Posts By Jigsaw Digital

Sen. Joe Lieberman, right, talks to Gen. David Petraeus at the International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Afghanistan during a congressional delegation tour, Nov. 10, 2010. (Joshua Treadwell)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Joe Lieberman ascended to national prominence by building one bridge at a time. Then, having reached the pinnacle by becoming the Democratic nominee for  vice president in 2000, he spent 10 years burning bridges. Ultimately, Lieberman’s most celebrated bridge — between America’s non-Christian, non-establishment minorities and… Read more »

Amy Chua has drawn a firestorm of criticism over her book "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" and its synopsis in The Wall Street Journal. (Penguin Press HC)

NEW YORK (JTA) — With her take-no-prisoners approach in “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,” author Amy Chua has drawn the ire of mothers across America who take exception to the draconian measures she recommends to ensure successful, prodigious offspring. So it’s little surprise that prominent among her critics… Read more »

William Daroff

WASHINGTON (JTA) — In the days President Obama was preparing to deliver his State of the Union address, everyone knew the economy would play a major role. What remains unknown is what will result for millions of vulnerable Americans once the applause dies down and the political maneuvering picks… Read more »

BERLIN (Forward) — Muslim teenagers in Hanover attack an Israeli dance troupe, reportedly yelling “Juden raus” as they hurl stones. German leftists march in Berlin with Muslims to protest the 2008–2009 Gaza military conflict. “Death to the Jews!” the marchers chant. At a soccer game between teams from the… Read more »

SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — What should a Jewish teacher say to a child who talks about helping grandma decorate the Christmas tree? “What the teacher should not say is, ‘You’re not supposed to do that — you’re Jewish,’ ” says Rachel Glaser, education director of the religious school at… Read more »

The rapper Shyne, shown leaning against a pillar in the Old City of Jerusalem, says the tenets of Judaism help him become closer to the kind of person he strives to be. (Dena Wimptheimer)

JERUSALEM (JTA) – It was early on during his difficult, isolated years in prison that the former gangsta rapper known as Shyne decided to formally take on the laws of Judaism as his own. Shyne, who legally changed his name in prison from Jamaal Barrows to Moses Levi —… Read more »

NEW YORK (JTA) — A debate among bloggers following Debbie Friedman’s death is raising questions about the obligation of gay and lesbian celebrities to be out front in discussing their sexual orientation. The discussion began with a Jan. 10 post to Jewschool by David Levy lamenting what he described… Read more »

SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — Journalist and author Lisa Alcalay Klug flew across the country this month to present at Limmud NY, the annual New York version of the worldwide Jewish learning extravaganza. The Jan. 14-17 conference in upstate New York was Klug’s seventh Limmud gathering in 12 months. Like… Read more »

Campers at Ramah Darom in Georgia tending to the camp's five-acre organic garden. (Photo courtesy of Ramah Darom)

NEW YORK (JTA) — After the unexpected death of his 26-year-old daughter Jessica last August, Dane Kostin found himself searching for a fitting memorial, a project that would benefit the community and provide an appropriate tribute to a daughter who loved cooking with fresh, seasonal vegetables. Thus was born… Read more »

Hundreds showed up for a demonstration in Tel Aviv's Hatikvah neighborhood against African migrants who have moved into the area in recent years, Dec. 21, 2010. The sign says, "Israeli girls for the Jewish people." (Maariv/Flash90/JTA)

TEL AVIV (JTA) – For the tall 28-year-old from Sudan who calls himself Mike, life in Israel has become a game of survival. Most days, he earns enough money to buy food for dinner doing odd jobs at construction sites or cleaning houses. But with voices against illegal immigrants… Read more »

Crowds of Jews celebrating the annual hillulah at La Ghriba synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia, May 2007. (Larry Luxner)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The violence roiling Tunisia hasn’t put the country’s 1,500 or so Jews in serious jeopardy, but Jewish organizations are increasingly concerned about their fate as massive anti-government protests continue. No Jews have been targeted by the protesters, according to Roger Bismuth, a Jewish businessman and member… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — The post-shooting debate over political civility is cooling down, but passions are still raging over Sarah Palin’s claim that critics were guilty of perpetuating a “blood libel” against her. Palin’s initial use of the term, in a Jan. 12 video message, drew sharp rebukes from liberal,… Read more »

(JTA) — Debbie Friedman, the popular singer and songwriter who died Jan. 9, wrote the following for “I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl,” a collection of writings following the 2002 murder of Wall Street reporter Daniel Pearl. Dear Daniel, This is the… Read more »

Messages and tributes left by Tucsonans in front of University Medical Center on Jan. 15, 2011 (Sheila Wilensky)

It’s been nearly three weeks since the assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the murders of six Tucsonans, and the wounding of 12 others. For many members of the Jewish community, the singing of the Mi Shebeirach, a prayer/song of healing,  framed the week following the shooting rampage.  On… Read more »

In addition to the tragic shootings that occurred at Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ “Congress on Your Corner” event last Saturday, the Jewish world experienced the untimely loss of a beloved star, composer and performer, Debbie Friedman, 59.  She was best known for writing music that expresses healing and accessibility to… Read more »

Debbie Friedman, Jewish songwriter and performer, dies.

SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — Over the weekend, as singer-songwriter Debbie Friedman lay dying in a hospital bed in Southern California, the call went out to Jewish congregations around the world to pray for the popular musician. But early Sunday morning Friedman, who composed “Mi Shebeirach,” a popular version of… Read more »

Venezuelan Jews celebrate the opening of a new synagogue in Caracas, December 2010. (Jasmina Kelemen)

CARACAS, Venezuela (JTA) — On a balmy tropical evening in early December, a few hundred families, mostly of Moroccan descent, gathered to inaugurate the first phase of what eventually will be a grand, two-story marble shul located in a wealthy Caracas neighborhood. Among them, Claudio Benaim’s family beamed as… Read more »

Israeli ex-pats were among those who showed up in Los Angeles for an Israel Independence Day celebration. (Courtesy Israeli Leadership Council)

SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — The number of Israelis living in the United States grew by about 30 percent over the past decade, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau figures. Some 140,323 people living in the United States today were born in Israel, up from 109,720 in 2000. Of… Read more »

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), who was gravely wounded on Jan. 8, 2011 in Tucson

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was holding her first “Congress on Your Corner”event since being re-elected in November. It was a typical sunny Saturday morning in Tucson in front of the Safeway market at Ina and Oracle, where some 25 to 30 people stood in line to have a word with… Read more »

SAN FRANCISCO (JTA) — Unless you’re a reader of Islamist websites, you’d probably be surprised to learn that the WikiLeaks trove of U.S. diplomatic cables is an Israeli conspiracy. Wonder why there was so much material about Arab regimes petitioning the United States to contain Iran’s nuclear program? How… Read more »