| | Good Tuesday morning. In today’s Daily Kickoff, we look at the Democratic Senate primary in Maryland happening today between Angela Alsobrooks and Rep. David Trone, and report on a meeting between White House officials and Jewish groups to discuss efforts to combat antisemitism. Also in today’s Daily Kickoff : Fred Guttenberg, Amy Gutmann and Doron Almog. The usual reverie as Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, transitioned into Yom Haatzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day, was on display across the country last night. But if the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv were packed with parties, the official celebrations usually held across the country were more muted. Israeli President Isaac Herzog told a crowd assembled at the president’s residence in Jerusalem this morning that he “debated considerably” whether to hold an event, ultimately deciding on a small event recognizing 120 soldiers for their service. “The strength of spirit and bravery you showed are the reason you were chosen as Outstanding Soldiers,” Herzog said. “These choices build a nation, they built us and will build us further. This is what resilience looks like.” Israel’s annual torchlighting state ceremony, which marks the conclusion of Yom Hazikaron and the start of Yom Haatzmaut, was prerecorded for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, reportedly to avoid heckling of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers. In his remarks, Netanyahu said: “Seventy-six years ago, in the War of Independence, we stood alone. We were few against many. Five Arab armies invaded our land to annihilate the fledgling state. We were short on arms, had little resources. Yet we had one secret weapon: the spirit of generations, the life force of an age-old people that refuses to die, a nation that stood up against those who would destroy it. As is written in Psalms: 'I shall not die, but live.' It is thanks to this spirit that we prevailed over our enemies and secured our existence. Today we are immeasurably stronger, but the desire to destroy us has not disappeared. It is still here.” “This year's Independence Day is not like any other year's Independence Day,” the prime minister continued. “The war is still raging. It was forced upon us on that dark day of the horrendous massacre. Many of our brothers and sisters are still being held in the dungeons of Hamas. Their families are suffering greatly. We will bring them all home, the living and the dead.” “Although this is not a regular Independence Day, it is a special opportunity for us to realize the significance of our independence,” Netanyahu said. “Independence means being a free people in our country, having the freedom to defend ourselves by ourselves and the sovereignty to satisfy the behest of generations: never again!” President Joe Biden sent Yom Haatzmaut greetings to Herzog, writing: “As I — a lifelong supporter of Israel and the only American president to visit Israel in wartime — made clear after Hamas's attack, the United States' commitment to Israel's security is ironclad. It's critical that our countries work together to increase security and peace for Israel and the entire region. I look forward to our nations' continuing to work together to forge a brighter future for all our people.” Stateside, four states are holding primaries or primary runoffs today, but none are more significant than the Maryland Democratic contests — taking place in a deep-blue state where one of its leading officials has emerged as one of Israel’s top critics in the Senate, Jewish Insider Editor-in-Chief Josh Kraushaar writes. The big race to watch will be the Maryland Senate primary between Rep. David Trone (D-MD), a deep-pocketed moderate who has poured more than $60 million into the race, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks, who has won backing from most of the leading Democratic officials in the state. The race is a clash between Trone’s money and Alsobrooks’ endorsements. Alsobrooks has been at a significant financial disadvantage throughout the contest, but there are signs she’s gotten late momentum as her campaign and allies have ramped up their spending. With popular former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan in the race as the expected Republican nominee, electability is a factor in the primary contest. Trone’s ability to self-finance the Senate race means Democrats won’t have to worry about redirecting funds for another battleground contest into the heavily Democratic confines of Maryland. But Alsobrooks’ deeper relationships with Maryland Democrats and stronger support with African-American voters (she’d be the first Black senator in the state, if elected) gives her an organic base of support that Trone lacks — even though her mediocre fundraising remains a challenge. Both Democrats have been broadly supportive of Israel, but have also broken with the pro-Israel consensus. Alsobrooks joined President Joe Biden in support of conditioning offensive military aid if Israel invades the final Hamas stronghold of Rafah — a position not embraced by retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). Trone, a reliable Israel supporter in the House, called for a cease-fire back in January in remarks that were sharply critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza. Read more below. The other big contest to watch is in Maryland’s 3rd Congressional District (Annapolis and surrounding suburbs) to succeed retiring Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD). AIPAC’s super PAC has spent over $4 million boosting state Sen. Sarah Elfreth in the crowded primary. Her main challenger is former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who has raised millions for this campaign largely because of his heroic actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Internal polls from both campaigns indicate that the contest will come down to the wire. Rounding out the Maryland primaries: Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski is the clear favorite to prevail in the Democratic primary for the 2nd District seat of retiring Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD). The district has a significant Jewish constituency, centered in the Baltimore suburb of Pikesville. In Nebraska and West Virginia, two Republican lawmakers are also facing right-wing threats in their respective contests, but both are favored to prevail. Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) is fending off a challenge from former West Virginia state Del. Derrick Evans, who was convicted for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and has entertained antisemitic conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. Evans appeared in a February interview where, when asked whether “Jews stole the election,” Evans responded, “It’s a good question to ask right now.” Asked if it’s “over the line to draw the conclusion that Israel had a whole lot to do with Jan. 6,” Evans responded, “No, it’s not.” The Republican Jewish Coalition endorsed Miller, pointing in part to that interview. Evans, who live-streamed himself pushing into the Capitol building, pleaded guilty to obstructing law enforcement and federal business, and was sentenced to three months in prison and 36 months of supervised release, which is ongoing. Read more below. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a pro-Israel, pro-Ukraine moderate Republican, faces a primary challenge from Dan Frei, who has picked up the endorsement of the populist-dominated state party and House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good (R-VA). Bacon is endorsed by Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen and other senior GOP figures. Bacon, a Jewish community favorite, is dominating in fundraising, but Frei is aiming for an upset against Bacon by attacking him from the right. Bacon’s challenge is maintaining support from MAGA Republicans in the primary while not alienating the moderates he needs to win the general election in one of the nation’s most hotly contested swing districts. Spread the word! Invite your friends to sign up.👇 Share with a friend | senate showdown Trone's money facing off against Alsobrooks' endorsements in Maryland Senate primary  Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post via Getty Images/ Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images Rep. David Trone (D-MD) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks are locked in a highly competitive Democratic primary to succeed retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). But while the two candidates haven’t clashed much over Israel on the campaign trail — with both expressing broad pro-Israel sentiment, mixed with occasional criticism of its war conduct — Alsobrooks has taken a tougher stance in the race’s final stretch, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports.
Rafah rhetoric: Alsobrooks said late last week that she would vote against future arms sales to Israel if it invades Rafah, siding with President Joe Biden’s controversial position and marking a major policy shift right before Tuesday’s pivotal primary. Alsobrooks’ campaign did not respond to JI’s request for comment on the statement, which placed the Senate hopeful more in line with Biden and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) than Cardin, a pro-Israel stalwart. Van Hollen has emerged as a leading critic of Israel since it launched its war against Hamas in Gaza last year, while Cardin has held firm in his support for the Jewish state.
Cease-fire questions: A spokesperson for Trone referred JI to the congressman’s remarks at an event organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington at B'nai Israel Congregation in Rockville last Tuesday. While the topic of a Rafah invasion did not come up, Trone has opposed conditioning aid to Israel. At the JCRC event, he voiced his opposition to a cease-fire deal that doesn’t include the release of hostages.
Balancing act: Alsobrooks and Trone have balanced their overall support for Israel with calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, while offering critiques of Israel’s handling of its war against Hamas, two standard positions for Democrats competing in a primary this cycle to take. Still, they are also competing to represent Maryland, a state with one of the largest Jewish constituencies in the country. While Alsobrooks has moved toward Van Hollen’s hard-line posture of opposing future weapons sales and a Rafah invasion, Trone has stuck to rhetorical criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the high civilian death toll in Gaza.
Read the full story here. mountain state race West Virginia Rep. Carol Miller faces primary challenge from candidate who entertained antisemitic conspiracy theories  Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images/Will Price, West Virginia Legislative Photography via AP In today’s West Virginia Republican primary, Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV) is fending off a challenge from former West Virginia state Del. Derrick Evans, who was convicted for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and has entertained antisemitic conspiracy theories about the 2020 election, Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod reports.
