News

The “shero” that bravely fought against global terrorism this past week was a dog! The “wonderful” Belgian Malinois, as tweeted by President Trump, was injured when Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest on Saturday night inside his Syrian compound. Trump said he had declassified the image of the dog, but not its name. However, a Newsweek report citing multiple sources said the dog was called Conan – after the comedian Conan O’Brien – and was female! The US military typically relies on German shepherds and Belgian Malinois. According to CNN, this isn’t the first time American armed forces have relied on a dog for backup in operations targeting terrorists. In 2011, a dog named Cairo took part in the raid that led to Osama bin Laden’s death. Cairo secured the area around the bin Laden compound while Navy SEALs went in.

The biggest shopping day of the year is still a month away, but this past Tuesday crowds had come out to get an early look at one of the biggest New York retail openings of the year: a Nordstrom flagship in New York City. Nordstrom has given New York City a celebratory shopping experience within their seven-floor store located at 57th Street. It’s as if Nordstrom is trying to convey that the terrain of failed retailers has paved the way for a new and exciting model in purchasing, which resembles a visit to a Disney park.

The week of Chol Hamoed Sukkot I threw a soirée for my girlfriends that I proclaimed to be a “Simchat Beit Nekeivah.” Since theme-based sukkahs are all the rage, I channeled my creative side and selected a butterfly and crystal interior with tabletop selections from Altoona, Amazing Savings and all the dollar stores I could find! Of course, I couldn’t come near the creativity and execution of my dear friend Shevy Shanek, event planner extraordinaire, but I gave it my best effort to set the tone for my wonderful, accomplished, iconic collection of female superstars of medicine, real estate, law, education, matchmaking, and Torah – all of them queens in their own right.

The New York Times describes Tzuri Gueta’s jewelry as “blur(ring) the lines between craft, fashion, and art.” In truth, that’s a small statement with a very large translation.

When I was given my first Barbie I thought she was a miniature version of my mom. Playing with Barbie dolls is probably part of every women’s life experiences since the late ‘50s. Certainly “looking like a Barbie doll” is somewhat of an unobtainable body image that probably shaped our perception of perfection. Nonetheless, she was the image of the perfect woman until recently, when she was altered and updated to include different body shapes. However, this week, Mattel, the makers of Barbie, introduced an altogether new doll of a non-specific gender, neither male nor female.

The first Jewish princess in Disney’s history is ready for her royal introduction. Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler confirmed that a Chanukah-themed episode of Disney’s widely popular children’s TV series Elena of Avalor will feature a visiting princess from a Latino Jewish kingdom who will be voiced by the former Sopranos star.