Book ‘finds’ Leah, the lost matriarch

The Lost Matriarch: Finding Leah in the Bible and Midrash by Jerry Rabow, Jewish Publication Society, Philadelphia; ISBN 978-0-8276-1207-5 ©2014, $22.95, p. 193, plus Index and several appendices By Fred Reiss, Ed.D. WINCHESTER, California–Tradition maintains that each word of the Five Books of Moses contains multiple interpretations. Bible stories such as Noah and the flood, Joseph

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Fred Reiss, EdD, Jewish Religion

Black churches: From whence Israel’s help may come

  By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO –Holocaust Survivor Lou Dunst and Christian Zionist preacher Rev. Dumisani Washington of Stockton, Calif., are four decades apart in age, yet hearing one and then the other speak, gave me reassurance that Washington’s message partially fulfills the intent of Dunst’s agonized rhetorical cry of pain: “And the Free World

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Donald H. Harrison, International, Jewish History, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Sumo wrestler introduces Japanese culture to Israel

By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM–It’s not every day that a world champion sumo wrestler visits Israel’s capital. But on Tuesday, October 21, Israelis of all ages watched in fascination as the Hawaiian-born Japanese-Samoan former sumo star, Konishiki Yasokichi shared his moves during a special workshop for children in Jerusalem. The sumo wrestling workshop was part of the first

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International, Sports & Competitions

Sign language has its own intonations

HAIFA, Israel (Press Release)–Like the intonation of individual spoken languages, sign languages also have their own unique “sound,” and, as with spoken languages, the intonation of one community’s language is different from that of another community, according to a new study at the University of Haifa. “Our discovery that sign languages also have unique intonation

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Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education

Should Israel leave well enough alone?

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– What should Israel do? Nothing is probably the best answer. However, pick your platitude Politics does not tolerate a vacuum Politics does not tolerate quiet The world is clamoring for a solution. Not exactly the world, but a collection of activists that includes Palestinians leading the chants Jews who feel uncomfortable

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International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

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