World News
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For one group of friends separated by geography, a single Israel experience builds lifelong bonds
When Ashley Inbar of Portland, Maine, got married in a traditional Jewish ceremony at the Jamaican beach resort of Ocho Rios in early January, there were five very special names on the guest list. Just half a decade earlier, they were all complete strangers. But then they met in Israel on an unusual Birthright trip…
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The ‘iconic’ Jewish foods that make New York New York
(New York Jewish Week) — In 2004, June Hersh and her family sold the Bronx-based lighting business that her father founded almost 50 years earlier. Hersh, along with her mother, sister and their husbands, all worked there. The day of the sale, her sister, Andrea Greene, turned to Hersh and said: “We did well! Now,…
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In major step, Israeli judicial reform bill passes first parliamentary vote
(JTA) — The Israeli government’s controversial judicial reform plan cleared a major hurdle as its parliament, the Knesset, voted to advance a key piece of the plan. The 63-47 vote took place early Tuesday morning, following a second week of mass protests outside the Knesset in Jerusalem. The bill was introduced by Prime Minister Benjamin…
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‘There was no time to sleep’: 4 Jews reflect on a year of helping Ukrainians at war
(JTA) — In the months after Russian tanks rolled into her country last February, the music largely stopped for Elizaveta Sherstuk. The founder of a Jewish choral ensemble called Aviv in her hometown of Sumy, in the northeastern flank of Ukraine, Sherstuk had to put singing aside in favor of her day job and personal…
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Richard Belzer, eminently recognizable Jewish comedian and character actor, dies at 78
(JTA) — Richard Belzer wasn’t just a hard-boiled Jew who rose from a troubled childhood to the top of his field — he played one on TV. Belzer, who died Sunday at 78, was a familiar face because of his longstanding roles on “Homicide: Life on the Streets,” “Law and Order: SVU” and other TV…
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Major Diaspora philanthropists warn of danger to Israeli democracy
(JTA) – They have donated untold millions to develop Israel and defend it from its detractors. Now, a group of major philanthropists in North America have come together to warn that Israeli democracy is in jeopardy as the new government seeks to overhaul the judiciary and grant itself veto power over Supreme Court rulings. Fifteen…
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‘A battle of Jews against Jews’? Arab Israelis debate whether and how to join Israel’s democracy protests
TAYIBE, Israel (JTA) — Prominent figures among Israel’s Arab minority are calling on its members to join the mass protests against the Netanyahu government’s judicial overhaul plan, arguing that Arabs will be the first victims of any weakening of the Supreme Court. “If the government succeeds it will make our chances for equality and a…
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Yeshiva U. basketball team forfeits crucial game, citing inadequate warmup time after Shabbat
(JTA) — If Yeshiva University’s men’s basketball team had won its game Saturday night, it would have gone into the postseason ranked No. 1 in its division yet again. But it didn’t even play. That’s because the Maccabees’ game against the Farmingdale State College Rams was canceled after its scheduled tipoff time, with Y.U.’s athletic…
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‘Mind your own business,’ Israel’s Diaspora minister tells US ambassador about judicial reform urging
(JTA) — The Israeli minister responsible for relations with Jews in the Diaspora has a message for the government of the country where most of them live: “Mind your own business.” Amichai Chikli made the comment Sunday in a radio interview in Israel, where he was asked to address recent comments by U.S. ambassador Tom…
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Israeli airstrike kills five in Damascus, Syrian officials say
(JTA) — An Israeli airstrike on a building in central Damascus on Saturday killed five people and injured 15, according to Syrian officials. The strike occurred in the neighborhood of Kafr Sousa, which is the site of Iranian security institutions, according to Reuters. Iran and its proxy militias have had a heavy presence in Syria…
