By Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — The ESRA Hiking Club (esra.org.il) ventured south to the hills of the northern Negev recently for one of the most beautiful hikes that I’ve done in Israel. We were heading towards the Yeruham Park and Lake, where there are green groves and a manmade lake in the […]
Exploring the northern Negev Desert Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, Travel and FoodOECD lauds high education rates among Israelis (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israel has one of the highest-educated populations of any country in the developed world, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) latest global education report, released on Tuesday. The “Education at a Glance 2015” report found that 85 percent of Israelis
Middle East Roundup: Nov. 25, 2015 Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Routines are everywhere, with everyone. Almost all our waking hours we are employing one or another. How we brush our teeth, fix our breakfast, drive to where we’ve been before, get ready for bed. They are crucial for government and politics. Just as an individual cannot be bothered to ponder at
Israel, P.A. locked into routines Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Joe Gandelman SAN DIEGO — If there is ever a movie that cries out for being seen NOW it’s filmmaker Robert Rippberger’s 7 Days in Syria. When it was completed some months ago it was a solid documentary about the Syrian Civil War that took you so inside the devastation that you could almost
Why Jews should feel compassion for Syrian refugees Read More »
Jewish History, Joe Gandelman, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Recent discussions on the Internet deal with the moral question concerning asylum for Syrian refugees. This issue is especially a matter of concern for the European countries as well. More specifically for Jews, is the comparison between Syrians of today and the German Jewish refugees
Bring in persecuted Syrian groups first Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, Middle East
By Steve Diamond SAN DIEGO — The email ad for the first annual Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) Cycling Tour of Israel appeared in my inbox in early August – and immediately caught my eye. I’m a retired U.S. Navy senior officer, and my daughter, Rami, just finished her service as a Lone
Pushing pedals, raising morale in Israel Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County, Sports & CompetitionsHummus a long time favorite in the Middle East (JNS.org) The Middle East has gone through monumental changes over thousands of years, but one thing has never changed: an affinity for hummus. This conclusion was reached after fava seeds were discovered during an excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in the Galilee, showing
Middle East Roundup: Nov. 24, 2015 Read More »
Middle EastBy David Amos SAN DIEGO — The second half of October, just a month ago, turned out to be very special. From the 19th to the 23rd, I was invited to conduct the London Philharmonic in the city’s Abbey Road Studios. The following week takes only one word: Israel. Here are the details of both destinations.
Recording in England, resting in Israel Read More »
International, Middle East, Music, Dance, and Visual ArtsAvis refuses to rent car over businessman’s Israeli identity (JNS.org) The Avis car rental agency refused to provide an Israeli businessman with a rental vehicle because of his Israeli identity, the New York Observer reported Sunday. Dov Bergwerk, a senior executive at Israeli pharmaceutical giant Teva, said that on Friday he and his wife
Middle East Roundup: Nov. 23, 2015 Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The masses respond to heroes. No surprise that politicians participate in the celebration. Either it’s because they, too, believe, or they see the gain or loss of votes if they go along with, ignore, or express doubts to the crowd. It goes back to the gods of the Greeks and other pagans,
In U.S. Pollard is a traitor; in Israel he’s a hero Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA
By Dane Chapin SAN DIEGO — Following is a speech we wish President Obama had given on Nov. 14, the day after the Paris massacre: Last night, 129 people were savagely and summarily executed on the streets of Paris. Hundreds more were injured, many will be maimed for life. Before I discuss how the United States of
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International, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin OCEANSIDE, California — Fifty-two years ago, Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy, 46, was slain while riding in a motorcade in Dealey Plaza, Dallas. Unlike today’s ongoing televised carnage, this was a singular, searing, shockingly unexpected event. Bad enough on its own, it lay the bloody groundwork for the terrifying world
Shots in Dealey Plaza began anguish of the 60’s Read More »
USAThe Castles and the Crown, Spain 1451-1555, by Townsend Miller, Published by Coward-McCann, Inc., 1953 By Sheila Orysiek SAN DIEGO — I first read this book several decades ago and since have read it twice more finishing my third reading of it in this last week. It was as fresh and as exciting a tale
From the Jewish library: ‘The Castles and the Crown’ Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, InternationalBy Laurie Baron MARGATE, New Jersey — Foreign observers have been surprised by the ferocity of the French government’s response to the terrorist attack on Paris. ISIS should have anticipated this is what would happen if it threatened the French while they were eating and drinking at cafes, attending concerts, or watching soccer. After all,
Humoring the headlines: Nov. 21, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Middle East