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Reuben Efron, the CIA agent who tracked JFK’s assassin, tried to recruit his nephew — to be an observant Jew
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Visiting his uncle Reuben in his Washington D.C. law office when he was a teenager, something seemed amiss for Barry Effron.
“There was a wooden desk, and a couple of wooden chairs, [but] there were no bookcases,” he recalled of the visit, which would have taken place in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Lawyers frequently have legal volumes at arm’s reach, but the absence of bookshelves wasn’t the first gap that Barry and his dad, Irving, had noticed when it came to Irving’s brother. “He had traveled a lot, yet he had no visible means of support,” Effron said this month in an interview.
Reuben Efron did, in fact, have a good job, one that would have come with a pension and a generous expense account. He was a CIA spy, and documents recently declassified by the Biden administration show that Efron was involved in tracking John F. Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in the years prior.
After that revelation, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency uncovered another side to Efron: a scholar who after his retirement wrote passionately about spies in the Bible, applying the spycraft he learned on the job to assess figures as diverse as Joshua, David and Rahab the courtesan.
Reuben Efron was expansive about his Orthodox faith, Barry Effron recalled, urging Barry to intensify his Jewish observance. “He talked mostly about Judaism, about being religious and being righteous, being prayerful.”
Jewish spies have at times been integral to the American intelligence complex, and at others have been viewed as suspect because of their purported ties to Israel. Efron seems to have been among those who thrived in the service.
Abba Cohen, the Washington director of Agudath Israel of America, whose father was an Orthodox CIA agent, recalled in an email that his parents socialized with the Efrons when they lived in Washington in the 1970s, as members of both the Orthodox and CIA communities.
“I would visit them for dinner after school sometimes, as the Rittenhouse where they lived was across the street from the Hebrew Academy on 16th Street,” he said. “Reuben was an extremely good-natured, low-key, scholarly and modest person.” The friendship between his parents and the Efrons continued after both couples moved to Israel, Cohen said.
After the D.C. visit, the Effrons, father and son, began to put two and two together. (Reuben Efron, the elder brother, and Irving Effron spelled their last names differently.)
“He didn’t have much of a law practice, he knew a lot of languages and he was very, very, very erudite, and he traveled a lot and he had a PhD in international affairs, and he wrote dense scholarly articles that appeared in places like Foreign Affairs Quarterly,” said Barry Effron, who is now a cardiologist in Cleveland. “We thought Reuben was in the CIA.”
The turmoil of the first half of the last century kept the brothers apart for years; Irving Effron was the first to come to the United States, finding work with uncles in Cleveland. Then he returned to their native Lithuania. He used his skills in English to return to the United States via England as Hitler’s shadow loomed larger over Europe; around the same time Reuben managed to arrive in the United States via Cuba. Their widowed mother perished in the Holocaust.
The brothers were not close, but they kept in touch and got together for major occasions; Reuben Efron attended Barry Effron’s bar mitzvah in Cleveland and his wedding in Columbus, and Irving and his wife attended Reuben’s late-in-life wedding to Edna, the “spinster” secretary at the Orthodox synagogue in Miami where Reuben prayed.
The wedding was at the Fontainebleau. Efron in his retirement had purchased an apartment on ritzy Collins Avenue, and also a garden apartment on Keren Hayesod street in the heart of Jerusalem. For Barry Effron, the displays of wealth were additional evidence that there was more to his uncle than met the eye.
Lorri, Barry’s wife, chimed in during his interview, saying she recalled that Reuben Efron’s Jerusalem apartment was near those of government officials (he lived a five-minute walk away from the prime minister’s residence). “He used to have meetings,” she said. (Barry Effron did not recall that detail.)
When they visited him, whether it was in Miami or in Jerusalem, much of the conversation was about Jewish observance, Effron recalled.
“He was proud of his religion, he believed in Jewish law and he believed in kashrut, he believed in davening and all that so he was particularly interested in passing it on,” Effron said. “He had no children of his own, so he was interested in conveying his love of Judaism to his nephew and niece,” Barry’s sister.
