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Unique Holocaust autograph book resurfaces in Victoria, BC…artifact to become permanent part of CMHR

Susi & Maenni Ruben circa 1960s

Special to The Jewish Post & News
An autograph book that reflects an artist’s life in the Theresienstadt ghetto and transit camp, once belonging to Holocaust survivor and Danish violinist Mænni Ruben, has reemerged in Victoria, BC.
Ruben’s unique perspective on the Holocaust is chronicled in his autograph book as the war is ending and survivors are being liberated.

His is a story not only of survival, but about enduring friendships, and the music and art that held them together under grim circumstances. With ethereal drawings from artist Hilda Zadikow, life in Theresienstadt is brought alive and forms a significant part of Ruben’s keepsake.
Besides the concerts and recitals that happened in Theresienstadt, many of the people in Ruben’s autograph book participated in the historic 1944 Red Cross concert, and a Nazi propaganda film.
Ironically, Ruben never set foot in Canada, having died in 1976 in Copenhagen, but his wife Susi did. After living in Victoria for 26 years, arriving with her second husband Dr. Avi Deston, she gave the book to Rabbi Harry Brechner of Congregation Emanu-el preceding her death in 2018.
“When the rabbi showed the book to me last year, I could see right away that it was special and should go to a museum. It is in remarkable condition for being 75 years old and is a tremendous addition to Holocaust studies,” says Project Coordinator Janna Ginsberg Bleviss. “I was fascinated by the book––who were these people and what happened to them? Reading the pages filled with optimistic greetings, illustrations, and pieces of music was like finding a hidden treasure, waiting to be opened. I wanted to discover who these people were and hear their stories.”
With the understanding that it would leave the Victoria Jewish community once gifted to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Ginsberg Bleviss decided to develop a compelling visual narrative from the book.
“Despite the horrors of being in a camp, these people survived. The emotion behind their inscribed messages speaks to friendships, and the power of music and art that held them together in these dreadful times. I knew these stories had to be told,” explains Ginsberg Bleviss.
The book depicts hope and optimism about the future, of friendships formed through the war, and at the camp. Ruben and his friends, some of whom were top-of-their-field musicians, artists, and intellectuals, survived the Holocaust, and many returned to successful careers in the performing arts. One of the musicians, 109-year-old pianist Alice Sommer Herz, became the subject of the Academy Award-winning documentary, The Lady in Number 6.
“There is a huge educational value to these pieces for students learning about the Holocaust, or for researchers who want to continue exploring the stories of these most interesting people during an important time at the end of the Second World War,” says Rabbi Brechner. “We want the book to stay in Canada” and it will soon become a permanent part of the CMHR.
An introductory video of the Theresienstadt Autograph Book, the exhibit panels, and the replica book with translations and accompanying notes are available at https://terezinautographbook1945.ca
The Theresienstadt Autograph Book is sponsored in part by . Established in 2016, the project is dedicated to Holocaust remembrance and education.
Founded in 1863, is a progressive, Conservative, egalitarian, and inclusive synagogue, and Canada’s oldest one in continuous use.

Post script: After reading that the Autograph Book will be coming to the CMHR, I reached out to Dr. Jeremy Maron, who is Curator at the CMHR, to ask him how the CMHR plans to incorporate this precious artifact into its collection –and when it might arrive. Here is how Dr. Maron responded:

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights has indeed accepted this artifact for acquisition after it was generously offered by Janna Ginsberg and her congregation in Victoria.
To clarify, we are not bringing this item in as a stand-alone exhibition. We have accepted this historical object as part of our permanent collection, which means we are committed ensuring its long-term preservation, as well as providing access in order to share this book and Ruben’s story with our visitors. With this in mind, this book will likely be on display in the future in our Examining the Holocaust gallery, but we do not have dates in mind yet.
The book will require some conservation work in order to ensure its long-term preservation and viability, and its delicate condition will also inform how often (and how long) the item will be on display. So in short, the object will be part of the museum’s permanent collection, and will be on display at times. But we do not yet have display dates planned for it yet. Once it does go on display, it would just be for specific periods, not permanently, which will protect it from continuous light exposure and ensure its ongoing preservation.
Undoubtedly, this artifact marks a valuable and unique addition to the permanent collection of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The written entries offer direct, first-hand insights from people as they were living their day-to-day lives in Terezin. The musical entries in particular speak to the persistence of artistic and cultural expression that people strived to retain during a gross violation of human rights (and the importance that music played in the life of Ruben himself). It also conveys the cultural vibrancy that existed within Terezin, which affords consideration of how the Nazis used Terezin for propaganda purposes to deflect attention from atrocities that they were committing elsewhere (and within, beneath the guise prepared for international visitors).

