Jewish Religion

Character Day 2016 will be September 22

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Press Release)– Building on the global success and momentum of Character Day 2015, in which hundreds of thousands participated and viewed the films The Making of a Mensch and The Adaptable Mind, Emmy-nominated filmmaker Tiffany Shlain’s nonprofit Let it Ripple this year will broaden the initiative’s reach that uses film and discussion […]

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Jewish Religion, The World We Share, USA

‘Healing the world’ is Marlee Matlin’s matter

Jewish upbringing helped celebrated deaf actress break barriers to success Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin said the best thing to do for people “who have special needs is to communicate with them.” Marlee Matlin and actor Henry Winkler, a longtime friend and mentor, at the Walk of Fame Ceremony honoring Matlin in Hollywood, May 6, 2009;

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Jewish Religion, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA

Israel warns against Lag B’Omer travel to Tunisia

The National Security Council Counter-Terrorism Bureau issued a travel advisory against Israelis visiting Tunisia on Monday, ahead of an expected Lag B’Omer festivities to be held May 25-26 in Ghriba, on the island of Djerba. “There is a severe travel warning for Tunisia (high concrete threat),” the Bureau said. “Terrorist elements, especially those affiliated with

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

T’rumah–or free will donations–support synagogue

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Two years ago my congregation embarked on a grand experiment. Instead of “charging” for synagogue membership we changed to a free will donation system we call T’rumah. T’rumah has been a success, although a qualified success. Many of  our members chose to increase or maintain their previous membership gift

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Jewish Religion

Orthodox intolerance helps grow Reform in Israel

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The Triguboff Institute, established by an Australian philanthropist, specializes in the needs of Jews from the former Soviet Union, notably Russia and Ukraine. The fact that perhaps as many as 400 000 Israeli citizens of Russian and Ukrainian background aren’t regarded as Jews by the state’s rabbinic establishment has prompted

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

Minister: ‘Mimouna is the best symbol of unity in Israel’

As Passover and Shabbat end tonight, people across Israel are celebrating Mimouna. Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel (Likud) is taking part in the festival at the Dahan home in Yavne, along with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara. Gamliel spoke to fellow attendees, saying that “the festival of Mimouna, in which the doors

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Jewish Religion, Middle East

Haredi MK: Jews who visit Temple Mount spark war

MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), Chairman of the Knesset”s Finance Committee, on Wednesday blasted Jewish visits to the Temple Mount, claiming that Jews who ascended to the holy site were violating Jewish religious law. Speaking to Israel Radio, Gafni argued that religious Jews who visited the Temple Mount were leading the country to war,

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Jewish Religion, Middle East