Tagged HEADLINES

(JTA) — The Senate has introduced legislation to enhance partnerships between American and Israeli companies on COVID-19 projects, thus lessening U.S. dependence on China for life-saving medications and treatments. The bipartisan legislation was introduced on Wednesday as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, on a whirlwind eight-hour visit to Israel, criticized… Read more »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Letters signed by senators and U.S. House of Representatives from both parties urge Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to protect Israelis from International Criminal Court prosecution. The letters, which have strong backing from the prominent Israel lobby AIPAC, note the recent ICC decision to accept “Palestine”… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Israeli soldier was seriously injured in a car-ramming attack Thursday in the West Bank as violence there escalates. Israeli troops shot the Palestinian driver as he “drove quickly toward IDF soldiers next to a military post” in an apparent deliberate attack, the Israel Defense Forces… Read more »

(JTA) — You can have one of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s Super Bowl rings while helping those in need facing food insecurity during the coronavirus pandemic. But it’s gonna cost you. Kraft is putting his Super Bowl LI championship ring up for auction to raise money for… Read more »

(JTA) — Hoping to improve your culinary skills while in quarantine? There’s an online Jewish food festival for you. Jewish culinary talents like Michael Solomonov, Joan Nathan and Michael Twitty are coming together to partake in the inaugural Great Big Jewish Food Fest from May 19 to 28. The… Read more »

(JTA) — Twenty-six Israelis who were stuck in Morocco during the coronavirus pandemic were extracted from the country in a secret operation on a plane owned by Sheldon and Miriam Adelson. The group landed in Israel on Thursday morning, Israel Hayom reported. Miriam Adelson is the publisher of the… Read more »

Updated 5.21.20: The Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs to address the issue of Nazi symbols on three graves in military cemeteries. JWV wants the gravestones with swastikas and inscriptions that reference the Fuhrer removed from public view and replaced with… Read more »

The University of Arizona – State of Arizona’s COVID-19 antibody testing initiative has additional testing slots now available in Pima County for health care workers, first responders, and members of the general public.  The testing will determine if an individual has developed antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19.… Read more »

Our Tucson restaurant partners are operating during the mandatory restaurant shut-down, keeping hungry folks fed. We encourage readers to patronize local restaurants to keep businesses afloat and staff employed during this difficult time. Here’s a sampling of innovative and tasty options and specials that are available for takeout and… Read more »

Recently I’ve been reading articles by clergy, including several rabbis, that reassure us of life beyond coronavirus. One way practically anybody can reinforce this hope in tomorrow is to work on a long-term craft project today. Great talent is not a requirement — I have been an intermediate knitter… Read more »

TORONTO (JTA) — The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 is shaking the world in disturbing ways. As someone who is no longer young, I find one aspect of the crisis to be particularly unnerving: the attitude toward the elderly. The media is filled with stories about the problem represented by the… Read more »

Rabbi Israel Becker

As I was praying alone in my study this Passover, words I had been saying my entire life suddenly popped out of the siddur: “We have been exiled from our land. We are unable to serve you in your Holy House.” We also are experiencing an exile, from our… Read more »

The state of Arizona has suspended all in-person worship services, classes, and other programs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many local synagogues halting live events in advance of the governor’s March 30 stay-at-home order. Local congregations have migrated programs to digital spaces, including Shabbat services for non-Orthodox congregations.… Read more »

Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation of Southern Arizona together with local families created a pandemic relief fund to provide resources to help the community during these challenging times. To date, more than $300,000 has been raised for pandemic relief efforts. The… Read more »

(JTA) — Joe Biden told supporters that he would leave the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem if he is elected president. Speaking to New England supporters at a virtual fundraiser from his Delaware home, the presumptive Democratic nominee responded to a reporter’s question that the embassy “should not have been… Read more »

(JTA) — President Donald Trump reiterated his rejection of anti-Semitic bigotry and hate attacks in a proclamation for Jewish American Heritage Month. “Tragically, Jewish men, women, and children continue to face anti-Semitic discrimination, persecution, and violence today, and Jewish institutions and places of worship remain targets of vandalism and… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Palestine is a state and the International Criminal Court has jurisdiction involving its cases, the ICC prosecutor ruled Thursday, which could pave the way for a war crimes investigation against Israel. A three-judge panel of the ICC Pretrial Chamber must now affirm the decision by Fatou… Read more »

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The parents of Rina Shnerb, 17, Israel’s only terrorism fatality in the last year, named their new baby daughter eight months after her sister’s death. Rabbi Eitan and Shira Shnerb of Lod, in central Israel, named their newborn Tiferet, which means “glory,” on Wednesday in an… Read more »

(JTA) — Dozens of Jewish organizations and Jewish leaders are unhappy with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and they let him know about it in an open letter. The letter released Wednesday accused de Blasio of “scapegoating” the Jewish community in response to a large Hasidic funeral… Read more »

(JTA) — The state of Utah has suspended the use of a service to help first responders and law enforcement after learning that the founder of the company providing the technology has a white supremacist past and was involved in a 1990 synagogue shooting. Damien Patton, CEO of Banjo,… Read more »