In heavily Muslim Dutch neighborhood, a sukkah stirs controversy
By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA World News Service THE HAGUE, Netherlands (JTA) — For the tour guides that lead visitors through the Van Ostade Housing Project, Fabrice Schomberg’s sukkah is one of the few signs of the neighborhood’s Jewish roots. Built in the 19th century for impoverished Jews, the enclave todayContinue Reading
Forgiving God on Yom Kippur
By Rabbi Will Berkovitz, Special to the Jewish Sound (RNS) On the eve of the Day of Atonement, the story goes, when the house was quiet, the tailor went to the closet and took out a ledger. “Master of the Universe,” he said, “the time has come for You andContinue Reading
French teen with jihadist aspirations says she was told to kill Jews
(JTA) — A French teenager who wanted to join jihadists in Syria said her handlers instructed her to commit attacks on Jews in France.The testimony of the 15-year-old girl, who was arrested last month after her parents alerted police to her plans, appeared Thursday in Le Nouvel Observateur weekly. TheContinue Reading
Lowey: Federally funded college programs must not have anti-Israel bias
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee asked the U.S. Department of Education to insure that college programs receiving federal funds not include an anti-Israel bias.U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) in a letter sent Monday to Education Secretary Arne Duncan requested that standards of accountability beContinue Reading
Returning to our real selves
By Rabbi Ben Hassan, Sephardic Bikur Holim What is Yom Kippur? What does a Day of Atonement mean? Does it mean we can come to synagogue, say some prayers, and fast one day a year so we can run wild the other 364? And then come back next year toContinue Reading
A community asset
Kudos to the Samis Foundation for the amazing work it is doing (“Samis allocations sustain the community, locally and in Israel,” Sept. 19). Although I thought I was familiar with the Samis Foundation, I never understood the full breadth of its work until I saw the list of grants publishedContinue Reading
The ‘J’ embarks on a new roadmap to sustainability
By Joel Magalnick, Editor, The Jewish Sound The next three years at the Stroum Jewish Community Center look something like this: A lot more arts programming, more experimentation in fitness and outreach programs, small changes in the look and feel of its Mercer Island facility, and more emphasis on maintainingContinue Reading
Ten years in, a project still helps homeless families begin again
By Emily K. Alhadeff, Associate Editor, The Jewish Sound They sleep in their cars, they crash with friends and family, they give up their pets. They don’t know where they’re going to stay tonight, or if they’ll be able to stay in the apartment they’re in. The shelters are atContinue Reading
{WORDLESS}
By Emily K. Alhadeff, Associate Editor, The Jewish Sound Art Spiegelman has a hard time explaining his new production. It’s “somewhere between intellectual vaudeville” and “a lecture run amok” inspired by woodcut novels, the musical genius of Phillip Johnston, and an opportunity to use the Sydney Opera House. Whatever it’sContinue Reading
Up and coming
You and Your Genes — genetic screening Sunday, November 16, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. One in four Ashkenazi Jews is a carrier of at least one in 19 genetic diseases; one in three Sephardic or Persian Jews is a carrier of at least one in eight diseases. If you and yourContinue Reading
Real estate company enters a new era
By Boris Kurbanov, Jewish Sound Correspondent Nearly 50 years after the late Morris Piha opened his commercial real estate company, Morris Piha Real Estate Services, the firm has rebranded, announcing its new name on Sept. 17 as Azose Commercial Properties. Long known for being one of Puget Sound’s top commercialContinue Reading
Marian Lyle Rivkin Zak
October 8, 1925–September 17, 2014 Marian Lyle Rivkin Zak, age 88, of Mercer Island, passed away peacefully in her sleep on September 17, 2014. She was born on October 8, 1925 to William Herbert Rivkin and Minnie Sentner of Seattle. Marian was the oldest of four siblings who all grewContinue Reading
Fighting extremism and intolerance in Israel and Seattle
By Jon Bridge and Carol Gown, Special to The Jewish Sound This summer was hard for any supporter of Israel. As members of New Israel Fund’s local leadership, we shared in the turmoil of Israel under fire and its terribly destructive response. Some of us watched from afar, while someContinue Reading
Young Seattle’s Rosh Hashanah: Think different. Pray different.
By Janis Siegel, Jewish Sound Correspondent Temple De Hirsch Sinai took a programming risk with Rosh Hashanah this year and it paid off — big time. On the second night of 5775, nearly 100 Jews in their 20s and 30s showed up at Sole Repair Shop, an event space inContinue Reading
Uniting Seattle under a banner of Jewish pride
By Justin Coskey, Special to the Jewish Sound I recently had the opportunity to interview Daniel Cohen, an active young adult in the Jewish community of greater Seattle, on his most recent endeavor, The Shabbos Project. While the Shabbos Project is an international organization and event, Daniel came up withContinue Reading
What did King David drink? Israeli wine researchers aim to revive ancient libations
By Ben Sales, JTA World News Service ARIEL, West Bank (JTA) — The small cardboard box in Elyashiv Drori’s palm looks like it’s full of black pebbles. Closing the box quickly, he explains that it cannot be open for long. The pebble-like pieces, which were uncovered in an archaeological dig near Jerusalem’sContinue Reading
El Al faces uproar over haredim’s refusal to sit near women
By Ben Sales, JTA World News Service TEL AVIV (JTA) — For approximately a half hour at the beginning of her El Al Israel Airlines flight last week from New York to Tel Aviv, Elana Sztokman watched as the haredi Orthodox man seated next to her rushed up and downContinue Reading
New NIF campaign adopts tools of the right
By Ron Kampeas, JTA World News Service WASHINGTON (JTA) – In a strategic shift, the New Israel Fund is arming itself with a set of sharp political tools and picking a fight. Its target: Israel’s political right. Its weapons: Opposition research, media monitoring, and staking its claims to patriotism and Zionism. IfContinue Reading
Obama in High Holidays message speaks of new hope, fighting anti-Semitism
(JTA) — President Obama in Jewish New Year greetings spoke of a challenging past year and new hope.“As Jews across America, Israel, and the world gather together for the High Holidays, Michelle and I extend our warmest wishes to you and your families for a sweet and happy new year,”Continue Reading