Tagged HEADLINES

(JTA) — Two Reform synagogues in Sarasota, Florida, were vandalized with swastikas and other unspecified hateful messages. The incidents at Temple Sinai and Temple Emanu-El reportedly took place early on Wednesday morning, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported. The Temple Sinai campus was extensively vandalized, including many walls made of porous… Read more »

The Arizona Department of Revenue reminds taxpayers that tax scam artists do not take a summer break when it comes to identity theft. Thieves use tactics including card-skimming devices, access through unsecured Wi-Fi, stealing mail, hacking email accounts, phishing schemes or using false pretenses. ADOR has prepared a checklist… Read more »

(JTA) — Actor and television host Nick Cannon offered his “most deepest and sincere apologies” to the Jewish community for  the “hurtful and divisive words” he used in an episode of his podcast. “They reinforced the worst stereotypes of a proud and magnificent people and I feel ashamed of… Read more »

(JTA) — Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has returned home after being hospitalized with a suspected infection. Ginsburg, 87, is “is home and doing well,” a court spokeswoman said on Wednesday, CNN reported. Ginsburg was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday after “experiencing fever and… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The tens of thousands of Jewish pilgrims who travel each year to Ukraine for a Rosh Hashanah rite will have to make different plans for September. The Ukrainian government has barred the trip to Uman, where the revelers mark the Jewish New Year at the burial… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Police arrested a man suspected of turning the water blood red in a fountain in a square in Israel named for Donald Trump. The Hebrew words for “Annexation will cost us in blood” also were found painted in red on the ground at the site in… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — An LGBTQ rights group has named a longtime Israel advocate as its leader amid increasing criticism of the Jewish state from the left. A Wider Bridge announced the appointment of Ethan Felson, formerly executive director of the Israel Action Network, on Monday. The network is  the… Read more »

(JTA) — The New York Jewish Week said it will put its print edition on hiatus as it transitions to a “digital-first model.” The last print edition of the nearly 150-year-old weekly — at least for now — is scheduled for July 31, according to an announcement published Tuesday… Read more »

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jewish Louisville Community via JTA) — After winning a special election in the state’s 26th district last week, Karen Berg will become the only Jewish member of the Kentucky state legislature. “I’m very excited; I’m humbled; I’m ready to get to work,” said Berg, who will serve… Read more »

(JTA) — The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles will distribute $8.5 million in funds for COVID-19 relief to support nonprofit organizations, both Jewish and non-Jewish, representing its entire grantmaking for 2020. Formally titled the COVID-19 Response Grants, the program’s first phase will focus on providing immediate relief to… Read more »

BOSTON (JTA) – New Hampshire will mandate Holocaust and genocide prevention education under a bill passed overwhelmingly by its House of Representatives. If Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, signs the measure into law, New Hampshire would become the 14th state to require genocide prevention education in public schools, according… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — For Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, the announcement was routine, noting the inclusion of $500 million for Israel’s missile defense in a key defense funding bill. But it was significant as well in its timing, demonstrating that the party’s mainstream remains committed to funding… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — With the date set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to begin annexing West Bank territory days away, the Palestinians appear ready to restart peace negotiations with Israel. A four-page letter from the Palestinian Authority sent to the so-called Quartet – the diplomatic grouping of the… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Defense Minister Benny Gantz of Israel told Trump administration diplomats on Monday that the July 1 date set for starting to annex parts of the West Bank is “not a sacred date.” Meeting in Israel with Avi Berkowitz, the U.S. special envoy for international negotiations, and… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — They came out by the thousands across Israel to show their support for LGBTQ rights — but the numbers were a far cry from the Pride parades held annually that were canceled due to the coronavirus. Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, as well Beersheba and smaller… Read more »

(JTA) — More than 400 Jewish organizations and synagogues in the United States — including Tucson Jews for Justice — have signed on to a letter that asserts “unequivocally: Black Lives Matter.” The joint letter was an initiative of a diverse group of Jewish activists from across a range… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — A suspected cyberattack disrupted a live virtual gala held by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, making it impossible to view for most of the 13,000 people worldwide who had registered. The Sunday afternoon attack on the fundraiser, which was trying to help the orchestra overcome losses due… Read more »

Rabbi Robert Eisen

Which of the following makes you the angriest: • Arguing with someone when you know you are right? • Arguing with someone when you know they are wrong? • Arguing in general? One of the comments I hear all too often is, “The thing I love most about Judaism… Read more »

The Jewish History Museum has launched a summer film club, with Zoom discussion groups twice a month on Sundays at 2 p.m. Participants can watch the films on their own in advance of the discussions. “We know that this is a moment where connection is vital, as the need for… Read more »

“It has been another tumultuous week in our community,” Graham Hoffman, president and CEO of the Jewish Community Foundation and the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona, wrote in his June 17 “Stronger Together — This Week in Our Community” email. Along with the ongoing challenges of the coronavirus pandemic,… Read more »