(JTA) — Kenny Ellis isn’t a rabbi. But it wasn’t much of a stretch for him to play one on TV. Ellis is a veteran cantor at Temple Beth Ami, a Reform Jewish synagogue in Santa Clarita, California. After 27 years at the pulpit, he is breaking into prime-time TV this week with two roles…
(JTA) — Jewish groups called on the head of the conservative Austrian People’s Party to exclude a far-right party from the new government coalition following national elections in Austria. Sebastian Kurz, head of the center-right Austrian People’s Party, or ÖVP, at 31, will become Europe’s youngest leader. His party came in first with a projected…
(JTA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called President Trump’s decision to refuse to declare Iran in compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal “courageous.” “It’s a very brave decision, and I think it’s the right decision for the world,” Netanyahu said during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning. “I think that…
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Two rockets were fired at southern Israel from the Sinai Peninsula. The Code Red alert siren sounded in Israeli communities on the border with Gaza on Sunday night. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that two rockets were launched from Sinai. It is not known if the rockets fell in Israeli territory. The…
RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — A Uruguayan Holocaust memorial rededicated last year was vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti minimizing the Holocaust. “They have vandalized us again. What’s going on?” Montevideo Mayor Carlos Varela tweeted along with photos of the vandalized memorial. “We call for sanity, tolerance and peace,” he added. Unveiled in 1994, the site in the country’s…
Woody Allen has said that the sexual assault allegations about Harvey Weinstein are “very sad for everybody involved,” but warned against a “witch hunt.” The accusations against Weinstein are “tragic for the poor women that were involved, sad for Harvey that his life is so messed up,” Allen told the BBC. “There’s no winners in…
“Saturday Night Live” was criticized for not joking week about Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced Hollywood producer who has been the subject of numerous sexual assault allegations. On the most recent episode, “Weekend Update” co-host Michael Che explained that the inherently unfunny scandal put the show in a “tough spot.” But as a photo of Weinstein…
(JTA) — President Donald Trump asked Congress to effectively amend the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and said he would outright pull the United States out of the deal if he was not happy with the result. “Key House and Senate leaders are drafting legislation that would amend the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act to strengthen…
(JTA) — A sukkah erected on the campus of Kansas State University was damaged by severe weather and not vandalism as first reported. The sukkah was found bent, destroyed and wrapped around a car on the night of Oct.6. It was initially believed that the sukkah had been vandalized, since its pieces were found around the…
TV host Megyn Kelly used her daily morning show to air an old grievance with Twitter. The former Fox News anchor discussed the social media platform’s decision to ban actress Rose McGowan after she used her Twitter account to call out those she believes provided cover for disgraced Hollywood producer’s Harvey Weinstein’s sexual attacks. “And…
Speaking at the Values Voter Summit on Friday, an annual gathering of Christian conservatives, President Donald Trump said that under his presidency, he wanted people to proudly say “Merry Christmas” during the holidays. “We are stopping cold the attacks on Judeo-Christian values,” Trump said to applause. “As we approach the end of the year —…
