By Joe Gandelman SAN DIEGO — Get ready for our already ugly and violent 21st century to be the century of soft targets for terrorists. The number of places where people feel safe will diminish as terrorists pick new venues to increase body counts — and grab more of that new and mainstream media publicity […]
Twisted logic of the terrorist’s soft target Read More »
Joe Gandelman, Middle East, Travel and Food, USASAN DIEGO (Press Release)–The Jewish Studies Program at San Diego State University has announced its public schedule for 2015: • Its Spring lecture series “Israel in the 21st Century: New Hopes, New Challenges,” will feature noted scholars: Dr. Mark A. Heller, Principal Research Associate at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv; Dr. Mohammed Wattad,
SDSU Jewish Studies program tells 2015 plans Read More »
San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & EducationTEL AVIV, Israel (Press Release) – Want to determine how a couple falls in love? In Israel? A group of Tel Aviv students is utilizing the latest interactive video technology to tell a love story and give Israeli tourism a boost. The Tel Aviv University students are part of the StandWithUs Fellowship, an Israeli campus
Falling in love in Israel interactive style Read More »
Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Jeremy Ben-Ami WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a victory for those seeking political limits on art and speech in communal institutions, Washington’s Jewish Community Center has fired the artistic director of the acclaimed Theater J. His ouster caps a successful campaign by a small group of activists to shutter the theater over the content of its
J Street founder’s 3 wishes for 2015 Read More »
Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The political situation in Israel is volatile, particularly before a general election. Only a few days ago I could speculate about Avigdor Lieberman not only as a kingmaker but as a potential king. He had spoken about his readiness to be prime minister. At the end of the piece
Debate over Yisael Beiteinu criminal charges Read More »
Middle East
By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO–Jeremy Dauber, is a professor of Yiddish literature at Columbia University, Director of Columbia’s Institute for Israel and Jewish Studies, teaches in the American Studies program and has written several books within these special areas of study. The Worlds of Sholem Aleichem: the Remarkable Life and Afterlife of the Man who
Sholem Aleichem and then some Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Avigdor Lieberman is Israel’s Foreign Minister, as well as the ruling head of Israel Beitenu (Israel our Home), a political party originally focused on immigrants from the former Soviet Union with campaign posters in Russian and Hebrew. Lieberman began his political career as an activist in the Likud student organization at the
Lieberman party members in bribery probe Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Caren Besner BOYNTON BEACH, Florida–Fratricide is an ugly word. It evokes the image of siblings in conflict with one another. The Old Testament is replete with stories of such disharmony, that serve both as a lesson in morality and a warning for future generations. The story of Cain and Abel, the enslavement of Joseph in
The modern war of Jew against Jew Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — Richard Quest is a popular news reporter and desk anchor for CNN, and while his name doesn’t sound Jewish, the British lawyer and journalist is Jewish. I once asked him a few years ago by email what kind of of ethnic name ”Quest” was, and he told me
Bloom’s Quest for a Jewish story a success Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Isaac Yetiv, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — In the 19th century, Wilhelm Marr , known as “the father of modern antisemitism,” coined the word “antisemitismus.” But the pathological hatred of Jews has a long history. In the antiquity, the Pharaoh who ‘didn’t know Joseph” decreed to kill all the Jewish newborn males; and Haman
Countering the anti- Semites Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle EastTwo arrested in connection to Thursday’s firebomb attack (JNS.org) Two Palestinian men have been arrested in connection to Thursday’s firebomb attack that injured a girl and her father. The two men were part of a group of 12 Palestinians that were arrested overnight Thursday, according to the Israeli Shin Bet security agency, the Jerusalem Post
JNS news briefs: December 26, 2014 Read More »
Middle EastBy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — Whenever Hollywood gets set to make a movie about stories from the Hebrew or Christian scriptures, there is always a public debate when the movies open about who should play the roles of God or Moses or Noah or Esther or Deborah. Should the actors be white people or
What about those white biblical portrayals? Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Among the fascinations of politics are some oddities from various corners. Some are–fortunately–far from our daily experiences, but others are too close for complete comfort. One concerns North Korea. It is widely viewed as one of the most unpleasant of places, with a regime that cares little for its people.
Global oddities: N. Korea, Islamism, U.S. Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Last week, I reported that there is a minhag (custom) to eat latkes on Chanukah because they are made with oil. This makes sense as oil was part of the miracle when one day’s worth of oil burned for eight days. I was rather astonished to learn this
When dairy meals were a Chanukah custom Read More »
Jewish Religion