Some Girls: My Life in a Harem by Jillian Lauren, published by Plume/Penguin Group, 2010 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — Jillian Lauren was born in 1973 and was adopted as an infant by a Jewish couple in Livingston, New Jersey. Later a son was adopted. They were a middle class suburban family, gave their
From the Jewish bookshelf: ‘Some Girls’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short StoriesBy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — When Pope Francis visited the United States at virtually every stop and public speech and in private visits with President Obama and elementary school schoolchildren, he asked people to “pray for me.” As a non-Catholic and a frequent columnist for San Diego Jewish World, I was curious (in
Why the Pope asks people to pray for him Read More »
InternationalBy Barry Shaw NETANYA, Israel — They deny our existence. They deny our heritage. They deny out history, our belonging. They even deny the walls and shrines that scream our name. It’s not some state created in peace that they want. It is a delusional dream in which Israel doesn’t exist. It’s not Filastin. It’s
Standing against the P.A.’s 4-D policy Read More »
Barry Shaw, Middle EastMADRID (JNS.org) Spain’s government has officially granted citizenship to 4,302 Sephardic Jews as part of a new law granting citizenship to the descendants of Jews who were exiled during the Spanish Inquisition. According to Spanish Justice Minister Rafael Catala, the naturalizations were approved a day after the new citizenship law took effect, the Associated
4,302 Jews are new Spanish citizens Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryAJC salutes 25th anniversary of German reunification NEW YORK (Press Release)– The American Jewish Committee (AJC) welcomes the 25th anniversary of German unification on October 3. To mark the occasion, AJC Executive Director David Harris issued the following statement: “We remember as if it were yesterday the remarkable events of 1989 when the Berlin Wall
Never Again: Holocaust news for October 2, 2015 Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryBy Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — You wouldn’t think that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah would be the go-to guy to lecture about the feckless policy of the U.S. in the Middle East – but he told it like it is: “The failure of America and the international coalition to bring defeat to Daesh [Islamic
Russia – Iran alliance profits from Obama’s passivity Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (Tazpit) – Following the horrifying terror attack that took the lives of two parents from the Neria community on Thursday night, thousands of people came to pay their respects to the murdered couple, Naama, 30, and Eitam Henkin, 31, who were buried on Friday morning, October 2 in Jerusalem. Their nine-year-old
Thousands attend terror victims Henkins’ funeral Read More »
Middle East
WYNCOTE, Pennsylvania (JNS.org) The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) on Wednesday, Sept. 30, announced a new plan to admit students with non-Jewish spouses. “As you are likely already aware, this policy change is the result of many years of discussion within the Reconstructionist movement,” wrote Rabbi Deborah Waxman, president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College and the Jewish
RRC to ordain rabbis who marry outside the faith Read More »
Jewish ReligionArmed wing of Abbas-led Fatah claims responsibility for murdering Israeli couple (JNS.org) A terror unit within Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s murder of an Israeli Jewish couple. The Abdel Qader al-Husseini Brigades, a terror group that is affiliated with Fatah’s al-Aqsa Martyr’s Bridgade, said Friday that it was
Middle East Roundup: October 2, 2015 Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Barack Obama has given another speech on the models of 2009 Cairo that produced a Nobel Peace Prize, and the speech on Syria’s use of chemical weapons that began aggressively and retreated to an advocacy of diplomacy. The latest came at the annual Autumn speech fest of the United Nations,
Obama talks about Syria; Putin acts Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (Tazpit)- Nearly 200 Israeli and international professional artists are showcasing their artwork in the second annual Jerusalem Biennale For Contemporary Jewish Art (September 24 – November 5). The works are featured in 10 different exhibitions held in different venues across the city that include secular and ultra-Orthodox Israeli Jewish curators and
Israel showcases contemp. art Read More »
Middle East