La Jolla, California, based public relations executive Jacob Kamaras is a former editor-in-chief of the Jewish News Syndicate (JNS). He is an active member at Adat Yeshurun Synagogue.
The Holocaust legacy that packs a punch By Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org Shot three times by the Nazis in Poland, Bernard Fleischer was down for the count. But just as he was about to be finished off, the German soldier’s gun froze. Assuming he’d die anyway, the soldier left Bernard in a barn. Bernard survived and later […]
Never Again: Holocaust news of September 30, 2015 Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Sports & CompetitionsBy Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org HOUSTON, Texas — In a scheduling conflict of Abrahamic proportions, a Houston-based think tank is hosting George Mitchell—former U.S. senator from Maine and the Obama administration’s former envoy for Middle East peace—on both Jewish and Muslim holy days. “The Negotiator: Senator George Mitchell’s Adventures in Law and Politics” will be held from
Houston, we have a religious problem Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Jewish Religion, USA
By Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org SAN DIEGO — Cindy Marten respects private educational institutions in the Jewish community and elsewhere, but at the very least, she believes that Jewish parents should give public school a chance. The superintendent of San Diego Unified School District—California’a second-largest school district and the eighth-largest in the country, serving 109,785 enrolled
School Sup’t Marten: ‘Every child has a gift’ Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & EducationChristians United for Israel summit kicks off as Iran deal hangs in the balance By Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org Having spent a decade growing into America’s largest pro-Israel organization, with 2.2 million members, the journey of Christians United for Israel (CUFI) arrived at a historic crossroads on Monday morning. While a nuclear deal between Iran and world
Jewish news briefs: July 13, 2015 Read More »
International, Jacob Kamaras, Middle East, USA
By Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org HOUSTON, Texas – As Jewish media far and wide started picking up on the story of the recent devastating flood in Houston, which hit Jewish-heavy neighborhoods particularly hard, JNS.org was (in my own estimation) conspicuously late to join the reporting. That is by design. I am both our editor and a resident of
Jewish values and the Houston flood Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, The World We Share, USABy Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org Israeli television exit polls on Tuesday night showed that while the country’s national election remains too close to call, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party defied the projections of pre-election polling and would likely extend his current six-year run as prime minister. An exit poll by Channel 2 said that Likud won
Exit polls: Netanyahu slightly outpolls Herzog Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Middle EastJacob Kamaras/JNS.org WASHINGTON, DC—A day before his much-debated speech about Iran to a joint session of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, March 2, attempted to assure the 16,000 people attending the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference—an annual showcase for the U.S-Israel relationship—that current tension will not derail the countries’ friendship.
Netanyahu: Speech won’t derail U.S.- Israel friendship Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Middle East, USABy Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel will fail, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee conference. “Beyond our traditional trading partners, countries throughout Asia, Africa, Latin America, these countries are flocking to Israel” wanting Israeli technology, Netanyahu said. “The BDS
Netanyahu to AIPAC: BDS will fail Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Middle East, USA
By Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org BOSTON–The Ruderman Family Foundation on Monday, Jan. 27, announced that Dr. Michael Ashley Stein, a visiting professor at Harvard Law School and an internationally recognized expert on disability rights, will receive the inaugural $100,000 Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion. Stein is the co-founder and executive director of the Harvard Law School
Disabled rights activist awarded $100,000 Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, USABy Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org The Taglit-Birthright Israel program has expanded eligibility for its free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26, JNS.org has learned. Teenagers who went on an educational trip to Israel during high school were previously not eligible for Birthright trips, but can now participate, confirmed Noa Bauer, Birthright’s vice president
Birthright expands eligibility for free trips to Israel Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Middle EastBy Jeffrey F. Barken and Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org HAIFA—Jay Ruderman has observed for years that when American Jewish leaders visit Israel or when Israeli leaders visit the United States, the conversation is “always about Israel” and how the Jewish state relates to Iran, Syria, the Palestinians, and others. “What’s happening in the American Jewish community?” and
Haifa University to offer American Jewish Studies Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, USABy Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org The imam of a mosque that is managed by the Muslim Brotherhood-founded Muslim American Society (MAS) was initially invited to speak at Thursday’s interfaith service in Boston to honor the Boston Marathon attack’s victims, but that invitation was later rescinded by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s office, JNS.org has learned. The Islamic Society
Muslim speaker replaced at Marathon service Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, USABy Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org BALTIMORE—The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) set a theme of “Where the Jewish community downloads/uploads/shares” for its 2012 General Assembly well in advance. Then Hurricane Sandy came along and ravaged the East Coast, making the theme that much more relevant. “The uploads, the downloads, the connection—to me it’s all around the
Federation CEO on Sandy, Iran, young leadership Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, USABy Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org BALTIMORE—Rabbi Rick Jacobs, head of the Reform movement’s congregational arm, was an atypical choice as scholar-in-residence for the 2012 Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) General Assembly—by his own admission. “First of all, it’s an honor,” Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), said in an interview with JNS.org in
Jewish Federation pick Reform movement head as its scholar Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Jewish Religion