By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Time for the old joke again. In the early days of Israel, when the country was in dire economic straits, it was suggested that the Jewish state should declare war against the United States. The Americans would win, of course, and thus be obliged to provide for Israel. That
Netanyahu risks U.S. relations in bid to keep power Read More »
Middle East, USAMossad distances itself from report that it opposes new Iran sanctions (JNS.org) Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency distanced itself from a report that it opposes new American sanctions against Iran. Bloomberg News reported Thursday that Mossad Director Tamir Pardo told U.S. representatives visiting Israel this week that applying sanctions on Iran now, when negotiations on the
Jewish news briefs: January 23, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Michael Ordman NETANYA, Israel — The Hebrew word “beyachad” (together) typifies the Israeli approach to innovating a better world. Israel and the US continue to move closer together economically. The Israel-US Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation recently approved $8.3 million in new funding for 11 projects where US and Israeli companies are
Positively Israel ~ January 23, 2015 Read More »
Michael Ordman, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — I was born in America and I love America. But living overseas for over 20 years has shown me that America does not always get it right, in terms of international PR. I watched President Barack Obama’s “State of the Union” address on TV CNN International here in
House Chamber should display horizontal flag Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Two items that seem much different have in common a capacity to teach us something about politics. Politics, and the government associated with it is a messy business, even while essential to civilization. It ain’t easy to serve numerous and contrasting purposes at the same time, and a common result is
U.S., Israel leaders engage in tit for tat behavior Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO─ Dovish political parties opposed to Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies have violated diplomatic protocol by inviting President Obama to address the Knesset. Just kidding! Inviting the leader of another country to interfere in the elections and foreign relations of one’s own could never happen─ at least not in Israel. * Worried that
Humoring the headlines: January 22, 2015 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & SatireCompiled by Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Jewish members of Congress are fighting vigorously in the latest abortion battle between Republicans and Democrats. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) explained the controversy this way: “House Republicans planned to vote on the ‘Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,’ this week, which proposed a 20-week abortion ban. However, Republican
Abortion, Israel & Iran issues stir Congress Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, USABy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Rabbi Yitzchok Chinn of McKees Port, Pensylvania, when he was a guest speaker at a Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva Convention, where he told the following story: Rabbi Chinn knew an older Jewish man who said to him, “I hate Shabbos!” The Rabbi
Something fishy about hating Shabbos Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Norman Greene SAN DIEGO — If you are up for solving mysteries and maybe uncovering a few new ones, you can learn a great deal by visiting an old Jewish cemetery in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. For years. My late father would become very melancholy four or five days before the yahrzeits of his
Surprises, mysteries at Brooklyn cemetery Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, Travel and FoodBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson GUERET, France — Life is full of strange coincidences. I first encountered the story of Charlotte Salomon about twenty years ago, when an exhibition of her work, a series of paintings with captions describing her life and entitled ‘Life? Or Theatre?’ was held at the Royal Academy in London. It made a
‘Charlotte’ tells story of perished German Jewish girl Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Jewish History
By Donald H. Harrison LA JOLLA, California –Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Bret Stephens suggested in a public dialogue with radio commentator Dennis Prager at Congregation Beth El that Jews are appreciated in America, a country where success is admired, but are reviled in Europe and the Arab world, where success is envied. Stephens, a columnist
Why Jews thrive in U.S., but not in Europe Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA
TEL AVIV (Press Release)— The sound of a bag of potato chips being torn open cuts through a darkened movie theater. The noise, in an otherwise silent space, pinpoints for all moviegoers exactly where the chips are being devoured. According to a new Tel Aviv University study, bats operate in a similar fashion. Bats, hunting
Bats eavesdrop to hear who’s got the yummy treats Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education