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Sen. Joseph Lieberman participates in the Race for the Cure event in Jerusalem in 2010 with his wife. Hadassah, left, and Komen founder Nancy Brinker. (Photo U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv)

NCJW applauds Komen Foundation for reversing decision on Planned Parenthood funding

Posted under National, News on February 3rd, 2012. Leave a Comment »

February 3, 2012, Washington, DC — The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) today commended the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® foundation for reversing its decision to defund cancer screenings performed by Planned Parenthood. NCJW CEO Nancy K. Kaufman released the following statement: “NCJW was deeply disappointed when the Susan G. Komen for the [...]

On Israel, think tanks adopts a more cautious apporach, even as anger at critics lingers

Posted under National, News on February 1st, 2012. Leave a Comment »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — In one corner was the Center for American Progress, or CAP, arguably Washington’s leading liberal think tank. In the other was Josh Block, a pugnacious former spokesman for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, who aggressively pushed the notion to reporters that CAP has an Israel problem. Nearly two months after their [...]

Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, seen here addressing a regional economic summit in Tehran in May 2011, says he is "optimistic" that nuclear inspectors will not find anything amiss this week during their visit to the country. (Parmida Rahimi via Creative Commons)

On Iranian nuclear issue, mixed signals proliferate

Posted under Israel, Middle East, National, News on January 31st, 2012. Leave a Comment »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Israel, the United States and Iran have all gone deep into mixed-signals territory. Conversations with Israeli officials, including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, left one prominent journalist convinced that Israel will strike Iran by year’s end. Yet two weeks ago, Barak had said that any possible Israeli attack on Iran is “far off.” [...]

In honor of Ledbetter anniversary, NCJW calls for passage of Paycheck Fairness Act

Posted under National, News on January 31st, 2012. Leave a Comment »

January 31, 2012, Washington, D.C. — Upon the third anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by President Obama, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) yesterday called upon Congress to complete the task of ensuring workplace equality by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act. NCJW CEO Nancy K. Kaufman released the [...]

$Activists connected to Jews Against Hydrofracking demonstrating in New Jersey on Nov. 21. (Jews Against Hydrofracking)$

Activists connected to Jews Against Hydrofracking demonstrating in New Jersey on Nov. 21. (Jews Against Hydrofracking)

In Jewish fracking debate, it’s the environment vs. energy independence — and energy’s winning

Posted under National, News on January 31st, 2012. Leave a Comment »

NEW YORK (JTA) – To frack or not to frack? As concerns mount over the environmental and public health consequences of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, Jewish groups are coalescing around a strategy that supports efforts to extract natural gas from shale rock while seeking to mitigate its worst effects. In May, the Jewish Council [...]

Baltimore area mourns Jewish airman killed in Afghanistan

Posted under National, Religion & Jewish Life on January 24th, 2012. Leave a Comment »

BALTIMORE (Baltimore Jewish Times) — On his Facebook page, Airman 1st Class Matthew Ryan Seidler posted the lyrics to one of his favorite tunes, “Opportunity” by Australian singer-songwriter Pete Murray. “Your coffee’s warm but your milk is sour/Life is short but you’re here to flower,” the lyrics state. “Dream yourself along another day/Never miss opportunity.” [...]

Republicans — and Democrats — pitch to Florida’s Jews

Posted under National, News on January 24th, 2012. Leave a Comment »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Barack Obama won’t show up on the vote tallies after polls close in Florida’s Republican primary on Jan. 31, but the president’s supporters already are waging a fight for the Sunshine State. Democrats are rolling out a campaign to rival any of the GOP candidates, with a particular focus on the state’s [...]

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords hugs Daniel Hernandez, the former congressional intern who helped save her life, at a private gathering Jan. 23. (Facebook.com)

Giffords resigns from Congress, is honored in emotional farewell

Posted under Local, National, News on January 23rd, 2012. Leave a Comment »

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was wounded in an assassination attempt on Jan. 8, 2011, announced Sunday that she would resign from Congress. In a dramatic two-minute video posted on her congressional website, Giffords said she will step down as she continues her recovery. “I have more work to do on my recovery, so [...]

A swastika spray-painted on a window of Temple Beth Israel in Hackensack, N.J., Dec. 10, 2011. (ADL)

After attacks on synagogues in New Jersey, heightened security — and anxiety

Posted under National, News on January 20th, 2012. Leave a Comment »

NEW YORK (JTA) — As Jews in some northern New Jersey communities made their way to synagogue last Shabbat, the scene was slightly different from the typical day of rest. Extra police cars were on patrol near synagogues. At Bnei Yeshurun in Teaneck, a new buzzer system had been installed. And at Ahavath Torah in [...]

Delay of U.S.-Israel anti-missile exercise fuels speculation

Posted under Israel, National, News on January 17th, 2012. Leave a Comment »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The decision by Israel and the United States to delay a massive joint anti-missile exercise set off a frenzy of speculation as to what the move says about relations between the two allies amid mounting tensions with Iran. U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed to JTA over the weekend that they had delayed [...]