RJC backing: Miller, the chair of the Main Street Caucus — a group that describes its members as “pragmatic conservatives” — is being backed in the primary by the Republican Jewish Coalition, which rarely involves itself in contested GOP primaries, highlighting the degree of concern over Evans’ candidacy. The group pointed to Evans' exchange with Peters in its endorsement of Miller. In a statement, RJC chair Norm Coleman and CEO Matt Brooks described Evans as a “convicted felon and fringe extremist.”
Miller’s Israel record: The RJC praised Miller as a “reliable supporter of pro-Israel measures” who “understands that America must continue to lead in a dangerous world” and as a “fierce advocate for her West Virginia constituents and a strong ally to the Jewish community.” Local observers say that Miller is favored in the primary, but Evans could have a shot at an upset.
Read the full story here. in the room White House officials meet with Jewish groups after Rafah rift  ANDREW HARNIK/GETTY IMAGES A week after President Joe Biden gave a speech about the Holocaust and modern-day antisemitism, senior members of his administration met on Monday with Jewish community leaders to discuss ways to further combat antisemitism on college campuses and elsewhere, Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch reports. Key White House stakeholders at the meeting included Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer.
Antisemitism strategy: The meeting focused on implementing the Biden administration’s national strategy to counter antisemitism and working to strengthen it as challenges have evolved since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel. “I think everyone agrees that while a lot has been done, there is also so much more to do given the scope of the challenge,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, who was at the Monday meeting. “That requires continuing to build on and adapt the strategy to meet evolving needs, such as the post-10/7 reality on campus.”
Underlying tensions: But while the meeting ostensibly focused on antisemitism, it took place against a backdrop of tensions between many prominent Jewish advocacy groups and the Biden administration, after Biden’s decision to condition offensive military aid to Israel based on Israel’s actions in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Attendees did not shy away from raising the issue, and Finer’s presence in the meeting suggested the White House knew the topic would come up.
War of words: Nathan Diament, executive director of public policy for the Orthodox Union, urged the Biden administration to be “much more careful” in its language around Israel, because recent statements made by the administration “provide fuel to the fire of the antisemites,” according to another person who was in the room. Finer said that was "an important point," the attendee said.
Sullivan briefing: At the same time, in the White House Briefing Room, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan addressed key issues concerning the Biden administration’s approach to the current state of the Israel-Hamas war. On the subject of the arms sale pause, Sullivan stressed that the U.S. has “sent a massive amount of military assistance to Israel to defend itself against all threats, including Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran and its other proxies. We are continuing to send military assistance, and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided in the supplemental. We have paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, because we do not believe they should be dropped in densely populated cities.”
Read the full story here. red flag Fred Guttenberg warns of creeping antisemitism among Democratic activists  EUGENE GOLOGURSKY/GETTY IMAGES FOR JUST MAJORITY Fred Guttenberg, who became a nationally known gun control activist in the wake of his daughter’s death in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, warned in a recent interview with Jewish Insider’s Marc Rod that he’s concerned rising antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment in activist circles could, if not addressed, overtake the Democratic Party.
Minority stand: “I believe this party as a whole does not stand for hate, does not stand for antisemitism. But there is a minority of this party that does,” Guttenberg said. “And what worries me is we can look back on the Republican Party from years ago, when there was a minority of the party who stood for autocracy, and now it’s the platform of the party. They stood for hate against a lot of people, it’s now the platform of that party.”
Pivotal moment: “I don’t want that to happen to the Democrats,” he continued, “and right now is the moment in time where we can ensure that it doesn’t.” Guttenberg has been outspoken since Oct. 7 about his support for Israel and his concerns about rising antisemitism in left-wing spaces since the Hamas terror attack.
Outside agitators: Reflecting on conversations with Republicans who oppose former President Donald Trump, Guttenberg said he thinks that Democrats need to have serious, private conversations, and that he’s hopeful that the Democratic Party can find the way forward. But he warned that “these outside agitators are going to do everything they can to disrupt, and we need to know who those outside agitators are, so that we can work together for the good of America.”
