By Morton Klein NEW YORK — Secretary of State John Kerry clearly believes — or wishes to be heard saying — that Israel is responsible for increased terrorism and instability roiling the Middle East. In a recent speech at a White House ceremony for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, Kerry said that “there wasn’t […]
Is Kerry harbinger of U.S. abandoning Israel? Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Anav Silverman MASADA, Israel –Underneath the Masada Mountain, along the shores of the Dead Sea, over 12,000 people danced to the electronic beats of Dash Berlin, Deep Dish and Sander Van Doorn and other international and local artists on Thursday night, October 23. The second annual Dead Sea Rave -424, which took place from
This kind of rock Israelis rave about Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM (WJC) — The Gaza-based terror groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad have hailed the terrorist act in Jerusalem on Wednesday in which a baby girl died as “an act of heroism.” An Arab man from east Jerusalem rammed his car into a crowd of commuters at a light rail station, killing three-month Chaya Zissel Braun
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Middle EastBy Michael Ordman NETANYA, Israel –In synagogues this week, Jews read about Noah and the Biblical flood, which tells of the destruction of the ancient world. Today, there are many evils that again threaten to flood the planet, but at least now we have a nation – Israel – busy re-constructing the world to prevent
Positively Israel: October 24, 2014 Read More »
Michael Ordman, Middle EastBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — I live, to my misfortune, in the 52nd Congressional District. Even if you live in another congressional district you cannot help but be aware of the bitter election battle between incumbent Scott Peters and challenger Carl DeMaio. You can’t turn on your television (in the San Diego media
52nd District race nothing but babel Read More »
San Diego County, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Holocaust Survivor Lou Dunst and Christian Zionist preacher Rev. Dumisani Washington of Stockton, Calif., are four decades apart in age, yet hearing one and then the other speak, gave me reassurance that Washington’s message partially fulfills the intent of Dunst’s agonized rhetorical cry of pain: “And the Free World
Black churches: From whence Israel’s help may come Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM–It’s not every day that a world champion sumo wrestler visits Israel’s capital. But on Tuesday, October 21, Israelis of all ages watched in fascination as the Hawaiian-born Japanese-Samoan former sumo star, Konishiki Yasokichi shared his moves during a special workshop for children in Jerusalem. The sumo wrestling workshop was part of the first
Sumo wrestler introduces Japanese culture to Israel Read More »
International, Sports & CompetitionsHAIFA, Israel (Press Release)–Like the intonation of individual spoken languages, sign languages also have their own unique “sound,” and, as with spoken languages, the intonation of one community’s language is different from that of another community, according to a new study at the University of Haifa. “Our discovery that sign languages also have unique intonation
Sign language has its own intonations Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– What should Israel do? Nothing is probably the best answer. However, pick your platitude Politics does not tolerate a vacuum Politics does not tolerate quiet The world is clamoring for a solution. Not exactly the world, but a collection of activists that includes Palestinians leading the chants Jews who feel uncomfortable
Should Israel leave well enough alone? Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
NEW YORK (Press Release)– The American Jewish Committee (AJC) supports the conversion bill introduced by MK Elazar Stern of the Hatnua Party, headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. Hatnua has pledged to press the measure, which already passed its first reading in the Knesset, even though it does not enjoy Cabinet support. “Loosening the Chief
AJC lauds Israeli bill to liberalize conversions Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA
By Erin Philips SAN DIEGO – Karen Schuster remembers when her son, Ari Friedman, now 23, told her he was moving to Israel to become a combat medic with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). It was 2012, and he was a student at UC Irvine, where he had been a leader among the Jewish
Lone Soldiers’ mom alternates between pride and worry Read More »
Middle East, USATEL AVIV (Press Release)— Sixteen Eritrean refugees in Israel have completed a medical interpreting course created by Prof. Galia Sabar of Tel Aviv University’s African Studies Department. Eight of the asylum-seeking graduates have already joined the Israeli health system as medical translators. “Language barriers are acute between Eritrean asylum seekers and medical personnel in Israel,
Eritrean refugees taught to be medical translators Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Richard L. Cravatts, PhD BOSTON–As yet more evidence that academics are regularly able to engage in what George Orwell sardonically referred to as “doublethink,” “the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them,” this month 40 professors of Jewish studies published a denunciation of a study that
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Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USANEW YORK (Press Release)—American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is funding grassroots groups in Liberia that are responding to the Ebola outbreak through public health campaigns that rely on trusted non-medical community leaders to spread the word about preventing infection. AJWS is currently supporting 10 community-based organizations in Liberia that are deploying networks of religious leaders, women’s
AJWS spreads Ebola prevention information in Liberia Read More »
International, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA