Archive for Jewish News

| March 31, 2014
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French Jewish Immigration at All Time High

Numbers show 854 French immigrants arrived in Israel during January & February, more than 3 times the number arriving in the same 2-month period last year.

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A record number of Jewish immigrants from France poured into Israel in the first few months of the year, according to figures released by the Jewish Agency Sunday.

French Jewish youth

About 1,000 French high school students are in Israel on a program known as Bac Bleu Blanc (“Blue White Seniors”). Some are expected to join a growing number of French Jews making aliyah. – Photo: JAFI

The figures show that 854 French immigrants arrived in Israel in January and February – more than three times the number arriving in the same two-month period the previous year.

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Category: Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags: , ,
| March 26, 2014
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University of Michigan votes down BDS, but Chicago’s Loyola narrowly passes

After a 6-hour meeting, Michigan’s student gov’t votes down Israel divestment. In Chicago, the vote to accept the BDS proposal went smoothly.

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An Israel divestment resolution was narrowly passed a second time by the student government of Chicago’s Loyola University, while a similar resolution was defeated at the University of Michigan.

University of Michigan

University of Michigan – Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

Loyola United Student Government Association first passed a resolution on March 19 calling on the university evening to remove its holdings from eight companies that provide equipment to Israel for use in the West Bank. The vote on a measure proposed by the Loyola chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine passed 26-0 with two abstentions.

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Category: Jewish News | Tags: ,
| March 26, 2014
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Jew to run for Ukrainian Presidency – What anti-Semitism?

Leader of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, Vadim Rabinovich, says he will run for president in Ukraine’s May 25 election.

By Arutz Sheva Staff

 

Vadim Rabinovich, president of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress and founder of the European Jewish Parliament, announced on Tuesday that he will run for the presidency of Ukraine, reports the Jewish Daily Forward.

Huge Kiev rally – Reuters

According to the report, Rabinovich told the Russian Interfax news agency that he was running to “destroy the myth about anti-Semitism in Ukraine.”

In recent months, Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have accused groups that overthrew Ukraine’s former president, Viktor Yanukovych, of being fascists and anti-Semites. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags: , , ,
| March 25, 2014
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Tel Aviv Hosts ‘Largest Shabbat Dinner’ Attempt for New Guinness World Record

In an attempt to inspire world Jewry to connect to Shabbat in Israel’s largest city, a non-profit aims to host world record setting meal in Tel Aviv on June13th.

By Tova Dvorin

 

White City Shabbat, a non-profit organization dedicated to building Jewish life in Tel Aviv, has announced Monday that it will attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Shabbat Dinner.

The dinner, which is scheduled for June 13, 2014, will be held at the Tel Aviv Port. The organization aims to host 1,000 people at the dinner, including Israelis, new immigrants, and public figures.

The guest list will reportedly include Mayor Ron Huldai, former Chief Rabbi of Israel Rav Yisrael Meir Lau, and Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Rabbi Eli Ben-Dahan. Continue Reading »

Category: Israel News, Jewish News | Tags: , ,
| March 24, 2014
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A small Jewish community splits over conversion in rural Uganda

Even with support from the Diaspora, the community remains poor. All the members are farmers, including Sizomu, who despite his rabbinical degree, grows plantains to support himself.

 

NABUGOYE, Uganda (JTA) — On Fridays at sundown, the Jewish residents of this village set amid the lush hills of eastern Uganda gather in the synagogue to greet Shabbat.
Enosh Keki Maniah, the head of the breakaway Orthodox faction of Uganda's Abayudaya Jewish community, hopes to move to Israel. (Ben Sales)Enosh Keki Maniah, the head of the breakaway Orthodox faction of Uganda’s Abayudaya Jewish community, says, “We didn’t  have a grudge with anyone.” (Ben Sales)

 

The room is bare, the light is dim and the Conservative prayer books are worn.

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Category: Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags: , ,
| March 18, 2014
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Court criticizes Knesset for neglecting to regulate ritual circumcision

An Ashkelon judge lambastes Israel’s parliament for continually failing to manage this problem in its ruling acquitting 2 men of performing a circumcision without licenses.

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An Israeli court slammed the Knesset on Thursday for failing to enact legislation regulating circumcision, saying it should have done so long ago.

