Nisman mystery: Hezbollah, Argentine gov’t fingered in death of AMIA prosecutor
By Uriel Heilman, JTA World News Service (JTA) – The mysterious death of Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman seems ripped straight out of a crime thriller. Nisman — the indefatigable prosecutor collecting evidence of culpability in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 peopleContinue Reading
Seattle’s oldest synagogue makes way for a youth-full future
By Boris Kurbanov, Jewish Sound Correspondent After five decades as a synagogue, youth facility, and multi-purpose space, the Yavneh building on Congregation Bikur Cholim-Machzikay Hadath’s campus in Seward Park is scheduled for demolition. On Jan. 25, members of the NCSY youth group and community members will say goodbye to YavnehContinue Reading
With new project, JFS leans into Jewish text
Janis Siegel, Jewish Sound Correspondent At Jewish Family Service, 2015 will be a time to start deepening the 123-year-old organization’s connection to Jewish values through a renewed vision for all who work there. Called Project Kavod (kavod means “honor” in Hebrew), the initiative will be a three-year education and trainingContinue Reading
What Selma means to the Jews
By Susanna Heschel, JTA World News Service HANOVER, N.H. (JTA) — The 50th anniversary of the 1965 march at Selma is being commemorated this year with the release of the film “Selma.” Regrettably, the film represents the march as many see it today, only as an act of political protest.Continue Reading
The only kosher butcher shop in Cuba
By Zachary Solomon, Jewniverse/JTA World News Service For the kashrut-observant Cuban, there’s only one place to go for a piece of meat. Situated on Acosta Street in Old Havana is Cuba’s sole kosher butcher shop. For nearly 70 years, the privately run business has provided kosher beef to the country’s Jews,Continue Reading
Mayim Bialik’s reflections on the Paris attacks
By Mayim Bialik, Kveller/JTA World News Service I grew up in a public school that had enough Jewish kids that I felt represented. I went to Hebrew school twice a week and had a chavurah, or fellowship, through my Reform synagogue with kids my age. A portion of my family was Orthodox. IContinue Reading
Celebrating the mighty grain on Tu B’Shevat
By Shelley Adatto-Baumgarten, Jewish Sound Columnist Editor’s note: This article marks the first of a monthly column that will focus on the history of Sephardic foods — with recipes. We hope you enjoy it. In just a few weeks, it will be Tu B’Shevat. What? In the winter? What anContinue Reading
Cue the lights: ACT to stage JDS student’s play
By Dan Aznoff, Jewish Sound Correspondent Watch out, Oscar Wilde. Move aside, George Bernard Shaw. Here comes Danielle Kohorn. A short play written by the 12-year-old Jewish Day School middle school student has been selected by the Washington Ensemble Theater and will be staged this spring during the annual YoungContinue Reading
Sundance’s Jewish fare: a preview
By Anthony Weiss, JTA World News Service LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Although it’s now well entrenched in the Hollywood ecosystem, the Sundance Film Festival remains a venue for some of the film industry’s more offbeat voices and still largely unknown talent — and a place for boldfaced names to redefine themselves. JewishContinue Reading
On Martin Luther King Day, Jews must acknowledge their privilege
By Maital Friedman NEW YORK (JTA) — The events of the last few weeks have shaken me to the core. Beyond the devastation I felt over the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, I was heartbroken to learn that the police officers involved would not stand trial. “Hands up!Continue Reading
Charlie Hebdo columnist was killed for being Jewish, cousin says
(JTA) — A Charlie Hebdo columnist was killed because she was Jewish, the victim’s cousin said. Elsa Cayat was the only woman killed in the targeted attack Jan. 7 on the satirical magazine’s Paris headquarters by two al-Qaida operatives, brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi. Cayat received threatening phone calls inContinue Reading
Israeli President Rivlin’s eulogy for French victims of terror
By Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin A eulogy by President Rivlin at the funeral in Jerusalem for the victims of the attack on the kosher shop in Paris: Dear families, Yoav, Yohan, Philippe, Francois-Michel, this is not how we wanted to welcome you to Israel. This is not how we wantedContinue Reading
Victims of supermarket attack remembered at Paris synagogue
PARIS (JTA) — Hundreds gathered with the leaders of France and Israel to remember the victims of an attack at a kosher supermarket near Paris. French President Francois Hollande and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined several hundred members of the Jewish community at the memorial Sunday night at theContinue Reading
Op-Ed: France’s wake-up call
By Simone Rodan-Benzaquen PARIS (JTA) — The kosher supermarket was chosen deliberately. Men, women and children were shopping and preparing for Shabbat. Only two days before the attack, terrorists had left 10 of the best-known satirical journalists and cartoonists dead at Charlie Hebdo. Three French police officers were also struckContinue Reading
Several hostages killed in police raids on Paris sites
(JTA) — Several hostages were killed as simultaneous police raids on Friday ended the two hostage crises in Paris, one of which was at a kosher supermarket. The raids also left all of the captors dead, including the two brothers suspected with perpetrating Wednesday’s attack at Charlie Hebdo. The hostageContinue Reading
Op-Ed: HarperCollins must not contribute to delegitimization of Israel
By Daniel S. Mariaschin, JTA World News Service WASHINGTON (JTA) — Before the HarperCollins Middle East atlas story is deleted from email inboxes, it pays to spend another moment ruminating on the damage caused by companies that ought to know better. On its website, HarperCollins bills itself as “one ofContinue Reading
Demystifying the Va’ad
By Rabbi Moshe Kletenik, Va’ad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle This Shabbat we will to begin to read and study the Book of Shemot. It is the book of slavery and of redemption, of Torah and of Mishkan — the beginning of Peoplehood. The Midrash attributes our redemption from bondage to our meritContinue Reading
An identity builder?
While I was a bit surprised to learn that the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project has expanded to offer trips for men (“It’s Birthright Israel — for Jewish moms,” Dec. 12, 2014), I was even more surprised to learn that “the women visit a group children’s home and attend a cookingContinue Reading
A modern-day embodiment
Apparently the irony of Jewish Voices for Peace (JVP) co-opting both the celebration of Hanukkah and the events in Ferguson, Missouri to promote their virulently anti-Israel agenda was lost on JTNews (“Jews in Seattle and beyond light Hanukkah candles for racial justice,” Dec. 19, 2014). Hanukkah is not just aContinue Reading