By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — I had recently the privilege of bringing two elderly men together with common narratives: both were born in villages along the Carpathian Mountains, both suffered through four Nazi concentration camps, and both were liberated from the notorious Ebensee work-to-death camp by US forces on May 6, 1945. They
Two Ebensee survivors finally meet Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Rabbi Baruch Lederman SAN DIEGO — When praying on behalf of someone who is seriously ill and they unfortunately pass on, there is a tendency to grow despondent and to be overcome by a feeling that one’s prayers are for naught. The Steipler Gaon once enumerated some areas in which such tefillos achieve significant
What good are those prayers for the dying? Read More »
Jewish Religion
Two explosions rock Eilat (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Two powerful explosions echoed through the Red Sea resort town of Eilat on Thursday night, shortly before 10 p.m. A Color Red alert did not sound beforehand. Several city residents dialed the police emergency hotline and reported the blasts. The Israel Defense Forces and police dispatched personnel
JNS news briefs: July 5, 2013 Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The similarities and differences between Barack Obama and Benyamin Netanyahu tell us something about politics. For cynics, they are two peas in a pod who happen to coincide, and deserve one another. Both are attractive physically and know how to speak. Those are the makings of good actors, and that is the
Bibi and Barack: two political peas in a pod Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — One of the readers of the AJR Journal (Association of Jewish Refugees), published in London, to which I contribute a monthly column entitled ‘Letter from Israel,’ wrote an irate letter to the editor complaining about what I write. They wrote: “Why doesn’t Mrs. Shefer-Vanson write about the real
Jerusalem and Northwest London Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East
Anyway by Arthur Salm, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4424-2931-4; 182 pages, $6.99. By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO–Arthur Salm is the former book review editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune, so you really have to admire his courage, putting himself out there. In that position, he must have made many
Tweener, not wanting to be a nebish, reinvents himself Read More »
Donald H. Harrison
By Cynthia Citron WEST HOLLYWOOD, California — Director Louis Fantasia detects elements of Romeo and Juliet and even the Hatfields and McCoys within the play he’s staging for Classical Theatre Lab‘s annual alfresco production in West Hollywood. But no, this play isn’t by Shakespeare, and it wasn’t influenced by the story of America’s most famous
‘Arab-Israeli Cookbook’ director turns to Italian comedy Read More »
Cynthia Citron
By Jeremy Ben-Ami WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of State John Kerry’s efforts aimed at jumpstarting diplomacy to reach a two-state solution are running into a buzzsaw of negativity. I’m not surprised when the negativity comes from opponents of a two-state solution. They don’t see ending the conflict as either an existential necessity for Israel or
With skeptics like these, Kerry doesn’t need enemies Read More »
Middle EastEgypt President Mohamed Morsi ousted by military (JNS.org) Mohamed Morsi, the Islamist president of Egypt whose rule sparked protests that had engulfed the country since last Friday, was removed from power on Wednesday by the Egyptian military. The constitution of Egypt was also suspended. Egypt Army Chief General Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said in a televised
JNS news briefs: July 4, 2013 Read More »
International
Foxes in the Vineyard: Templars, Nazis, and the Battle for Jerusalem by Michael J. Cooper, iUniverse, Inc., Bloomington, IN; ISBN 978-1-4620-6308-6 ©2011, $18.95, p. 275 By Fred Reiss, Ed.D WINCHESTER, California — Foxes in the Vineyard, the 2011 grand prize winner of Indie, a book contest sponsored by independent publishers, is a work of historical
Nazis, Templars novel set during Israel’s independence battle Read More »
Fred Reiss, EdDNY Times questions Kerry’s Middle East focus (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Against a backdrop of raging civil war in Syria and emerging chaos in Egypt, the New York Times asked in a report on Tuesday whether the Obama administration is doing the right thing by focusing now on advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. “The Israeli-Palestinian
JNS news briefs: July 3, 2013 Read More »
International
By Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb NEW YORK — Every so often, I come across a sentence of another person’s writing which expresses one of my own thoughts in a language far superior to my own. Over the years, I have contemplated and written about the concepts of “honesty” and “integrity” and the difference between the
Honesty, integrity and the breaking of vows Read More »
Jewish Religion
By Anav Silverman JERUSALEM–Asael Shabo is excited as he talks about his participation in the European Wheelchair Basketball Championships taking place from June 26 – July 8. The 19-year-old competed for his first time on Israel’s national wheelchair basketball team in Frankfurt, Germany against several European teams. Although the Israeli men’s team won one game
Terror victim competes in Wheelchair Baskeball Championships Read More »
Travel and Food
By Eva Trieger LA JOLLA, California –If you’re old enough to remember Dr. Seuss’ The Sneetches then you will understand the message of Tribes. This play is essentially describing the phenomenon of inclusion and exclusion. When we recognize others who look like us, dress like us, and talk like us, we know they are one
‘Tribes’ a play about inclusion and exclusion Read More »
Eva Trieger