iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Happy Jewish American Heritage Month! www.jewishheritagemonth.gov In honor of the month, I encourage any of you, Jewish or not Jewish, to share one of your earliest, latest, greatest, or otherwise most memorable American Jewish experience. Here's one:

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

I just finished Noa Tishby's book on Israel. It's an amazing book that I HIGHLY recommend. It's an entertaining explanation of the history, politics, and culture of Israel, filled with humor, sass, and her own family story. If you want to understand the Middle East, please read IMMEDIATELY!

noatishby.com

Noa Tishby's Book | Israel: A Simple Guide to the Most Misunderstood Country on Earth

Explore Noa Tishby's New York Times best-selling book, providing insight into Israel, its history, and its people. Get your copy and gain a deeper understanding of this complex nation.

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Swing and a miss. “We know very well the history of governments assembling lists of Jews does not end well.”

Trump Antisemitism Inquiry Demanding List of Jews at Penn Heads to Court

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

My high school grunge band was named Canned Trainwreck.

Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

If one of my friends served me a thick Middle eastern stew made with Australian possum served on semolina, I would be very suspicious. After all, it's a quisquous viscous cuscus couscous.

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What I should have said was that the October 8th Jew was the one who woke up trying to remember who he or she truly is.” (3/3)

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“I'm the person who coined the term October 8th Jews in a New York Times column. Yet, in hindsight, I got the definition only half right. I said at the time that the October 8th Jew was the Jew who quote woke up to discover who our friends are not..." (2/3)

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“Jewish thriving happens when being Jewish is not merely an incident of ancestry, but rather the centering fact of life, the source from which we derive meaning and purpose, the spiritual compass and moral anchor and emotional safe harbor." (1/3)

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Bret Stephens' State of World Jewry Address

Bret Stephens gave the State of the World Jewry Address at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan (a 150-year-old JCC in Manhattan). His speech is excellent and worth a listen.

youtube.com

YouTube video by Call me Back Podcast - with Dan Senor

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

As a Sunday School teacher, I can’t help but occasionally teach a little bit of religion, history, and politics, especially when it can be connected to food. Forgive my lengthy (and a couple days late) post on Tu B'Shevat.

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

My favorite line is, "Large studies have dismissed that claim, but Dr. Milhoan said he trusted his own observations over what 'established science' might suggest about vaccines." Yep. We're doomed.

Rejecting Decades of Science, Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Other Shots Should Be Optional

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Elizabeth Goiten at The Brennan Center warned back in 2020 that Trump was spoiling to unleash the Insurrection Act in blue cities, and this would be a catastrophe. And here we are 6 years later.

brennancenter.org

Yes, Trump Can Legally Deploy Troops to Suppress Protests

Injecting military forces into a domestic crisis has the potential to make a bad situation worse. Under Trump, it could prove disastrous.

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Hunkering down on a snowy day with a vegan brunch of waffles, tofu bacon, tempeh sausage, fruit, and coconut lime curd. Salads and stir frys are for suckers.

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Leftists, progressives, and moderate liberals, we need to speak out against the Iranian government's brutal assault on its people.

newsweek.com

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Congratulations to Suzy Bogguss who is now a member of the Grand Ole Opry. As much as I love her country music, my favorite song is still her sultry blues song Eat At Joe's. Y'all enjoy.

youtu.be

Eat At Joe's

YouTube video by Suzy Bogguss - Topic

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

I'm a big fan of the pre-2015 Scot Adams. You know, before he became a public Trump acolyte, racist, antisemite, and all around kook. I realize no one changes overnight, but, at least before 2015, we had the illusion.

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

For one shining moment during the playoffs, IU alumni like myself were proud of our alma mater. And then they go back to doing stuff like this. To misquote something my father used to say about the Bronx, "IU is a great place to be...from."

Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

I support Reza Pahlavi. I don't know if Pahlavi will steer Iran into a bright new future, but as far as I know, he is the only real option. I fear Trump will treat Iran like it did Venezuela: go in guns ablazin', then leave the old regime in place as long as they pay protection (oil).

Deposed Shah’s Son Seeks Center Stage Amid Iran Protests

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

"Fezzik, you finally did something right!"

Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Is this finally the end of the IRGC and Khameini? I stand with the protesters in Iran and pray that they soon can have peace, prosperity, and freedom in their own country. "Can you have a revolution without burning it all down?"

Inside Iran’s Protests: How a Plunging Currency Set Off Wide Unrest

Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

The NYT has mapped out Trump's web of corruption and conflict of interest across crypto, real estate, AI, and defense ventures. The corruption is orders of magnitude higher than most people realize.

Trump’s Tangled Web of Deal-Making, Policy and Riches

The president, his family and some of their closest associates have engaged in a sprawling campaign of deals that stretches across industries and the globe.

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The Israelites get all excited. They nail the head to the outer wall of the city and defeat their now headless enemy. Good clean fun. Strange how we didn't act out this play in Sunday school. Pity. 6/6

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Holofernes gets horny for her, throws a big party, sends everyone but Judith out of his tent, gets stupid drunk, and passes out. Judith promptly cuts off his head, puts it into her bag, and saunters back to her village. 5/6

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Rich widow Judith (who happens to be a hottie) decides to take matters into her own hands, walks with her servant to the Assyrian camp, claims she is surrendering, and offers to meet with Holofernes and tell him the best way to defeat Israel. 4/6

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When he gets to Israel, the Israelites flee to the hills, refusing to meet with him or surrender. So Holofernes mounts a siege campaign and blocks their water supply. Israelites get all ferklempt. 3/6

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TL;DR Back in the days of King Nebuchadnezzar of the Assyrians, Nebby got angry at many surrounding countries for refusing his request for military aid because "they were not afraid of him." So Nebby sends his general Holofernes on a bloody rage campaign to destroy kingdom after kingdom. 2/6

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

On the last night of Chanukah, my family and I started a new tradition. We ate pizzas, drank wine, and read together the Book of Judith. The Book of Judith has long been an important part of Chanukah even though it happened some 400 years before the Maccabees. And yet, we never read it before. 1/6

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Today we had our roof reshingled, we joined old friends on a Zoom call, and we had leftovers for dinner. Sometimes the best holiday celebration is just to live life. Happy 7th night of Chanukah, people.

Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

I dedicate tonight's candle lighting to Queen Salome Alexandra (aka Shlomtzion) the only female ruler of Judea. Her 9-year reign has been described as a golden age of Hasmonean history, a time of peace and prosperity. Maybe we should have more women in charge? Happy Chanukah!

Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

This is the absolute best example of how we can be civil across the political divide. Also, mazel tov to Nick Roberts for appearing (positively) in Time magazine. time.com/7341364/twin...

time.com

Meet the Identical Twins on Opposite Sides of the Political Divide

One is a Democratic city councillor, the other is an anti-immigration activist. Things got confusing when they appeared at the same public debate.

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

Brighter and brighter! Tonight I made Sefardic bimuelos de kalavasa (fried pumpkin donuts) for Chanukah. Granted, mine turned out like mini pancakes, but all in all they worked really well with a drizzle of honey. Happy 5th night! www.myjewishlearning.com/the-nosher/s...

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Halfway there. Tomorrow I shall make some new and exciting holiday dish from a long forgotten part of the diaspora. Tonight I finish up leftover kugel and latkes. Happy 4th night of Chanukah!

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Zev Winicur @zevwinicur.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

My son says there are 3 kinds of Jews: those that put applesauce on latkes, those that put sour cream on latkes, and those that are wrong. I heartily disagree. Turns out, homemade cranberry sauce goes great on latkes. Happy 3rd night of Chanukah, my friends!