He was taken with his great-nieces, Barry and Lorri Effron’s daughters. One had bright blue eyes; he would call her a “shayneh maydeleh,” Yiddish for pretty girl. One of the last times they saw him before he died in 1993, at a home for the elderly in Florida, the girls joined him in Shabbat prayers.
Barry’s family was all Reuben had, Barry Effron said, besides his wife, Edna. “He had my dad and then he had my sister and me,” he said.
Irving Effron was proud of his brother. Effron recalled that his father kept copies of Foreign Policy Quarterly, with its august gray cover and its thick interiors paginated by volume instead of by issue, inside a desk drawer. He was thrilled to see his brother’s name on the same contents page that had featured luminaries like Henry Kissinger.
“My dad was very proud of it, even though he probably didn’t understand the article and of course I didn’t as a young kid or a teenager, but that was pretty exciting,” Effron said.
After Reuben Efron died in 1993 and Irving Effron died in 1996, Barry Effron took to searching for clues about his uncle on the Internet. He soon realized that his and his father’s guess, that Reuben was a CIA agent, was correct.
One piece of evidence was Efron’s presence as a translator for Marina Oswald, the assassin’s Russian-speaking widow, when she was interrogated by the congressional committee investigating the assassination. Another was his uncle’s involvement in the alleged sighting of a UFO in the Soviet Union, while accompanying U.S. Sen. Richard Russell, a Georgia Democrat on a visit to the Soviet Union.
“The guy’s traveling in Russia at the height of the Cold War in 1957, with a congressman, he’s obviously a CIA attache of some kind,” he said.
Barry Effron was in Israel recently for a wedding. He sought out the Keren Hayesod address where his uncle once lived.
“It’s now a very wealthy area in Jerusalem,” he said. He would have ventured closer, but he couldn’t find parking.
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The post Reuben Efron, the CIA agent who tracked JFK’s assassin, tried to recruit his nephew — to be an observant Jew appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Israeli Forces Redeploy to Northern Gaza to Quell Hamas Resurgence
Smoke rises following Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia refugee camp northern Gaza Strip, May 13, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa/File Photo
JNS.org – The Israel Defense Forces said on Sunday that Israeli forces had encircled Jabaliya in northern Gaza ahead of an operation there to prevent Hamas from reestablishing itself there.
The army said that soldiers from the 162nd Division were redeployed to the Jabaliya area overnight Saturday after being stationed along the Philadelphi Corridor separating Gaza from Egypt’s Sinai.
Troops from the 401st and 460th brigades had encircled the area and were continuing to operate there on Sunday, according to the IDF. They were assisted by the Israeli Air Force before and during the ground operation, directed by the 215th Brigade. Among the targets hit were weapons storage facilities, underground infrastructure, terrorist cells and additional military sites.
The terror group reported that during the operation 30 people were killed and 150 were injured.
“This operation to systematically dismantle terrorist infrastructure in the area will continue as long as required in order to achieve its objectives,” the IDF said.
The 162nd Division last month defeated Hamas’s Rafah brigade after four months of targeted raids in the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city near the border with Egypt.
Speaking with reporters on Sept. 12, 162nd Division commander Brig. Gen. Itzik Cohen declared that “four battalions have been destroyed, and we have completed operational control over the entire urban area.”
However, intelligence showing a Hamas resurgence in Jabaliya prompted the 162nd Division to move north to the neighborhood.
IDF expands al-Mawasi humanitarian zone
The IDF on Sunday morning published a new evacuation map for the northern Gaza Strip, pointing noncombatants to an expanded humanitarian zone at al-Mawasi, which includes field hospitals, tent complexes, food, water, medicine and medical equipment.
As part of the effort to alert the residents of northern Gaza to get out of the active combat zone, the IDF dropped leaflets from the air and Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab Media Branch in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, tweeted in Arabic with accompanying maps.
“The terrorist Hamas continues its attempts to solidify its terrorist infrastructure in your area, exploiting civilians, shelters and medical facilities as human shields,” Adraee wrote, followed by evacuation details.
“I remind you that the northern Gaza Strip remains a dangerous combat zone,” Adraee warned.
