By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Those tempted to think that Judaism is the most spiritual of the three religions that developed from Abraham should think again. True, Judaism does not have a man-god with lots of paintings and statues at its center, and it does not seek to conquer the world in order to advanced […]
Many religious sites are a matter of faith, not history Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish History, Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy David Brin ENCINITAS, California — A lot of efforts have been made to appraise the Bible in terms of science and vice versa. For example, I’ve had fun showing (to a conference of transhumanists, no less!) that the Book of Genesis clearly states we were meant to be scientists and co-creators and that “nothing
Noah? Tower of Babel? Follow the numbers Read More »
Jewish History, Science, Medicine, & Education
TEL AVIV (Press Release) — In a grand ceremony on May 18, during Tel Aviv University’s 2014 Board of Governors annual meeting, prestigious Dan David Prizes were awarded to seven scientists and intellectuals before an audience of prominent political, business, philanthropic, and academic figures from around the world. Among this years’ laureates were Prof. Saul
UCLA’s Friedlander among Dan David Prize winners Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
LONDON (WJC) — Sir Nicholas Winton, a Briton who at the outbreak of World War II organized mass evacuations of children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and saved them from being deported to the death camps, has turned 105. Czech President Milos Zeman announced that he would award Winton with the highest Czech state decoration. Zeman said
Nicholas Winton, Holocaust rescuer, turns 105 Read More »
International, Jewish History
SIGHET, Romania (Press Release)– The first public Holocaust education center in Romania opened Sunday, May 18, in the pre-war childhood home of Nobel Prize-winning author Elie Wiesel, with special events in his hometown of Sighet. The “Holocaust Cellar” became a new feature of the existing Holocaust museum, in the old Jewish Ghetto of Sighet in Maramures
Elie Wiesel’s boyhood home opened as museum Read More »
International, Jewish History
JERUSALEM (Press Release) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on Monday morning (19 May 2014), in his Jerusalem office, with Chinese Vice Premier Liu Yandong. Following are their remarks: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: I’m very pleased to welcome Vice Premier of China, Liu Yandong, to Jerusalem. Madam Liu, it’s a pleasure to see you here
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson JERUSALEM–Over and above the scandal and shenanigans surrounding the prosecution, trial and eventual conviction for accepting bribes and betraying the voters’ trust by the erstwhile mayor of Jerusalem and former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his associates is the very material existence of the building that lies at the heart of
Political corruption manifested in towering eyesore Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Jewish History, Middle East
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJC) — An agreement has been reached between the US and Iraqi governments under which the Iraqi Jewish Archive (IJA)will remain in the United States for an unspecified period. The archive contains around 2,700 restored Jewish books and thousands of documents. The US spent more than US$ 3 million to restore the texts.
Iraqi Jewish Archives to remain in U.S. for now Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East, USASIGHET, Romania (Press Release) – A special event marking the opening of the first public Holocaust education center in Romania will take place Sunday, May 18 in the town of Sighet. The “Holocaust Cellar” will become a new feature of the Holocaust museum in the pre-war home of Nobel Prize-winning author Elie Wiesel, in the courtyard
Holocaust center planned at Wiesel’s boyhood home Read More »
International, Jewish HistoryBy Ronn Torossian NEW YORK–The new book by Hillel Halkin, Jabotinsky: A Life (Yale University Press) was unlike any other book I had ever consumed about a man I consider to be a personal hero, Ze’ev Jabotinsky. Jabotinsky helped shape my life, my Judaism – even though I was born 34 years after his death. Growing up
Many new facts in Halkin’s biography of Jabotinsky Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastSAN DIEGO (Press Release)–The Jewish Federation of San Diego thanked and recognized State Senator Marty Block for “standing up for what’s right.” It noted that Block, a San Diego Democrat, had issued the following statement following disclosure that eighth students in the Rialto, California, school district had been asked to write an essay debating
Marty Block’s response to Rialto Holocaust essay praised Read More »
Jewish History
By Maayan Jaffe/JNS.org SHANGHAI, China — It was a long trek: 6,000 miles by boat from Central Europe to the Far East. But the towns of East Asia opened their gates for the waves of Jewish emigrants who had to find shelter from the tragic problems they faced first in Russia, and later in Central
Jewish history: Shanghai refuge Read More »
International, Jewish History
By Robert Gluck/JNS.org Dr. Gary P. Zola sees an inextricable connection between American Jewish history, American history, and global Jewish history. “The study of the Jewish experience in the context of the American nation sheds light on the story of the nation itself,” Zola, executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American
Jewish deeds helped fuel American history Read More »
Jewish History, USABy Moshe Phillips and Benyamin Korn PHILADELPHIA –To judge by the account in the Washington Post, the recent statement about the Holocaust by Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas was a game-changing reversal of Abbas’s previous Holocaust-denial. In an “unusual step,” the Post asserted, Abbas released “a strongly-worded statement” in which he “denounced” the Holocaust as
Abbas’ ‘reversal’ on Holocaust really wasn’t Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East