Bombings Kill Hundreds in Sri Lanka and Another Synagogue is Attacked

By Nate Feldman

The week began with a series of catastrophic explosions throughout the South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka, killing over 250 people.  Multiple churches  and hotels were targeted as locals and internationals celebrated Easter Sunday.  According to news reports, people from as many as 17 nationalities died in the attacks.

Authorities in Sri Lanka have attributed these attacks to the National Thowheeth Jama'ath, an extremist Islamist organization in their country. In addition, the ISIL, or sometimes referred to as ISIS, organization by Tuesday had said it was behind the attack.  An article in the Washington Post at the beginning of the week stated that the bombings were carried out in retaliation for 50 Muslims killed in Christchurch, New Zealand by a white supremacist in March.

There was anger at Sri Lankan political leaders who allegedly had received warnings about an impending attack but did nothing to prevent it.  Later in the week, the country's defense secretary resigned because of the criticism.

There was swift and massive condemnation from all corners of the world following the attack.  Many world leaders showed solidarity with Sri Lanka and offered assistance.

By the end of the week, there were clashes between security forces and people suspected of being involved in the attack.  According to CNN, 16 people, among them 10 civilians and 6 militants, were killed in a gunfight with police in eastern Sri Lanka on Friday.

While there was fear this violence could lead to sectarian tensions in Sri Lanka, there were interfaith vigils in different locations around the world where people of all religions came together to mourn the victims.  A notable gathering happened at the Malvern Methodist Church in Scarborough, Ontario in Canada where people of different faiths came for an evening of prayer.

Unfortunately, the week ended with another attack on a place of worship, as a person, currently being identified as a 19 year old white male, entered a synagogue in Poway, California, right outside of San Diego, and opened fire, killing a 60 year old woman and wounding three, including the rabbi.  The shooter was taken into custody.  This attack comes exactly six months after a shooter killed 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 

A Fire Burns Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

By Nate Feldman

The biggest international news story in the last week was the fire that engulfed the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France on Monday.  The 850 year old landmark was undergoing renovations when something set off an inferno that took 15 hours for firefighters to extinguish.  The roof suffered significant damage with the church's spire being completely destroyed.  The firefighters were able to salvage the main structure, but it will have to undergo significant repairs. 

The church is an important symbol of France and one of its most important tourist attractions.  Emmanuel Macron, France's president, has vowed to rebuild the church in the next five years. 

Many people around the world began offering donations to help rebuild the church.  An article in the Washington Post mentioned that up to $1 billion had been raised in the aftermath of the fire.  The same article mentioned, however, that many people are critical of all of the money going to Notre Dame when there are more pressing needs, such as the needs of impoverished people and other destroyed landmarks that don't get nearly the same amount of attention (See "Billionaires raced to pledge money to rebuild Notre Dame.  Then came the backlash," by James McAuley). 

The fundraising efforts for Notre Dame had some positive effects on others trying to rebuild damaged houses of worship.  An article on CNN.com highlighted three historically African American churches in Louisiana that were destroyed by arson within the last month.  After people saw all of the money going into the restoration of Notre Dame, they immediately pledged support for these churches as well, helping them raise the amount of money needed for their rebuilding projects (See "Notre Dame fundraising efforts inspire people to donate nearly $2 million to rebuild burned Louisiana Churches," by Amanda Jackson). 

Booker and Buttigieg Announce their Candidacies for President

By Nate Feldman

Over the weekend, Cory Booker, a U.S. Senator from New Jersey, and Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana officially entered the already crowded field of Democratic candidates for President in the upcoming 2020 election.  Both of them held large rallies in cities they have served as mayor.  Before entering national politics, Booker was the mayor of Newark, New Jersey for seven years from 2006-2013.  Buttigieg has been mayor of South Bend, Indiana since 2012.

Although they will be competing against one another, Booker and Buttigieg have some interesting similarities.  Both take credit for transforming cities that had a reputation for being in decline.  "We got people to invest here," Booker said at the launch of his campaign.  "Newark is growing again," he added.

Buttigieg also touted his success as leader of his city.  "More people are moving into South Bend than we've seen in a generation," he told the audience.  "We've changed our trajectory and shown a path forward for communities like ours."

Another similarity between the two men is that they are pioneers in the political realm.  Booker would be only the second president of African American background if elected.  Buttigieg would be the first openly gay president. 

Except for in a couple of occasions, Booker and Buttigieg tried to avoid talking about President Donald Trump, the man they are trying to unseat, directly during their speeches, and chose to instead focus more on the urgent issues facing the United States and their visions for the country. 

While neither man is leading in polls for the Democratic party's nomination, both are hoping to gain momentum in the upcoming months that will lead them to victory. 

How Education Has Changed

By Nate Feldman

I read a question in a text book for a class assignment asking students how education has changed between when their parents were young and when they were in school.  I can't go into specific details about that, but I can describe some of the changes I have seen in the elementary school I attended between the time I was there and now. 

A big change I've noticed is that the education seems more focused on an international view of the world than just an American focused curriculum.  I see first and second graders learning children's songs in Japanese, the traditions of Africa, and things about Chinese culture.  It's not that we didn't learn about other cultures when I was young, but it wasn't as in-depth as it is now.  I believe there are a number of reasons for this.  First of all, the student body at the school is far more diverse than it used to be.  There are a lot more students of different ethnic backgrounds than there were when I was growing up.  Furthermore, when I was in elementary school, the internet had not come out yet.  Now, with things like the internet and social media, the world has shrunk considerably, so things that used to seem extremely distant appear to have a bigger effect on us.

I am sure there are other changes in the education between my time and the present if I looked carefully into it, but the focus on other cultures is definitely the most significant change that comes to mind.