(JTA) – An Israeli woman who is seeking unsuccessfully to divorce her violent husband appealed to Israel’s attorney general to overturn a Rabbinic court’s denial of her request. The woman’s lawyers made the unusual appeal Thursday, following the Jerusalem Rabbinic Court’s denial last week of her divorce motion on grounds of documented domestic violence, which…
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Jewish groups welcomed a federal appeals court ruling upholding a stay on President Donald Trump’s ban on the entry of refugees and of travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries. “We applaud the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, and hope that it sends an important message to the nation and the world that the United States…
Patriots Owner Robert Kraft treated the family of Ezra Schwartz, who died in 2015 in Israel, to seats at last week’s Super Bowl. “Robert Kraft invited my sis and her family to the superbowl. He called them and invited them as vip guests… flights included,” wrote Rachel Deri in a message to OnlySimchas, a positive…
CHICAGO (JUF News via JTA) — Some 1,000 Jewish, Muslim and Christian Chicago residents came together in unity at a synagogue that was vandalized with swastikas four days earlier. The Wednesday event at the Chicago Loop Synagogue was sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish United Fund and billed as “an interfaith…
Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House oversight committee, has shown little interest in probing ethical questions relating to Donald Trump and his administration. But now, the Utah Republican, who converted to Mormonism from Judaism, may have reached the end of the line in his willingness to stand up for Trump and his staff. Reacting to…
Ivanka Trump shook hands and exchanged pointed laughs with two prominent Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton policy advisers while breakfasting at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. Trump was sitting down with Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi and White House aide Dina Powell, when Powell spotted the Democrats – former National Security Council member Ben…
In a statement issued Wednesday night, the leadership of American Judaism’s Reform Movement said it was “deeply disappointed” by the confirmation of Jeff Sessions as U.S. Attorney General. Sessions, a U.S. Senator from Alabama, faced strong opposition from Democrats, who has opposed various civil rights measures throughout his career in the Senate. “We are deeply…
Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s got some advice for couples snowed in during the East Coast snowstorm: Have some fun, but keep safe. Those on the East Coast might get snowed in tom’w. Stock up on contraceptives today! — Dr. Ruth Westheimer (@AskDrRuth) February 8, 2017 Westheimer, the sex therapist who achieved prominence for her willingness to…
(JTA) — Pope Francis received a delegation from the Anti-Defamation League and said the church feels “particularly obliged” to help fight anti-Semitism. Francis met with the delegation Thursday at the Vatican, according to a report from Vatican Radio. “The Catholic Church feels particularly obliged to do all that is possible with our Jewish friends to repel anti-Semitic…
“Go buy Ivanka’s stuff, is what I would tell you,” Kellyanne Conway said on Fox News. “I hate shopping, but I’m going to go get some for myself today.” The first daughter formally severed ties with her businesses, including her eponymous clothing lines, when Donald Trump was elected. But several retailers who used to carry…
Senator Charles Schumer didn’t mince words on how the confirmation of Senator Jeff Sessions as attorney general made him feel: physically ill. “When Jeff Sessions was passed, it turned my stomach,” said Schumer during a February 8 appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show. The Alabama Republican has faced accusations of being a racist and has…