Plans to turn northern Gaza into military zone
Kan News reported around a month ago that senior IDF officials were considering a plan to turn the northern Gaza Strip into a military zone.
Known as the “Island Plan,” it would see the IDF evacuate more than 200,000 Gazans from the northern part of the Strip, placing the area entirely under Israeli military control.
Sinwar wants wider war, not interested in a deal
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar wants a wider regional war and is not interested in reaching a ceasefire deal, The New York Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials.
The article noted that Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7 massacre and who is believed to be hiding in Gaza’s vast tunnel network, has long believed that he won’t survive the war and has hardened his attitude in recent weeks.
Hamas holds 101 hostages, including 97 of the 251 kidnapped during the onslaught on the northwestern Negev nearly one year ago, in which 1,200 people were killed and thousands more wounded.
“Hamas has shown no desire at all to engage in talks in recent weeks, U.S. officials say. They suspect that Mr. Sinwar has grown more resigned as Israeli forces pursue him and talk about closing in on him,” according to the Times.
“A larger war that puts pressure on Israel and its military would, in Mr. Sinwar’s assessment, force them to scale back operations in Gaza, the U.S. officials said,” it continued.
However, despite the war widening to include an expanded conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and a direct engagement with Iran, the Gaza front remains active. American officials said that the failure of Hezbollah and Iran to damage Israel signals the miscalculation made by Sinwar.
The Times article noted that some Israeli officials have questioned whether Sinwar is still alive, with American and Israeli officials acknowledging that there has been no sign of him for months. However, in the absence of hard evidence of his death, U.S. officials believe he is still alive and in charge of Hamas.
Qataris say Sinwar ‘disappeared’
Channel 12 reported on Saturday that the Qatari officials involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas told the families of hostages in recent days that Sinwar has “disappeared.”
“Sinwar is currently not communicating with us. He has disappeared from us as well and has not made contact. He stopped using phones because of the assassinations, and now he communicates using paper and pen, which makes things very difficult,” the Qataris reportedly told the relatives.
The Qatari officials also told the family members that they believe Sinwar has surrounded himself with hostages and that despite his disappearance, there is no indication that Sinwar is dead.
The Qataris, who maintain close ties with Hamas, also claimed that Israel’s policy of assassinations makes reaching a deal more difficult.
“Israel’s assassination policy has worsened the deal. In the past, there was Haniyeh, and he was assassinated. Now there is Khaled Mashal, and he is much more difficult than Haniyeh,” they were quoted as saying. However, the families of the hostages say that these claims should be taken with caution due to Doha’s close relations with the terror group.
Sharon Sharabi, the brother of Yossi Sharabi, who was murdered in captivity and whose body is being held by Hamas, criticized the Qataris at the meeting, telling them that “the blood of our families is on your hands because you transferred the money to the terrorists, but you may also be the ones who can try to save the hostages.”
The post Israeli Forces Redeploy to Northern Gaza to Quell Hamas Resurgence first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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NY, MN Shuls Threatened on Rosh Hashanah, Michigan Rabbi Robbed in his Home at Gunpoint
A French police vehicle in the city of Lyon. Photo: Reuters/Xose Bouzas
JNS.org – Police departments in Minneapolis and New York City responded over Rosh Hashanah to threats against Jews worshiping in synagogues.
Minneapolis officers arrested a man on Friday after he allegedly stood outside Temple Israel with a gun on Thursday. The department said that Jaden LeBlanc, 21, also made threatening calls to the Reform congregation last month saying he would “shoot up” the synagogue, KSTP-TV reported.
“Everyone in Minneapolis has the right to feel safe in their communities, and we will ensure our Jewish neighbors are protected as they celebrate the holy days,” Brian O’Hara, the police chief, said, per the television station. “We take all threats made against our religious institutions seriously and will continue to hold the individuals accountable who threaten any of our city’s houses of worship.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee, did not comment on the threat to Minneapolis Jews on social media. (He shared a Rosh Hashanah message on his official governor‘s account, which he reposted from his campaign one.)
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, released a statement on Friday following “multiple” bomb threats at synagogues in the state earlier that day.
