FARMINGTON HILLS, Michigan –As Humanistic Jews, our hearts are broken as we grapple with the loss of 26 lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. For more than a decade, we have been witness to mass shootings with no relief. Across the United States, in schools, theaters, and malls, from Virginia Tech, to […]
Humanistic Jews to boycott retailers selling assault weapons Read More »
USABy Cynthia Citron SANTA MONICA –You may think that all this rain we’re having is caused by a drop in barometric pressure. But are you aware that Tanna Frederick, Robert Standley and their director Jack Heller are in heavy-duty rehearsals for N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker, which opens this week at the Edgemar Center
‘Rainmaker’ pours on the emotions Read More »
Cynthia CitronBy Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO– In my Community Jewish High senior class we are studying about Israel. We just read and analyzed Israel’s Declaration of Independence which was proclaimed and signed in Tel Aviv on May 14, 1948. The founding fathers and mothers of Israel were greatly concerned with “normalizing” the Jewish People. Instead
Relationship evolves between Israel and Diaspora Read More »
Jewish ReligionPhilanthropist Steinhardt to auction huge Jewish history and art collection (JNS.org) Sotheby’s auction house in New York City plans to sell an enormous art and culture collection assembled by Jewish philanthropist and former Wall Street money manager Michael Steinhardt. Five hundred pieces, including textiles, manuscripts and paintings, will be put on sale in April and
JNS news briefs: January 11, 2013 Read More »
International
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — Hats off to the weather forecasters! Last week they said that a perfect storm was coming, and this week it did. Sunday was still fairly reasonable, chilly but not too bad. One could still get out and about here in the Jerusalem area with relative ease, and function
Storm filled the lake–and everything else Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastBy Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — After the plague of Hail, Paroah summoned Moshe and Aaron to his palace and proclaimed “Hashem (G-d) is righteous.” (Ex.9:27). What made him say this? He never said anything like this before. One Rabbinic opinion states that he was reacting to Hashem’s warning “Send forth, gather in your
Righteousness can influence observers Read More »
Jewish Religion
SAN DIEGO– In Hebrew, “safa” means “language,” which prompted license plate spotter Melanie Rubin to wonder whether the driver wanted those behind him to “watch their language.”
Jewish-interest license plate: Safa Read More »
Jewish Religion, Melanie RubinBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States is about to get new secretaries of state and defense and a new director of Central Intelligence. It is devoutly to be hoped that they will not travel in the well-worn grooves of the Israel-Palestinian “peace process.” The “two-state solution,” beloved of the United States and
The shifting patterns of Palestinian politics Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — Over the course of the past several years, we have had some marvelous opportunities to visit places where I had once lived. My wife and I had moved away from some of these communities ten or twenty years ago, and in one case, forty years ago. It
Nations, like people, have stages of growth Read More »
Jewish ReligionBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The rare occurrence of snow in Israel, including Jerusalem, after days of heavy rain that has even hit the Negev is a hot item here, not only among meteorologists but among pundits in unrelated fields. The weather and its impact has been the main news story on all the
Snow in Jerusalem compared to hurricane in U.S. Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Israel is more than intense argument about political candidates, religion, security, and all the other important issues subject to dispute by Jews who are Talmudic in their style even if they are not religious. Occasionally, it is like other countries, and fascinated with the weather. Over the most recent five days,
Jerusalem snow edges elections in broadcasts Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastHagel-chaired think tank predicts Iran will be ‘natural partner’ for U.S. (JNS.org) The Atlantic Council, a think tank chaired by defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel which last month published a column titled “Israel’s Apartheid Policy,” during the same month predicted that Iran “should be viewed as a potential natural partner” for the U.S. The
JNS news briefs: January 10, 2013 Read More »
InternationalTEL AVIV (Press Release) — Unceasing accusations of media bias surround reporting on controversial events. The last American oresidential election and the latest confrontation between Israel and Gaza are recent illustrations of the phenomenon. This kind of public response seems to demand a better definition of professional journalistic standards,says Dr. Sandrine Boudana of Tel Aviv
Media professional standards differ by country Read More »
Travel and Food
Story and photos by Shahar Masori SAN DIEGO –Like flower girls scampering down the wedding aisle, a pair of porpoises skimmed by our Birch Aquarium-sponsored whale-watching excursion as if to announce that “she is coming! she is coming!” Sure enough, it was not long afterwards that we spotted a puff of vapor indicating that a
Birch Aquarium whale-watching amazes and informs Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education