By Steve Kramer KFAR SABA, Israel — In the period following WW2, the U.S. became the undisputed leader of the Western democracies. It was challenged in its position as world leader only by the USSR, whose rule extended to poor, Third World countries, and those European countries seized at the end of WW2. By 1991,
Whither the United States in the Middle East — and Israel? Read More »
International, Middle East, Opinion, Steve Kramer, USA
By Shoshana Bryen (JNS) The Biden administration appears to believe that Iran’s threat to the world consists only of its nuclear program and the possibility of nuclear war. It has lifted sanctions on Tehran and the terrorist designation from the Houthis of Yemen. It is considering lifting the terror designation from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Iran’s Multiple Threats and Biden’s Multiple Concessions Read More »
International, Middle East, Opinion, Shoshana Bryen, USA
(JNS) Israel’s Minister of Tourism Yoel Razvozov announced on Tuesday that Israel would no longer close its skies to tourists—meaning all are welcome to arrive. Speaking at the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) 2022 at Tel Aviv’s Expo exhibition grounds, Razvozov said: “I am proud to announce that after conversations with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett,
Israeli Tourism Minister Announces Skies Are Open Read More »
International, Middle East
(JNS) Israel, the United States and the United Arab Emirates began a new program to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue, as well as counter religious intolerance and hatred at the inaugural meeting of the Trilateral Religious Coexistence Working Group in Dubai on Monday. Working with governments, organizations, philanthropies and leaders across the region, the group
UAE, US, Israel Inaugurate Working Group on Religious Coexistence Read More »
Middle East, USA
(JNS) Five people are dead in a terror attack that took place at about 8 p.m. in the city of Bnei Brak, confirmed Magen David Adom. The shooter was killed by police. The terrorist was a 27-year-old resident of the village of Ya’bad in the West Bank who spent time in Israeli jail in the
5 Dead in Terror Shooting in Tel Aviv Suburb Read More »
Middle East
SAN DIEGO (Press Release) — San Diego Jewish Academy (SDJA) soon will provide more programs and campus experiences to the entire community with the addition of Adam Benmoise to its leadership team as SDJA’s first-ever Director of Auxiliary Programs. The expansion of SDJA’s auxiliary programs reflects the school’s recent growth and will generate income to
Haftorah reading for Tazria is 2 Kings 4:42-5:19 By Irv Jacobs, M.D. LA JOLLA, California — The readings for this week are two different ones: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18 and 2 Kings 4:42-5:19. For unclear reasons the rabbis have offered these both. I will ignore the Ezekiel passages, having read my fill of this unduly greatly disturbed
Haftorah for April 2, 2022 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha, Tazria, we discover tzara’as, which we have come to know in modern terms as leprosy. While this disease is uncommon today, who hasn’t found a spot or two on their body, had a biopsy and been told, B’H, “all is clean?” This seems
Parashat Tazria-Hachodesh: Connecting Our Physical and Religious Lives Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell
This is a novel that traces a Jewish family through several generations from a shtetl in Poland to the big city of Warsaw, and later onward to Scotland, Germany, and England over the course of pogroms and two world wars. It is marred in the telling by a series of errors that might have been eliminated through more careful research or fact checking [Donald H. Harrison]
Factual Errors Detract from Jewish Family Saga Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison
SANTA CRUZ, California (Press Release) — For the first time in over 20 years, and only the second time in nearly a century, the University of California (UC) system is considering adding a new admission requirement that will force all California high schools to teach the controversial and antisemitic “Liberated” ethnic studies curriculum, exposes a
By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — It has been a busy week in Israel. The death of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, age 94, and the gathering of what was estimated as more than 325,000 supporters to participate in the funeral. Interviews featured reasonable sounding ultra-Orthodox speaking in reverence about the rabbi’s work in leading, and achieving
Busy Week in Israel Temporarily Puts Ukraine on Back Burner Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Opinion, USA
(JNS Wire) Though unseasonably cold weather and torrential downpours brought a very different vibe to the 11th annual Jerusalem Marathon on Friday, March 25, the devoted staff, volunteers and supporters of ADI (adi-israel.org), Israel’s most comprehensive provider of residential and rehabilitative care for individuals with severe disabilities, braved the freezing rain and muddy Jerusalem streets
ADI’s Running Team Shines the Light of Inclusion on Rainy Jerusalem Marathon Read More »
Middle East, Sports & Competitions
By Mark D. Zimmerman MELVILLE, New York — The Academy Awards ceremony took place this past weekend. Among the Jewish nominees were actor Andrew Garfield, film editors Myron Kerstein & Andrew Weisblum, documentary filmmaker Jay Rosenblatt, director Stephen Spielberg, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, who was nominated for her adapted screenplay, The Lost Daughter. Garfield played Jonathan Larson, the Jewish
Jewish Trivia Quiz: The Academy Awards Read More »
Mark D. Zimmerman, Trivia, Humor & Satire
Night of Beginnings: A Passover Haggadah; Text and art by Maria Falk; Published March, 2022, University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book. By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D. SAN DIEGO — When a Haggadah is written by a founding mother of feminist Judaism, as poet and author Marcia Falk is described, the reader
‘Night of Beginnings:’ A Spiritually Moving and Thoughtful Haggadah Experience Read More »
Jewish Religion, Michael Mantell