Read the full interview here. primary debate Bowman, Latimer duel in first primary debate of campaign cycle  screenshot Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) stood by his anti-Israel record amid sustained attacks from Westchester County Executive George Latimer at their first primary debate of the campaign cycle on Monday, Jewish Insider’s Emily Jacobs reports. Tensions were high even before the debate began, with Latimer accusing the Bowman campaign of sending supporters “to attempt to agitate” the Westchester County executive on his way inside the event space. Latimer’s campaign said in a statement that two individuals posing as supporters tried to physically prevent him from entering the area until his staff intervened. The incident didn’t come up during the debate, though tempers flared plenty during the showdown.
Trading barbs: Bowman accused Latimer of using the “Southern strategy in the North” of portraying him as “the angry Black man” after the two sparred about each other’s records. Latimer had knocked Bowman’s votes against bipartisan deals and described him as a performative politician who “has done a lot of letter writing and a lot of talking.” Bowman also claimed Latimer had not taken any real action on guns, crime or the migrant crisis in New York in his decades of public service.
AIPAC in focus: The incumbent lawmaker also made AIPAC a top target of the evening, accusing the group of being a right-wing operation that wants to “destroy our democracy.” Latimer pushed back on the claim, pointing to AIPAC’s support for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Reps. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Grace Meng (D-NY), Gregory Meeks (D-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY).
Read the full story here. standing their ground Druze Israelis remain on Lebanon border: 'We'll die defending our land if we have to'  Lahav harkov There was a constant flow of traffic on Route 89, the central road running through the Druze village of Hurfeish in northern Israel, and all the tables inside Sambousak HaErez, one of the most popular local eateries, were full of diners on a sunny weekday lunch hour last week. Hurfeish’s northernmost point is less than a mile from Israel’s border with Lebanon, where the Iranian-backed Islamist Shiite group Hezbollah has been firing mortars, rockets and killer drones into Israel almost daily since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, yet in this village, unlike other communities nearby, there were few signs of the shadow of this war. It was a day like any other, Jewish Insider’s Lahav Harkov and Ruth Marks Eglash report.
Sharp contrast: Children disembarked from a school bus outside Sambousak HaErez, lugging backpacks as they headed home. A muscle-bound father in a shirt with the name of his IDF unit sat with his two young children at one table, four men in their 20s and 30s smoked at another table outside; and two middle-aged men held a meeting with a laptop between them. Iyad (who did not want to give his last name) pushed pitas into a traditional Druze taboon oven and then scooped labneh yogurt spread, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za’atar spice mix, into bowls. The lively scene in Hurfeish sharply contrasted with every other kibbutz and moshav in the area, all of which were evacuated in the chaotic days following Oct. 7 and remain empty seven months later. Members of Israel’s Druze community decided to remain in their homes.
Defending the land: “Our religion says we have to defend our land,” Osama, 31, one of the men smoking outside, said. “Parents with children in the army can’t sleep, can’t eat. My parents and grandparents watch the news all day; there’s bad energy in the home. We see [missiles] over our heads, but none have fallen in the village,” he added, showing a photo on his phone of his cousin’s factory abutting Hurfeish, destroyed by an anti-tank missile launched from Lebanon.
