NEW YORK (JTA) — Thirty-six protesters from a new Jewish group were arrested at a demonstration in front of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The arrests Sunday afternoon followed a protest outside the Elizabeth Contract Detention Facility organized by a group called Never… Read more »
News
Child advocates blast systemic failures in Israel’s handling of sex abuse cases
Malka Leifer, center a former Australian teacher accused of dozens of cases of sexual abuse of girls at a school, is escorted by police as she arrives for a hearing at the District Court in Jerusalem, Feb. 27, 2018. Advocates say Israel's government have not adequately dealt with the issue of child sexual abuse. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP/Getty Images)
JERUSALEM (JTA) — In April, Israeli police announced the arrest of a 22-year-old man in Beit Shemesh accused of multiple counts of child sexual assault. Short of celebrating the arrest of an abuser, local victims’ rights advocates took the authorities to task. Shana Aaronson, head of the Israeli branch… Read more »
In the Swiss Alps, locals and haredi Orthodox tourists find ways to get along
Cyclists near Arosa with the mountains in the background, June 4, 2014. (Tim De Waele/Getty Images)
AROSA, Switzerland (JTA) — A calmer, safer and more beautiful place than this Alpine skiing town is difficult to imagine. In summer, cyclists abandon their unlocked mountain bicycles (there’s virtually no crime here) outside cafes surrounded by wild coniferous forests. They enjoy reasonably priced regional treats on terraces whose… Read more »
Dozens arrested in demonstrations protesting Ethiopian-Israeli’s shooting death by off-duty cop
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Thousands of Ethiopian Israelis and their supporters demonstrated in cities across Israel on Tuesday night to protest the killing two nights earlier of an Ethiopian teen by an off-duty police officer. At least 60 protesters were arrested and at least 47 police officers were injured as… Read more »
Ethiopian-Israeli teen shot and killed by off-duty police officer who felt under threat
JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Ethiopian-Israeli teen was shot and killed by an off-duty police officer who said he felt in danger after he tried to break up a street fight in a Haifa suburb. Solomon Tekah, 19, was killed Sunday night in Kiryat Haim, in northern Israel. Eyewitnesses to… Read more »
Tucson’s Hernandez wins de-escalation training for school cops
Alma Hernandez at the Arizona State Capitol, June 18 (Courtesy Hernandez)
Children and teens at public schools throughout the state will be safer thanks to the efforts of Rep. Alma Hernandez, Arizona’s first Jewish Latina lawmaker. Working with the office of Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, Hernandez, a Democrat, secured an agreement to begin mandatory training in de-escalation and crisis intervention… Read more »
Arizona to establish trade office in Israel
Arizona State Rep. Tony Rivero spearheaded the new legislation to establish a trade office in Israel. (Gage Skidmore) Arizona lawmakers approved an $11.8 billion budget last month that will include funding for the establishment of an Arizona trade office in Israel. Gov. Doug Ducey signed the budget on Friday, May 31. The budget includes nearly $500,000 dedicated to three trade offices: one in Israel and two in… Read more »
Social worker counsels clients by day and volunteers by night
Dina Rosengarten stands at an overlook point in Jerusalem on a visit to Israel in October 2018. (Andrea Crane)
After 30 years as a public behavioral health social worker, Dina Rosengarten is still in love with her role. She has a new position as director at a large, private, non-profit behavioral health center in Tucson. She counsels residential clients, mostly those in substance abuse recovery and with severe… Read more »
Retiree takes social justice to heart
It is no secret that Steve Teichner is a humanitarian. His car, parked at a Tucson migrant shelter on June 14, proudly announces his passion wherever he goes. (Debe Campbell) It is 3 p.m. on a Friday, and Steve Teichner has already put in more than 40 hours of work this week. He will leave around 5:30 p.m., if no more migrants show up at the shelter. “It’s not a job, it’s a passion,” says the retired educator. “It’s… Read more »
Security training targets bombs, hate crimes
Tucson Police Officer Rob McCusker delivered a community training on suspicious package recognition at the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona on June 13. With about 25 in attendance, the explosives and hazardous device technician discussed ways to recognize potential dangers and manage bomb threats, and suggestions for managing lockdowns… Read more »
Community awards honor volunteers