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Features

Hacker and Fraud Prevention for Online Gambling Profiles

Safeguard your online casino & sports betting accounts from cyber threats

Follow these 10 vital steps to reinforce your online gambling profile by enabling two-factor authentication, using VPNs, unique passwords and more.

With the global online gambling market projected to reach over $100 billion by 2026, securing your online casino and sportsbook accounts is more critical than ever. As digital wallets swell with winnings so too does the motivation for cybercriminals to steal credentials and loot accounts.

#1. Activate Two-Factor Authentication

Topping the list is two-factor authentication (2FA) – requiring two credentials to login instead of one at FanDuel. Often this entails providing your password plus a one-time code sent via SMS or email.

Per an Oracle study, implementing 2FA would have thwarted 99% of historical cyber attacks that involved stolen credentials.

Most regulated online gambling sites offer 2FA, accessible under account settings. Turn it on immediately for stronger defense.

#2. Never Reuse or Recycle Passwords 

A cardinal sin is recycling the same password across multiple sites or services. Once one account is breached, cyber thieves can access more accounts using that same password.

To avoid this, every account deserves a unique, strong password. For simplicity, utilize a password manager app to randomly generate and store site-specific passwords.

#3. Install a VPN for Public Wi-Fi Access 

When playing online casino games on shared/open wireless networks, your data flows openly and risks interception. That’s where virtual private networks (VPNs) come in.

VPNs encrypt all network traffic to and from your device. This protects your gambling activity and account credentials from Wi-Fi eavesdroppers. VPNs also disguise your IP address.

Some top-rated services include NordVPN, ExpressVPN and CyberGhost.

#4. Keep Software Updated & Run Anti-Virus Scans 

You must keep computers and mobile devices updated with the latest OS and security patches. Postponing critical updates leaves open dangerous holes that malware exploits.

Likewise run reputable anti-virus scans to catch viruses attempting to infiltrate systems and spy on login credentials for financial accounts.

#5. Verify the Security & Encryption of Sites 

When signing up at online betting sites and casinos, verify the legitimacy of their security measures:

  • Confirm the address starts with HTTPS, not HTTP
  • Check that data transmissions are encrypted using at least 128-bit SSL
  • Ensure site has proper licensing
  • Review privacy policy for data storage and sharing

Reputable sites will display trust badges from companies like Norton and TrustE.

#6. Avoid Account Sharing 

While tempting to give friends or relatives access to funded accounts, sharing login credentials is extremely risky. You lose control over deposits/withdrawals while exposing yourself to potential theft.

Instead, gift deposits to other player accounts or refer them to open their own secure accounts.

#7. Beware Account Takeover Scams 

Exercise caution if contacted unexpectedly about unusual account activity. Savvy scammers will pretend a breach occurred to trick you into handing over your username and password.

If concerned about account integrity, directly access the site yourself and contact customer support – don’t click any links in unsolicited emails.

#8. Monitor Financial Statements

Carefully review online betting account and credit card statements to detect unauthorized transactions right away. Dispute unrecognized activity ASAP to limit losses.

For further vigilance, some banks offer real-time purchase alerts via email or SMS.

#9. Don’t Save Payment Info 

Saving credit card or e-wallet details on gambling sites for faster future deposits also expedites withdrawals – by you and potentially hackers.

Instead, manually enter payment info each time to contain potential damage from any account infiltration.

#10. Create a Secure Email 

A strong yet oft-overlooked defense is creating a secure email account strictly for gambling transactions. Keep it completely separate from your personal email to isolate threats.

Use a nickname, enable 2FA and establish a strong password using special characters, numbers, case changes and 15+ letters.

Table: Comparison of Top VPNs for Online Gambling Site Security

VPN ServiceEncryption StandardNumber of Server LocationsAllows P2P TrafficNumber of Simultaneous ConnectionsMoney Back Guarantee
NordVPNAES 256-bit5400+Yes630 days
ExpressVPNAES 256-bit3000+Yes530 days
CyberGhostAES 256-bit7400+Yes745 days

Fortify Your Online Gambling Fortress 

As online casinos and sportsbooks explode in popularity, no player is immune to the growing plague of cyber fraud and account theft.

Guard your profile by enabling two-factor authentication, setting strong passwords, installing critical software updates and more. Also research site security measures and payment options.

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Features

Vital Role of True Randomness in Modern Computing

The critical need for true randomness in cryptography, simulations, and more

True randomness is essential for encryption, statistical sampling, simulations, and more computing applications to work effectively. We explore why.

