Yearly Archives 2018

RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — Acclaimed former soccer players from both Brazil and Israel will play a friendly match in the Jewish state next year. The “peace match” will be held on March 26 either in Jerusalem or Haifa. Organizers say Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Bebeto and Emerson… Read more »

(JTA) — Novelist Alice Walker said criticism of her endorsement of an anti-Semitic book is meant to silence her advocacy for Palestinians. The author of “The Color Purple” responded on her website Thursday to a controversy aroused by a feature in The New York Times Book Review Sunday, in… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A pair of brothers was behind two recent shooting attacks at West Bank bus stops that took place four days apart. Asem Barghouti carried out an attack on Dec. 12 near a bus stop outside of the Givat Asaf settlement, killing two soldiers and injuring a… Read more »

BERKELEY, Calif. (JTA) — Ronald Reagan infamously described the “nine most terrifying words in the English language” as “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Right now, pro-Israel activists are recoiling from the unanticipated consequences of state laws which only sought to “help” them fight BDS, the… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — In a letter calling for a policy of treating allies with respect and enemies and rivals with caution, Defense Secretary James Mattis said he would quit his post, days after President Donald Trump launched the withdrawal from Syria of U.S. troops. Mattis in his resignation letter… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Russian spies sought information during the 2016 election on leaders of two major Jewish groups, the Anti-Defamation League and the National Council of Jewish Women, a report said. BuzzFeed reported Thursday that the Russian financial crimes agency sought the information under the auspices of a joint… Read more »

NEW YORK (JTA) — Robert Lappin was in Palm Beach when he found out that his charity was broke and his money was gone. It was the same small, moneyed Florida town where he would see Bernie Madoff at the Breakers Palm Beach, the golf resort where both men… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel will step up its fight against Iran in Syria after the United States withdraws its troops from her neighbor to the north. “We will continue to take very strong action against Iran’s attempts to entrench itself in Syria. In neither of these sectors do we… Read more »

Northwest residents brought their menorahs for a community-wide lighting to celebrate the last night of Hanukkah, Dec. 9, at The Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life in the Northwest.

Northwest celebrates last night of Hanukkah On Sunday, Dec. 9, the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona Northwest Division held its annual family Hanukkah party at The Ruth and Irving Olson Center for Jewish Life. Some 85 people attended, including members of Tucson Hebrew Academy’s choir, who performed, led by… Read more »

Monica Rosenbaum is the new director of member relations at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. She has over 20 years of experience working for JCCs, holding roles from counselor to department director at JCCs in New York (Northern Westchester and Rockland) and Arizona (Scottsdale). Rosenbaum was selected to participate… Read more »

Gregg Garfin, Ph.D.

Gregg Garfin, a climatologist at the University of Arizona, was a lead author on the Southwest chapter of the national climate change report, “Impacts, Risks and Adaptation in the United States,” released Nov. 23 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Five other UA researchers worked on the… Read more »

Michael Jurkowitz, son of Dan and Lisa Jurkowitz, will celebrate becoming a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Dec. 22, at Congregation Anshei Israel. He is the grandson of Chaya and Harvey Jurkowitz of Tucson and Joan and Andre Klein of Phoenix. Michael attends Alice Vail Middle School, where he plays… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Eliot Engel, a Democrat who reviles President Donald Trump, and Lee Zeldin, a Republican who eagerly embraces the president, happen to have plenty in common. They are Jewish congressman from New York known for their pro-Israel leadership, and they share a distant relative. They were also… Read more »

LONDON (JTA) — Two and half years ago, Murray Lee voted in favor of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union. A Jewish real-estate agent from northern London, Murray shared the concerns of many in the leave camp over the United Kingdom’s perceived vulnerability to Europe’s immigration problems. If… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Albania has expelled two Iranian diplomats, reportedly due to to their involvement in a plan to attack a soccer match featuring the Israeli team. Albania expelled Amb. Gholamhossein Mohammadnia and a diplomat, accusing them of “involvement in activities that harm the country’s security” and for “violating… Read more »

(JTA) — A senior lawmaker for Britain’s Labour Party who was facing sexual harassment allegations has quit the party, citing its anti-Semitism problem. Ivan Lewis , who is Jewish, resigned on Thursday from Labour, where he had served as chief whip — a post whose duties include enforcing coalition… Read more »

This article originally appeared on The Nosher. What a year — delis opened, delis closed, we talked about rainbow bagels, and reviewed the history of pickles in America. And now it’s time to look ahead to what will be happening in Jewish food for the coming year. Bread is… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Airbnb executive visited the West Bank and met with Jewish settlement leaders amid criticism of its decision to remove Jewish-owned properties in the disputed territories from its short-term rental listings. Chris Lehane, head of global policy and public affairs for the company, met Tuesday with… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The ceremony was cozy formal: Yes there was a color guard and a military band, but the Supreme Court justice brought along her personal trainer, and one of the speakers introduced Ruth Bader Ginsburg as “The Notorious RBG.” The Department of Homeland Security randomly selected 31… Read more »

LOS ANGELES (JTA)– Israel’s more than half-century courtship to win an Oscar for best foreign-language film will continue past 2019. Since submitting its first entry — and winning its first nomination — for “Sallah” in 1964, Israel has made the short list of top nominees 10 times, without… Read more »