Uncategorized
Shoshana Nambi, 34, children’s book author
Shoshana Nambi, 34, grew up in the Abayudaya community in eastern Uganda. As a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College, she is also a student rabbi at Rodeph Sholom, a Reform congregation on the Upper West Side. Nambi, a mother of a teenage daughter who lives on the Upper West Side, recently authored a picture book, “The Very Best Sukkah: A Story from Uganda” which is “about the Jewish holiday of Sukkot and the joyful way it is celebrated in my community,” as she describes it; the children’s book just won a 2023 National Jewish Book Award and was also named a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. In addition, Nambi was recently selected as a Uganda representative on the newly formed Sub-Saharan African Jewish Alliance, and yet, as she tells us, “of my accomplishments, moving from a small rural community in Uganda to the big city of New York with my daughter has been a thrilling adventure.”
For the full list of this year’s 36 to Watch — which honors leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers who are making a difference in New York’s Jewish community — click here.
Who is your New York Jewish hero?
My friend and mentor Harriet Bograd, who passed away last September. I met Harriet and her husband, Ken, when I was about 14 in Uganda. When I came to New York City, they opened their house for my daughter and me. Harriet was the president of Kulanu, and she treasured her connection with Jews from around the world, including mentoring many young leaders from my community in Uganda.
What’s a fun/surprising fact about you?
My daughter and I love Marvel superhero action movies.
How does your Jewish identity or experience influence your work?
I grew up in a small Jewish community, with my house a 10-minute walk away from the synagogue. Growing around the Jewish community shaped my love for Jewish community, which I hope to help sustain as a rabbi.
Was there a formative Jewish experience that influenced your life path?
When my rabbi in Uganda was ordained in 2008, he insisted on an egalitarian community where women have equal leadership rights. Sitting through some of the heated discussions was an inspiration that rabbis are changemakers.
Do you have a favorite inspiring quote?
“This is one of the goals of the Jewish way of living: to experience commonplace deeds as spiritual adventures, to feel the hidden love and wisdom in all things.” —Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
What is your favorite place to eat Jewish food in New York?
We mostly eat at home but we love Tsion Cafe, an Ethiopian restaurant in Harlem, and West Side Wok, a kosher takeout place.
What are three spots in NYC that all Jewish New Yorkers should visit?
I’m hoping to visit the Susan Alexandra flagship store, a very inspiring store on the Lower East Side; Green-Wood Cemetery, where Leonard Bernstein and Varian Fry are buried; the beautiful sanctuary at Congregation Rodeph Sholom.
How can people follow you online?
On Instagram @Shoshana_ Nambi
Want to keep up with stories of other innovative Jewish New Yorkers? Click here to subscribe to the New York Jewish Week’s free email newsletter.
—
The post Shoshana Nambi, 34, children’s book author appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Uncategorized
Defense Minister Moves to Shut Down Israel’s Historic Army Radio Station
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz looks on, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Jerusalem, Nov. 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said he plans to bring a proposal to the government on Sunday to close Galei Tzahal, the Israel Defense Forces’ radio station, ending a broadcast operation that has been on the air for more than seven decades.
If approved, the shutdown would take effect on March 1, 2026.
The announcement has triggered sharp backlash from journalists, legal experts, and civil society groups, who warn the move could have far-reaching implications for press freedom. Tal Lev-Ram, the station’s commander, has already signaled that Galei Tzahal’s leadership intends to challenge the decision in the High Court of Justice. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara also voiced concern, cautioning that the plan could amount to political intervention in public media and pose risks to freedom of expression.
Criticism has also come from the Israeli Press Council, headed by former Supreme Court justice Hanan Melcer, which labeled the proposed closure unlawful.
The council argued that dismantling a public broadcaster requires explicit legislation passed by the Knesset, not a government decision alone. Advocacy organizations, including the Movement for Quality Government, said they are preparing legal petitions as well.
Katz defended the initiative by citing the findings of a professional review committee, which concluded that a military-run radio station broadcasting political and current affairs programming to the general public represents a “democratic anomaly.”
He argued that Galei Tzahal has moved beyond its original mandate of serving soldiers and their families.
The committee examined a range of alternatives, such as converting the station into a music-only outlet or partially privatizing its operations.
Ultimately, it recommended either closing the station altogether or significantly scaling it back by removing political content. Katz noted that Galgalatz, the popular music station operated by the army, would continue broadcasting under the proposed plan.
Uncategorized
Trilateral Summit: Israel, Greece, Cyprus to Discuss Regional Security
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participates in the state memorial ceremony for the fallen of the Iron Swords War on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem on Oct. 16, 2025. Photo: Alex Kolomoisky/POOL/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – Jerusalem will host a trilateral summit tomorrow, bringing together leaders from Israel, Greece, and Cyprus to discuss strengthening security cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean.
The summit follows reports by Amichai Stein of i24NEWS last week that the three countries are considering the formation of a joint rapid-response military unit.
The Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with each of his counterparts before convening the full trilateral session, which will conclude with a joint press statement outlining the summit’s outcomes.
Media reports indicate that the initiative is driven in part by concerns in Athens over Turkey’s growing military activity in the region. The proposed rapid-response force is expected to enhance coordination, readiness, and overall security among the three allies.
Analysts say the meeting could solidify Israel, Greece, and Cyprus’s strategic partnership and signal a more unified approach to regional defense challenges.
Uncategorized
Justice Department Restores Trump Photo to Public Database of Epstein Files
An exterior image from the U.S. Virgin Islands property on Little St. James once owned by Jeffrey Epstein. via U.S. Justice Department
A photo of US President Donald Trump that had been removed from the cache of Jeffrey Epstein files released by the Department of Justice was restored on Sunday after officials determined none of Epstein’s victims were in the image, the department said.
The photo showing a desk with an open drawer containing a photo of Trump with various women was flagged by the Southern District of New York for review to protect potential victims.
“After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction,” the Justice Department said on X on Sunday.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said earlier on Sunday his office removed the photo because of concerns about women in the photo. “It has nothing to do with President Trump,” Blanche said during a Sunday morning appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press with Kristen Welker.”
The Justice Department released thousands of documents on Friday related to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender who committed suicide in 2019. But it has drawn criticism, including from some Republicans, over extensive redactions and few documents mentioning Trump despite his well-publicized friendship with Epstein.
During an ABC News interview on Sunday, Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called for a “full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required.”
Up to 16 photos, including the desk drawer Trump image, were removed on Saturday from the Justice Department website, according to The New York Times, NPR and the Associated Press, although Reuters could not independently confirm the removals.
The Justice Department said on Sunday it acted with an abundance of caution after receiving requests from alleged victims and their lawyers to remove information.
Trump has not been accused of wrongdoing and has denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes.