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Brooklyn News - The Ocean Avenue News

Planet Fitness signs 10-year lease at Park Slope’s Paseo on Fifth

PLANET FITNESS will open its 14th Brooklyn location after signing a 10-year lease for 15,599 square feet at 50 Paseo Pl.

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Brooklyn News - The Ocean Avenue News

Midwood home sells for $8M, one of Brooklyn’s biggest sales of the year

A PREWAR East Eighth Street house has sold for $8 million, one of only six single-family Brooklyn properties to hit that price since July.

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Brooklyn News - The Ocean Avenue News

Outrage after Brooklyn middle school principal rejects Holocaust survivor speaker over ‘messages around Israel and Palestine’

A man who survived the Holocaust was rejected and silenced from speaking at a Brooklyn public school last month, amNewYork has learned.

Sami Steigmann, 86, lived to tell his heartwrenching story about surviving a labor camp in Nazi Germany during World War II. He and many of his supporters were shocked when Principal Arin Rusch of MS 447 in Boerum Hill denied a parent’s request to have him speak to the students. 

Rusch responded to the request by saying Steigmann’s presentation would not be right for the school “given his messages around Israel and Palestine,” according to an article in The Times of Israel. 

But Steigmann, who is a motivational speaker, discusses messages of hope and resilience, as well as history, on his website, samispeaks.com.

“Never give up. Never lose hope and enjoy the life you’ve been given. Never be a perpetrator—anyone that hurts another, intentionally and repeatedly, is a perpetrator,” one message on his site reads. 

Local politicians and advocates became outraged after the school refused to host the survivor. Steigmann is available to speak about a dark period in world history, when Nazis brutally murdered around 6 million Jewish people in Europe between 1941 and 1945. 

“It is abhorrent to deny someone who lived through the horrors of the Holocaust the opportunity to share his experience with students, particularly during a time when antisemitism is skyrocketing among our youth,” Brooklyn City Council Member Inna Vernikov said. She further demanded that the school’s principal issue an apology to Steigmann.

Masha Pearl, executive director of The Blue Card, an organization that supports Holocaust survivors, was appalled at the denial and said “students deserve to learn the truth” about history.

“It is outrageous that a Holocaust survivor was denied the chance to speak to students,” she said. “Sami Steigmann is a survivor affiliated with The Blue Card, who discusses peace, tolerance and fighting against hate. His testimony as a child survivor of a Nazi labor camp is not political. It is history. Silencing him at a moment of rising antisemitism is dangerous and deeply wrong, and makes New York City less tolerant.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for NYC Public Schools stated that Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos is in discussions with Steigmann about collaborating with the city’s public school system, the largest in the nation, which serves approximately 1 million students.   

“We firmly believe in the importance of educating our children about acceptance and respect and the tragic consequences of intolerance and hate, so our next generation can never again perpetrate such an atrocity,” the spokesperson said. “We are very proud of the Holocaust education work taking place across our public schools, and Chancellor Aviles-Ramos has already reached out to Mr. Steigmann to discuss upcoming plans for student engagement.”

Vernikov said she is awaiting “an actual date” from the schools to host Steigmann.

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Brooklyn News - The Ocean Avenue News

‘Light to the darkness of the season:’ Bishop Brennan leads Grand Army Plaza tree lighting

Grand Army Plaza glowed with color and ceremony on Monday as Bishop Brennan, leader of the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens, presided over the annual lighting of the Christmas tree and blessing of the créche.

The event, held Dec. 8 in front of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch, drew parishioners, passersby and families who gathered to usher in the Advent season. 

Bishop Brennan Grand Army Plaza
The tree features 18,000 multicolored lights, representing the borough’s diversity.Photo courtesy of John Quaglione/DeSales Media

This year’s display features a 25-foot balsam fir wrapped in 18,000 multicolored lights alongside a traditional Nativity scene. Together, they form one of the city’s most prominent Catholic Christmas installations and serve as a visual marker of the diocese’s approach to the holidays — rooted in faith, steeped in tradition and open to all.

Bishop Brennan
Bishop Brennan blessed the Nativity set with a prayer for all those who pass by.Photo courtesy of John Quaglione/DeSales Media

Bishop Brennan emphasized the spiritual significance of the celebration, linking the evening to the Catholic Church’s Feast of the Immaculate Conception, observed annually on Dec. 8.

“This display of the nativity will give other people hope as they see the reason for our joy,” he said before entering into prayer for peace, justice and mercy. “We have brought light to the darkness of the season, as we prepare for the birth of Jesus.” 

Bishop Brennan
Bishop Brennan at the Grand Army Plaza tree lighting on Dec. 8.Photo courtesy of John Quaglione/DeSales Media

The tree’s multicolored lights were intentionally chosen, symbolizing the diversity of the Diocese of Brooklyn — known as the “Diocese of Immigrants.” The Diocese offers free assistance for “immigrants, tenants and workers” through the Catholic Migration Services, a “not-for-profit legal service provider committed to promoting justice and compassion.”

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The News And Times Blog

The role of Jared Kushner in the NS Strategy change

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Brooklyn

The role of Jared Kushner in the NS Strategy change #JaredKushner #NS #Strategy AI Mode Jared Kushner’s role in U.S. national security strategy was primarily in the areas of Middle East diplomacy and government innovation, rather than direct involvement in the formal drafting or a specific overall “strategy change” document. During the first Trump administration, where he served as a senior advisor, his influence on national security was largely focused on: Middle East Peace: Kushner was a key architect of the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations. This was a significant diplomatic shift in U.S. foreign policy toward the region. He was given a br

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Brooklyn

The role of Jared Kushner in the NS Strategy change #JaredKushner #NS #Strategy Jared Kushner played a crucial, influential role in recent National Security Strategy shifts, particularly in Middle East peace efforts (, Gaza deal) and Ukraine negotiations, leveraging deep regional ties and direct access to Donald Trump, often acting as a trusted, informal advisor who bypassed traditional channels by focusing on “getting to yes” and understanding key players, despite ethical questions surrounding his post-White House Mideast business dealings. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] Key Aspects of His Role: Middle East Negotiations: He was central to brokering the and recently, a Gaza ceasefire/hostage deal, utilizin

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Brooklyn News - The Ocean Avenue News

Thomas on the mend as Nets surge

Normally, getting back one of your most potent offensive threats from an extended injury absence is exhilarating news for an NBA team. Here in Brooklyn, it might create a bit of a conundrum, especially considering how well the Nets have been playing without Cam Thomas for over a month now. “The team continues to get […]

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Brooklyn

#News #Articles #Tweets Current News: Articles and Tweets currentnewschannels.blogspot… Trump made NS Strategy more favorable to Russia: background, assessments, predictions #National #Security #Strategy The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) moved towards a stance more favorable to Russia by shifting from naming Russia as an explicit “threat” to a potential partner for “strategic stability,” while simultaneously criticizing traditional European allies.

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Brooklyn

#News #Articles #Tweets Current News: Articles and Tweets currentnewschannels.blogspot… Trump made NS Strategy more favorable to Russia: background, assessments, predictions #National #Security #Strategy The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) moved towards a stance more favorable to Russia by shifting from naming Russia as an explicit “threat” to a potential partner for “strategic stability,” while simultaneously criticizing traditional European allies.

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