By Rabbi Philip Graubart LA JOLLA, California–Last night at dinner, my son commented, “Don’t you think it’s time we forgave Haman?” We all nodded, yes, absolutely. Talk about keeping a grudge! It was all some good pre-Purim fun, but it made me ponder that concept of eternal, mythic enemies, and the challenges the idea throws [...]
PRESS RELEASE (WJC)–The European Union’s high court has ruled that Israeli goods produced in the West Bank cannot receive EU tariff breaks. The decision handed down Thursday by the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice drew a legal distinction between Israel and areas located over the Green Line, according to the French news agency AFP. The [...]
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Several of my Internet friends have ridiculed my concern with American health policy, and several have ridiculed my dismal assessment of Palestinians seeking statehood. Nonetheless, I will reiterate the importance of both issues, and emphasize some commonalities that provide useful lessons about politics. And while many view politics as not a fit [...]
PRESS RELEASE (WJC)–Anti-Semitic incidents in Canada rose to record levels. An annual showed an 11.4 percent increase in incidents in 2009 over the previous year to reach the highest number ever reported in the audit’s 28-year history. There were 1,264 anti-Jewish incidents last year, which encompassed acts of harassment, vandalism and violence. That compares [...]
By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–When the singer Madonna, who is a disciple of the Kabbalah Center, decided that she wanted a Hebrew name, I found it ironic that she chose “Esther.” Esther is not a Hebrew name. Megillat Esther, the Scroll of Esther in the Bible, informs us that Esther’s Hebrew name was Hadassah, [...]
PRESS RELEASE (WJS)–The trial in Germany of alleged Nazi death camp guard Ivan Demjanjuk will take months longer than had been anticipated, prosecutors have said. The trial in Munich on charges of helping to kill 27,900 Jews while a guard at the Sobibor death camp had been expected to end in May, but with proceedings [...]
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–At a recent event entitled ‘Any Questions,’ organized by the British Zionist Federation and the Israel, Britain and Commonwealth Association, a panel replied to questions submitted in advance by members of the 400-strong audience who had come to Jerusalem from all over Israel. Most of the audience and the panel [...]
PRESS RELEASE (WJC)–An investigation focusing on extremism in the Czech military has revealed a soldier who had Nazi symbols tattooed on his body, the television ‘Nova TV’ has reported. Military commanders have already recommended that the soldier be stripped of his rank and sacked from the army, Jana Ruzickova, spokeswoman for the General Staff, [...]
by Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California–The invitation came in the mail. The Village News office party. There was an address I did not recognize, but then I had not been to their office. Remembering office holiday parties past, glass of wine in hand, everyone dressed up and chatting quietly around the well-stocked buffet [...]
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There has been considerable criticism of the inclusion of Rachel’s Tomb and the Cave of the Patriarchs on Israel’s list of national heritage sites. Players as lowly as Israeli leftists and as mighty as the General Secretary of the United Nations have made the following points. No Muslim or Christian sites [...]