Read the full story here. | Necessary Evil: In The Atlantic, Eliot Cohen considers the “hard necessities” of war, as the West calls for cease-fires in both Gaza and Ukraine. “In both cases, there is in Western circles a desire to avoid confronting the awfulness of real war — not war waged in far-off lands for obscure purposes, but war waged to save or destroy nations, wars launched with massacre and the promise of more massacre in the event of victory by the side that started them. There is a deeper civilizational malady here, the kind that manifests in magical thinking about political choice. It was audible in the calls for defunding the police, which did not pause to consider that crime rates might rise when officers cease to keep the streets safe; in the claims that gargantuan deficits would not lead to inflation; and in the assertion that you can keep children completely safe from risks of COVID without paying a penalty in their mental health. Part of the transition to adulthood lies in accepting that actions have consequences, that money spent on one thing is not available for another, that not all stories have happy endings, that not all good things are compatible.” [TheAtlantic]
PR Push: In The Hill, Tamar Hofnung looks at the public relations war being waged by Hamas as it works to garner global sympathy. “By strategically manipulating the framing of the events of Oct. 7 and their aftermath in this way, Hamas does not need to seek to justify its violence outright. Instead, it redirects the conversation toward themes of colonialism. In this sense, it manipulates the debate by shifting it away from the ethical dilemma of targeting civilians to meet a political goal to the question of whether violence is justified as part of a national liberation struggle against colonial domination. This strategy, it should be noted, doesn’t entail altering someone’s beliefs but rather urging them to choose from predetermined options. By introducing colonialism and white oppression as dimensions, Hamas orchestrated a scenario where even humanist liberal individuals might overlook its violence, feeling compelled to prioritize their support due to their stance on colonialism and racial domination.” [TheHill]
Succession Saga: The Financial Times’ Najmeh Bozorgmehr spotlights the deliberations to determine a successor to 85-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran. “Whoever succeeds Khamenei will become Iran’s highest arbiter on matters of domestic and foreign policy and defence, shaping not just the trajectory of its political Islam but also the regime’s future. The Israel-Hamas war and its regional repercussions have illustrated the supreme leader’s authority as the ultimate decision maker: his willingness to test the limits of what Israel and the US will tolerate was on display in Iran’s unprecedented direct strike on Israeli targets last month. The pivotal decision on succession is not being left to chance. The regime’s power brokers ensured that the Assembly of Experts would be stacked with hardline clerics, rather than moderates or reformists — the latest move in a years-long project to engineer a stable transition that allows the regime to continue in the same vein.” [FT]
Doha’s Dealings: The Times’ Dominic Lawson reflects on his recent trip to Qatar, which has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks to exert its influence on Hamas to accept a hostage and cease-fire deal. “Last week the Israeli government shut down Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem office, but that will do nothing to change matters; if anything it will add to the channel’s status in the Arab world. When I raised the nature of Al Jazeera’s output with another senior Qatari government official, at a dinner in Doha, he unconvincingly justified it on the grounds that ‘it gives an outlet for the public’s anger, enables them to let off steam.’ What I suppose he meant was that its output deflects ‘the Arab street’ from expressing this anger directly at the expense of the Qatari government itself, given its close relationship with Washington and its (less openly acknowledged) links with Israel at the level of security and intelligence. And, as it happens, there were (I counted) four Israelis at the same dinner, for whom our hosts had provided packaged kosher meals, flown in from Israel. It could be that we were all being played. But then the Qataris are the masters of that game — as they have needed to be, for their own survival.” [TheTimes]
Pondering Power: In Tablet, Jewish Funders Network CEO Andrés Spokoiny considers the concepts of Jewish strength and powerlessness as it relates to Zionism. “The anti-Zionism of powerlessness is deeply cowardly. It avoids the real challenges of power, its messiness, its insolvable moral dilemmas, and its endless shades of gray. Diasporism is a facile escape, for which someone else is expected to pay the tab. Easier to sit in judgment in an air-conditioned room at Columbia University writing about the virtues of powerlessness than to work hard to make prophetic visions a reality. Zionism’s Israel presents a historical opportunity for Jews to deploy the values we developed in the Diaspora and move them from the abstract realm of books to the arena of real life. It may not be so pristine and pure as Steiner wanted, but that’s okay. Our values were never meant to be theoretical. They were meant as a practical guide to life in the here and now, not in the hereafter.” [Tablet] | Be featured: Email us to inform the JI readership of your upcoming event, job opening, or other communication. | Cairo Chasm: Egypt is reportedly considering downgrading its diplomatic ties with Israel following the IDF’s takeover of the Gazan side of the Rafah border crossing.
Border Bluster: Israel floated a proposal that would see the Palestinian Authority send representatives to unofficially operate the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza; the PA declined the proposal, out of concern that PA workers would be attacked by Hamas.
The Threat Within: The New York Times reports on Hamas’ General Security Service, an elaborate surveillance network that spied on Palestinians, including journalists and critics, in an effort to maintain its grip on the enclave.
Petraeus’ Prognosis: The Washington Post’s Max Boot talks to Gen. David Petraeus about Israel’s counterinsurgency campaign against Hamas.
