Features
Henderson has scored for Canada!
By BRIAN PAULS Do you remember where you were when you heard the legendary Foster Hewitt utter those words, on September 28, 1972? I do. My wife Jeanne and I recall the moment very well. We were there – in person at THE GAME in Moscow, while millions of our fellow Canadians were celebrating as part of what amounted to an undeclared National Holiday back home.
It had been a snap decision back in the spring of that year, never regretted since. After arranging for our infant son to stay with relatives, we purchased a ten-day package to fly from Winnipeg to Moscow on Aeroflot, priced to include hotels, meals, tours, game tickets, what have you.
We packed two dozen siddurim underneath the clothing at the bottom of our suitcases, fearing that we would be searched and arrested upon arrival. We weren’t. The flight to Moscow featured unlimited vodka but limited staff enthusiasm to clean the barf-filled toilets, so we were tired and quite uncomfortable but very happy to arrive. Whereupon uniformed soldiers, police or customs officials (it was impossible to determine which was which) started questioning all passengers with Jewish-sounding surnames. We weren’t hassled, presumably due to a decision in the 1920s to abbreviate our Yiddish surname by my wise paternal grandfather upon emigration to Canada. On departure from Moscow, the unfortunates with the more Semitic-type surnames underwent a similar rigmarole. By then, that represented merely a minor inconvenience, such as all of the toilet paper and soap that accompanied us being stolen by hotel cleaning staff when we were out. Which also happened.
On the first Shabbat after our arrival, which coincided with the first day of Sukkot, we got into a taxi from our hotel and headed to services at the Great Choral Synagogue of Moscow – the ONLY shul allowed by the Communist authorities in 1972 to remain open in a capital city inhabited at the time by hundreds of thousands of Jews. We got part of the way there, but the driver (whose English was quite good) strenuously declined to approach very closely, stating that he feared being hassled or worse, and giving us directions instead as to the remainder of the route for us to walk.
The siddurim and we slowly got there, we successfully evaded the KGB spies (there were quite a few) and we had a marvellous visit with a large but aging group of excited worshipers who crowded around us and spoke to us in various languages, Yiddish more than any other.
It was a memorable time in history, of the Refuseniks – the Jews desperate to leave but forbidden, of organizational activism in North America and of Cold War hostility across the broad spectrum of international relations.
Eight days later, most of the Jews among the 3000 Crazy Canucks, as the media described us, invading the Soviet Union along with the hockey team, had connected with one another and were trading anecdotes. Our own story was unique. So when we reported not only on our specific experience but also that we had been asked by the congregants to invite Jewish visitors to attend the shul on Simchat Torah (the final one of our scheduled ten days in the Soviet Union) my wife and I ascended to informal leadership of what became a group of approximately two dozen or so who proposed to do precisely that. We had returned to our hotel after the services on the first day of Sukkot via subway upon receiving directions from congregants as to how to maneuver the underground system (since we couldn’t understand the Cyrillic lettering on the directional signs). Thus we were assigned that leadership role to return with the others primarily based upon our courageous prior Moscow travel EXPERIENCE (hah).
Well, it worked out magnificently. In all of the times that my wife and I have participated in the Hakafot on Simchat Torah from childhood to present, there has never been a more joyful one.
The Bolshoi Ballet, St. Basil’s, the matryoshka dolls, Red Square, the Kremlin and the Armoury Museum, the Galleries, the Lenin Mausoleum, the GUM store, the four exciting hockey games each decided by a single goal…nothing compared to the pleasure experienced by each of us, alongside the Jews from far away and Jews living close nearby who danced 7 times around the aisles of the Great Synagogue, each individually taking a turn at hoisting aloft a Torah scroll.
It was the trip of a lifetime.
Features
New Opportunities for XRP in the Trump Era: How XRP Holders Can Earn $7,899 Daily in Passive Income Through FTMINING Cloud Mining in 2026
