International

Jewish National Fund sets up contribution line to aid fight against Haifa fire

JERUSALEM (Press Release) — The worst fire in Israel’s history is raging across Haifa and the Carmel Forest. Lives have already been lost, and many more are in danger as Israel’s Fire and Rescue Services and JNF-KKL foresters battle the blaze. As all forests in Israel are urban forests and abut either large cities or small […]

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Middle East

Religious Action Center lauds kids’ nutrition bill, but urges restoration of Food Stamp funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)— In response to House passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S.3307) on Thursday, Dec. 2,  Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism Associate Director Mark J. Pelavin issued the following statement: “Today’s House vote in favor of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S. 3307) addresses a key need for struggling low-income

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USA

Haifa fire: Reform movement creates emergency fund; J Street mourns loss of life

  NEW YORK (Press Release) — In cooperation with The Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) and the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, the Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA) has established the Carmel Fire-Israel Emergency Fund to help Israel battle the worst fire in the country’s history. Funds will be distributed via the Israeli Reform

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Middle East

NCJW criticizes Senate for failing as holidays approach to extend unemployment benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) on Thursday condemned the Senate’s failure to pass an extension of unemployment benefits before they expired November 30. NCJW President Nancy Ratzan released the following statement: “It is unconscionable that extension of long-term unemployment benefits has languished in the Senate while benefits expired November 30.

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USA

A prayer for peace on Hannukah

By Audrey Jacobs and Michael Lurie SAN DIEGO —  As they light the candles for Hannukah, the Jewish festival of lights, Jews recall the central message of this happy festival – renewing their faith as a free people in their homeland, the land of Israel. Hannukah commemorates the events of over 2,100 years ago, when the

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Middle East

Congressional resolution urges care for Holocaust survivors

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—The Jewish Federations of North America applauded the unanimous passage of a Congressional resolution Wednesday, Dec. 1,  to support programs that meet the distinct needs of aging Holocaust survivors. Spurred by information gathered by The Jewish Federations of North America and Jewish Family Service agencies, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) and Frank

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USA

Obama administration has bungled in Middle East for two years now

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — In all the excitement over the Wikileaks story, I want to remind people that there’s another big story  being ignored. You will be reading about it in the mass media in two or three months. The Obama Administration has messed up its attempts to get Israel-Palestinian negotiations going. The

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Middle East, USA

Palestinians withdraw report contending Kotel not Jewish

RAMALLAH (WJC)–The Palestinian Authority (PA) has removed a controversial report claiming that the Western Wall in Jerusalem is not holy to Jews from its official website. The paper by a senior PA official had sparked world-wide criticism and was condemned as incorrect and provocative, including by the US government. The five-page ‘study’ was authored by

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Middle East

Tamir Pardo new Mossad chief

JERUSALEM (WJC)–Tamir Pardo, a former deputy director of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency Mossad, has been tapped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as successor to current Mossad Director Meir Dagan. Pardo has worked in the organization for much of his career. In a statement Netanyahu praised the new director’s “decades-worth of rich experience in the Mossad”.

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Middle East

Obama administration denounces Palestinian claims of no Jewish connection to Kotel

NEW YORK (Press Release) — Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Tuesday, Nov. 30, welcomed the strong condemnation by the Obama Administration of a report issued by a senior Palestinian official claiming that the Western Wall is an Islamic Waqf and refuting Jewish claims to the Western Wall. The

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Middle East

Reform Jews call for immediate end of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

WASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release) — In response to the release on Tuesday, Nov. 30, of the Pentagon study on the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, Religious Action Center Director and Counsel Rabbi David Saperstein issued the following statement: “The release today of the Pentagon’s long awaited report from the Task Force charged with investigating

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USA