Yearly Archives 2017

In the shadow of Wrigley, Chicago’s newest kosher deli pitches cured meats and good deeds

An exhibit at the Jewish baseball museum at Milt's Extra Innings in Chicago. At left is deli worker Zahava Auerbach. (Ellen Braunstein)

CHICAGO (JTA) — Baseball gloves and caricatures of famous ballplayers adorn the walls of Milt’s Extra Innings — no surprise for a deli that’s a short drive from Wrigley Field, the fabled home of the Chicago Cubs. But look closely and the picture becomes a little more unexpected: The… Read more »

Congress will miss its deadline to reimpose sanctions on Iran deal. What happens next?

Activists in front of the White House protest President Donald Trump's decision to decertify the Iran deal, Oct. 12, 2017. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

  WASHINGTON (JTA) — Two months ago, President Donald Trump triggered a deadline about to come due on the Iran nuclear deal by decertifying Iran’s compliance. That meant Congress had 60 days to reimpose sanctions. Sixty days later — on Dec. 12 — Congress is not about to reimpose… Read more »

Debates with Israel weigh on Reform movement’s largest-ever gathering

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, addresses delegates at its 2017 biennial in Boston, Dec. 7, 2017. (Courtesy of the Union for Reform Judaism)

BOSTON (JTA) – President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel became an unexpected agenda item as 6,000 members of the Reform movement from across North America gathered here for their four-day convention. Addressing the Union for Reform Judaism’s 2017 biennial on Friday, Sen. Elizabeth… Read more »

Al Franken’s resignation pains his Jewish fans in Minnesota

Sen. Al Franken at a Capitol Hill committee hearing on hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, Nov. 14, 2017. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

  (JTA) — It’s a shame Al Franken has to go, Minnesota Jews say. But he has to go. That’s the feeling Minnesota Jewish leaders expressed a day after the Democratic senator announced he would resign his seat in the coming weeks following a string of sexual harassment allegations… Read more »

At a Jerusalem market, shrugs greet an announcement from President Trump

Uzi Sharabi sells baked goods at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem, Dec. 6, 2017. (Andrew Tobin)

JERUSALEM (JTA) — President Donald Trump’s official recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital may have sent shock waves across the Middle East. But here, in the epicenter of a city where fewer than a million people work, eat, pray and shop, the first day’s reaction was muted. The municipality… Read more »

OP-ED Winners and losers as the US recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

A patron at a Jerusalem pub watches as President Donald Trump recognizes the city as Israel's capital, Dec. 6, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

(JTA) — President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and his announcement that he will move the embassy there from Tel Aviv will have a number of consequences for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region. For Israel, it has finally received from an American president… Read more »

Following Trump’s declaration, European Union doubles down on its Jerusalem policy

President Emmanuel Macron of France at an EU meeting in Brussels, Oct. 19, 2017. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

  AMSTERDAM (JTA) — Following President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and pledge to move the U.S. Embassy there, Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett said Jews all over the world “expect the rest of the world to follow suit.” If that’s true, they may be in… Read more »

Trump’s Jerusalem announcement is a big deal — but won’t actually change much

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Feb. 15, 2017. (Andrew Harrer/Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — In announcing U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, President Donald Trump spoke loud and clear — except when he didn’t. That’s not to say that Israel and many of its supporters weren’t thrilled with what many called the “long overdue” acknowledgement by the United States… Read more »

Trump recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House, Feb. 15, 2017. (Andrew Harrer/Pool/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, but emphasized that he was not pre-empting negotiations over the final status of the city. “It is time to officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” Trump said in a televised address from the… Read more »

In Budapest, Hanukkah comes out of the shadows and onto the ice rink

Rabbi Slomo Koves, right, and a participant at Chabad Hungary's 2015 Hanukkah on Ice event take selfies at Budapest's City Park Ice Rink, Dec. 6, 2015. (Courtesy of EMIH)

  BUDAPEST (JTA) — The outdoor ice skating rink — the largest in Central Europe — in Budapest’s city center has been part and parcel of Hungary’s Christmas tradition for nearly 150 years. Stretching across 3.5 acres between Heroes’ Square and Vajdahunyad Castle, the Budapest City Park Ice Rink… Read more »

Why Jewish groups aren’t thrilled about the upcoming tax overhaul

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks as other Republican leaders in the Senate, from left to right, Orrin Hatch, John Thune and John Cornyn, look on, Nov. 28, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

  WASHINGTON (JTA) — Staring at a massive defeat, Jewish groups dealing with social safety net issues are looking at the tax plan about to reach its final stages in Congress and hoping they can snatch a few small victories. The hope is that lawmakers in reconciling the bills… Read more »

Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is ‘naked aggression,’ Islamic nations warn Trump

President Donald Trump speaks at the Rotunda of the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City, Dec. 4, 2017. (George Frey/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital would be an act of “naked aggression” that would cause the United States to lose “its mediating role” in the Middle East, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation said. The statement by the group, representing 57 countries, came as President Donald Trump… Read more »

Contrasting textures create vibrant design

(Robin Stancliff)

Living in the beautiful Sonoran Desert, we are surrounded by many textures and colors. Think for a moment of the vibrant yellow palo verde blossoms, blaze orange from the desert bird of paradise, vibrant fuchsia from bougainvillea, or the endless shades of blue from sunrise to sunset of our… Read more »