The Coptic Church Of Alexandria

The Church and Theology School in Alexandria was established by the Apostle Mark in 60AD. Most of the early converts were common Egyptians who spoke Coptic. Although Christians became the majority before the Arab invasion in 636, by the 12th century they were the minority. The concept of monasteries in Christianity was started by the Coptics in the deserts of Egypt. Currently, the Coptics are threatened by transitions in Egypt, let us pray for their safety.

photograph of St. Marks Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt.

reprinted from December 2016

Bill White's Elephant

In Bill White's recent column on the upcoming Democratic primary, he fails to mention the elephant in the news room.  He gives Pawlowski some of the credit for the redevelopment of downtown, but doesn't specifically mention the NIZ and J.B. Reilly.  This is a real omission,  because Reilly now literally owns the Morning Call building, and most of the developable real estate in the NIZ.  I see no relationship to the NIZ by Pawlowski.  It was created by Pat Browne.  I would bet that J.B. knew about the proposal long before Pawlowski.  Although, it occurred on Pawlowski's watch, and they allowed him to cut a few ribbons,  he was not involved in its inception or implementation.  As proof of his irrelevance to the NIZ,  not one of the FBI's accusations against the Pawlowski administration involve any NIZ projects.

I do not believe that Reilly owning the newspaper building in itself negates the paper's ability to deliver NIZ news. Another article on the NIZ in Thursday's paper spells out how Reilly received the overwhelming majority of the program's tax benefit toward his debt service.  However,  considering White's continuous defense of all things NIZ, a fuller disclosure was in order.

Allentown Cheerleading

There's a young Allentown cheerleader I sparred with several times on facebook. Yesterday, he found and posted a list which rated Allentown as one of the top five midsize cities in the northeast to visit. How silly is that? I drive all around Allentown, including Hamilton Street, several times a week. Can you imagine how disappointing it would be to actually take a vocation to Allentown based on that article? The list was created by some travel outfit called RewardExpert.

Now, I understand how such a list gets created. Some young person gets an assignment, and bases the article on other articles that he has read,  without ever visiting the town himself.  But how does the cheerleader, who actually lives here, take pride in such nonsense? Now, that's not to say that Allentown isn't improving, but to be a vocation destination?

Gethsemane 1934

Maria Magdalene (Mary Magdalene) is the Russian Orthodox Church located on the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
The church is dedicated to Miryam of Migdal, a follower of Jesus. Maria Magdalene was the first to see Christ after he was resurrected, and was a crucial and important disciple of Jesus, and seemingly his primary female associate, along with Mary of Bethany, whom some believe to have been the same woman.
The church was built in 1886 by Tzar Alexander III as a commemoration for his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, in the traditional tented roof Russian style, including seven onion shaped golden domes. Photograph dates from 1934

reprinted from April 2015

Mr. Molovinsky, That's Being Very Insensitive

Recently, I got a call from a valued reader saying I was being culturally rude in a post.  He was alarmed because I was quoting someone  he considers biased against a certain group.  He asked me several times how I would feel if someone was making a comment that I considered anti-semitic.  Although, I was glad to discuss the issue with him,  he overestimates my sensitivity.

Here in the blogosphere, anonymous is the comment name of choice.  Most people aren't willing to own their own words, even when they're being politically correct.  However,  anonymous said allows them to really let loose.  Some bloggers allow anonymous, but then reprimand their commenters when they insult someone.  Here at molovinsky, I allow registered pseudonyms.

Now, there is nothing wrong with people who have manners, but chances are they will not become bloggers.

The Hope of Marine Le Pen

With the exception of Israel, this blog seldom goes outside of the USA.  I mention Israel, because today I write about Marine Le Pen,  who is being compared to Donald Trump,  as France's populist candidate. Marine Le Pen is a French nationalist who wants to divorce France from the European Union.  She wants to reestablish her country's borders and currency. She wants to unlink their destiny with Brussels and Berlin, especially in regard to immigrants and refugees. Le Pen heads the far right National Front Party.  The party was led by her father for decades,  who was known for his anti-semitic statements.

Marine's rising popularity is tied to increasing fear about the unassimilated Muslim minority, and the radicalization therein.  That radicalization has resulted in lethal attacks against the general population, and Jews in particular.  Le Pen would minimize immigration,  and greatly restrict refugees.  She openly considers France a Christian nation.  She would ban Hijabs, and expect Jews to sacrifice yarmulkas, instead using hats for religious head covering.  She would ban dual citizenship outside of Europe, which would mean that some French Jews could no longer also maintain Israeli citizenship.  While such proposed restrictions alarm most French Jews, there are those among them that find the status quo more dangerous.  Complete religious freedom doesn't mean much if you're being run down by trucks or shot in Jewish Day Schools.

Unlike Trump, Le Pen is seasoned in politics and is articulate.  The French election involves two rounds, with the first occurring this month.  The top two vote getters face off in May.