By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Jewish wars. Not really wars, but a continuation of disputes going back at least to the time of Ezra. Jews have been quarreling about who is a Jew since then, and over the centuries have added numerous other squabbles. It all amounts to disputes among people who have been literate
Conversion battles date back at least to Ezra Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — In a profoundly emotional and sincere “open letter” video to the late Brittany Maynard, another brave victim of glioblastoma–the devastating brain cancer–Maggie Karner, pleaded with Brittany not to end her life. Karner, whose own suffering is beyond words, begged Maynard to “squeeze every bit of
Weighing the right to die Read More »
USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — This past Friday night, we rejoiced when we heard the news about Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, who was finally released from having spent 214 days in a horrible Mexican prison. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this story, Tahmooressi was arrested on March 31 after
Obama failed in his duty to redeem the captive Read More »
International, Jewish Religion, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–Fielding more than 50 questions in half an hour from Supreme Court Justices, Alyza D. Lewin presented the case for enforcement of a 2002 law that gives American citizens born in Jerusalem the right to list their place of birth in U.S. passports as “Israel.” She argued alternatively (1) that “what goes
High Court hears passport case for Jerusalem- born Read More »
Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– Americans for Peace Now (APN) joins its Israeli sister organization, Israel’s Peace Now movement, in strongly condemning the Israeli authorities’ decision to proceed with an East Jerusalem construction project that has triggered deep disapproval among the international community, including in Washington. A spokesperson for the Department of State in Washington said
APN: Ramat Shlomo separates Jerusalem, Ramallah Read More »
Middle East, USAAdon Olam: A Search for Meaning by Rabbi Zalman Weiss, Menorah Books, Jerusalem; ISBN 9978-1-940516-12-7 ©2014, $24.95, p. 350, plus glossary. By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California — Ezra the Scribe, in 458 BCE, led a group of about eighteen hundred Jewish men together with their wives and children from the Babylon Captivity to their new home in
Adon Olam is catchy but do you know what it means? Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — Avraham was a model of chesed (kindness) and rachamim (mercy). His tent had a door on each side so that he could invite geusts wherever they might come from. These beautiful traits have been hallmarks of the Jewish people, handed down from generation to generation ever since, as
Paying attention to the homeless Read More »
Jewish Religion, USABy Dan Bloom CHIAYI CITY, Taiwan — Hollywood director Darren Aronofsky has been awarded a best original screenplay award for his movie Noah by an online, climate-themed movie awards program I am curating called the Cli Fi Movie Awards, dubbed “The Cliffies.” Aronofsky’s writing partner Ari Handel co-wrote the screenplay and received the award as well. He
Awards given for movies on climate change Read More »
The World We ShareFrench kitchenware company’s website lists Israel as ‘Palestine’ (JNS.org) The French kitchenware company Tefal, which is known for its nonstick pans, is directing customers to “Palestine” for a store that is located in Israel. Although Tefal’s Jerusalem store is located in the Atarot industrial zone, which is not under Palestinian sovereignty, the drop-down menu for
JNS news briefs: November 3, 2014 Read More »
Travel and FoodBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — In the run up to November’s P5+1 talks, Iran has already won the battles that count; remember, this is the bazaar. After last year’s unsatisfactory interim agreement, this author wrote: A deal that is not a capitulation requires two conditions: the parties must equally value the process; and there
U.S. being bested by Iran in nuclear talks Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USABy Tzvi Zucker JERUSALEM (Tazpit)–President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas sent a letter to the family of Muataz Hijazi, the terrorist who attempted to murder Rabbi Yehuda Glick last week. In his letter he wrote to express his “sincere condolences” to the family, Abbas said “with anger, we have received the news of the
Abbas praises Glick’s shooter; fireworks new weapon Read More »
Middle EastBy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — The organization known as Machsom Watch has been in existence for over ten years. Since its first tentative steps as a small group of humanitarian feminists who wanted to protect the human and civil rights of Palestinians it has grown in numbers, is less radically feminist, but is
Palestinians and Israeli check points Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — Was it the Charger game or the community-wide Challah Bake that limited the attendance at the Daniel Pearl Memorial Program at Smith Recital Hall on the SDSU Campus? Whatever the reason, those absent, as evident from a sprinkling of empty seats, missed a remarkable evening, merging music, dance and
Pearl memorial was a jewel of a concert Read More »
Travel and FoodThe Seven States of Loss and Healing, Part 4: Towards the New Normal By Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — This is part four of a five-part series, The Seven States of Loss and Healing. The poems are excerpted from my book, Living Without the One You Cannot Live Without: Hope and Healing after
Towards the new normal Read More »
Natasha Josefowitz