Daily Archives: November 13, 2005

Over 15,000 Men, Woman & Children Worldwide Unite In The Fight For Jewish Literacy

This coming Sunday thousands worldwide will join together in the fight for Jewish literacy. The Second International Book-A-Thon will bring together Jews from all walks of life in a three week Jewish book reading campaign developed and run by Kehot Publication Society. Over 250 schools, libraries and Chabad Houses have already signed up for the program and more are registering every day.

In this unique campaign institutions are provided with everything they need to run the program including posters, fliers, brochures, and classroom programms for both children and adults. A full color prize brochure features a large spectrum of Jewish books, toys, games and CDs in addition to popular items like scooters, Ipods and a computer. Even books are arranged for many schools and Chabad Houses which lack even the most basic Jewish books for people to read during the program. One of the most spectacular parts of this program is that in addition to thousands being exposed for the first time to the world of Jewish books, 100% of the money brought in is used to purchase Jewish books for the library of the local institution.

MAJOR DISRUPTIONS ON SUBWAYS/ Here are just some of the disruptions you’ll be dealing with

Newscast of this event

–The No. 3 train is not running at all. In Brooklyn you can catch the No. 4 at most stops, and in Manhattan, the No. 5 will be making uptown stops instead of the No’s 2 and 3, while the uptown 2 runs on the 4 and 5.

–There will be no J train service between Cypress Hills and Broadway Junction in Brooklyn. Shuttle buses will replace the J train.

–There also won’t be any L train service between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Service is suspended between Lorimer Street and Eighth Avenue.

— N and R trains will be rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge in both directions between Canal Street in Manhattan and DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn.

–Those are just some of the disruptions. For a complete list of this weekend’s detours, visit www.mta.info

NYPD Will Use Bomb Dectectors on Subway

Police next week plan to roll out another anti-terrorism tool designed to stop bombers from attacking the city’s subway system: portable explosive detection devices sometimes used at airports.

About a dozen high-tech detectors by various manufacturers — some resembling handheld vacuum cleaners, others the size of fax machines — will be positioned at subway entrances where officers conduct random bag searches, officials said Friday.

Conference Weighs Rebbe’s Legacy

The late Lubavitcher Rebbe was the subject of a groundbreaking three-day conference at New York University this week, a generally laudatory program that could set the tone for how the charismatic leader and his movement will be presented in future academic settings.

“What we are really going to do [with this conference is] set off a mode of research,” said the event’s organizer, Lawrence Schiffman, a Judaic studies professor at New York University. The conference, he added, was “in certain ways a communal research project.”

Why are white voters crossing party lines?

It has been 20 years since a majority of white city voters pulled the lever for a Democratic mayoral candidate — even as most remain registered Democrats themselves, the latest election results show.

According to a Pace University exit poll, Mayor Michael Bloomberg won last Tuesday among whites with 67 percent to 30 percent for Fernando Ferrer.