By Raphael Kintzer and Josh Voss, Special to JTNews On November 3, the honorable Akiva Tor, consul general of Israel for the Pacific Northwest, spoke to the students at Northwest Yeshiva High School. With the temporary relocation of the Israel consulate to Seattle for the week, Tor spent time meetingContinue Reading
By Robbie Ellenson, Special to JTNews This past summer I embarked on a National Conference of Synagogue Youth high school trip called The Jewish Journey. The five-week-long trip of around 40 TJJ Ambassadors traveled all around the land of Israel. We hiked, biked, studied Judaism, learned about the land ofContinue Reading
By Kalman Clement, Special to JTNewsContinue Reading
By Kalman Clement, Special to JTNews The captain’s announcement woke me from my sleep. We were almost there. Up ahead lay the Holy Land. I grew up hearing about it, from friends and the media, and I had read countless books and spent innumerable hours watching videos of Israel, butContinue Reading
By Rena Genauer, Special to JTNews Mark Twain once wrote an article in Harper’s Magazine in which he described the Jews. He depicted a nation of strength and valor that overcame the largest of obstacles while maintaining a strong faith. Oftentimes it’s hard to believe we are the people Mr.Continue Reading
By Andrew Kranseler, Special to JTNews By Andrew Kranseler Whether you are a beginning cook or advanced in your culinary skills Susie Fishbein’s The Kosher by Design Teen and 20-Somethings Cookbook is fabulous. Choose any one of the 100 recipes and trust me, you will not be disappointed. Author FishbeinContinue Reading
By Joanna Wright, JTNews Correspondent The synagogue doors stand tall and foreign tucked away between two back alleys of Berlin a city I love but do not quite understand it’s a pity, this poem will not capture the raw, ringing power of high holy days but there are ways toContinue Reading
By Uriel Cohen, Special to JTNews Being the social creatures we humans are, societal organization is mandatory for our inner workings. We have leaders who work close to home, like mayors, and also ones on greater scales, like governors. We even have supreme dignitaries, like the president, that exercise controlContinue Reading
By Yael Egnal, Special to JTNews It’s 2:30 on a Monday afternoon. The bell rings. Most kids pack up and go home to do homework or head off to sports practice. There is one other option that makes Monday worth waking up for: Jewish Student Union. At 2:33, about 15Continue Reading
By Jacob Goren, Special to JTNews Driving through the gates of Kibbutz Yad Mordechai, I didn’t know what to expect. We were about to be thrown into a completely different culture for the next 24 hours. The kids we met there and stayed with were our age, but at firstContinue Reading
By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews Night 1 8 grocery items your local food bank could really use 1. 18-oz. bottles of vegetable oil (plastic containers, please) 2. Peanut butter 3. Toothpaste 4. Canned fruit 5. Dishwashing soap 6. Bars of hand soap 7. Canned soup 8. Pasta Thanks to CarolContinue Reading
By Lillian Cohen-Moore, other Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to note that Jewish Family Service refers clients to both medical and mental health professionals, as well as clarifying that their “Choices, Changes and Challenges” program is a holistic program that touches on eating disorders but does not focusContinue Reading
By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews While most eyes outside of Israel have been focused on peace talks and settlements, there has been a lot of controversy inside the country in the past few years about social issues such as marriage, conversion, and who is eligible for full citizens’ rights. SeveralContinue Reading
By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews Bradley Burston is concerned about divestment from Israel. But his immediate concern is not the financial divestment and boycotts, though those he finds problematic as well. It’s the emotional divestment he’s seeing from the American Jewish community. “They are quietly – but in terms ofContinue Reading
By Eric Nusbaum, Assistant Editor, JTNews When StandWithUs Northwest booked Daniel Gordis as the keynote speaker for its annual community reception, organizers were making a choice: This would not be a lighthearted evening. Gordis, an author, rabbi, and Ph.D., is not one to shy away from tough issues — heContinue Reading
By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent Rabbi Shalom Hammer admits right up front he’s not a politician or a political person, and that he doesn’t pretend to be. What Hammer told the JTNews he is trying to do, as he has been speaking in several synagogues and schools around Seattle betweenContinue Reading
By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews Not long after Daniel Sokatch left the relative comfort of his executive director position at the Jewish Community Federation in San Francisco last year, a firestorm directed at his new organization erupted. In January, a group called Im Tirtzu began a campaign against the progressiveContinue Reading
By Eric Nusbaum, Assistant Editor, JTNews At Temple Beth El, this is an era for simultaneously recognizing old traditions and welcoming in new ones. The Tacoma congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009. Then, earlier this summer, it hired its first full-time cantor/religious education director. Cantor Leah Holland will beContinue Reading
