he United Arab Emirates helped coordinate the delivery of around 500 citrons, known as etrogim in Hebrew, and packages of myrtle to Iran’s Jewish community to be used for Sukkot, reported The Jerusalem Post. [JNS.org]
UAE Sends Sukkot Supplies to Iranian Jews Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East
A historian and Israeli-French-American Holocaust survivor was one of the recipients of this year’s international Balzan Prizes, which recognizes distinguished scholars, artists and scientists. [JNS.org]
Saul Friedlander Awarded Balzan Prize for Academic Achievements Read More »
International, Jewish History, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
A new memorial in Amsterdam’s Jewish Cultural Quarter pays tribute to the more than 102,000 Dutch victims of the Holocaust, the Associated Press reported. The National Holocaust Memorial of Names, which was unveiled on Sunday, is comprised of stainless-steel panels and a series of brick walls placed at different angles that together form four Hebrew letters, which spell out a word that means “In Memory of.” Each brick is inscribed with the name, date of birth and age at the time of death of a Dutch citizen who was murdered in Nazi concentration camps during World War II or died while being transported to the camps. [JNS.org]
Netherlands Memorialize 102,000 Holocaust Victims Read More »
International, Jewish History
One hundred and seventy California high school students and parents on Monday urged Governor Gavin Newsom to veto AB 101, a recently passed bill that would make ethnic studies courses a graduation requirement, citing “[t]his bill will sanction the hounding of Zionist students in high schools across the state and encourage similar behavior across the nation.” The California legislature voted two weeks ago to advance AB 101. The bill now heads to Newsom, who has until Oct. 10 to act. [Club Z News Release}{{
Students Petition Newsom to Veto ‘Ethnic Studies’ Requirement Read More »
Travel and Food
The first poll to specifically examine rates of anti-Semitism among college students who claim a strong sense of Jewish identity and connection to Israel finds that, among this group, students are feeling unsafe and, as a result, are learning that to avoid antisemitism they must view their religion as something to hide, not celebrate. In fact, the survey indicates that the longer students stay on campus, the less safe they feel and the more they feel the need to hide their identity. [News Release, Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law)
Survey Finds Jewish College Students Fear for Their Safety Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Kohelet (also spelled Qohelet), Ecclesiastes in Greek and now English, is read during the holiday of Sukkot. We do not know why this book was chosen from among the books of the Bible called The Writings. A popular explanation is that Sukkot is a happy holiday and Ecclesiastes is read to add a calming, some sobriety. The following is my review of The Anchor Bible commentary of the book. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
Are There anti-Orthodox Views in Ecclesiastes? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
To the tune of Officer Krupke:
Dear stubborn Joseph Manchin
You gotta understand.
Can you make an exception?
Pass the bills Biden has planned.
The GOP’s are flunkies.
They’re pawns of Donald Trump.
Mitch McConnell thinks you are a chump. [Laurie Baron, Ph.D]
Satire: Hey Senator Manchin Read More »
Lawrence Baron, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Israel has a fleet of five Dolphin-class submarines, all purchased from Germany. While they have the capacity to fire torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, there is much speculation that Israel also has to capability of launching nuclear weapons from their submarines. What is found on each of Israel’s submarines that is not typically found on other nations’ submarines? {Mark D. Zimmerman]
Jewish Trivia Quiz: Submarines Read More »
International, Mark D. Zimmerman, Middle East, Trivia, Humor & Satire, USA
Tzimmes, the Vancouver-based Jewish band under the direction of Moshe Denburg, has just released a two-disc recording, The Road Never Travelled, celebrating its 35th anniversary. This is the group’s fourth album.
Denburg figures prominently in all the selections, as vocalist, guitarist, composer or arranger. The Montreal native, son of Orthodox Rabbi Chayim Denburg and Yiddish singer Miriam Denburg, attended Yeshivah University, following in the footsteps of his father and older brother, Judah Denburg. There, along with religious studies and academics, Moshe learned to read and notate music. Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Jerusalem’s Music Academy furthered his Judaic and musical education. World music then beckoned, with time spent in India and Japan. In addition to forming Tzimmes, in 1986, a band frequently hired for British Columbia’s Jewish simchas, Denburg, 15 years later in 2001, founded The Vancouver International Cultural Orchestra, an organization for which he still composes and with which he remains affiliated. [Eileen Wingard]
Tzimmes Offers Full Array of Jewish Music in ‘The Road Never Travelled’ CD Read More »
Eileen Wingard, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts
Three main items on our news. First, security personnel have caught the final two escapees, in Jenin. Apparently with some help from Palestinians via Israel intelligence operatives. Second, Israel continues to give third booster shots to all those above 12 years of age, despite an FDA vote approving third booster shots to those 65 years and older. Third, the City of Jerusalem has destroyed a jerry-built Succah in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of Mea Shearim. [Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D]
Escapees, Covid and Sukkahs Major Topics of Israeli News Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastRabbi Abraham Chill (1912-2004) gives readers of his book The Minhagim, Hebrew for customs and ceremonies, a very readable discussion of many Jewish practices, focusing on 27 holidays and events: synagogue, Shabbat, Rosh Hodesh, Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot, Tisha B’Av, Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Tu B’Shevat, Purim, marriage, birth, pidyin haben, bar mitzvah, tallit and tzitzit, tefillin, keriat shema, shemoneh esreh, birkhat kohanim, tahanun, Torah reading, ein k’elohenu, meals, mezuzah, and death and mourning. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin}
Questions to Ponder During Sukkot Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Shalom in Chula Vista, has created a pearl of a book that I highly recommend. It is a fascinating, encompassing, very erudite and broad in scope. Rather than just Covid, or Judaic angle, this is a general book that reflects on the question of religion and the benevolent God in the presence of so much human misery, natural disasters and plagues. [Bar-Giora Goldberg]
A Jewish Perspective on the Pandemic Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish Religion
A new cemetery headstone was placed in the Manchester, U.K. Jewish Cemetery, September 2, 2021.Unveilings at gravesites of new memorial stones are not unusual. This stone was different. There was no formal unveiling. The memorial stone was placed in the cemetery by strangers who had nothing to do with the deceased nor had ever known him. They were separated by great distances and many years from the events of his life and death. But… then again, they were not. [Jerry Klinger]
X-Troop: The Jewish-British Secret Weapon of World War II Read More »
Travel and Food
Except for an opening prose sentence of introduction, this haftorah is entirely classical ancient Hebrew poetry/song. Nominally, it is David’s closing hymn of victory and thanksgiving to God who had ‘saved’ him from all enemies, particularly Saul. With minor textual variations, the whole hymn is also found in Psalm 18. [1] Historically we don’t know which text came first. [Irv Jacobs, M.D.]
Haftorah Reading for September 25, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion