Nathan Jeffay
By Nathan Jeffay
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The Schmooze Saving (Jewish) Lives on the Sabbath
Yosef, spiritual leader of Shas, the Orthodox Sephardic political party, has tackled that hot potato of what, exactly, Judaism says about saving life on the Sabbath. Everyone agrees that religious law lets you break Sabbath restrictions to save a life — but for whom? Many rabbis, including the late American religious authority Moshe Feinstein, have…
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The Schmooze Mekhi Phifer Hangs Out at Israeli Air Force Base
What is “ER” doctor Greg Pratt up to nowadays? Well it seems that he fancies himself as an Israeli fighter pilot. The actor who played him, Mekhi Phifer — also famous for his co-starring role opposite Eminem in the feature film “8 Mile” — is in Israel at the moment, and hanging out where all…
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News Israel Loses a Real Opposition
In Israel, some say a new phase of stability has begun. To others, what lies ahead is an era of unaccountability. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bombshell of a governing deal with Israel’s major opposition party leaves the government with no other faction in parliament of significant size opposed to it. After Netanyahu consummated his coalition…
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Culture Must-See Summer Festivals in Israel
Tourists heading to Israel hit an all-time high in the first quarter of 2012. From January through March, 637,200 tourists arrived in Israel, up 2% compared with the same period last year. While part of the uptick is due to factors out of Israel’s control, such as economic recovery, large numbers of tourists are being…
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News Lone Lawyer Battles Illegal Settlements
He can do what the might of world leaders cannot. After more than a decade of heavy pressure by the international community on Israel to demolish unauthorized Jewish outposts in the occupied West Bank, the state finally looks set to start the bulldozers rolling in at least one case, Migron. The man who forced Israel’s…
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The Schmooze Did Shimon Peres Serve Non-Kosher Meat?
President Shimon Peres is a proud advocate of Jewish culture and respect for religion. But has he been serving his guests treyf? The Israeli media is abuzz with the rumor that meat for Peres’s Independence Day celebration was bought from a non-kosher Arab butcher. The news site NRG reported that the meat was bought in…
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The Schmooze A New Wrinkle in the Sordid Dudu Topaz Case
It is the celebrity tragedy that simply can’t be laid to rest. Back in 2009, Dudu Topaz, the actor, TV personality and one-time star of Israeli entertainment, committed suicide in the Ramle prison cell where he had been held for the preceding three months. He had been charged with — and confessed to — hiring…
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The Schmooze Noa Says Israel Faces ‘Darkest Period’ in History
Achinoam Nini, the recording artist better known as Noa, is under fire for singing at a joint Israeli-Palestinian event last week to mark Yom Hazikaron, the memorial day for Israeli soldiers and terror victims. The event was organized by Combatants for Peace, a group of Palestinians and Israelis, who have taken an active part in…
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