JTA
By JTA
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Fast Forward Ronald Liebowitz Named New President of Brandeis
Brandeis University announced that its next president will be Ronald D. Liebowitz, the former president of Middlebury College in Vermont. Liebowitz will take over on July 1, 2016, from interim president Lisa Lynch, the first non-Jew to lead the Jewish-sponsored nonsectarian university and Brandeis’ stopgap choice following the resignation of previous president, Frederick Lawrence. “I…
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Fast Forward Republican Ben Carson Cancels Israel Trip, Citing ‘Security Concerns’
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson cancelled a trip to Israel, citing “security concerns.” Carson had been scheduled to travel to Israel on Dec. 27 and meet with Israeli government officials, and then travel to Kenya, Zambia and Nigeria, returning to the United States on January 2, 2016, according to the Washington Post. “The trip has…
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Fast Forward 14 Sickened by Electronic Lock at France Synagogue
Fourteen people were mildly poisoned by a toxic substance that was applied to the keypad of an electronic lock of a synagogue south of Paris. Members of the Jewish community of Bonneuil-sur-Marne on Monday called rescue services to report a sudden strong burning sensation in their eyes and itchy rashes on their skin, Le Parisien…
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Fast Forward State Department Issues Travel Warning for Israel
The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The warning, which replaces one issued in February, was issued Wednesday due to what the State Department called “heightened tensions and security risks.” The warning notes a “rise in political tensions and violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank…
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Fast Forward British Chief Rabbi Backs Teaching Islam in Jewish Schools
British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis recommended that Jewish schools teach Islam. In an interview with the London-based Jewish Chronicle published Wednesday, Mirvis’s spokesperson said that teaching Islam will give children the opportunity to learn about a “poorly understood” religion. “It is more important than ever that our children have a better understanding of Islam and…
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Fast Forward Kuwait Airways Cancels Flight After U.S. Order to Sell Tix to Israelis
Kuwait Airways is eliminating service between New York and London after the US Department of Transportation ordered the carrier to stop refusing to sell tickets to Israelis. Namrata Kolachalam, a spokeswoman for the Department of Transportation, announced the airline’s decision, USA Today reported Tuesday. On September 30, the department announced that the airline had acted…
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Fast Forward Germany Charges Official With Incitement for Death Camp Tattoos
A far-right German politician has been charged with incitement for publicly displaying a large tattoo of the Auschwitz death camp on his back. Prosecutors announced Wednesday that Marcel Zech, a county council member near Berlin, is accused of violating Germany’s ban on the public display of Nazi symbols, The Associated Press reported. Zech’s tattoo was…
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News Congress Passes Bill Targeting Hezbollah’s Finances
Legislation targeting the financing of Hezbollah passed both houses of Congress. The House of Representatives unanimously approved the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 on Wednesday. President Barack Obama is expected to sign it into law. The act directs the president to prohibit foreign banks from doing business with the Shiite militant group. The…
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