Need to Know for May 30

May 30, 2019 JMORE Staff

Gilbert Gottfried as Hitler roasting Anne Frank on Netflix's new "Historical Roasts" limited series. (Screenshot, YouTube)

Gourmet Again, Harbor health and ‘Historical Roasts’

Gourmet Again closes

Anotherpopular fixture in Jewish Baltimore is no more. Gourmet Again, a Pikesvillestaple located at 3713 Old Court Road, ceased operations on May 28. Otherhigh-profile, Jewish-owned businesses that have closed their doors over thepast couple of years include the SuburbanHouse restaurant, TuxedoPharmacy, Cohen’sClothiers, Greetings & Readings, Donna’s, Trillium andDiversions. Gourmet Again was owned by Pikesville native and resident AndyHoffman. “I just want to thank everyone for their patronage over theyears,” he said. “It’s been a pleasure serving the community.” Hoffman did notsay why Gourmet Again was closing, but the store’s shelves were largely emptythe morning of May 28. One employee, who declined to give his name, said thatbusiness was significantly down. The store was crowded with customers at thetime. According to several reports, Gourmet Again’s employees — some of whomhave worked there for decades — were informed about the store’s closing on May27.

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Baltimore's Inner Harbor — Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (Handout)

Harbor health improves

Despiteheavy rainfalls last year that sent millions of gallons of sewage into theharbor, a new report card published May 29 by the Waterfront Partnership foundthat the level of fecal bacteria in Baltimore’s harbor actually declined from2017 to 2018. In the Baltimore region’s portion of the Patapsco River basin,which covers the Inner Harbor downtown to the western shores of the ChesapeakeBay, samples taken by Blue Water Baltimore showed the level of fecal bacteriawas acceptable for swimming 100 percent of the time in most areas, according toBaltimore Fishbowl. Of the 22 testing sites, 16 met the acceptable level inevery sample, with the remaining six hitting the 80 percent threshold. In theJones Falls Watershed, which has several branches in Baltimore County and runsall the way to the Inner Harbor, scores declined in several places, but insidethe city line, four sites were found to be acceptable for swimming 80 percentof the time – and Stony Run, which connects with the Jones Falls, had perfectscores. Two sites in the Baltimore County portion of the watershed – the NorthBranch of the Jones Falls and a portion of Roland Run – had samples that passedonly 60 percent of the time. The other five had positive tests in 80 percent ofcases or higher.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrives to the Likud party meeting at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, May 29, 2019. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Israel to hold new national elections

For thefirst time in its history, Israel will hold a second national election in oneyear, five months after the last election in April. The Israeli Knesset votedat midnight May 30 to dissolve itself, triggering elections on Sept. 17. Theunprecedented vote happened after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed toassemble a governing coalition by the end of the day May 29, his finaldeadline. Netanyahu was seen as the winner of the April 9 election becauseright-wing parties, which all supported Netanyahu for prime minister, garnereda majority in Knesset. But Netanyahu was unable to get those parties to join agoverning coalition with one another. The sticking point was a draft lawobligating haredi Orthodox men to participate in Israel’s mandatory militarydraft. Haredi Orthodox parties wanted to soften the text of thelaw. Avigdor Liberman, head of the secular, right-wing Yisrael Beiteinuparty, insisted he would not join the government unless the law was passed inits current form. In the end, Liberman did not join the coalition, doomingNetanyahu’s efforts.

HP using Israeli cybersecuritytechnology on its new computers

HP hasstarted installing malware protection software on its new computers using anIsraeli company’s technology. Technology from Tel Aviv-based Deep Instinct Inc.is used to create HP Sure Sense that comes on the latest EliteBook and ZBooklines, HP announced. The deal is valued at $150 millionover four years, the Israeli business news website Calcalist reported, citing an unnamed source. SureSense “enable(s) zero-time threat prevention against the most advanced cyberthreats,” HP said in a statement. “By leveraging Deep Instinct’s deeplearning-based threat prevention engine, HP Sure Sense provides real-timedetection and prevention – coupled with anti-ransomware, behavioralprotection.”–JTA

Episode of newNetflix series mocks Anne Frank

Anepisode of the newNetflix series “Historical Roasts” mocks Anne Frank with one-liners,angering some viewers, particularly in the Netherlands, where the teendiarist hid from the Nazis. Top comedians mock historical series in the series,which was released May 27. Among the roasters of Anne Frank, played by actressRachel Feinstein, are Adolf Hitler (Gilbert Gottfried) and President FranklinD. Roosevelt (Jon Lovitz). All three performers are Jewish. “Everyone knows youas a hero and a best-selling author, but to me you’ll always be little number825060,” Gottfried as Hitler says to Anne. He also says, “Of all the accountsthat I’ve read, Anne, your book is by far the most flammable.” Host Jeff Ross,who is Jewish, wears a yellow Star of David armband and acknowledges that“genocides continue to take place around the world.” Ross says, “If you’re offendedby anything you see tonight just do what FDR did and look the other way.”

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