If you’ve always believed that XRP can only be held long-term and wait for its value to appreciate, then FTMINING cloud mining might bring a completely new way to utilize this asset. Today, there is no need to purchase expensive mining machines or master complex mining techniques. You can quickly participate in digital asset mining through cloud computing platforms, giving idle XRP more application value. FTMINING’s cloud mining service, with its convenient operation process, 24/7 computing power service and flexible product solutions, has attracted the attention of many digital asset users, providing a new option for XRP holders who want to obtain continuous mining rewards. The launched cloud computing service supports the participation of various mainstream digital assets such as XRP, helping users to access the digital asset ecosystem in a more convenient way. Users can generate a passive income of up to $7,899 per day.
From holding assets to participating in cloud mining
Traditional mining often requires a significant investment in specialized mining equipment, along with costs for electricity, site access, and maintenance. For ordinary investors, this model presents a high technical and financial barrier to entry. FTMINING adopts a cloud computing power model, which centralizes the operation of mining farms, equipment management, computing power allocation and maintenance, etc., and allows users to choose different cloud computing power products according to their own needs and complete the participation process online, reducing the complexity of operation while still being able to participate.
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At the technical level, the platform adopts multiple security mechanisms, including bank-level firewalls, cloud security certification, multi-signature cold wallets and asset isolation systems, to provide multi-layer protection for user funds.
Its security infrastructure includes:
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Create an account by entering your email address and password. Receive a $15 sign-up bonus and a $0.75 daily login bonus.
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The platform supports a wide range of cryptocurrencies—including BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT, USDC, XRP, SOL, DOGE, and BCH—eliminating the need for cumbersome currency conversions and making deposits and withdrawals convenient.
Step 3: Select and Purchase a Mining Contract
FT MINING offers various contracts to suit different budgets and goals. Whether you are seeking short-term gains or long-term returns, FT MINING has the right option for you:
Examples of popular contracts:
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Premium Contract: $25,000 — 30-day term — Total profit approx. $39,250
(Please visit the official website for more contract details.)
Contracts take effect immediately upon purchase, with earnings settled daily.
Real User Feedback
Michael, an XRP holder from Texas, USA:
“I’ve held XRP for years, but for the most part, it just sat there. Since using FTMINING, I’ve been generating steady monthly returns—with daily earnings consistently reaching as high as $7,899—so I no longer worry much about short-term price fluctuations.”
Thomas, an XRP investor from New York:
“The entire process is virtually hands-off, making it ideal for long-term investors. I prioritize regulatory compliance and automation; I joined FTMINING nearly a year ago, and the returns have been excellent.”
Industry Perspectives
Industry observers point out that the attention FTMINING cloud mining model has garnered reflects investors’ growing demand for “stable returns” and “automated asset management.” With the continuous improvement of compliance, security and automation technologies, the FTMINING cloud mining model provides cryptocurrency holders with a new asset management approach and makes “passive income” a realistic and feasible goal.
Conclusion
XRP holders are entering a new phase of digital asset application, moving from simply holding assets to participating in the blockchain ecosystem. FTMINING cloud mining provides users with a more convenient path to explore value. With the help of cloud computing power, users can participate in mining services without purchasing professional mining machines or undertaking complex operation and maintenance processes, allowing idle XRP to play a greater role. With the continuous development of blockchain technology, cloud mining is becoming an increasingly important focus for digital asset users, enabling XRP holders to manage their assets more flexibly and efficiently, and helping them explore new opportunities in the digital economy era.
If you wish to explore more revenue opportunities while holding XRP, the FTMINING cloud mining model is worth further understanding and attention.
Official Website: https://ftmining.com
app: https://ftmining.com
Customer Support Email: info@ftmining.com
Features
Musings from Dizengoff Street – by Bruce Brown

