By Yoni Peres TIRANA, Albania — Albania is a small country with a population of about three million people, 70 percent Muslim. It is situated on the Adriatic coast, neighboring Kosovo, Montenegro, Macedonia and Greece. For 500 years it was under the Ottoman regime. Following the Balkan war of 1914, it became independent. During World […]
Albania dedicates a monument to Shimon Peres Read More »
International, Middle East, Yoni Peres
By Jerry Klinger MARIETTA, Georgia — It was reported by a member of the lynching party; Leo Frank met his death with unexpected composure. A Georgia court had found him guilty of the murder of 13-year old Mary Phagan. She was an employee at the National Pencil Factory Frank managed in Atlanta. Frank was a
Memorial for Leo Frank and all victims of lynching. Read More »
Jerry Klinger, Jewish History, USA
By Toby Klein Greenwald KFAR HAMACCABIAH, Israel — There is something humble and attractive about a foundation not naming itself after its founders, or main donors, but giving itself a Hebrew name that means “Gift of God.” I spent a glorious, mind-expanding day recently at the annual Matanel Israeli retreat in Kfar Hamaccabiah, where their
Matanel – Gift of God — helps struggling Israelis Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Toby Klein Greenwald, Travel and FoodBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson BOUSSAC, France — The region around Limoges has been known since medieval times for its weavers. The art of tapestry-making once flourished there for many generations, passing down from father to son. Today the towns of Aubusson and Felletin are no longer famous for that particular specialty, though remnants of those ancient
Tapestries in a medieval castle inspire visitors Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Travel and Food
By Shor M. Masori SAN DIEGO — Because three of the biggest pop culture staples, Marvel, Star Wars, and Game of Thrones, were absent this year, the recently concluded Comic-Con felt much quieter and much less abuzz with nerd-hype. This quiet is, of course, relative, as to the outside observer it was just as loud
Warner Brothers’ dominates Comic- Con 2018 Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, San Diego County, Shor M. Masori, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy Alon Ben-Meir NEW YORK — Last week, the Israeli Knesset passed a new basic law which in the main enshrines “Israel [as] the historical homeland of the Jewish people in which the State of Israel was established… The right to exercise national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people…
OpEd: Israel’s nation state law alienates world Jewry Read More »
Alon Ben-Meir, International, Middle East, USA
Conference of Presidents objects to Palestine Authority leading U.N.’s G77 Group Arthur Stark, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations today expressed deep concern at the announcement that the Palestinian Authority will lead the biggest bloc of developing countries at the United Nations, known as
Editor’s E-Mail Box: July 26, 2018 (4 items) Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Editor’s Note: This is the 21st in a series of stories researched during Don and Nancy Harrison’s 50th Wedding Anniversary cruise from Sydney, Australia, to San Diego. Previous installments of the series, which runs every Thursday, may be found by tapping the number of the installment: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12,13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,
Movies at sea enhance the cruise Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, International, Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — There’s more than a million Russian-speaking Israelis, taking account of those born here minus those who have left for what seemed greener pastures. And certainly when taking account of those who came before the collapse of the Soviet Union. It’s a misnomer to call them Russians. Russian speakers is the
Russian Jews, American Jews in Israel Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
Lawfare Project moves against Holocaust denial posts on Facebook The Lawfare Project filed takedown notices this week against Facebook posts denying the Holocaust and containing anti-Semitic material, successfully leading to several posts being removed or blocked by Facebook in a number of countries. The Lawfare Project’s action followed controversial comments last week by Facebook’s CEO,
Editor’s E-Mail Box: July 25, 2018 (6 items) Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USASee the video Gal Lusky, an Israeli humanitarian worker who helps provide aid to Syrian refugees, has spent the better part of four years going undercover to give medical supplies and food to families across the border. Only recently did she reveal to the Syrians whose lives she has saved that she is an Israeli,
Israeli woman tells of saving Syrian lives Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Benjamin Weinthal From InFocus BERLIN — To understand the plight of Jews in Germany, it worth considering a few outbreaks of contemporary anti-Semitism and the largely indifferent response to Jew-hatred from mainstream society. In early June, a Jewish teen named Jonathan was playing an Israeli song — “Tel Aviv,” sung by Omer Adam—in Berlin’s
Increasing peril for Jews in Germany Read More »
International, Jewish History
AIPAC rallies citizen support for U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018 On July 10, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in support of the United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2018 (S. 2497). This legislation is expected to come to the Senate floor for a vote as soon as Wednesday, July 25. This
Editor’s E-Mail Box: July 24, 2018 (6 items) Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Garry Fabian PRAGUE, Czech Republic –Next to my own 147-year-old St. Kilda Hebrew Congregation in Melbourne, Australia, the synagogue to which I am most attached is the Alt Neue Shule here in Prague. It is nearly 900 years old, My family arrived in Prague in September 1938 after that part of Czechoslovakia called Sudentland
Prague’s Alte-Neue Synagogue has memorable history Read More »
International, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Travel and Food