 39… Attorney working in South Florida real estate development, David Ptalis… Left wing for the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres, he won the NHL’s 2019 award for leadership based upon his philanthropic efforts, Jason Zucker turns 34… Israeli actress and singer, the eighth winner of “Kokhav Nolad,” the Israeli version of “Pop Idol,” Diana Golbi turns 34… Israeli professional Muay Thai and kickboxing fighter, Nili Block turns 31… Joseph Bornstein…
SATURDAY: Former two-term member of Congress from Iowa, he is the father-in-law of Chelsea Clinton, Edward Mezvinsky turns 89… Host of television’s tabloid talk show “Maury,” now a podcaster, Maury Povich turns 87… Former reporter, columnist and editor covering religion, education and NYC neighborhoods for The New York Times, he is the author of four books, Joseph Berger turns 81… Retired president of the Supreme Court of Israel, now teaching at University of Haifa Law School, Asher Dan Grunis turns 81… Actor who has appeared in over 100 different television series and commercials, Todd Susman turns 79… Australia’s chief scientist until 2020, he is an engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and former Chancellor of Monash University, Alan Finkel turns 73… Economist, professor, New York Times best-selling author and social entrepreneur, Paul Zane Pilzer turns 72… President and co-founder of Bluelight Strategies, Steve Rabinowitz turns 69… Journalist-in-residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Joanne Kenen… Chair of zoology at the University of Wyoming, she was the Democratic nominee in the 2020 U.S. Senate election in Wyoming, Merav Ben-David turns 67… Majority owner of the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, Dan Gilbert turns 64… Professor of Law at Harvard University, Jesse M. Fried turns 63… Former first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama turns 62… Film director, television director, screenwriter and film producer, Bartholomew “Bart” Freundlich turns 56… Founder and CEO at NYC-based Rosewood Realty Group, Aaron Jungreis… President of the Jerusalem-based Israel Democracy Institute, he was previously a member of the Knesset for the Kadima party, Yohanan Plesner turns 54… DC-based partner at PR firm FGS Global, Jeremy Pelofsky… Professional dancer who has competed in 17 seasons of Dancing with the Stars, Maksim Chmerkovskiy turns 46… Film and television actor, Scott Mechlowicz turns 45… Director of foundation relations at J Street, Becca Freedman… Executive director at SRE Network, promoting Safe, Respectful and Equitable Jewish workplaces and communal spaces, Rachel Gildiner… Legal director at Hillspire and lecturer at Columbia University, Perry Isaac Teicher… Film and television actor, Max Adler turns 40… Retired player for MLB’s San Diego Padres, he also played for Team Israel in 2013 and 2017, now an on-air radio and television host, Cody Decker turns 39… Winner of the $1 million prize as the “Sole Survivor” on Season 26 of Survivor, he has since become a writer for three television shows, John Martin Cochran turns 39… Chief growth officer at Non-Profit Organization, Jason Freeman… SVP of communications at Better Medicare Alliance, Rebecca Berg Buck turns 36… Senior digital support strategist at ACLU, she was social media lead for VPOTUS-candidate Tim Walz during the 2024 presidential campaign, Alyssa Franke… Ohio Statehouse reporter for Cleveland’s ABC News 5 WEWS, Morgan Rachel Trau turns 28…
SUNDAY: Rosh yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical College, Rabbi Aharon Feldman turns 94… Israeli insurance and banking executive, he served as a member of the Knesset from 1978 until 1981, Shlomo Eliahu turns 90… Retired executive director of the Israel on Campus Coalition of Greater Washington, Judy Novenstein… Publisher of a weekly community newspaper in Boston founded in 2016, David Jacobs… Executive editor at The 74 Media, JoAnne Wasserman… Microbiologist and professor of biology at Wichita State University, Mark A. Schneegurt turns 64… Former commissioner of the Social Security Administration, governor of Maryland and mayor of Baltimore, Martin O’Malley turns 63… Executive chairman of Aspen Square Management, Jeremy Pava turns 63… Executive director of Ohr Yisroel, Rabbi Yitz Greenman… Journalist and author of two New York Times bestsellers on personal finance, Beth Kobliner turns 61… Stand-up comedian, actor and writer, he is best known as the host of an eponymous Comedy Central program, Dave Attell turns 61… Senior rabbi of Golders Green United Synagogue in London for 20 years until 2023, Rabbi Dr. Harvey Belovski turns 58… President of the World Mizrachi movement, dean of the Jerusalem College of Technology (Machon Lev), he is also the rabbi of the Gush Etzion Regional Council, Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon turns 58… NYC real estate entrepreneur, Andrew Heiberger turns 58… VP of government and airport affairs at JetBlue, Jeffrey Goodell… Former MLB All-Star and Gold Glove catcher, now a real estate investor, Mike Lieberthal turns 54… VP for communications and government affairs at Princeton University, Gadi Dechter… Samara Yudof Jones… Actor and screenwriter, best known for his role in the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” Jason Jordan Segel turns 46… Baltimore-born basketball player, dubbed by Sports Illustrated as the “Jewish Jordan” in a 1999 feature, Tamir Goodman turns 44… Israeli-born comedian and actor, best known for his web series “Jake and Amir” (with Jake Hurwitz), Amir Shmuel Blumenfeld turns 43… Chief development officer at Cleveland-based The Centers, Stacey Rubenfeld… British actor, Jacob Fortune-Lloyd turns 38… Senior associate consultant at Evolve Giving Group, formerly deputy political director of the Midwest Region of AIPAC, Talia Alter Gevaryahu… Cellist and music professor, he has performed as a soloist with more than 30 symphonies, Julian Schwarz turns 35… Singer, songwriter, actress and dancer with more than 9.1 million followers on TikTok, Montana Tucker turns 33… All-Star pitcher with the New York Yankees, Max Fried turns 32… Linda Rubin…
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