By Ian Swanson Republished from The Hill WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is pressing the Chinese government to reopen a historic synagogue in Shanghai. In an interview with The Hill, Cantor said he’s requested a meeting with China’s ambassador to the U.S. to discuss the issue and expects to talk to […]
Cantor seeks reopening of historic Shanghai synagogue Read More »
International, USA
VIENNA (WJC) — Sixty-nine years after the end of World War II, nearly a third of Austrians would like to have a “strong leader” (Führer) at the helm of their country “who doesn’t have to deal with elections and a parliament”, according to a new study published on Wednesday in Vienna. Asked about what
Poll: One-third of Austrians want a ‘fuhrer’ Read More »
International, Jewish History
JERUSALEM (WJC) — Vandals have defaced a church in Jerusalem just a few weeks before Pope Francis visits the Holy Land. Israel Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said anti-Christian graffiti had been discovered on the outside wall of the church on Friday morning. The graffiti read “Price tag, King David is for the Jews, Jesus is garbage.” In addition,
Vandals deface Jerusalem church Read More »
Middle East
RIALTO, California (WJC) — School district officials heresaid an assignment asking students to write an essay on whether they believe the Holocaust really happened was “horribly inappropriate”. The Rialto Unified School District made headlines when it gave eighth-graders the assignment to do some research and write an essay explaining whether they believed the Holocaust
Rialto Holocaust assignment ‘horribly inappropriate’ Read More »
Jewish Religion, Science, Medicine, & EducationWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday evening, March 8 passed bipartisan legislation – Strengthening Education through Research Act (H.R. 4366) – to improve research on education programs and ensure those programs are effective in meeting national education priorities. H.R. 4366 includes language from a bill carried by U.S. Rep.
Education research bill includes social, emotional learning Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM (TNA) – Hundreds of Jewish World War II veterans of the Allied armies, the majority from the Former Soviet Union, attended the official Yad Vashem ceremony Thursday, May 8, marking the 69th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany. The ceremony took place at Yad Vashem’s Monument to the
World War II veterans honored at Yad Vashem Read More »
Jewish History, Middle EastObstacles ‘substantially overcome’ in Turkey-Israel normalization talks (JNS.org) Obstacles have been “substantially overcome” in negotiations to restore diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said, Reuters reported. The talks have centered on determining a financial compensation package for the Turkish family members of the victims of the 2010 Mavi Marmara flotilla
JNS news briefs: May 9, 2014 Read More »
International
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California –My 13-year-old grandson, Shor, and I went on a dramatic psychedelic trip on Thursday evening, May 8—not self-induced, but rather one devised by Madge Miller and directed by Jerry Hager, the theatre arts professor and former Seaport Village mime. Hager took Miller’s adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s story
A trippy ‘Alice’ now playing at Grossmont College Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Joyce S. Dubensky NEW YORK (Press Release)— What should religious inclusion look like? Given the overwhelming diversity of beliefs, can we only be religiously inclusive by becoming completely secular? Or can we somehow be representative of all faiths? This week, the Supreme Court announced its decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway. The case
Town of Greece should promote diversity Read More »
USA
Editor’s Note: Ambassador Martin Indyk, special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiatons, addressed the Washington Institute’s Weinberg Connferece in Washington D.C. The U.S. State Department provided the following transcript of his remarks. By Martin Indyk Last July, President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry launched a vigorous effort to reach a final status agreement between Israelis
Indyk, still optimistic, tells why Mideast peace talks failed Read More »
Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-California), Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Mark Kirk (R-Illionois) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) on Thursday, May 8, introduced the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA), bipartisan legislation that would make reducing the levels of violence against women and girls across the globe a top
Bill would make U.S. a global protector of women Read More »
International, USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — Israel is celebrating its 66th birthday—a young country sprung from a land as old as the Bible and as new as this morning’s Internet edition of The Jerusalem Post. I was born there just a few years after its inception in 1948. My father and mother were there, however,
Once the citizens of Kfar Saba and Qalqilya were friends Read More »
Middle East
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — Rep. Mark Meadows (R-North Carolina) has introduced a bill to choke off funds going to the terrorist group Hezbollah. He writes: “The Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act (H.R. 4411) broadens financial sanctions against the group, targets its propaganda television station al-Manar, and urges the president to define Hezbollah as a ‘global
Bill would define Hezbollah as a ‘global drug pin’ Read More »
Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release) — U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-New York) and other members of the House and Senate hailed bipartisan action on Wednesday, May 7, by the House Judiciary Committee to curb data-collection programs of the National Security Agency (NSA). “(The) strong, bipartisan vote by the House Judiciary Committee takes us one step closer
Senators, MCs oppose NSA collecting phone records Read More »
USA