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The Forward
Amateur detectives are invited to join search for a lost Jewish library looted by the Nazis
(JTA) — On the eve of World War II, the Higher Institute for Jewish Studies in Berlin embodied an avant-garde era for the study of modern Judaism and philosophy, hosting students from the leading thinker Leo Baeck to Czech Jewish writer Franz Kafka to the first woman rabbi, Regina Jonas. It was also home to...
From Kamala Harris to Josh Shapiro, these are the talked-about contenders to replace Joe Biden, and their Jewish stories
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — Calls for President Joe Biden to relinquish his presidential nomination have proliferated since his disastrous debate performance last week. On Tuesday, for the first time, a Democratic elected official, Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, echoed the demand; Aside from Doggett, most of the appeals have come from a range of liberal-leaning...
Challenger backed by Republican Jewish Coalition defeats Bob Good, leader of far-right faction
(JTA) — WASHINGTON — John McGuire, a challenger backed by the Republican Jewish Coalition, defeated Rep. Bob Good, who marshaled opposition to emergency Israel aid, in a central Virginia primary. The victory for the RJC is its latest in a Republican primary. Involvement in primaries was once a rare occurrence for partisan Jewish groups on...
This Palestinian chef loves Bethlehem’s delicious, seasonal cuisine. He’s afraid it could soon be destroyed
“I don’t see the world based on people’s faiths,” Franco-Palestinian Chef Fadi Kattan told me over Zoom from his London restaurant Akub, where a row of bottles of Palestinian wine lined the wall behind him. “That’s my French bit of my identity,” he said. “I see you as an American citizen. I don’t know what...
Netanyahu pushes back against reports of army pressure to end the war, accusing officials of ‘defeatism’
(JTA) — After reports that Israeli military leaders are pushing for a ceasefire that leaves Hamas in power, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the fighting until the terror group is eliminated. “Anonymous sources briefed The New York Times that Israel will be prepared to end the war before all of its objectives are...
A former Dallas city councilwoman just died. Almost no one knew she was Jewish.
It was only after her Jewish funeral Sunday that many in Dallas learned that Rose Renfroe, an upstart in Democratic city politics, was Jewish. “Rose was forgotten as a Jew for the majority of her life,” said Hannah Lebovits, a member of the Dallas burial society who organized the minyan for the funeral. Renfroe — or...
Rabbi Burt Jacobson, social activist and founder of Bay Area Renewal synagogue, dies at 87
(JTA) — A version of this story originally appeared in J. The Jewish News of Northern California. Rabbi Burt Jacobson, a scholar, author, political activist and founder of Kehilla Community Synagogue in Piedmont, California died at home in El Sobrante on June 22 of pancreatic cancer. He was 87. He was a cherished teacher and...
Following internal drama over Israel, Reconstructionist Judaism affirms support for progressive Zionism and 2-state solution
(JTA) — About six weeks after its internal discord over Israel spilled into public view, Judaism’s Reconstructionist movement has issued a statement reiterating its support for progressive Zionism, the existence of Israel and the two-state solution. The movement says the statement is a clarification of its position on Israel following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas...
July 4th hot dog debate: Nathan’s kosher-style vs. Joey Chestnut’s Impossible choice
When it comes to hot dogs, there’s always a nagging question in the back of my mind (and possibly yours): What are they made of, exactly? That’s why, even though I don’t keep kosher, on the rare occasion that I do eat a hot dog, I prefer a kosher brand. But now, thanks to Joey...
Far-right German politician fined again for using a banned Nazi phrase
(JTA) — A German court has fined a prominent far-right leader for once again using a phrase associated with the Nazis, as Germany’s growing far-right flank shows an increasing comfort with invoking Nazi-aligned phrases and ideas. Björn Höcke, a leader of the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, was ordered to pay €16,900 (roughly $18,000)...
New Columbia administrator texts show deans complaining about Jewish student ‘privilege,’ calling Hillel leader a ‘problem’
(New York Jewish Week) — Columbia University administrators said Jewish students occupied a “place of privilege,” called a Hillel official a “problem” and wrote “Amazing what $$$$ can do,” during a panel on Jewish campus life in May, newly released text messages showed. Columbia had already suspended three of the four administrators involved after photos...
176 Jewish gravestones vandalized at 2 Cincinnati cemeteries
(JTA) — Vandals in Cincinnati damaged or knocked over 176 gravestones at two historic Jewish cemeteries over the course of the past week. A joint statement from the local Jewish federation, Jewish Community Relations Council and Jewish Cemeteries of Greater Cincinnati called it an “act of antisemitic vandalism.” Most of the graves were pushed facedown,...
Her son was fatally shot on the Brooklyn Bridge. But Devorah Halberstam says the full story remains untold
It’s been 30 years since 16-year-old Ari Halberstam was murdered by a cab driver who shot up a van taking Lubavitcher kids across the Brooklyn Bridge. The gunman, Rashid Baz, died in prison last year while serving a 141-year sentence. But Ari’s mother, Devorah Halberstam, wants you to know that the full story has yet...
The Supreme Court’s homelessness decision will decimate the faith-based nonprofit sector
The city of Cleveland spent Christmas Eve afternoon in 2019 trying to shut down Denison Avenue United Church of Christ because it had been operating as a homeless shelter. The local congregation had opened its doors as an ad hoc shelter to make up for the shortage of beds in a city where several unhoused...
Why my Sonoma County synagogue stands for a ceasefire in Gaza
This piece originally appeared in J Weekly. In mid-June, the members of Congregation Ner Shalom of Cotati in Sonoma County issued a statement in support of a ceasefire in the Gaza war. I want to share a little about the statement and its process because a synagogue issuing a ceasefire statement is still a curiosity to many....
Cuomo releases TV ad blasting campus protesters backing Hamas
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who founded a pro-Israel nonprofit last year as he considered a political comeback, released the group’s first television ad on Tuesday — 60 seconds that depicts some pro-Palestinian protesters as Hamas supporters. “Do they really know who they’re protesting for?” asks the unseen narrator of the ad, which describes...
New regulations hinder donations of gear to Israeli soldiers, charities say
(JTA) — Dozens of Israeli and American nonprofits are protesting new government regulations that, they say, have forced them to halt the flow of donated equipment for Israeli soldiers. In response, a government official has vowed to address the problem. The new policy at issue is meant to cut red tape at Israeli ports. But...
‘We have to cover history accurately’: Oklahoma superintendent explains why he’s forcing schools to teach the Bible
Ryan Walters spent a decade teaching high school history — the Mayflower, the Constitutional Convention, Thomas Jefferson and Martin Luther King, Jr. — and noticed a throughline: For many key figures in American history, the Bible was “very much a motivating factor.” Walters, now the Oklahoma State Superintendent, said it would be “academic malpractice” not to...
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