NEW YORK (Press Release)–The U.S. Area Elections Committee chair has found that there is no basis for the request made by the ZOA to disqualify the Hatikvah progressive Zionist slate, established for the upcoming World Zionist Congress elections in the United States. Ironically, the ZOA is attempting to delegitimize the ideological heirs of those who
Hatikvah Slate calls ZOA charges ‘hysterical’ Read More »
Middle East, USA
Sleeping Truth by Martin Vesole, Shalom Rav Publishing © 2013, ISBN 978-1937416027, 355 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Mary Poppins was the Disney character who sang about a spoonful of sugar helping the medicine to go down. Presenting this story of a fictional debate between a Christian evangelical and a Reform-leaning Reconstructionist rabbi, who perhaps
Debate between Christian and Jew focus of novel Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish ReligionU.N. Security Council rejects Palestinian statehood resolution (JNS.org) The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday rejected a Palestinian resolution that called for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank by 2017 and the establishment of a Palestinian state with borders based on the pre-1967 lines. The United States and Australia voted against the measure,
JNS news briefs: December 31, 2014 Read More »
International, Middle EastEditor’s note: Dan Bloom often uses humor to try to make a point about serious issues such as climate change and global warming. Here he mines a few treasured Yiddish words and phrases to write an oped about the problems humankind faces. By Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — Look, we have only one “drerd”
A Yiddish guide to climate change Read More »
The World We ShareSAN DIEGO (Press Release)–The San Diego Center for Jewish Culture’s Mandelbaum Family Lecture Series, in Coronado, and Scholar Lectures on Jewish Studies, in Carlsbad continues their season of free lectures with Professor Joellyn Zollman. Her lecture titled, “It’s Deli-cious! A Historical Exploration of American Jews and Delicatessen” will take place in the Schulman Auditorium of
Lectures to focus on Jews and their delis Read More »
Travel and FoodCAIRO, Egypt (WJC) — Magda Haroun, the head of the tiny Jewish community of Egypt, described a court ruling banning the annual Abu Hasira festival as “unconstitutional.” The Alexandria Administrative Court on Monday banned the celebration of the Abu Hasira festival, saying it violated public order. “The Jews have not had any particular impact on the
Egyptian court nullifies Jewish festival Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) — The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) filed an objection/complaint on Monday, Dec. 29, with the election officials administering the upcoming World Zionist Congress election, to disqualify a group that misleadingly calls itself the “HaTikvah slate,” because the group Ameinu of the “HaTikvah slate” lobbies for international sanctions against Israeli leaders whose political positions
ZOA wants ‘HaTikvah slate’ disqualified by WZC Read More »
Middle East, USAUNITED NATIONS, N.Y. (Press Release) –The United States, as well as Australia and five other countries, prevented the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution pushed by the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League. The measure “is not constructive, sets arbitrary deadlines and fails to account for Israel’s security needs,” the U.S. State Department said prior
Palestine deadline bid rejected by Security Council Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
POWAY, California — Molly Cohen, 97, was eulogized by Rabbi Nadav Caine at Ner Tamid Synagogue here. Following is the eulogy, delivered December 29, 2014: Molly Cohen, a matriarch of San Diego’s Jewish community, died this past December 25th at the age of 97. She was her usual alert, brilliant, and giving self to
Molly Cohen, z”l (June 19th, 1917 — Dec. 25, 2014) Read More »
Obituaries & memorials, San Diego County
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (Tazpit) — Israeli President Reuven Rivlin hosted the traditional state reception for leaders of Israel’s Christian leaders to mark the civil New Year on Tuesday morning, December 30. The event was attended by nine heads of various churches in Israel and senior members of the community. Both the Israeli president and
Rivlin, Christians hope 2015 will be better Read More »
Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Saudi Arabia does not control the price of oil, but it is trying to manipulate the current, temporary, price decline for its own purposes — and it should be careful. The price of oil, like any commodity, is subject to immutable laws of supply and demand. The addition of
Saudis deploy oil weapon against Iran, Russia Read More »
International, Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — In his lifetime, Ovadia Yosef – a former Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel, said to have been a great rabbinic scholar – was also a kind-of supreme leader/ayatollah of the ultra-Orthodox Sephardi Shas party. He now seems to continue to rule it from the grave. Though his earthly home
With election coming, Shas’s split gets uglier Read More »
Middle EastHosting Christian leaders, Israeli president laments persecution of Mideast minorities (JNS.org) The persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East is “a cause of great worry and pain,” Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said Tuesday upon his hosting of Israeli Christian leaders for a reception to mark the New Year. During 2014, arguably
JNS news briefs: December 30, 2014 Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Events surrounding Yisrael Beiteinu provide suggestive parallels to other elements of Israel’s political history, as well as to that of the US. Avigdor Lieberman was not the first Israeli politician to reach power on the backs of an immigrant community that came from a non-democratic society. David ben Gurion and
Russians repeat pattern of earlier Israeli immigrants Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East