Yearly Archives 2011

PHILADELPHIA (Jewish Exponent) — By now, the whole world knows the name and face of Joshua Fattal, the 29-year-old Elkins Park, Pa., native who spent 26 months in an Iranian prison before being reunited with his family last week in Oman and arriving back on U.S. soil on Sunday.… Read more »

Daniel Libeskind's design for the national Museum of the Jewish People (Courtesy Ori Soltes)

WASHINGTON (Washington Jewish Week) — Washington needs a major national museum of the Jewish people — at least that’s what a group of local heavy hitters and international Jewish celebrities believes. They have been trying for more than five years to get that museum built, and a decision to… Read more »

Waving the lulav and etrog, symbols of the fall harvest, is one way to Sukkot pleasure -- especially for kids. (Dasee Berkowitz)

NEW YORK (JTA) — But are you happy? No, this isn’t your mother wanting another update on your life. It’s not Dr. Phil’s provocative question through your TV/computer screen as you sit (safely) on your couch. And it isn’t someone reading you the Declaration of Independence wondering if you… Read more »

Jessica Chastain and Sam Worthington star in "The Debt." (Laurie Sparham/Focus Features)

LOS ANGELES (Jewish Journal) — As Jessica Chastain was preparing for her role in the Mossad thriller “The Debt,” her voluminous research led her to the story of a survivor who witnessed the destruction of her entire family in the Holocaust. “It was a woman’s memory of something she… Read more »

NEW YORK (JTA) — Will the Jewish vote, normally overwhelmingly Democratic, be up for grabs in 2012? That question became a subject of intense debate when a Republican was elected recently to the House of Representatives from New York’s 9th Congressional District for the first time in 90 years.… Read more »

Palestinians in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah, faced off against Israeli soldiers during their weekly protest on the same day that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas submitted a bid for Palestinian statehood to the United Nations, Sept. 23, 2011. (Isasm Rimawi/Flash 90/JTA)

RAMALLAH, West Bank (JTA) — A larger-than-life sky-blue chair with the word “Palestine” dominates the center of Manara Square in downtown Ramallah. The Palestinian flag, a national symbol once banned by Israel, flies everywhere. Long banners of flags crisscross the square, huge flags decorate the sides of buildings, and… Read more »

NEW YORK (JTA) — Mahmoud Abbas outlined a vision for an independent Palestine that hewed to the two-state formula but also revived rhetoric that hearkened back to an era of Palestinian belligerence. Shortly after concluding his speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, the Palestinian Authority president was… Read more »

President Obama, meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Dilma Roussef, at the United Nations, is canvassing world leaders to oppose a bid by the Palestinians for statehood recognition, Sept. 20, 2011. (Office of Brazilian president)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Was it a speech to help launch his campaign for re-election, or an address to bury hopes for immediate Palestinian statehood recognition? Both assessments marked the immediate reaction to President Obama’s speech Wednesday at the United Nations General Assembly, and there was ammunition for both arguments.… Read more »

Diana Golbi performed in new york on behalf of ELEM, a nonprofit Israeli organization that helps "distressed youth" from whcih she herself benefited in her earlier teens. (Courtesy ELEM)

NEW YORK (JTA) — For her first visit to New York and the United States, Diana Golbi adopted the unofficial uniform of most city dwellers — head-to-toe black. Black shirt, black top and tight black jeans. Her long brown hair was straight and hung past her shoulders. Pointing to… Read more »

Jason Epstein, in the Besiktas municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, in 2010.

WASHINGTON (JTA) — When Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses the United Nations this week, he likely will repeat his demand that the world body “raise the Palestinian flag” without acknowledging that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas refuses to negotiate with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders… Read more »

Shoshana Hebshi

TOLEDO, Ohio (j. weekly) — When I wrote an article nine years ago about going on a press trip to Israel, I was just beginning to explore the implications of my Arab-Jewish heritage on my life. The trip was eye opening for me in many ways, chiefly because it… Read more »

VILNIUS, Lithuania (JTA) — Faina Kukliansky entered the theater alone, waved at a few friends and sat down to watch “I Shot My Love,” the Israeli documentary film that kicked off Lithuania’s first gay film festival. Some other Lithuanian Jews, she said, have told her to avoid such events… Read more »

BUDAPEST, Hungary (JTA) — It’s not easy to decipher the complicated trajectory of Jewish life in post-communist Europe. “There are claims and counterclaims about contemporary European Jewish life,” Jonathan Boyd, the executive director of London’s Institute for Jewish Policy Research, said. “At one end of the spectrum there are reports… Read more »

Congregation M’kor Hayim will hold an orientation for its second Mussar study group on Oct. 4, 7-9 p.m., at Tucson Hebrew Academy, with Rabbi Helen Cohn and facilitator Nan Rubin. The ancient Jewish practice of Mussar, rooted in Jewish texts, is an ethical and spiritual approach to daily life.… Read more »

BARRETT AVIGDOR has joined the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, a Tucson-based nonprofit organization, as deputy director.  Avigdor is a graduate of The University of Chicago Law School and a former Fulbright scholar to Brazil.  Prior to joining the National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade, Avigdor… Read more »

A son, VINCENT ANTHONY SMITH, was born Aug. 21, 2011 to Ilana Adi Edelman-Smith and Brandon Smith of Tucson. Grandparents are Julie Szerina Stein of Tucson, Claudio and Sarah Edelman of North Carolina, and Carol Ann and Gary Smith of Tucson. Great-grandparents are Johanna and Richard Stein of Tucson,… Read more »

Identical twin sons, LUKE WOLFE MEISLIN and HUNTER WARREN MEISLIN, were born June 20, 2011 to Gina and Justin Meislin of Tucson. Grandparents are Lori Meislin and Harvey Meislin, M.D., of Tucson. Luke and Hunter join their brother, Matthew Jakob Meislin.… Read more »

REBECCA IRENE HIPP, daughter  of Mollie Holtzman-Hipp and David Hipp, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah with her cousin Zoe Holtzman on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Congregation Chaverim. She is the granddaughter of Barbara and the late Stuart Holtzman of Tucson, and Sandra and David Hipp of Aurora, Ill.… Read more »

ZOE MICHELLE HOLTZMAN, daughter of Kyra and Barney Holtzman, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah with her cousin Rebecca Hipp on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Congregation Chaverim. She is the granddaughter of Barbara and the late Stuart Holtzman of Tucson, and Linda and Michael Padden of Anchorage, Alaska. Zoe… Read more »

CHRISTINA ANGELIQUE KAUFMAN, daughter  of Adriana and Jeff Kaufman, will celebrate becoming a Bat Mitzvah on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Temple Emanu-El. She is the granddaughter of Irene Samuels of Laguna Woods, Calif., Ronald Kaufman of Tucson, and Nilda and the late Mario Olea of Tucson. Christina attends Old… Read more »