(JTA) — You’d better Beliebe it: A haredi Orthodox woman went into labor after just one song at a Justin Bieber concert in Tel Aviv. Then again, Reut Ziskind, 23, from the predominantly ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak, told Ynet she was three weeks overdue by the time she attended the concert on Wednesday. “I…
The head of Germany’s armed forces has called for an inspection of all army barracks after investigators discovered Nazi-era military memorabilia in a garrison, broadening a scandal about right-wing extremism among soldiers. The discovery at a barracks in Donaueschingen, in southwest Germany, was made in an investigation that began after similar Nazi-era items were found…
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Knesset committee approved a bill that would officially define Israel as a Jewish State. The bill unanimously passed the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday. A similar bill was first proposed in 2011 and again in 2015. The bill will go to the Knesset plenum for a preliminary vote; that vote…
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The American Israel Public Affairs Committee thanked Congress for including defense assistance for Israel in its omnibus spending bill. The bill includes $3.1 billion in defense assistance, $600 million in missile defense cooperation programs and $42 million for joint U.S.-Israel ventures in tracking and destroying tunnels, a method of terrorizing Israel that…
(JTA) — When Donald Trump makes his first visit as president to Israel later this month, he’s reportedly aiming to give a speech at the ancient mountain fortress of Masada. We don’t yet know if he’ll ascend the mount, a palace built by the Judean king Herod the Great which became the last Jewish holdout nearly…
(JTA) — A Detroit-area synagogue cancelled a scheduled appearance by the Israeli singer Achinoam Nini, known as Noa, claiming that threats attributed to right-wing Jewish protesters posed a security risk. Adat Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills informed its members of the cancellation of the concert in a May 4 letter obtained by the Detroit Jewish News. “Several credible…
(JTA) — Four previous U.S. envoys to fight anti-Semitism and promote religious freedom called on President Donald Trump to fill the two positions, which are currently empty. The letter, sent by the Lantos Foundation, noted “spreading anti-Semitism both at home and abroad” and persecution of religious minorities in the Middle East and Asia. The signatories include two former…
Fidget spinners, the incredibly popular toys that have driven thousands of schoolchildren to distraction in classrooms across America, were invented after their creator sought to create an alternative activity for Palestinian boys to do instead of throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers. Catherine Hettinger told Money magazine on Wednesday that her wheels starting turning after observing…
(JTA) — A leading official in the European Commission — one of the European Union’s governing bodies — implied that efforts by Hungary’s prime minister to shut down a university founded by George Soros are anti-Semitic. Prime Minister Viktor Orban has long harbored animosity toward Soros, a Hungarian-born Jewish financier who has donated millions of…
Long ago, in a galaxy far far away, Adam Scott invited Mark Hamill to his childhood birthday party. During an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Thursday, Scott recalled his earnest attempt to meet Hamill (“I thought if his schedule was clear, he was probably going to [come to the party]”) and his lifelong love of…
(JTA) — Israeli authorities are considering bringing in foreign doctors to force-feed Palestinian hunger strikers if Israeli doctors continue to resist taking part in the practice. The Israel Medical Association has advised its members not to participate in any force-feeding, deeming the practice to be inhumane. Israel’s Channel 2 reported Thursday that the government would…
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