The concept of randomness often evokes thoughts of unpredictability and chance occurrences. However in the world of computing, having access to true randomness is vital for many critical applications to function properly. Without the ability to generate random values and data, key aspects of modern technology simply would not work reliably.

In this article, we will explore what constitutes true randomness from a computational perspective, why it is crucially important, and some of the ways that software and hardware attempt to produce randomness reliably. Gaining insight into this topic highlights the dependence much of digital functionality has on the availability of non-deterministic, uniformly distributed random data.

What Makes Randomness “True”?

For data to be considered truly random from an information theory perspective, values must satisfy key mathematical and statistical qualities, for example at Lucky Seven Casino. True randomness implies meeting three core criteria:

  • Uniform distribution — All potential values have an equal probability of occurring so that no bias exists towards certain numbers.
  • Independence — The value at any position does not relate to or depends on values at other positions. Previous numbers do not influence future ones.
  • Unpredictability — Knowing some values provides no useful information to predict other values. Guessing upcoming numbers is mathematically impossible.

Hence, true randomness requires generated data featuring high entropy (information density) with no observable patterns or correlations over any length or time period analyzed. Values must pass various statisticatests of randomness to qualify. True randomness exists only in specific natural phenomena scientists believe exhibit fundamental uncertainty such as radioactive decay. Computational methods can attempt to produce randomness but technically generate only an approximation usually called pseudo-randomness. However for many practical purposes, computationally generated randomness proves sufficient if it passes robust statistical testing.

Why True Randomness Matters Cryptography 

Arguably, the area with the most crucial dependence on true randomness is cryptography. All modern encryption technologies require random number generation to ensure security. Encryption systems work by utilizing random numbers for:

  • Key generation
  • Initialization vectors
  • Salts
  • Nonces
  • Padding

Any bias, predictability or correlation within random values used for the above purposes significantly compromises encryption protocols and introduces vulnerabilities. With trillions of dollars transferred online daily and vast amounts of sensitive data stored digitally, safeguarding cryptography requires high-quality random number generation rooted in solid entropy sources.

Simulations & Modeling 

Outside of security, many more computing applications need randomness to operate correctly per their design intent. Monte Carlo simulations extensively utilize randomness to model complex real-world behaviors by running many iterations with differing random inputs. Financial analysis, climate modeling, nuclear reactions and molecular behavior represent common Monte Carlo simulation applications.

Games, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning 

Gaming, AI and ML commonly incorporate randomness to increase variation, introduce unpredictability, and improve realism. For example, non-player characters in video games use randomness for movement, dialog and behavior to feel more lifelike and less robotic. AI/ML leverage randomness to train networks more thoroughly against a wider possibility space and build more resilient models less prone to biases.

Generating True Randomness via Hardware 

Given the pervasive need for genuine randomness across computing, how do software and hardware reliably produce it? Most systems today use either specialized hardware random number generators or hybrid combinations of hardware and software.

Hardware options utilize the inherent randomness within low-level physical phenomena to produce entropy. Different techniques for generating randomness exist but most hardware implementations focus on three main sources:

  1. Thermal Noise
  2. Semiconductor Quantum Physics
  3. Chaotic Oscillator Outputs
Generator TypeDescription
Thermal NoiseAmplifies and extracts random electrical noise from resistor thermal vibrations
Quantum PhysicsLeverages quantum mechanical properties like photon emission timing from LEDs/lasers
Chaotic CircuitsUses unpredictable oscillator circuit outputs from chaos theory

Semiconductor-based solutions can generate high bitrates up to 5Gbps using compact modern chip fabrication allowing extensive harvestingof entropy. However these sources derive from complex, random physical processes proving impossible to predict or fully model mathematically. This unpredictability provides excellent entropy quality unattainable via software algorithms alone.

Most general-purpose computers now integrate random number generators within CPUs allowing applications access to decent hardware-based random data. For the highest security use cases, dedicated standalone hardware random number generators exist exceeding >100Gbps speeds. Hence accessing genuine randomness is available today even on common computing devices.

Cryptographically Secure Pseudo-Random Number Generators 

While hardware mechanisms utilize hard-to-predict physical phenomena to produce randomness, software solutions must take a different approach. Algorithmically-generated randomness cannot achieve true randomness from a physics perspective. However clever mathematical techniques like cyclical algorithms can generate randomness passing many statistical tests of randomness within their output bit length limits.

