AJC lauds Israeli bill to liberalize conversions

NEW YORK (Press Release)– The American Jewish Committee (AJC) supports the conversion bill introduced by MK Elazar Stern of the Hatnua Party, headed by Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. Hatnua has pledged to press the measure, which already passed its first reading in the Knesset, even though it does not enjoy Cabinet support. “Loosening the Chief

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Jewish Religion, Middle East, USA

Eritrean refugees taught to be medical translators

TEL AVIV (Press Release)— Sixteen Eritrean refugees in Israel have completed a medical interpreting course created by Prof. Galia Sabar of Tel Aviv University’s African Studies Department. Eight of the asylum-seeking graduates have already joined the Israeli health system as medical translators. “Language barriers are acute between Eritrean asylum seekers and medical personnel in Israel,

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

Willful blindness to academic anti-Semitism

By Richard L. Cravatts, PhD BOSTON–As yet more evidence that academics are regularly able to engage in what George Orwell sardonically referred to as “doublethink,” “the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them,” this month 40 professors of Jewish studies published a denunciation of a study that

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Middle East, Richard L. Cravatts, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

AJWS spreads Ebola prevention information in Liberia

NEW YORK (Press Release)—American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is funding grassroots groups in Liberia that are responding to the Ebola outbreak through public health campaigns that rely on trusted non-medical community leaders to spread the word about preventing infection. AJWS is currently supporting 10 community-based organizations in Liberia that are deploying networks of religious leaders, women’s

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International, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA

AJC: U.S. should restore Egypt’s military aid

CAIRO (Press Release)–An American Jewish Committee (AJC) delegation, after three days of high-level consultations, urged accelerated steps to normalize strategic relations between the United States and Egypt. “Egypt has been, and remains, an essential ally in the global fight against terror‎ and extremism,” said Jason Isaacson, AJC Associate Executive Director for Policy. U.S. military aid

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Middle East, USA

WJC: Don’t pay Social Security to Nazi war criminals

NEW YORK (WJC)–The World Jewish Congress announced its support for a change in United States law that presently allows certain presumed Nazi war criminals who were granted US citizenship by making false statements to immigration authorities to keep their social security entitlements in case they voluntarily leave the country. As reported by the ‘Associated Press’

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Jewish History, USA

JNS news briefs: October 22, 2014

Ya’alon calls Turkey a Hamas headquarters (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) In a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon criticized Turkey for the support it provides to Hamas. “Turkey is playing a cynical game,” Ya’alon told Hagel. “Hamas is supported by Turkey and Qatar. Hamas

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International

Plants in Med climate zone adapt to climate change

TEL AVIV (Press Release) — Climate change predictions for the Middle East, like other arid regions of the world, are alarming. In an area known for its water scarcity, rainfall is expected to decrease even further in the near future, spelling disaster for the functioning of unique ecosystems — hotspots of biodiversity and rich genetic fodder

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Middle East, The World We Share

Gabriella Labson celebrates dawn of her 2nd century

  By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — The invitation from Gabriela Hartstein Auspitz Labson to a select circle of family and friends read: “You are invited to celebrate the sunrise of my second century.”   The celebration, a Seudah Shlishit (third meal of Shabbat), took place Saturday, October 11, 2014,  in a lovely room on the second

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Eileen Wingard, San Diego County, USA