A mohel is surround by other rabbis and relatives as he holds a boy at his circumcision. Photo by AP

A mohel is surround by other rabbis and relatives as he holds a boy at his circumcision. – Photo: AP

Ashkelon Magistrate’s Court Judge Haim Nachmias issued the rare criticism in his verdict acquitting two mohels, or “ritual circumcisers,” on charges of negligence.

“The legislators would be wise to regulate the profession of performing circumcisions, and the supervision of those performing this religious commandment, through legislation,” he wrote.

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Category: Israel News, Jewish News | Tags: , , , , ,
| March 17, 2014
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Jewish American nominated for Nobel Peace Prize for aiding Syrian refugees

 

Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee nominates Yank Barry, a.k.a. ‘Jewish Schindler’, for his humanitarian work with Syrian refugees in Bulgaria.

By BENJAMIN WEINTHAL

 

 
NEW YORK – Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee nominated the Jewish philanthropist Yank Barry on Wednesday for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in providing refuge to Syrian refugees in Bulgaria who escaped their war-torn country.
Yank Barry (left standing) with Syrian refugees in Bulgaria.- Photo: REUTERS

Yank Barry (left standing) with Syrian refugees in Bulgaria.- Photo: REUTERS

Jackson issued a statement saying that Barry “singlehandedly spearheaded a never before accomplished mission to rescue over 60 individuals from the deplorable conditions in the refugee camps of Bulgaria.

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| March 14, 2014
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Hezbollah Attacks Israel on Northern Border with Lebanon

— SPECIAL SECURITY REPORT —

Israeli tanks, artillery, fire & destroy Hezbollah post after IDF convoy hit by explosive device on Lebanese border

No injuries sustained by IDF soldiers.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN
 

 

An IDF convoy moving in the area of Har Dov, on the border with Lebanon, was the target of an explosive device activated by Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon on Friday night.

IDF 155mm artillery fires – Illustrative Photo: IDF Spokesman;s Unit

One of the armored vehicles was directly hit by the explosion, the IDF sustained no injuries. However, three of the soldiers were taken to Ziv Medical Center in Tzfat for precautionary reasons. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News | Tags: , ,
| March 13, 2014
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On the lighter side, Meet the new (Jewish) Bachelorette from Atlanta

 

Andi Dorfman, a nice Jewish 26 yr-old from Atlanta, won hearts & headlines when she bumped herself out of ‘The Bachelor’ just before the final rose.

By JTA, JPOST.COM STAFF

 

 

The Bachelor came to a disappointing close Monday, with leading man Juan Pablo Galavis not proposing. Luckily, something good did come out of the show’s 18th season: The selection of the next “Bachelorette.”

Andi Dorfman

Andi Dorfman, a 26-year-old Jewish Assistant District Attorney from Atlanta, won hearts and headlines when she eliminated herself from the show after having it out with Juan Pablo, who, it seems, is a tad self-absorbed.

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Category: Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags: ,
| March 11, 2014
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Al Quds Al Arabi Publishes, “Anti-Jewish Slogans Are Not Islamic”

Al Quds Al Arabi, pre­vi­ously known for its hos­tile posi­tions toward Israel, changed its own­er­ship & editor last year. These changes may explain the deci­sion to repub­lish the article.

By Anti-Defamation League blog

 

The deci­sion to re-publish a cri­tique of anti-Semitism by Al Quds Al Arabi, the third largest cir­cu­lated off­shore pan-Arab news­pa­per accord­ing to the Carnegie Endow­ment for Inter­na­tional Peace, could sig­nal a move toward greater plu­ral­ism and diver­sity of views in the Arab press, which is often dom­i­nated by anti-Jewish and anti-Israel narratives.al-quds-al-arabi-sinem-tezyaparin-jew

Al Quds Al Arabi Publishes “Anti-Jewish Slogans Are Not Islamic” by Turk­ish jour­nal­ist Sinem Tezya­parin in Sep­tem­ber 2013

Al Quds Al Arabi Publishes “Anti-Jewish Slogans Are Not Islamic” by Turk­ish jour­nal­ist Sinem Tezya­parin

Arab jour­nal­ism has been a major plat­form for impor­tant debate and dis­cus­sion about the ques­tion of reli­gious intol­er­ance in con­nec­tion with dis­crim­i­na­tion against Mus­lims and the defama­tion of Islam. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News | Tags: , , ,
| March 11, 2014
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1000 Jewish New Yorkers at Times Square to talk about aliyah

 

Over 1,000 Jews & Israelis from New York area show up to Aliyah Mega Event to get information & advice about moving to Israel.