Cryptographically secure pseudo-random number generators (CSPRNG) serve as the premier software-based method for generating randomness. CSPRNGs work by repeatedly applying cryptographic primitives like hash or cipher functions on initial random seed values. This process produces a chain of output bits not reproducible without the original seed key. Leading CSPRNG algorithms include:

  • Hash_DRBG
  • HMAC_DRBG
  • CTR_DRBG

Software libraries implement these CSPRNGs so developers can integrate quality randomness into applications with proper seeding. Seeding establishes the initial starting point for randomness generation using an entropy source like hardware random number generators or timing variability.

CSPRNGs allow the production of vast quantities of randomized data for any purpose needed. Compared to hardware mechanisms limited by physics on maximum speeds, algorithms scale boundlessly in the bits created as long as adequate computational power exists.

Yet key differences between software and hardware randomness remain. While CSPRNG outputs pass statistical testing and contain no observable patterns, their pseudo-randomness means given the same seed, the exact same value sequence will generate each time. Also, if a CSPRNG algorithm or implementation has flaws, adversaries could predict and exploit output resulting in compromised security. Still, with proper cryptographic design and regular reseeding, CSPRNGs provide quality randomness for most software needs.

Conclusion

From the above exploration, we see true randomness plays a pivotal role across computing – from cybersecurity to simulations and beyond. While no substitutes for true physically-derived entropy exist, modern hardware and hybrid hardware-software solutions provide abundant randomness for practical usage.

However as computing continues evolving with new technologies like quantum, ensuring high-quality randomness generation tackles emerging information security and system reliability challenges. Access to ample true randomness stands necessary now for current computing functionality and lays the foundation for future innovation.

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Features

News from Israeli hotels

Roy Avidor new GM at The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya

Introduction: The current wars in Gaza and Lebanon have had a disastrous effect on Israeli tourism. Recently we were contacted by a friend in the advertising business in Israel who asked us whether we would help to promote a couple of well-known Israeli hotels – who are hoping for a huge rebound in bookings once the wars come to an end.

Here is news about two leading Israeli hotels:

Mr. Roy Avidor is the new GM at The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya.

We are delighted to welcome Roy Avidor as the new General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Herzliya!

Roy brings over a decade of leadership in the international hospitality industry, with a proven track record of operational excellence.

Most recently, Roy served as Director of Operations at the Sheraton Grand Tel Aviv, where he oversaw daily operations across multiple departments, always ensuring the highest standards of service. Prior to that, he held management positions at Celebrity Cruise Line and Isrotel Hotel Chain.

Roy’s extensive background in luxury hospitality, combined with his passion for service, makes him the perfect addition to our team and to his newest position as General Manager.

Boaz Elani Appointed General Manager of Sheraton Grand Hotel Tel Aviv

Boaz Elani has been named the new General Manager of the Sheraton Grand Hotel Tel Aviv, a prestigious property within the global luxury Marriott portfolio.

Bringing extensive expertise in luxury hospitality, Boaz most recently served as the General Manager of the Ritz-Carlton Herzliya, also part of the Marriott group. During his three-year tenure, he successfully navigated the hotel through two major challenges: the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Israel. His steadfast dedication to exceptional service significantly enhanced guest satisfaction, solidifying the hotel’s reputation as a premier destination.

“I am honored by Marriott’s trust in me and thrilled to join the Sheraton Grand Tel Aviv team,” said Boaz. “This hotel holds a distinguished place as one of Israel’s finest and most iconic. Following its comprehensive renovation, we are committed to delivering unmatched experiences for our guests and continuing its tradition of excellence.”

The Sheraton Grand Tel Aviv, overlooking the Mediterranean, features 320 beautifully redesigned rooms, including premium, deluxe, and club accommodations, along with luxurious suites. Guests staying in club-level rooms enjoy exclusive access to the 18th-floor lounge, offering breathtaking sea views. The recent renovations incorporate modern aesthetics with natural, seaside-inspired materials, creating a serene and inviting ambiance.

The hotel boasts a range of world-class amenities, including a newly updated beachfront pool, a popular sushi bar open to both guests and the public, and a renowned gourmet breakfast. Its versatile meeting spaces and state-of-the-art conference halls have garnered international acclaim, earning it the 2024 World MICE Award for Best Event and Conference Hotel.

In line with Marriott’s global commitment to sustainability, the Sheraton Grand Tel Aviv has held Green Key Certification since 2014, highlighting its dedication to environmentally responsible practices.

With Boaz Elani at the helm, the Sheraton Grand Tel Aviv is poised to further elevate its status as a premier destination for both leisure and business travelers.

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