By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA World News Service AMSTERDAM (JTA)—She speaks only Japanese and is not entirely sure what country she’s in, but 18-year-old Haruna Matsui is happy to stand in the rain for an hour with two friends to see the home of a person she has never met yetContinue Reading
By Emily K. Alhadeff , Associate Editor, JTNews When you hear the word “Sephardic,” what comes to mind? Bourekas? A distant Mediterranean land? Swarthy Jews eating piles of rice on Passover? Sephardic Judaism is a somewhat mysterious concept to Jews around the United States, especially outside the communal pockets likeContinue Reading
By Julie Schonfeld , JTA World News Service NEW YORK (JTA) — The good news is in: Rabbi Avi Weiss’ conversions will be accepted in Israel. I am glad to see that the religious integrity and leadership of Rabbi Weiss has been acknowledged. Undoubtedly, this course correction on the partContinue Reading
By Ben Sales, JTA World News Service TEL AVIV (JTA)—When the Israeli mobile maps start-up Waze accepted a buyout from Google for more than $1 billion in June, each of the company’s 100 employees walked away with an average of $1.2 million from the sale. An even bigger check, though,Continue Reading
By Ron Csillag, JTA World News Service TORONTO (JTA) — It took seven years, but one of Israel’s staunchest allies among world leaders has made his maiden voyage to the Jewish state. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper arrived in Israel on Sunday with his wife, Laureen. On Tuesday, Harper andContinue Reading
By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent It might sound like one of those familiar jokes — a rabbi, a priest and an imam meet in heaven or are in a sinking boat, and so on, but when three religion ethics groups — one Christian, one Jewish, and one Muslim — gotContinue Reading
By Dikla Tuchman, JTNews Correspondent On Sun., Jan. 12, the Eastside Torah Center said goodbye to its small, too-crowded space on 156th Ave. NE in Bellevue and hello to its newly built facility at 16199 Northup Way, just a half mile up the road. The dedication of the new EastsideContinue Reading
By Julie Wiener, JTA World News Service NEW YORK (JTA)—When Stosh Cotler takes over as CEO of Bend the Arc, a Jewish group that fights for immigration reform, workers’ rights and other domestic liberal causes, she will be one of the few women leading a national Jewish group of itsContinue Reading
By Rafael Medoff, JNS.org For American Jews, the birthday of the late Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is an occasion to recall the impressive Jewish contributions to the movement for African-American civil rights—from the Jewish Freedom Riders such as Schwerner and Goodman, to the rabbis who marched with Dr.Continue Reading
By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews In a statement released by the University of Washington’s president, Michael K. Young, and its provost, Ana Mari Cauce, the UW has joined with more than 180 universities across the U.S. in opposing any proposed boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The announcement comes on theContinue Reading
By Edmon J. Rodman, JTA World News Service LOS ANGELES (JTA)—While my neighbors were putting their Christmas trees to the curb, in what seems like a ritual of replacement, I was preparing to plant for Tu b’Shevat. My friend Freda recently presented me a cutting from an Angel’s trumpet—a smallContinue Reading
By Rafael Medoff, JNS.org Although Ariel Sharon will be remembered primarily for his achievements on the battlefield and his decisions as an Israeli political leader, an often-overlooked aspect of his legacy was his impact on the American Jewish community. In March 1980, Sharon arrived in the United States in theContinue Reading
By Ron Kampeas, JTA World News Service (JTA) — Ariel Sharon, one of Israel’s last warrior statesmen, whose military and political careers were woven into his nation’s triumphs and failures, has died. Sharon, 85, died Saturday at the Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv after eight years in a coma.Continue Reading
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By Debra Rubin, JTA World News Service (JTA)—In less than a year, Dane Kuttler and Rowan Parker exchanged vows in 10 different wedding ceremonies at 10 different venues on two coasts under nine different marriage canopies. In what Kuttler calls “Wedding Tour ‘13,” the introverted Seattle couple wanted to shareContinue Reading
By Debra Rubin, JTA World News Service (JTA)—In less than a year, Dane Kuttler and Rowan Parker exchanged vows in 10 different wedding ceremonies at 10 different venues on two coasts under nine different marriage canopies. In what Kuttler calls “Wedding Tour ‘13,” the introverted Seattle couple wanted to shareContinue Reading
