In the actors’ studio (and behind the scenes) with the Jewish Transcript
By Diana Brement, Jewish Sound Correspondent “It’s an interesting lens of the 20th century, but through the eyes of one world,” says Laura Ferri, director of “Letters to the Editor,” Book-It Repertory Theatre’s performance that brings our state’s Jewish community to life on the stage — through the pages ofContinue Reading
Music hath charms to soothe the December Dilemma
By Hillel Kuttler, JTA World News Service PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — In text accompanying a new exhibition at this city’s National Museum of American Jewish History, Sammy Davis Jr. is quoted on why he converted to Judaism. “I became a Jew because I was ready and willing to understand the plightContinue Reading
A green Hanukkah: Oil-conservation miracle inspires environmentalism
By Robert Gluck, JNS.org The miracle of Hanukkah is an epic story of conservation, as one day’s worth of oil lasted for eight days in the Jewish Temple. Now, in some circles, energy conservation and energy independence are increasing hallmarks of modern-day Hanukkah. One of the first organizations to emphasizeContinue Reading
How can you celebrate a green Hanukkah?
Here’s how David Krantz, president and chairperson of Aytzim: Ecological Judaism, suggests how you can take on a new environmental commitment for each day of Hanukkah: Change incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent or, better yet, LED bulbs. Commit to wearing sweaters in the winter instead of turning up theContinue Reading
Three ways to eat Hanukkah sufganiyot without guilt
By Jamie Geller, JNS.org The average Hanukkah sufganiya (jelly donut) has between 300 and 400 calories of nearly pure oil and fat. In honor of the miracle God bestowed upon the Maccabees, making oil meant for just a day last eight days, the delicious donut and other traditionally oily HanukkahContinue Reading
Tales of song and wisdom: Woody goes Hanukkah and other stories
By Rita Berman Frischer, Special to the Jewish Sound Whenever I think I’ve seen every possible spin on a Hanukkah book for kids, something new comes along. Just this morning I was singing “This Land is My Land” with a chorus of ex-hippie contemporaries, so you may understand why IContinue Reading
It’s Birthright Israel — for Jewish moms
By Ben Sales, JTA World News Service JERUSALEM (JTA) – On the surface, the tour looked much like a standard Birthright Israel trip: Participants celebrated Shabbat in Jerusalem’s Old City, swam in the Dead Sea and ascended the ancient mountain fortress at Masada. The trip was mostly free and organizersContinue Reading
Building professional relationships, Jewish style
By Janis Siegel, Jewish Sound Correspondent Like a shidduch, the matchmaker who transforms life by pairing the right life partners, the Hadassah women’s organization and Hillel at the University of Washington want to supercharge young Jews’ professional life — but without the attendant pressure and drama. The two organizations have themselvesContinue Reading
Oil spill near Eilat dubbed ‘worst pollution in Israel’s history’
(Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israeli police closed off Highway 90 to the southern city of Eilat after an oil pipeline burst around 12 miles north of the city Thursday night, spilling millions of gallons of crude oil and prompting serious environmental concern for the entire area. The Israeli Environmental ProtectionContinue Reading
Stabbing outside West Bank supermarket injures two
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Two shoppers outside a West Bank supermarket were stabbed by an assailant in what police are treating as a terrorist attack. The victims reportedly were moderately injured in the attack Wednesday evening outside the Rami Levy discount supermarket in the Mishor Adumim industrial zone near Maale Adumim,Continue Reading
Suspect in Paris-area robbery, rape borrowed sugar from victims
(JTA) — A suspect in the robbery and rape of a young couple in suburban Paris borrowed sugar from the victims days before the attack, a lawyer for the victims’ family told French media. The three suspects in the case, who reportedly are known to police, appeared in court onContinue Reading
Chocolatiers raising the bar when it comes to Hanukkah gelt
By Deborah R. Prinz, JTA World News Service NEW YORK (JTA) — Sharing their favorite Jewish chocolate experiences recently, a group of about 60 chocolate lovers didn’t even mention Hanukkah gelt. That is, until one woman at the New Jersey get-together shared her thoughts on the subject. “It is sucky,”Continue Reading
The purest for the purist: Crispy, delicious latkes for Hanukkah
By Michael Natkin, Jewish Sound Columnist An all-out hanukkah latke binge is something I look forward to every year, and I’m a purist. Please do not darken my doorstep with tales of pumpkin-chipotle latkes or Thai-spice latkes. For me, a latke should contain: Russet potato, onion, egg, salt, and beContinue Reading
The little fried donut with a sweet history
By Shelley Adatto Baumgarten, Special to the Jewish Sound “What makes a fried donut a birmuelo?” I recall my then 9-year-old daughter asking me at the beginning of the eight-day festival of Hanukkah. A birmuelo, I explained to her, is not simply a donut made from flour, water, yeast, sugarContinue Reading
‘As long as you choose to be on that side, I’m going to continue to hate you’
By Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, Special to the Jewish Sound “Bringing down Israel will really benefit everyone in the world and everyone in society, particularly workers.” These words were spoken by Lara Kiswani, executive director of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, at a Nov. 12 panel discussion at U.C. Berkeley organizedContinue Reading
‘The Red Tent’ gets new life in gauzy Lifetime movie
By Debra Nussbaum Cohen, JTA World News Service (JTA) — Surely the Torah’s redactors never imagined that their Dinah — voiceless daughter of Jacob and Leah, rape victim avenged by her brothers — would one day be portrayed on the small screen as a lusty young midwife’s apprentice who takesContinue Reading
Despite Thanksgiving, Israel tops U.S. in turkey consumption
(JNS.org) Ahead of Americans’ nationwide feasting on Turkey for Thanksgiving last week, newly released statistics showed that Israel is the surprising world leader in consumption of turkey per capita. According to figures from Israel’s turkey industry, agriculture ministry, and foreign ministry, the average Israeli eats about 28 pounds ofContinue Reading
Report: Hezbollah intends maritime siege in next war
Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org Hezbollah has a stock of advanced sea-to-sea missiles with which it intends to impose a maritime siege on Israel if the two sides enter another war, Lebanese media outlets reported on Monday. According to the reports, Hezbollah apparently has an arsenal of sophisticated Russian-made Yakhont sea-to-seaContinue Reading
Tragedy of Mizrahi Jewish refugees emerges from the shadows
By Ben Cohen, JNS.org To properly understand how the Holocaust has been seared onto Israel’s collective consciousness, one should visit the country on the 27th of Nisan, a date in the Hebrew calendar that falls in either April or May in the solar one. On that day, Yom HaShoah,Continue Reading
Words matter: how vocabulary defines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
By Jacob Kamaras, JNS.org Settlements or Jewish communities? West Bank or Judea and Samaria? East Jerusalem or eastern Jerusalem? Those are some of the language choices that journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are faced with each day—and those choices should not be taken lightly, experts say. “It’s the terminologyContinue Reading