Friday, March 12, 2010
By Ron Kampeas
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's attempt to reassure Israel of American steadfastness survived a steadfast Middle East tradition of self-sabotage. Read more »
This Week's Top News from JTA
Brandeis University's Muslim chaplain issued an appeal for the return of his Koran days after his campus office was vandalized.A Swedish court ruled that the man accused of organizing the theft of the "Arbeit Macht Frei” sign from the front gate of Auschwitz can be extradited to Poland.
The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum welcomed its 30 millionth visitor this week.
A Kassam rocket fired from Gaza landed in the western Negev, causing damage to a building.
A British journalist held in Gaza for nearly a month was released.
Israel's Civil Administration, accompanied by Israeli troops, destroyed six new building foundations in Jerusalem's Etzion bloc.
The Palestinian Authority canceled a ceremony to honor a woman who led the 1978 hijacking of a bus in which 35 Israelis were killed.
Palestinians will not enter into indirect peace talks with Israel until approval to build 1,600 homes in an eastern Jerusalem neighborhood is rescinded.
The U.S.-Israel bond is unbreakable, but the United States will keep both sides accountable for their actions, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said.
A civil trial in the death of American activist Rachel Corrie by an Israeli military bulldozer opened in Haifa.
Ten illegal aliens who worked at the former Agriprocessors kosher slaughterhouse will be deported by the end of the month.
Three of the men who allegedly cut up and stole the “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign from the front gate of Auschwitz have confessed to the crime.
Hundreds of protesters marched in front of a New York City hotel where the Israeli military's chief of staff spoke at a dinner hosted by the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces.
A United Nations sapper unit will enter the Gaza Strip to dispose of unexploded ordnance from the Gaza war.
The organization that reportedly banned lox as unkosher says the media fabricated the story.
A local activist's interview with a former Iranian diplomat accused of planning the bombing of a Buenos Aires Jewish center has upset the Argentine Jewish community.
Tamas Raj, a charismatic retired chief rabbi and one of Hungary's top intellectuals, has died.
Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom signed into law legislative reforms making Holocaust denial a criminal offense.
President Obama's faith-based advisory council urged clearer guidelines on church-state separation in faith-based funding, but members differed on some critical details.
David Kimche, the Israeli spy who played a key role in Israel's 1980s entanglements with Iran and Lebanon, has died.
Israel announced its interest in producing electricity from nuclear energy at a conference in Paris.
Israel's U.S. ambassador has offered to return to the California university where students interrupted his speech last month.
Elsewhere in the Media
CCAR calls for bringing intermarried couples closer to Jewish communityWhile affirming "the importance of encouraging marriage between Jews", the Reform rabbinate in the United States called this week for a new focus on engaging intermarried couples to bring them closer to the Jewish community. Read more »
Efforts to end the crisis over proposed conversion regulation reforms continues amidst introduction of ammendments to the proposed bill Read more »
Jewish Agency chairman Natan Sharansky joined the chorus of concern and criticism over an Israel Beiteinu conversion bill currently before the Knesset Law Committee. Read more »
Rotem, an Orthodox Jew, has been conducting negotiations for over a year with Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar and with Shas over formulating the conversion and civil partnership bills - the two laws the party promised its electorate in the last campaign season. Read more »
HUC President Dr. David Ellenson predicts that Reform Judaism would be able to grow in Israel despite stifling political and economic structures. Read more »
A collaborative effort under way in New Jersey's Jewish charitable community could serve as a model for how to achieve goals. Read more »
A small group of Jews from around the world gathered in Egypt's capital last week to celebrate the re-dedication of a 12th-century religious school once used by one of Judaism's most revered figures, and a neighboring 19th-century synagogue built in his honor. Read more »
Union News
Spend ten days traveling and studying in Israel with rabbis from the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, and the staff of the Saltz International Education Center of the World Union of Progressive Judaism. Read more »
In this issue Captain Sarah Schechter, one of only two Reform rabbis on active US military duty reveals what it's like to serve as a chaplain in the Air Force during war time. Also part 1 of our 3-part series "Israel by Israelis" looks at what it is to be a Reform Jew in Israel.
Read more »
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We've got lots of wonderful communications projects and tools, but this is one of our best. #REFORMBECAUSE - an ongoing Twitter conversation about what it means to be a Reform Jew. Read it and tweet. Read more »
Tikkun Olam - repairing the world - has always been a major component of the Reform Jewish experience. In every generation the youth of our movement, have led the way, showing deep concern for the fate of the world in which they live. Mitzvah Corps combines direct hands-on involvement in communities that need the energy, dedication and love that they can provide. Combine that with learning that focuses on Jewish social and ethical issues and you've got a summer program that can't be beat. Read more »
March 22- Building Sacred Community: Volunteers in Your Congregation; March 23- The Long Road to the Promised Land: Social Justice Perspectives on Home Seders; March 23- Torah Alive: A Learning Opportunity. Read more »
Who among us is so busy that he cannot spend 10 minutes a day in the study of a Jewish text? Just 10 minutes? Sign up today. Read more »
Think you've got questions? This week's Torah reading is about questions, and challenges, and the nature of God's presence. You and your children can read and listen as the story unfolds for the Israelites and for all of us. Read more »
Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, has named Mark J. Pelavin to be Director of the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism (CSA), the social justice policy-making body of the Reform Jewish Movement. Read more »
Frieda Pinsky uses some magic powder to help make the matzah balls for her Passover seder light and fluffy. And it works too well Find out what happens in this charming book by Carla Heymsfeld. Read more »
This Pesach raise awareness of poverty and hunger
The Torah teaches, "all who are hungry, let them enter and eat." Add the Religious Acton Center's one-pager to your traditional Seder readings to raise awareness about hunger, child nutrition and anti-poverty advocacy. Make Pesach even more special for you, your family, and the entire community.
The Torah teaches, "all who are hungry, let them enter and eat." Add the Religious Acton Center's one-pager to your traditional Seder readings to raise awareness about hunger, child nutrition and anti-poverty advocacy. Make Pesach even more special for you, your family, and the entire community.
North American News
The spring situation: Juggling matzah balls and Easter bunniesThough most attention is focused on conflicts surrounding the Christmas and Chanukah seasons, interfaith families also report dealing with tricky situations during the spring's two major Jewish and Christian holidays. Read more »
President Obama's special envoy on anti-Semitism wants to recruit non-Jews to make her case. Read more »
President Obama's faith-based advisory council urged clearer guidelines on church-state separation in faith-based funding, but members differed on some critical details. Read more »
Around the Globe
European Parliament backs Goldstone reportThe European Parliament passed a resolution that said European Union states should "demand the implementation of the Goldstone report's recommendations." Read more »
Germany will nearly double its funding for home health care to aging Holocaust survivors. Read more »
A group of anti-Israel protesters interrupted the opening of Paris' 10th annual Israeli film festival. Read more »