Aletha Gold and Luca Zordan, Children of Israel, Gefen Publishing House, 2013, ISBN 9789652296238; 191 pages. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO — Here is a photo book portraying the multi-ethnic character of Israel while expressing the wish that the children pictured can grow up together in peace. It is a volume with voluminous purposes:
San Diego photographer reviews Israel portrait book Read More »
Donald H. HarrisonBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There are lots of tantalizing questions, that in their nature leave us without answers. Chief among those bothering Israelis concern our status. The existential question–asked time and again In various formulations–amounts to • How much power do we really have? • What can we get away with? • To what extent are
Israel’s options limited by world’s interdependence Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — When protests broke out in Syria in late 2011, Russia hoped for a short, nasty war as a matter of Russian national interest — just enough to put the Muslim Brotherhood and assorted Sunnis in their place. Violence from its own Sunni Muslim population has plagued Russia for decades.
New Obama allies: Russia, Iran, Syria? Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA
NEW YORK (WJC) – Representative Eliot Engel, the senior Democratic member on the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, will be appointed the new chairman of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians (ICJP), an initiative of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), at the meeting of the ICJP Steering Committee in New York City and
Engel to lead Jewish group of parliamentarians Read More »
USA
By Aryeh Savir One of Hanukkah’s delights in Israel is the eating of the traditional Sufganiyah, the deep-fried round jelly doughnut topped with powder sugar. The IDF doesn’t want to miss out, and so the provisions branch acquired over 300,000 doughnuts to be devoured by the fighting forces. The regular size Sufganiyah packs 500 calories
Mini-sufganiyot keep Israeli soldiers buff and happy Read More »
Trivia, Humor & Satire
By Noam Bedein SDEROT, Israel -This November, southern Israel marks one year since the IDF’s Operation Pillar of Defense in the Gaza Strip. It has been the quietest year in quite awhile, with “only” 79 rockets and missiles fired at southern Israeli communities. This is the fourth cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the
Rockets from Gaza demonstrate perils of Mideast ‘peace’ Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — The good-natured jostling about the uncommon calendar convergence this fall of Hanukkah and Thanksgiving leaves one with the taste of emotional leftovers. The Festival of Lights deserves more than being hyphenated every year with another holiday. Its themes and narrative are more powerful and redemptive than the commercial
Chanukah is not about turkey or tinsel Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Donald H. Harrison EL CAJON, California – As if Thanksgiving and the first day of Chanukah falling on the same day were not coincidence enough, the comet ISON will be at its closest point to the sun—about 750,000 miles away– on that day, Thursday, Nov. 28th. Grossmont College Astronomy Prof. Ross Cohen says for
Comet ISON to reach perihelion on Thanksgiving-Chanukah Day Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
U.N. Palestinian ‘Day of Solidarity’ features series of condemnations of Israel (JNS.org) In advance of the 66th anniversary of the Nov. 29, 1947 endorsement of the U.N. Partition Plan for Palestine, which would have established neighboring Jewish and Arab states but was rejected by the Palestinians, the U.N. General Assembly on Monday marked “International Day
JNS news briefs: November 27, 2013 Read More »
International
By Aryeh Savir JERUSALEM–After spending two weeks in the areas devastated by typhoon Haiyan and treating over 1,000 patients, the 15 member Israeli F.I.R.S.T (Fast Israeli Rescue and Saving Teams) civilian rescue team returned to Israel from the Philippines. After establishing a field hospital, the team operated a mobile medical care unit, moving from one
Israeli medical team returns from Philippines Read More »
Science, Medicine, & EducationAlan Dershowitz: Iran deal could be ‘cataclysmic error of gigantic proportions’ (JNS.org) Harvard Law School professor and vocal Israel supporter Alan Dershowitz said the deal reached in Geneva under which Iran promised to stop uranium enrichment beyond 5 percent in exchange for $7 billion in sanctions relief “could turn out to be a cataclysmic error
JNS news briefs: November 26, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Obama administration is entitled to be furious with Israel. Although the U.S. got bragging rights for its (one-sided-not-in-our-favor) deal with Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu remains determined publicly to say what the President wants to hide: Iran’s nuclear program could not be negotiated away, rolled back significantly or
U.S. has abandoned its principles in Iran N-Deal Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The best feature of the Iran deal–and maybe its only good feature–is that there is a deal, showing that the Iranians are willing to deal. The weakest points from an Israeli perspective are the Iranians, the US administration, and the UN agency charged with inspection, none of which are particularly trustworthy. Some
Iran deal has Israel on edge Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastTEL AVIV (Press Release)— Psychology shows that it doesn’t take much to put you in a bad mood. Just reading the morning news can do it. And being in a bad mood slows your reaction time, and affects your basic cognitive abilities like speech, writing, and counting. If you read a depressing newspaper headline in
Bad news can affect people’s daily performance Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education