California
Historic Torahs on loan around Southern California reunited in Fullerton for anniversary
Torah scrolls, once belonging to Jewish temples throughout Czechoslovakia, were reunited at Temple Beth Tikvah in Fullerton as the synagogue celebrated its 60th anniversary.
On loan to 19 Southern California temples, the scrolls were displayed after a ceremony that offered congregants from each synagogue messages about hope, history, and heartache.
The one-day event also commemorated the 60th anniversary of the Memorial Scrolls Trust, which serves as the guardian to more than 1,500 Czech Torahs that survived the Nazi occupation of the region and later the shuttering of synagogues under regimes that stifled the Jewish faith.
“What a wonderful celebration to share,” Jeffrey Ohrenstein, a London resident and chairman of the Trust, said at Sunday’s event showcasing the collection.
In 1964, the scrolls, each containing five handwritten books of the Hebrew bible, were donated to the Westminster Synagogue in London where the Trust was formed.
“Since then we have been distributing (them) to communities, organizations and synagogues around the world,” Ohrenstein said. “We’ve allocated some 1,400 scrolls to 1,300 communities and 1,000 of those are in North America.”
The Fullerton temple has three such scrolls, but only one of them is “kosher,” or in perfect condition to be used in an official manner, Temple Beth Tikvah Assistant Rabbi Miriam Van Raalte said.
Most of the Czech Torahs are from the 18th and 19th centuries, she said, “But there are some that are much older.”
“The use of these scrolls, either for reading in public or for using symbolically for show, evokes memories of Jewish history, the struggle for survival, and the continuity of the Jewish people,” said Van Raalte. “We let the congregation know that this is a scroll that faced extinction.”
During the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, the scrolls and other Jewish artifacts were taken to the Jewish Museum in Prague, which had been established in 1906 and became a warehouse of treasures collected by the Germans. The vast inventory “was catalogued by Jews who were deported to concentration camps once the work was finished,” according to the Trust. “Unfortunately very few of them survived.”
Ohrenstein told the story of an art dealer who was looking to buy a gift for his wife nearly two decades after World War II. The dealer was brought to a destroyed synagogue outside of Prague. There he was shown a damp warehouse “full of Torah” scrolls.
Philanthropist Ralph Yablon bought the scrolls after learning of their existence from the art dealer. He then donated them to the Westminster Synagogue in London.
The synagogue’s rabbi addressed dozens of congregants at Temple Beth Tikvah via recorded video on Sunday.
Following the ceremony, the gathered Torahs were displayed on long bridge tables. People looked closely at the Hebrew lettering and gently ran their fingers over the worn wooden dowels holding the scrolls. The wooden pieces are call the atzei chayim, meaning “tree of life.”
Pedro and Laura Alamilla of Downey visited with their three children.
As they observed the Torahs, they were overcome with emotion, Pedro Alamilla saying, “We’re at a loss for words.”
A new poll in the race for California Governor shows Democrat Xavier Becerra is leading Republican Steve Hilton by a wide margin — 61% to 36%.
Becerra leads Hilton across several demographics: age, gender, homeownership, income, racial/ethnic groups and across the state’s major regions.
The poll also found 85% of likely voters say that the gubernatorial candidates’ positions on the environment are important — 60% of Democrats call it “very important,” compared to 29% of Republicans.
The poll surveyed 1,578 California adults from June 29 through July 6 and was conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. The poll was conducted in English and Spanish, and 1,003 of those who were polled were likely voters.
The same poll found that a large majority of Californians do not want new data centers built in their area. Only about a quarter of those surveyed are in favor of the construction of data centers.
The PPIC survey focused on Californians and the environment.
Another key finding was that Californians are most likely to name wildfires as the top environmental issue facing the state today, followed by climate change, government overregulation and water supply. Of those polled, about six in 10 think that the state and local governments are not doing enough to address wildfires.
The California General Election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.
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LOS ANGELES – A routine internal monitoring sweep by the California Department of Motor Vehicles has flagged thousands of suspicious test results, prompting a massive recall of licensed drivers to testing centers.
The state agency has warned that anyone who fails to comply with the retesting directive will face immediate cancellation of their driving privileges.
What we know:
The California DMV sent letters to about 11,000 licensed drivers last month after identifying suspicious patterns in their written test results.
