By Diana Brement, JTNews Correspondent Religion and Spirituality We ended our last reviews in Nov. 2002, with a mention of a new compilation of the Zohar by Rav P.S. Berg, director of the Kabbalah Centre. This international organization brings the wisdom of Kabbalah (Jewish mystical texts) to the general public,Continue Reading

By Diana Brement, JTNews Correspondent When Anita Diamant published The Red Tent, her novel about the lives of the Biblical foremothers, did she imagine she was spawning a new genre of literature? Our current Bookshelf adds two new works of fiction that flesh out the lives of women of theContinue Reading

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By David Chesanow, JTNews Correspondent Hearings on new hate-crime legislation, initiated by the Seattle office of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), were held in Olympia last week. House Bill 1128 and its companion measure, Senate Bill 5193, would prohibit insurance companies from canceling or refusing to renew coverage on property dueContinue Reading

By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent Greeted by a standing ovation from over 650 Jewish women, Gloria Steinem, feminist icon and co-founder of Ms. Magazine, turned a large meeting room at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers into a community-wide celebration when she spoke at Connections 2003, Mosaic of a WomanContinue Reading

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By Gigi Yellen-Kohn, JTNews Correspondent I am talking music with Rabbi Aharon Brun-Kestler, Executive Director of the Va’ad HaRabanim of Greater Seattle—the people who grant the seal of Kosher certification. He’s a traditionalist, of course. “I like the real solid standards of the early rock age — Chuck Berry, CrosbyContinue Reading

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By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent The stories of over a century of Pacific Northwest Jewish history have been told through the eyes of the women that lived them. Those stories have been documented through photographs and interviews with 30 Seattle-area Jewish women, and will be on display at the SouthContinue Reading

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By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews Between cosmic rays and track stars, Northwest Yeshiva High School has a lot to be excited about. However, the year started off on a sad note with the death of popular student Ari Grashin. Since then, it has been a time of healing and growing.Continue Reading

By Joel Magalnick, Editor, JTNews Several Israelis rolled into town last week to spread messages of goodwill and economic cooperation. Whether here as volunteers or as a part of their job, they carried the same message: we’re getting through the day, but we need your support. Inna Krotov, Jonathan AikhenbaumContinue Reading

By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent Now in its 48th year, Olympia’s Camp Solomon Schechter is embracing its traditions while making some changes. Over the past five years, new cabins, a lake front beach and a village for the junior counselor program have been added to the camp. This summer, twoContinue Reading

By Manny Frishberg, JTNews Correspondent Rep. Laura Ruderman joked about placing a “tip jar” near her desk asking for contributions to the state’s General Fund. As new legislative session in Olympia began, Ruderman (D–45th Dist.) said that social-service organizations must make cuts and not expect state assistance. “My bet,” RudermanContinue Reading

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By Deborah Ashin, Special to JTNews Every night for almost 60 years, the man relived the same hellish nightmare: he is 16 years old and arrives in a cattle car at Auschwitz, where he helplessly watches his parents and grandparents march to the gas chamber. It’s a chilling irony thatContinue Reading

By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent Singer Yossi Hodakov will perform the first Chassidic concert of Jewish music to be presented at Chabad Lubavitch’s new synagogue, on Jan. 12 at 6 p.m. “It’ll be a great concert,” promises Rabbi Yechezkel Kornfeld. “There hasn’t been a type of concert like this inContinue Reading

By Nicole Gyulay, Special to JTNews “Without tradition, our lives would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof.” So said Tevye, the embattled protagonist from Fiddler on the Roof. Tradition has always been an integral part of Jewish culture, and now Fiddler on the Roof is part ofContinue Reading

By Deborah Ashin, Special to JTNews It rivals Hollywood’s most fantastic archaeological adventures, featuring layers of buried ancient cities that contain mysteries and treasures from the past. Tel Dor, perched above the coastline about 30 miles from Tel Aviv, is one of the largest and most intriguing archaeological excavations inContinue Reading