USA

A Memorial Day Weekend Tale of Two Jewish American Military Heroes

As part of our JWB Jewish Chaplains Council® National Jewish Community Observance of Memorial Day, on Thursday, we were honored to visit the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Nathan Bruckenthal, while the ship was in port in New York City. The USCGC Nathan Bruckenthal is named for the first Jewish Coast Guardsman killed in combat since the Vietnam War. Petty Officer Bruckenthal, described to us by the ship’s captain as “a nice Jewish kid from Long Island,” served his country as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was killed during a successful attempt to thwart a seaborne IED (improvised explosive device) attack on a major installation in the Arabian Gulf.  He sacrificed himself to protect others [Rabbi Irving A. Elson and Doron Krakow]

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Jewish History, Middle East, Obituaries & memorials, USA

Fight Against Antisemitism On Numerous Fronts

Human rights icon and former Soviet refusenik Natan Sharansky, U.S. Rep. Grace Meng, Malcolm Hoenlein and Prof. Susannah Heschel, daughter of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, were among the leading figures who participated in a special online symposium marking Jewish American Heritage Month. Speakers emphasized that the Free Soviet Jewry campaign’s successful blending of grassroots activism and political advocacy can be a model in today’s fight against the dangerous growth of antisemitism.  [Combat Antisemitism Movement]

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Jewish History, USA

U.S. Attorney General Garland expands resources to combat hate crimes

Published by Reuters By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday directed the Justice Department to expand funding and other resources to states and municipalities to help track and investigate hate crimes, and ordered prosecutors to step up both criminal and civil investigations into hate incidents. In a memo

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USA

Was U.S. Complicit in Development of COVID-19?

The Joe Biden administration closed the US State Department’s investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. But as the pandemic recedes in the United States, there is renewed interest by the scientific and journalistic communities about the origins of the virus and whether it could have escaped from China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). So, a day later, the president opened a new investigation. [Stephen D. Bryen and Shoshana Bryen]

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International, Science, Medicine, & Education, Shoshana Bryen, Stephen D. Bryen, USA

Jewish news is Jewish community

By Jacob Kamaras SAN DIEGO — How do you connect with Judaism? According to a comprehensive survey of Jewish Americans that the Pew Research Center released earlier in May, “Majorities of U.S. Jews engage in cultural activities like cooking Jewish food (72%), sharing holidays with non-Jewish friends (62%) and visiting historical Jewish sites (57%). Many

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Jacob Kamaras, USA

Jewish Community Relations Councils: ‘deep concern’ over antisemitism after Israel-Hamas war

NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), the national network hub of 125 Jewish Community Relations Councils and 16 national Jewish agencies, on Monday expressed its deep concern with the alarming rise in antisemitic incidents in the United States. The JCPA urged civic, political, and faith leaders to denounce these

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Middle East, USA

Iran official upbeat over nuclear talks, top delegate cautious

Published by Reuters DUBAi (Reuters) – Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on Tuesday he was optimistic over Tehran reaching an agreement soon at talks with world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear deal, although Iran’s top negotiator cautioned that serious issues remained. Iran and global powers have held several rounds ofnegotiations since April in

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USA

Sacramento-area center for children with Down syndrome vandalized in alleged hate incident

Published by The Sacramento Bee SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Roseville center for children with Down syndrome had posters on its windows vandalized with hate speech over the weekend, just days after its grand opening, officials with the nonprofit said. GiGi’s Playhouse, a national nonprofit, opened its Sacramento-area achievement center May 16 at a shopping center

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USA

Asylum Seekers See Very Little of San Diego on Journeys to Sponsors

U.S.-authorized asylum seekers assisted by Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) may remember our city primarily as a place where they slept on hotel beds with clean linens, had three meals a day delivered to them, and got their first prolonged taste of American television. [Donald H. Harrison]

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Donald H. Harrison, International, San Diego County, Travel and Food, USA

Biden condemns attacks on U.S. Jewish community as ‘despicable’

Published by Reuters By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden condemned violence against Jewish communities in the United States and abroad on Monday after a string of attacks amid the conflict between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers. Physical or verbal assaults were reported against Jews in New York City, Los Angeles and South

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USA

ADL Director Explains Program with SDSU on Antisemitism

In response to a series of troubling antisemitic incidents recently at San Diego State University, the San Diego office of the Anti-Defamation League reached out to the administration with an offer to work with the university’s Center for Inclusive Excellence to develop an innovative professional learning opportunity for the faculty and staff.  The goal was to help faculty to better recognize the warning signs of antisemitism and to be better equipped to address issues of hate and bias when they arise on campus. [Tammy Gillies]

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Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA