Accidents happen. Journalists are human, and human errors do creep into even the most professional reporters’ work.
In a report for the Los Angeles Times, detailing Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to cobble together a coalition government, an error appeared in the final paragraph.
Netanyahu’s chief rival, Blue and White party leader Benny Gantz was described at a Chabad Lubavitch event as “dancing to celebrate the day Jews believe the Bible was handed down on Mt. Sinai.”
Fixed it. Appreciate your input.
— Noga Tarnopolsky נגה טרנופולסקי نوغا ترنوبولسكي (@NTarnopolsky) October 22, 2019
In fact, Simchat Torah marks something different – it is the date on which Jews traditionally complete reading from the Torah each year, and begin the new reading cycle. Although it’s clearly not an instance of anti-Israel rhetoric or bias, facts matter. We contacted LA Times journalist Noga Tarnopolsky via Twitter to point out the error.
To her credit, Tarnopolsky immediately moved to edit the text, which now reads: “Benny Gantz… dancing to celebrate the day Jews start anew to read the story of their creation.”
A minor correction, but one that helps accurately educate readers about Jewish traditions and holidays.
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
