By Joel Magalnick, JTNews Correspondent Although the official results have not yet been certified, at least four of the six Jewish candidates for public office in Washington have either retained or taken seats. Incumbents Shay Schual-Berke, who represents the 33rd district s south of Seattle, and the Eastside’s Laura RudermanContinue Reading

By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent Bob Jaffe, a member of the local Jewish community, is in desperate need of a kidney. Jaffe has end-stage renal failure. He was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease five years ago. PKD involves the invasion of the kidneys by the growth of many – oftenContinue Reading

By Rita Weinstein, Special to JTNews Pups for Peace is a simple and practical example of what one can do to counter the shock, outrage, and sense of hopelessness that springs from horrific acts. Glenn Yago, an economist at the Milken Institute think tank in Santa Monica, Calif., was overwhelmedContinue Reading

By Joel Magalnick, Special to JTNews The clock struck 3, the static cleared, and that deep radio voice warned us that “Not only are the opinions expressed on the show not necessarily the reflection of the station, its staff or its advertisers, but at times might not be the opinionContinue Reading

By Janis Siegel, JTNews Correspondent Kosher food does not usually have a reputation for being easy to find, particularly in the Northwest. But a new store just south of Seattle promises to make cooking kosher a little easier. The superstore-based business model of Kosher Direct, one of the newest kosherContinue Reading

By Joel Magalnick, Special to JTNews The Seattle Hebrew Academy has announced Seattle’s oldest Jewish day school will remain at its Capitol Hill facility, built in 1909 and heavily damaged in the 2001 Nisqually earthquake. The school has been operating out of portable trailers and a synagogue in Seward ParkContinue Reading

By Manny Frishberg, JTNews Correspondent Now that it has all been settled, all sides appear ready to call overblown the charges of “snubs” and “censorship” that catapulted the issue of whether Leonard Nimoy would speak at a Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle dinner into the national spotlight. The issue, whichContinue Reading

By Joshua Rosenstein, Special to JTNews The first Jewish baby born in Washington since the Jewish year started Sept. 6 was born a world traveler. He had the opportunity to experience England, Scotland, Spain, and Jackson Hole, Wyo., from the vantage point of inside his mother’s womb. Maybe the experienceContinue Reading

By Joel Magalnick, other Between the tablecloths, the gefilte fish and the wine, Morris Sharlup is a happy man. For Sharlup, a small but stocky gentleman with a gray-streaked ponytail and a welcoming smile under his grizzled beard, Friday nights at the Council House retirement community have been more meaningfulContinue Reading

By Jessica Davis, JTNews Correspondent What started out with a few kids, augmented by parents who “used to play,” KlezKidz and KidsChorus has grown into a large ensemble with regular rehearsals and up to eight concerts a year. KlezKidz is a 40-member intergenerational ensemble that plays at synagogue services andContinue Reading

By Manny Frishberg, JTNews Correspondent There is no shortage of Jewish candidates running for office in the Puget Sound area this fall. They sailed through the primary season and are preparing for the Nov. 5 general election. Three incumbents are looking to repeat their legislative victories and win another term:Continue Reading

By Manny Frishberg, JTNews CorrespondentContinue Reading

By Rita Weinstein, Special to JTNews On Sept. 11, the mood in Seattle, as in the rest of the country, was one of somber reflection. Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, the new senior rabbi at Herzl-Ner Tamid, saw the occasion as an excellent teaching moment to explain the holiday of Sukkot, “theContinue Reading

By Joel Magalnick, Special to JTNews At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, the biggest thing about Ben Mahdavi is not his size. What’s big about Mahdavi, defensive captain of the 2002 University of Washington Huskies football team, is the way he commands respect. And it’s not the muscles, either. Through theContinue Reading

By By Hally Jackson, Special to JTNews Heroes come in many shapes and sizes. Some are remembered for their bravery and some for unsurpassed loyalty. The Tacoma community remembers Marvin Alan Kelgman, an 11-year-old patrol boy who died saving the life of a child. Marvin was a sixth-grader at LowellContinue Reading

By Robert B. Spitzer, other Shortly after I became president of the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, Sen. Patty Murray called me to wish me well in the new position. She asked how she could continue to work with our Jewish community and our social service agencies. I suggested sheContinue Reading

By Rita Weinstein, JTNews Correspondent Even though she left behind no direct descendents, Edna Simon’s legacy to her community will be long remembered. Born in Erie, Penn., she arrived in Seattle in the 1930s after completing her college education in Ohio and doing the European grand tour. Active and involvedContinue Reading

By Donna Gordon Blankinship, Editor, JTNews It is with great sadness and some anger that Dr. Shmuel Penchas talks about the new specialty at Hadassah hospitals in Jerusalem. In the past, doctors at the two hospitals funded by the Women’s Zionist Organization of America were known for their research inContinue Reading

By Donna Gordon Blankinship, Editor, JTNews Rabbi Elon Sunshine is a little too happy. He is the father of two sweet little girls, with a third child on the way. He and his wife, Shira Rosenblatt, are thrilled to be living in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest. TheyContinue Reading