Andy Kunsberg
This is the final part of a series on the Jewish agency volunteers who received 2019 Special Recognition Awards at the Jewish Community Awards celebration held May 9 at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. The evening also included the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona’s annual meeting. Andy Kunsberg, Jewish… Read more »
JCF summer series to focus on tax and legal topics
Greg Gadarian
The Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona will present “Hot Topics for Tax and Legal Professionals” sessions in July and August. The July 31 session, “Charitable Developments: Recent Developments, Rules, and Landmines” will be presented in honor of Greg Gadarian, JCF Professional Advisory Group founder, to thank him for… Read more »
Singapore, once more: Tucsonan finds Jewish community still thriving
Susan Wortman and Jack Pinnas in front of Maghain Aboth Synagogue in Singapore. Note the large silver mezuzah on the doorframe. (Anne Lowe)
Four years ago, my husband, David, was asked to teach aviation law in Singapore for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Naturally, I went along for the trip. While there, I spent five weeks researching the Jewish community in that Southeast Asian country. When I returned to Tucson, I presented many PowerPoint… Read more »
UA seeks Middle East travel photographs
Visiting Israel or other parts of the Middle East this summer? The University of Arizona Center for Middle Eastern Studies is seeking photo submissions for its 29th annual exhibit, “Ordinary and Extraordinary.” Each year, the UA Center for Middle Eastern Studies organizes a photography exhibit featuring images from the… Read more »
James Caan’s latest character: A Jew who moves to Israel to become a pig farmer
In "Holy Lands," James Caan plays a secular American Jew who moves to Israel to escape the drama of his family -- and to raise pigs. (Cinedigm)
(JTA) — “Raising pigs in Israel? Couldn’t you play golf like everyone else?” That’s a quote that doubles well as the concept behind the movie “Holy Lands,” which stars Hollywood veteran James Caan as a relatively secular American Jew turned Israeli pig farmer. The film, directed by the French… Read more »
Restoring a beautiful smile: tips on choosing crowns vs. veneers
Elana, daughter of Howard Steinberg, DMD, shows off her prepless veneer-enhanced smile. (Courtesy Howard Steinberg, DMD)
Tooth restoration is a great way to enhance your smile at any adult age. Veneers or crowns are two popular options. Both are dental restoration methods to improve the appearance of your smile, but they are very different procedures. Tooth preparation may be a determining factor in deciding which… Read more »
Israeli Softball is building a women’s ‘dream team’ for the 2020 Olympics
University of Arizona graduate Tamara Statman thinks the team has a good chance of making the Olympics. (Courtesy of the Israeli Softball Association)
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Israeli Softball Association wants to take its women’s team to the 2020 Olympics, and it is counting on some Jewish American talent to get it there. Thirteen U.S. Jewish college students and recent graduates arrived in Israel at the beginning of the month to train… Read more »
Cory Booker was the only Democrat at the first debate who didn’t commit to rejoining the Iran deal
Sen. Cory Booker (C) (D-NJ) speaks as former housing secretary Julian Castro (L) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) look on during the first night of the Democratic presidential debate in Miami, Florida on June 26, 2019. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., was alone among the 10 Democratic presidential candidates at the first debate not to commit to rejoining the Iran nuclear deal. Moderators at the debate Wednesday evening in Miami asked the candidates whether they would rejoin the deal President Donald Trump abandoned… Read more »
Israel’s Meretz party becomes country’s first to elect an openly gay leader
(JTA) — Israel’s Meretz party became the first to elect as its leader an openly gay person. The left-wing party picked Nitzan Horowitz as its new head on Thursday in Tel Aviv. Horowitz, a former journalist who served in the Knesset in 2009-2015, defeated incumbent Tamar Zandberg. “Meretz doesn’t… Read more »
Israel’s next spacecraft will shoot higher than the moon
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Two months after the Beresheet spacecraft crashed on the surface of the moon, the SpaceIL organization said it will not make a second attempt. Instead, the Israeli non-profit organization announced late on Tuesday in a statement and on social media, “we will seek out another, significant… Read more »
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