According to the agency, these irregularities were detected through routine internal monitoring and point to various methods used to circumvent the testing process.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 11,000 CA drivers told to retake written test or lose licenses
The DMV has stated that the issue is entirely “test-taker related” and not the result of an internal technical glitch or the involvement of artificial intelligence.
To address the suspected fraud, several cases have already been referred to county district attorneys for criminal prosecution.
What we don’t know:
The DMV has not revealed the specific cheating methods used by the test-takers, nor have they disclosed the exact locations or dates of the flagged tests.
It’s unclear exactly how many of the 11,000 affected drivers have already completed their retests or how many licenses have been canceled so far.
What they’re saying:
A DMV spokesperson emphasized the importance of exam security in an email to City News Service: “The California DMV has identified irregularities in certain driver knowledge test results that may indicate instances of cheating.”
The spokesperson further explained, “Some individuals may have attempted to circumvent the testing process using various cheating methods.”
Addressing the root cause, the spokesperson added, “Nonetheless, these irregularities are test-taker-related and not the result of an internal DMV technical issue, or the involvement of artificial intelligence. Ensuring the integrity of the knowledge testing process is essential to public safety and to confirm that drivers understand California’s rules of the road.”
Regarding the lack of specific details on how the cheating occurred, the department stated, “DMV is not sharing additional information at this time, so as not to reveal investigative methods and protect the integrity of the investigative process.”
Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach), vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, recently sent a letter to DMV administrators expressing concerns about the situation.
On Tuesday, Strickland released a statement saying the DMV’s own letter to drivers created “confusion and unnecessary anxiety” among new license holders.
“The DMV is a state agency that serves millions of Californians, and they deserve clear communication along with timely information when something like this happens,” Strickland said. “I have heard from Californians who believe this language suggests the DMV is accusing them of cheating or engaging in misconduct during the examination process. Whether that is the Department’s intent or not, the wording of the notice has created confusion and unnecessary anxiety. In my letter, I requested additional information about what happened and the steps the department is taking to address the issue.”
What’s next:
The DMV will continue to monitor test results internally while working alongside county district attorneys on the active criminal referrals.
Drivers who received the letters must schedule and pass their exams before their individual 30-day deadlines expire to avoid losing their driving privileges.
What you can do:
If you received a letter from the DMV regarding testing irregularities, you must visit a local DMV office as soon as possible to retake your knowledge test.
Be sure to complete and pass the exam within the mandated 30-day window to prevent your driver’s license from being canceled.
The Source: This report is based on official statements and email correspondence provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to City News Service.
A now 33-year-old Northern California man, who was on the run in Mexico for five nearly five years, has been sentenced for the murder of his estranged wife’s boyfriend while the couple was sleeping in her apartment in 2017.
Arturo Hernandez was 25 when he learned that a man named Anthony Freas was in a relationship with his estranged wife. His calls to her after hearing about the situation went unanswered, according to investigators.
On Nov. 19, livid over the relationship, Hernandez went to the Regency Apartments in the 5900 block of Riza Avenue, where his wife lived. He broke into the apartment where the couple was sleeping, entered her bedroom and stabbed Freas multiple times before fleeing the scene, according to a news release from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers with the Sacramento Police Department responded to the apartment and found Freas suffering from at least one stab wound to the upper body. They began life-saving measures until paramedics arrived and rushed him to a hospital, where he later died.
Authorities launched a manhunt for Hernandez, who was considered armed and dangerous, The Sacramento Bee reported.
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Arturo Hernandez, 33, was sentenced for killing Anthony Freas while he was sleeping at his estranged wife’s Sacramento apartment on Nov. 19, 2026.(Justice4Anthony/Facebook) -
Arturo Hernandez broke into his estranged wife’s home at the Regency Apartments and killed her boyfriend while the couple was sleeping on Nov. 19, 2017. (Google)
It was later learned that he fled to Mexico, though it is unclear where he had been hiding or with whom.
Hernandez evaded law enforcement until July 2023, when he was arrested by Mexican authorities and FBI agents. He was later extradited back to Sacramento to stand trial.
On March 24, a jury found Hernandez guilty of second-degree murder and found true the allegation that he personally used a weapon during the attack.
More than three months later, on July 10, Judge Alyson Lewis sentenced him to 16 years to life in state prison.
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