(August 8, 2026)
Outside Basimta Café in Central Jerusalem. Love the red shirt against a tiny sea of black. Not sure I am shrugging because of the ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat or the lack of an ultra-orthodox uproar over a Jerusalem café operating on Shabbat. For the last six weeks Israeli headlines shouted about the cafe chaos. With the ultra-religious blocking entrances and storming the café. While shouting ‘Shabbos! Shabbos!’ Upsetting the secular amongst us just wanting to enjoy our Saturday iced matchas. So the wife and I thought we would check it out. And. Yes. Buy something to support the business. Uproar. Not. Blocked entrances. Not. Storming the café. Not. Albeit there were police barriers separating the devout protesters from the coffee drinkers. The protesters being just a few dozen black clad, pious Jews. Mostly teenagers. And yes. Shouting ‘Shabbos! Shabbos!’ Certainly underwhelming in its reported mayhem. Reminds me of the famous saying misattributed to Mark Twain – “If you don’t read the newspaper, you’re uninformed. If you do, you’re misinformed.” But I did enjoy my iced matcha.
(August 6, 2026)

Here we go again. Another round of forever negotiations. As someone who negotiates for a living. The way things are going in the straits. If I had to recommend a book on the subject to a new hire. Between The Art of the Deal, A Presidential Edition by Donald J. Trump or The Real Art of the Deal by the Mullahs of Iran with a special forward by the IRGC. Well. I would choose the latter.
(August 3)

Bravo Yoav Segalovitz, Liberal Yesh Atid MK and Monsour Abbas, United Arab Ra’am MK and party head. For breaking a glass ceiling where a Jewish lawmaker joins an Arab political party. No less a political earthquake in my little shtetl. Which can significantly impact coalition block arithmetic and posturing and strategy in the upcoming elections. Now Ra’am can be considered a legitimate ‘Zionist’ partner when forming coalition blocks and potentially pushing the ‘center left/right’ party over the 60 seat majority threshold. In our crazy parliamentary democracy defined by a multi-party (about fourteen!!), proportional representation system. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, Israel’s proportional representation model of governance is the best parliamentary democracy system except for all other forms of working democracies. Stay tuned for more amateurish political musings as we move towards Israel’s 26th national election – five of them held since 2019.
(August 1)

Although both sides say they are open to diplomacy. Neither really trusts the other. And American military action, or its threat, continues. I read headlines in the middle of the night -it’s a nervous habit lately– that the Dynamic Duo of Trump and Netanyahu may again strike in unison. Possibly this weekend. Yikes! Prompting me, at 2:30 AM, to dash around the house stocking my safe room. Bottled water. Canned food. Medicines. Documents. The beat goes on….
If it’s crazy here. It’s insane in Italy. With a recent online ‘Jew Hunt’ in the Milan area. Before being removed, the digital forms urged reportings of Israelis and Italian Jews staying in local hotels. The infamous Global Sumud Movement -yes, the one coordinating ‘peace and humanitarian’ flotillas to Gaza- was somehow connected. Although they deny involvement?! This deranged decree was looking to identify Zionist tourism and Zionist neo-colonization in Italy. I’ll stick with stocking the saferoom.
Then there’s New York Mayor Mamdani, a Global Sumud Movement supporter, threatening to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu if he comes to New York. But since discovered he has no legal right for such a grandstanding, antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Western, anti-democratic antic. Maybe Mandami should be arrested! Or at least impeached. For being a grandstanding, antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-Western, anti-democratic mayor.
Here’s a post Bruce sent us Friday, July 31:
WARTIME MUSINGS
Should credible threats against FLOTUS and ‘FSOTUS’ (first son..) not be justification to attack first.
As for yesterday’s summit. Netanyahu really can’t win. Explainer. If Trump now attacks without victory its ’cause of Netanyahu. If Trump now attacks with victory its ’cause of Trump. And, in Israel, if Trump doesn’t attack -victory or not- Netanyahu failed in his eighth meeting with Trump. And if Trump does attack -victory or not- half the country will vilify Bibi anyway. Missing a permutation?
Ya. I know. Kinda’ need a definition of victory for that musing to work.
And here in my little shtetle. We go to sleep unsure if there will be a code red in the middle of the night. And if not. We wake up thinking it will be tonight. How do you define stress?

Seemed like an appropriate way to end this musing.
Bruce Brown is a former Winnipegger who made aliyah to Israel over 35 years ago. Bruce first began writing for us – in his own inimitable style, in 2012, during what was known as “Operation Pillar of Defense.” His occasional musings on aspects of life in Israel that were far from what you’d typically read in other reports from Israel were hugely popular – both in the print Jewish Post & News and on this website.
We’re now glad to report that Bruce is back writing for us – this time on a regular basis. We will post Bruce’s reports as they arrive – with the date of each post at the beginning of that post.
Here’s some information about Bruce – and awards he’s received for his writing:
Bruce Brown. Canadian born. Now living in Israel (for a long time). Bruce works in Israel’s hi-tech sector by day and, in spurts, is a somewhat inspired writer by night. He received the American Jewish Press Association’s award for writing excellence in 2019 and 2025. And wrote the 1998 satire, “An Israeli is….” Bruce’s musings are political, social, economic and personal. With lots of biting, contrarian, sardonic and irreverent insight.
Features
K-tip placement at Sets on Corydon

