By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — One of the most important feminists fighting for women’s rights in the Islamic world is a woman named Ayaan Hirsi Ali. This remarkable woman was born in Somalia where she was raised as a Muslim. She spent her youth and young adulthood in Africa and Saudi […]
Brandeis was wrong to cancel Ali’s honor Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Science, Medicine, & Education, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel –Returning from a four-week jaunt across the USA in which we visited six cities and met countless relatives and friends – both old and new – it took no time at all to get used to the pace of life in Israel. That may be due in part to
An Israeli tourist’s reflections on America Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –That an Iranian scholar, Abbas Milani of Stanford University, should get it wrong about Israel in a piece in the New York Times of April 11 is understandable. But that his co-author, Israel Weismel-Manor of Haifa University and currently a visiting professor at Stanford should so misrepresent Israel suggests malice,
NYT OpEd writers confuse Haredim, modern Orthodox Read More »
Middle East
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylviania (Press Release)—Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME) congratulates the Eastern American Studies Association (EASA) chapter for rejecting the national American Studies Association boycott against Israeli academics passed by the organization’s membership in December. EASA is one of the ASA’s 13 regional chapters. The Eastern American Studies Association (EASA) has joined its
Eastern chapter rejects ASA boycott of Israel Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Politics is the civilized way of dealing with disputes. Campaigns, voting, and the routine displacement of the losers by the winners is the way of enlightened government. Making policy and managing programs are more complicated than election campaigns. They require professional expertise in the myriad of fields that government touches.
Kerry, other politicians should keep hands off Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
WAHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry released the following statement following the announcement that Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns will retire later this year: “It is hard to find words adequate to express who Bill Burns is, and what he means not just to the State Department, but to American foreign
Veteran U.S. diplomat William Burns to retire Read More »
USA
By Alan Elsner WASHINGTON, D.C. –As we head into the Passover holiday, the peace initiative launched last summer by Secretary of State John Kerry to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians hangs in a curious limbo – certainly not dead but definitely not bursting with life either. With an April 29 deadline to agree
J Street: Israel, Palestinians have stared into abyss Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) –The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations lauded the announcement by White House spokesman, Jay Carney, that a visa to enter the US will not be issued to the proposed Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations, Hamid Abutalebi, who was involved in the 1979 takeover of the American Embassy
Conf. of Presidents lauds barring of Iranian diplomat Read More »
Middle East, USA
WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release). — In a list of intended nominations, U.S. President Barack Obama said he plans to appoint Rabbi Lee T. Bycel of Napa, California, as a member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. The White House website provided the following biographical information about Rabbi Bycel: “Rabbi Lee T. Bycel is Rabbi
Obama weighs Rabbi Bycel for Holocaust Commission Read More »
USABy Stephen Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — After the latest collapse of negotiations with the Palestinians, Ya’ir Lapid, Israel’s Minister of Finance and leader of the left of Center Yesh Atid (There is a Future) political party, said that the extreme Right prefers to wait for the Messiah instead of reaching a solution. Will it
Many Mideastern scenarios are possible Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer
BUDAPEST (WJC)–Several hundred protesters blocked work from continuing on a controversial monument in Budapest that Jewish critics say glosses over Hungary’s active role in the Holocaust. About 300 people on Tuesday angrily tore down a cordon erected by workers and occupied the site of the planned monument, which the Hungarian government says will mark all
Protestors block Hungary’s planned WWII monument Read More »
InternationalMeasure to bar envoy involved in Iran hostage crisis passes House, Senate (JNS.org) In a unanimous voice vote on Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that would bar the newly appointed Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations Hamid Aboutalebi from entering America. Aboutalebi was part of an extremist student group that
JNS news briefs: April 11, 2014 Read More »
InternationalBy Ben Cohen/JNS.org When one in five people in a key European state votes for a neo-Nazi party, you might expect a furious response from the United States, the country that played a decisive role in defeating the Nazi menace during the Second World War. And you might also expect that American Jews would be
Strong response to Jobbik is required Read More »
International
HAIFA, Israel — Students at Technion had an engineering challenge for Passover. They were to build a device that could cross “The Red Sea”–actually a small pool of water–and then fill a glass with wine, in order to celebrate the upcoming holiday. Above is a video of how they approached the challenge. __________________________________________________________________ Click here
Cross ‘Red Sea,’ and pour some wine Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education