International

Waiting and Wondering in Israel

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suspended new  judicial reform legislation until after the holidays. That means until close to the end of this month. Meanwhile, demonstrations continue around the country, with tens, if not hundreds of thousands gathering to protest what may happen when the suspension ends. Criticism continues, focused

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Ira Sharkansky, Israel, Opinion

‘The First Step’ Tells How Prison and Sentencing Reform Were Won

I’ve watched CNN commentator Van Jones many times on television. Now I’ve learned more about him from watching The First Step, a 90-minute documentary about the role he played in lobbying for prison reform. He suffered severe criticism from the right and from the left, but he stuck to it, engaged his critics in dialogue, and in 2018 helped to cobble together a coalition that passed HR 5682 by a vote of 355-58 in the U.S. House of Representatives and 87-12 in the U.S. Senate.  [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Jewish Congressman Benjamin Gilman Fostered Study Abroad Programs

Chances are the students who receive the scholarships know only a little about their benefactor, the late Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, a Republican from New York and a member of the Jewish community.  Towards the end of his congressional career, he urged his colleagues “to defray eligible study- or intern-abroad costs,” according to the website of the Gilman International Scholarship Program. “These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance, international airfare, passport and visa fees.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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Ben Dishman, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

Strength in Adversity

By Doron Krakow Over the past few days, a series of remarkable gatherings took place across the continent—gatherings of hundreds of Jewish Community Center professionals from dozens of JCCs, centers, and camps representing different regions of our movement. Programs and settings varied, but each one focused on skill-building while addressing emerging challenges around programs, operations,

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Doron Krakow, Lifestyles, Opinion, USA

Thousands of Judicial Reform Supporters Demonstrate in Israel

Published by DPA Thousands of supporters of the government’s controversial judicial reform took to the streets in Israel following calls to attack journalists and activists of the opposing side, Israeli media reported on Thursday. Some 30,000 demonstrators marched through downtown Tel Aviv on Thursday evening, blocking a highway in both directions, Channel 12 reported. Some

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Israel

B’Shalom: George Soros, Trump Indictment, Jewish Political Scene, Business, and Celebrities

When former U.S. President Donald Trump denounced Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney who has been conducting a grand jury inquiry into a “hush money” payment from Trump to porn star Stormy Daniels, he called Bragg a “Soros backed animal who doesn’t care about right or wrong no matter how many people are hurt.” [Donald H. Harrison]

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California, Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish Celebrities, USA

US Says Israel Has Not Met Requirements to Join Visa Waiver Program

Published by Reuters WASHINGTON/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel has not met eligibility requirements to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected his country to join soon. Israel is yet to grant free passage for Palestinian-Americans at its airports and into the

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Israel

Big-Mouth Profs ‘Dare to Dissent’

By Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA — It would take someone like Carolyn McCoy to explain the words of Kareem Tannous, a terminated college professor whom she defends in a letter published last Friday in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Tweets the biz prof on International Holocaust Remembrance Day: “#zionism is the disease #Free Palestine is the cure

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Bruce Ticker, Israel, Opinion, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

DeSantis to Travel to Israel Ahead of Likely 2024 White House Bid

Published by Reuters By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, expected to be a top contender for the 2024 U.S. Republican presidential nomination, will travel to Israel next month as the country is being riven by a crisis that has led to widespread protests. The trip, which is being billed by DeSantis’

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USA