Sanders’ Support: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) said he will continue publicly backing President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, despite disagreements over the administration’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
Passing the Baton: Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) endorsed Suhas Subramanyam in the Democratic primary to succeed her; Subramanyam is facing off in a crowded primary field against former Virginia House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and state Del. Dan Helmer.
Bye, Berlin: U.S. Ambassador to Germany Amy Gutmann is departing her posting this summer, and will return to the U.S.
Taking on Hate: Iowa’s attorney general announced the launch of a new task force to fight antisemitism that will prioritize work with schools and law enforcement in the state.
Court Concern: A federal judge ordered a review of dozens of death row cases in California’s Alameda County, following allegations that prosecutors in the northern California county worked to exclude Jews from sitting on juries.
Campus Beat: Two Jewish groups involved in a federal complaint against the University of California, Berkeley over antisemitism at the school amended their complaint to include a February incident in which Jewish students were trapped in an on-campus building while a mob of angry protesters demonstrated outside an event featuring an Israeli reservist.
Brain Freeze: The board of Ben & Jerry’s issued a statement praising the campus anti-Israel protests as “essential” to democracy.
Tragic Accident: The granddaughter of U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Michael Adler was killed in a Florida boating accident.
Picture Problem: A 1917 Egon Schiele drawing is at the center of a legal dispute between its current owner and the descendants of several Jewish art collectors who each say their ancestor had possessed the drawing before it was looted by the Nazis.
Bridging Divides: eJewishPhilanthropy interviews Jewish Agency for Israel Executive Chairman Doron Almog about the rise in interest in immigration to Israel and bridging the divide between Israel and the Jewish diaspora.
Saudi Sign-off: The U.S. reportedly gave informal sign-off to Riyadh to restart negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen aimed at reaching a peace agreement. |  Kobi Gideon/GPO Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hung a wreath at the state ceremony for Yom Hazikaron on Monday at Jerusalem’s Mt. Herzl. |  Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Former ESPN SportsCenter anchor and NFL sideline reporter, Suzanne Lisa "Suzy" Kolber turns 60...
Born in Casablanca and raised in Paris, Midtown NYC hair stylist and owner of La Boîte a Coupe salon, Elie Laurent Delouya turns 76... Physician and social activist, she is the Green Party's nominee for POTUS this year as she was in 2012 and 2016, Jill Stein turns 74... Professor of computer science at Technion, Orna Grumberg turns 72... Dean of UC Berkeley Law School, he is one of the most frequently cited American legal scholars on constitutional law and federal civil procedure, Erwin Chemerinsky turns 71... Los Angeles city attorney until 2022, he ran earlier this year for Adam Schiff's seat in Congress, Mike Feuer turns 66... Author of seven international bestsellers, Robert Greene turns 65... Head of School at the Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, Daniel L. Lehmann turns 62... Former member of Knesset for the Meretz party and a major general (res.) in the IDF, Yair Golan turns 62... Policy advisor for defense, foreign policy and veterans affairs for Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Robert Levinson turns 59... CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven, she is a former seven-term Connecticut state senator, Gayle Slossberg turns 59... Education program lead of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Howard Wolfson turns 57... Record producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, he has won nine Grammy Awards, Greg Kurstin turns 55... Managing partner of Alexandria, Va.-based MVAR Media and a leading strategist in Democratic politics, Jon Vogel... Political director for the Northeast region at AIPAC, Jason Koppel... Executive producer at NBC's “Meet the Press,” David Philip Gelles... Director of media relations at Chabad Lubavitch, Rabbi Mordechai "Motti" Seligson... Chairman, CEO and co-founder of Meta / Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg turns 40... Bloomberg reporter covering the union movement and labor law, Josh Eidelson... Actress, Sasha Rebecca Spielberg turns 34... Managing director of government relations at The Blackstone Group, Alex I. Katz... Judicial law clerk for a U.S. Circuit Court judge in Denver, he is a former track star and then football player at Harvard, Andrew Ezekoye... Former pitcher for Yale and then Team Israel, he is now a senior associate on the Ashler Capital team at Citadel, Eric Brodkowitz turns 28... Center for the NHL's New Jersey Devils, Jack Hughes turns 23... | | | | | |