“After a comprehensive investigation, it has been determined these were not credible threats. Recognizing the potential for disruptions during this time of year, I had already directed the New York State Police to coordinate with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of all communities,” the governor stated. “This deployment will continue at least through the anniversary of the Oct. 7 terror attacks.”
“These threats are horrific and unacceptable—and targeting houses of worship on one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar is particularly craven,” she stated. “We will not tolerate acts of antisemitism or attempts to incite fear. New Yorkers stand united against all forms of hate and violence.”
Also on Rosh Hashanah, a gunman robbed a rabbi in his home as he held a meal with University of Michigan students, the Detroit News reported.
“Late last night, a group of Jewish students had gathered for dinner at the Southfield home of a local rabbi when, shortly before 11 p.m., an armed individual entered through an open backdoor, stole a bag and fled,” Santa Ono, the university president, stated. “No one was injured and law enforcement officials with the Southfield Police Department are investigating this as a home invasion and a crime of opportunity.”
Per the Detroit News, the gunman did more than just enter, steal a bag and flee. “Investigators believe the suspect, a black man in his late teens or early 20s, entered the home through the back door with a handgun and stated, ‘I’m taking everything, give me everything,’ according to the release,” the paper reported. “The occupants of the home exited through the front door, police said. Officers searched the home, but the suspect had left.”
The post NY, MN Shuls Threatened on Rosh Hashanah, Michigan Rabbi Robbed in his Home at Gunpoint first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US States Order Flags at Half-Staff to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul delivering remarks on major legislation requiring colleges and universities in the state to strengthen hate crime policies. Photo: Darren McGee/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
Multiple US states will lower their flags to half-mast during the day on Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel.
“The hearts of Iowans go out to the innocent Israeli families and American citizens killed by Hamas,” stated Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, who ordered flags lowered at the state Capitol building and on all public grounds and sites in the state. (She encouraged individuals, businesses, schools and others to do the same.)
“Iran and its terrorist proxies continue to attack, as Israeli forces fight to protect their people against the forces of evil,” Reynolds added. “Iowa stands, as it always has, with Israel.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, ordered flags at state buildings at half-mast and that more than 12 landmarks—including several bridges, Empire State Plaza, Niagara Falls, Moynihan Train Hall and 1 World Trade Center—be lit up in yellow “in solidarity with Israel and the hostages still in captivity.”
“One year after the horrific atrocities committed against the people of Israel, my heart goes out to the victims and their families,” Hochul stated. “New York stands with Israel—today and every day.”
“As the home of the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, we will do everything in our power to defend against the forces of hatred and stand firmly against those who perpetuate it,” Hochul added.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a Republican, ordered that the state flag be flown at half-mast throughout Arkansas on Monday.
“Israel is right, and the terrorists are wrong,” she stated. “Arkansas stands with Israel, prays for Israel and supports Israel as they fight to defeat the terrorists and bring the hostages home.”
“This week, Iran launched a missile attack against Israel, emphasizing that this conflict is far from over,” Huckabee Sanders added. “Alongside the ongoing attacks against Israel, there has been a shocking rise in antisemitism and pro-Hamas protests in the United States. These activists deny Israel’s fundamental right to defend itself in this war between good and evil.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, also ordered flags at half-staff on Oct. 7.
“One year after the tragedies of Oct. 7, 2023, we continue to mourn the devastating losses and urge all parties to reach an agreement that immediately returns every hostage and puts an end to the continued suffering of civilians in Israel, Gaza and throughout the region,” Murphy stated.
“Our hearts go out to the families that have been shattered by the terrorist attacks on Oct. 7 and the humanitarian suffering that followed, and we continue to pray for a swift end to the war and restoration of peace across the region,” he added.
“In remembrance of the one-year anniversary of the horrific Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, I invite all Montanans to join me in remembering the innocent victims who were brutally murdered or injured during acts of war committed by Hamas and for the seven Americans still held hostage,” Gianforte stated.
“The State of Montana continues to stand with Israel and the Jewish people as they continue to face unspeakable persecution, hatred and terrorism,” he added.
The post US States Order Flags at Half-Staff to Mark Oct. 7 Anniversary first appeared on Algemeiner.com.