$10 million in gold found on couple's property

Article: In central California, a couple were taking a walk on their rural property with their dog over a trail they had done many times. The wife saw a rusted can poking up from the ground's surface near a tree. She dug it up and discovered jars of buried gold coins. The 1,426 gold coins, dating from 1847-1894, are in absolutely pristine condition and look as if they were buried right after being acquired. They also don't appear to be the result of a robbery because they appear to have been buried chronologically (every few years) as soon as the coins were minted, in various cans. Some of the coins are so rare, they could sell for more than $1 million a piece. A true buried treasure! The couple wish to remain anonymous to avoid a gold rush to their property and people asking for money. They plan to sell most of the coins on Amazon and use the proceeds to pay off bills and give money to charity. Previous gold finds occurred in 1985, when construction workers uncovered $1 million in gold coins, and in 1974, when a man died, leaving 400,000 silver dollars behind, worth $7.3 million. Gold has also been discovered off ship wrecks. 

Discussion: 

• What is a gold rush?
• Why do the couple wish to remain anonymous? Would you? 
• Why is this a priceless treasure? 
• What do you think of the way they are selling it? 

             

UCLA Anti-Israel Divestment Resolution Fails by Narrow 7-5 Vote

Article: It has just been announced that last night's divestment resolution at UCLA has failed by a narrow margin. The undergraduate student government voted down the resolution early this morning. The resolution would have called for UCLA and the University of California to divest from companies that do business with Israel. The vote was done through secret ballot, a move made after council members feared that any other type of vote could be met by threats from disagreeing individuals. Over 500 people attended the meeting, which lasted from 7pm until 6:30am this morning; students' public comments went until 4 am. One Councilperson said she would vote against the resolution because it was too alienating and divisive against some university students.

UCLA Divestment Tonight/Approaching Rainstorm May Be Biggest Storm in Two Years

Note: Tonight at UCLA, students are bringing a divestment resolution before the student senate, to encourage UCLA to divest from businesses that do business with Israel. If you want, spend some time tonight speaking with your children about how they would stand up for Israel if they were at UCLA--what arguments they would make. I will be going tonight to the proceedings and will report the results in tomorrow's current event.

Article: Thus far, it has rained less this winter than nearly ever before and LA is in the worst drought it has had in 100 years. Usually we have over 10" of rain by this time of year but instead, we've only had 1.2" of rain since July 1. Things may now change! This Wednesday, a rainstorm is supposed to hit that will be the wettest we have had in two years! It is supposed to be part of several storms hitting the region through Sunday. Let's hope it brings a lot of rain!

Discussion:

• Why is rain important? Think of all these impacted when there is too much or too little rain.
• What are things you can do differently in a drought to save water? 
• Jews have a special prayer they say in winter for rain. Why? 

U.S. Winning Olympics in Number of Excuses

Article: The Olympics have ended, as of last night. In the two previous Olympics, the U.S. won more medals than any other country but this year, the U.S. Team did not do as well, in nearly every competition. Yet one thing the U.S. did very well: making excuses for their losses! While some were legitimate excuses (a ski-jumper having an ACL surgery before competing), some just seemed unwilling to take responsibility for their own actions. After American speed skater Shani Davis finished 8th in his race, he said, implying conspiracy, "That fact that we're that far out, something's up." What does that mean? Only Kikkan Randall, who lost at the freestyle sprint has said simply, "Unfortunately, I fell apart just before the finish line." Here's a sampling of some of the excuses:

• The snow was bad and I couldn't practice enough (Shaun White, snowboard half-pipe competition)
• I was great; the judges weren't good (Hannah Teter, snowboard half-pipe)
• I was thinking too hard; and I hadn't practiced slalom racing all year, instead surfing (Julia Mancuso, slalom race)
• The snow was humid and caused me to be too slow; the flat light on the mountain hurt my eyes (Miller, men's downhill skiing)
• I'm too big and strong for this race (Hannah Kearney, mogul skier)
• The referees got it wrong (Hilary Knight, hockey)

 Discussion

• What does it mean to make excuses v. taking responsibility for your own actions? 
• Think of an example where you've done that or heard someone else do that. 
• Most of the excuse-makers, above, have won medals in previous Olympics. Why do they feel compelled to make excuses now? 
• What was your favorite memory from the Olympics?

Girls Granted Permission to Wear Tefillin in Orthodox day School

Article: A modern orthodox high school in New York, SAR, has granted permission to two girls to put on tefillin, also known as phylacteries, during all female prayer services each morning. Admitting it is a "communally complicated issue," the school's rabbi also said that he believed the girls were in compliance with Orthodox Jewish law (Halacha), because they have taken on the obligation to put on tefillin every day and have already been doing it every day, just without permission. One of the girls, a junior at the school, has been putting on tefillin every morning since her Bat Mitzvah. The other girl, a sophomore, has also been doing it every morning since her Bat Mitzvah and is following in the example of her mother, who does the same thing. The girls say they like to keep putting on tefillin because it makes them feel closer to God. Under orthodox law, praying with tefillin is an obligation each day for boys; girls are not forbidden to do so but rabbis disagree on whether or not they should. According to some, Rashi's daughters (one of the most famous of all Jewish rabbis in history) put on tefillin each day; this was in the 11th century.

     

Dead Fish Mystery

In honor of my son, an article about animals...

Article: Government officials in Northern Nevada are trying to figure out why all the fish in a man-made lake have died. An estimated 100,000 trout, bass and catfish have died in one month, but the likely number is closer to 1 million adult fish. They don't know why the sudden extinction. Some possible explanations: an unexplained drop in oxygen levels; a bitter cold that caused the lake to be too cold for the fish and sucked up additional oxygen. They think 3,000 fish died from low oxygen levels in one part of the lake but they don't know why all the fish in the lake have died. The lake was used as a fishery to stock fish; it opened in 2000 along with a bike trail, beaches, playgrounds and a fishing pier. Previously, a nearby pit had been contaminated by pollutants leaking from a nearby company tank farm, but officials say that the pollutants were all cleaned up by 1997. So far there are no plans to restock the fishery.

15 year old Youngest Russian to Ever Win Olympic Gold, Set to Holocaust Music

Article: 15-year old Yulia Lipnitskaya has won an Olympic gold medal in figure skating. She is the youngest Russian ever to win this medal in ladies single figure skating. Yulia danced to the song from Schindler's List, a Holocaust film, reenacting a girl innocent of the horrors of the Holocaust. She is said to do the fastest spin sequencing in the competition. Yulia was raised in Russia by her single mother; her father joined the Russian army and never returned home. Yulia started training competitively when she was four years old. Yulia insisted on doing the Schindler's List sequence when she became obsessed with the film. A Russian-Jew did the choreography for her performance. Click here for the video of her Olympic-winning performance.