Most people think they know a lot about Abraham the father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They are mistaken. The events recorded about Abraham in scripture are generally if not always obscure. When the Bible does not clarify exactly what is happening, people tend to imagine details and come to think of them as really happening in the Bible. [Rabbi Dr. Israel Drazin]
What do we know about Abraham? Read More »
Israel Drazin-Rabbi Dr., Jewish Religion
Yes, there’s gang violence in Israel, but not nearly on the scale of American gang violence. Violent crime in Israel is predominantly found in Israeli Arab towns and in mixed Arab-Jewish cities. It’s often clan/tribal related, consisting of organized crime disputes and more personal, vengeance attacks. In addition, there’s a continuing problem with so-called honor killings, which are intra-family. (In general, Israel is a very safe place, with women not afraid to walk on city streets at night and children having few limits placed on their play time.) [Steve Kramer]
Arab vs. Arab Homicides Increasing in Israel Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer
StandWithUs announces the release of a new Ethnic Studies Tool Kit. This resource is designed to educate the public about how K-12 ethnic studies courses can impact the Jewish community, and offer tools for activism on a state and local school district level across the U.S. The toolkit draws from StandWithUs’ unique experience working with students, partner organizations, and concerned citizens to remove hatred and bias from California’s Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum (ESMC). With ethnic studies set to become a graduation requirement in California and elsewhere in the coming years, working with school districts has become more important than ever. [StandWithUs]
StandWithUs Releases Ethnic Studies ‘Tool Kit’ Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Both political parties seek to hang onto base voters by tolerating anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry to some degree. Perhaps the right is a more dangerous threat to American Jews, but anti-Semites on the left are holding their own among Democrats. U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, for those who brand her an anti-Semite, was even endorsed last year by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in the Democratic primary for her congressional seat. [Bruce Ticker]
Both Parties Harbor Anti-Semites Read More »
Bruce Ticker, Middle East, USA
Released in 2021, Ver Vet Blaybn? (Who Will Remain?), a documentary that follows one woman’s journey to understand her grandfather, Yiddish poet Avrom Sutzkever, is resonating with audiences and having success on the 2021–2022 film festival circuit, with screenings booked at upcoming festivals around the globe, including next February’s San Diego International Jewish Film Festival. [Yiddish Book Center]
Documentary Film Traces Life, Works of Yiddish Poet Avrom Sutzkever Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Jewish History
One of Jerusalem’s lesser-known gems is the Museum for Islamic Art, a handsome building situated not far from the Jerusalem Theatre complex and the President’s residence. As well as exhibiting a fine array of objects of Islamic art it houses a unique collection of clocks and watches amassed by the late David Solomons. A large part of that collection was stolen from the museum some forty years ago, but by a series of strange events and coincidences was returned to its rightful home about ten years ago. [Dorothea Shefer-Vanson]
Coffee, East and West Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson
Can you imagine an entire book in 12 words, not including the title? That last sentence took one more word than that. [Donald H. Harrison]
An Entire Book in 12 Words Read More »
Books, Poetry & Short Stories, Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion
Torah reading is Hayyei Sarah, Genesis 23-25:18; Haftorah is 1 Kings I:1-31. By Irv Jacobs, M.D. This full-episode prose passage is set in a picture of aged, ill, and failing King David, cold, on his death bed. His memory has failed and he is manipulated over the matter of which son will be successor to
Haftorah Reading for October 30, 2021 Read More »
Irv Jacobs, MD, Jewish Religion
By Jacob Kamaras (JNS) The San Diego Unified School District’s Board of Trustees on Tuesday approved, though modified, a resolution condemning antisemitism that would have also supported “unbiased and politically neutral” classroom materials pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the approved version of the resolution, the board stated that it “affirms the rights of Jewish
San Diego School Board Modifies Resolution Calling for ‘Unbiased’ Materials on Israel Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, Middle East, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
By Faygie Holt (JNS) A Jewish day-school enrollment boost that began during last year’s COVID-19 school shutdowns is continuing, according to a new study from Prizmah: Center for Jewish Day Schools. In the last two years, the report found that Jewish day schools and yeshivahs reported an enrollment increase of 3.7 percent with more than
Enrollment in Jewish Day Schools Continues to Increase as Pandemic Lingers Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
ATLANTA (Press Release) – JScreen, a national public health initiative based out of Emory University School of Medicine’s Department of Human Genetics, on Wednesday announced that it has added yet another way to save lives with the successful hard launch of its CancerGEN testing initiative. This new JScreen initiative offers at-home testing for more than 60
Jewish Genetic Screening Initiative Adds Cancer Testing Read More »
Science, Medicine, & Education, USA
Published by AFP Washington (AFP) – The United States on Tuesday voiced concern about Israel’s decision to build settlements in the West Bank, saying it will “strongly oppose” such expansion on occupied Palestinian land. The criticism by President Joe Biden’s administration was some of the strongest in years on Israel after previous leader Donald Trump
US criticizes Israel on settlements Read More »
Middle East
Published by Reuters By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on Tuesday the United States is considering adding four countries to its visa waiver program that allows citizens to come to America without a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. “We have four candidates in the pipeline:
US considering adding Israel, Romania, Bulgaria to visa waiver program Read More »
International
By Lizzie Rubin Ingredients 6 strands of dough in equal size and length Instructions Start with the starting position. Six strands of challah and 7 positions on the table: position 1, position 2, position 3, middle, position 4, position 5, and position 6. In the starting position, the 6 strands of challah are pinched together
Pictogram: The 6-Braided Challah Read More »
Travel and Food