The event focused on making aliyah to the Galilee and Negev. One fairgoer said, ‘I was moved by Israel after going on Birthright.’

By Yori Yalon

 

NEW YORK — Some 1,500 Jewish New Yorkers and Israelis showed up to the Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah Mega Event in Times Square on Sunday.

Young Jews at the Nefesh B’Nefesh Aliyah Mega Event in Times Square on Sunday – Photo: Shahar Azran

The fair, organized by Nefesh B’Nefesh in collaboration with the Jewish Agency, the Jewish National Fund, and the Immigrant Absorption Ministry, was one of seven taking place in major cities across North America.

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Category: Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags: , , ,
| March 10, 2014
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Prior to ‘Monuments Men’ hits French screens, France to return Nazi-looted art

Although, 3 masterpieces are being returned, about 2,000 works whose owners have not been identified, are still being held by French museums.

By TA

 

Ahead of the French premiere of “The Monuments Men,” France said it will return three precious paintings to the heirs of their owners.

File:Ausstellung entartete kunst 1937.jpg

Goebbels views the Degenerate Art exhibition that was confiscated by the Nazis – Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

The paintings are to be returned Tuesday, one day before the film on Nazi-looted art starring George Clooney debuts in France.

The conjunction of the two events is “an opportunity to remind people that Culture Minister Aurelie Flipetti is very attached to this gesture of remembrance,” France’s Culture Ministry told the French news agency AFP on Saturday.

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Category: Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags:
| March 10, 2014
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Video: Wounded Ukrainian protesters airlifted for medical treatment in Israel

This project faced initial obstacles in terms of both hospital access within Israel & funding.

Dr. Valeriya Babchik, a physician at Kaplan, helped to organize the project, along with Arieli & Marina Lysak, Kiev residents.

 

TEL AVIV (JTA) – For 17-year-old Bolodimir Bedyuk, a Ukrainian who was severely wounded in clashes with Ukrainian police on Feb. 18, Israeli medical care may be his only hope.

A wounded individual is transported to a waiting plane, where he will be flown to Israel to receive medical care. (Shimon Briman)A wounded individual is transported to a waiting plane, where he will be flown to Israel to receive medical care. (Shimon Briman)

After a pitched battle with Ukrainian police forces on Institutskaya Street in Kiev, Bedyuk suffered chest wounds and extensive liver damage — his brother Aleksei said Bolodimir’s liver “was torn practically in half.”

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Category: Israel News, Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags: , , , ,
| March 10, 2014
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2013 holds record number of Jewish births in Israel

 

Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics show Jewish births increased by both numbers & percentages, while the Muslim Arab birth rate has reached an all-time low.

By Zeev Klein

 

The year 2013 saw a record number of births in Israel, data published over the weekend by the Central Bureau of Statistics showed.

The total number of births in Israel rose 0.2% in 2013 – Photo: Yehoshua Yosef

The total number of births rose 0.2 percent to 171,207 babies born, compared to 170,904 in 2012. Jewish births increased 1.3% to 127,101 babies compared to 125,409 born in 2012. Some 5,000 babies were born to parents who immigrated to Israel under the Law of Return.

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Category: Israel News, Jewish News | Tags: , ,
| March 9, 2014
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Hollywood’s ‘Noah’ banned in 3 Arab countries so far

 

Fatwa issued in Egypt leads 3 Arab countries to ban the Hollywood blockbuster film “Noah” on religious grounds, with at least 3 more countries to follow.

Watch: Official Trailer with Russel Crowe, Emma Watson

By REUTERS

 

Three Arab countries have banned the Hollywood film “Noah” on religious grounds even before its worldwide premiere and several others are expected to follow suit, a representative of Paramount Pictures told Reuters on Saturday.

Islam frowns upon representing holy figures in art and depictions of the Prophet Mohammad in European and North American media have repeatedly sparked deadly protests in Islamic countries over the last decade, fanning cultural tensions with the West. Continue Reading »

Category: Jewish News, The Diaspora | Tags: , , ,
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