(JTA) – At a political rally in Berlin in June, a young Jewish gay man wearing a turquoise kippah launched his campaign to represent one of Germany’s most ethnically diverse constituencies in parliament. The man, 34-year-old Marcel Yaron Goldhammer, promised to stoke the “embers of unity, justice and freedom” during his announcement speech in front…
(JTA) — After a German court criminalized the nonmedical circumcision of boys in 2012, Angela Merkel did something very out of character for the “rule-of-law chancellor,” as she has been nicknamed. Merkel said the ruling, which was brought against a person who circumcized a Muslim child, put Germany at risk of becoming a “laughingstock.” Her…
In the end, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Thursday for a bill to send $1 billion to Israel for its Iron Dome defense system. The 420-9 tally showed strong bipartisan support for Israel’s security. Yet Israel’s supporters had called the stand-alone vote because they had been thrown a curveball by a small number of…
(JTA) — A translator for a Nazi death squad died at home in Ontario at the age of 97, ending a decades-long effort to deport him from Canada for his role in the murders of tens of thousands of Jews. Helmut Oberlander, who was born in Ukraine in 1924, had long said that he was…
TEL AVIV (JTA) — From the outside, HaOgen Cafe looks a lot like the many other espresso spots that line the streets of Tel Aviv. Located just north of the central Dizengoff Square, it has floor-to-ceiling windows and a colorful chalkboard sidewalk easel that, on a recent weekday, advertised breakfast sandwiches and an upcoming acoustic…
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved an extra $1 billion in funding for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system, following a pushback effort from Israel-critical progressives that had limited reach. The vote Thursday was 420-9, with two voting present. The bill now goes to the Senate, where it is likely to be…
(JTA) — Ukraine’s parliament has passed a law stating that “antisemitism and its manifestations are banned” in that country. The law, which passed on Wednesday thanks to a majority of 283 lawmakers out of 450, is unusual in that it also proscribes antisemitic sentiment as illegal. Most countries with laws against antisemitism, such as Germany,…
(JTA) — A Jewish aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky survived an assassination attempt near Kyiv on Wednesday. Several shots were fired at the car of Sergey Nachmanovich Shefir, a former television producer whom Zelensky appointed as his top aide. Shefir was not injured but his driver was hit by three bullets in his leg…
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Congress appears poised to send $1 billion to Israel to replenish the Iron Dome missile defense system that Israel depleted during its conflict with Hamas in May. But the funding won’t flow as part of a comprehensive spending bill after a group of progressive Democrats who are deeply critical of Israel vowed…
An internal dispute within the ranks of the Democratic Party led on Tuesday to the removal of a provision granting $1 billion for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system from a key funding bill. The removal came after behind-the-scenes pressure from several progressive Democratic lawmakers. The development led to sensational headlines about Democrats rejecting U.S….
(JTA) — A survey of members of AEPi and AEPhi, the most prominent national Jewish fraternity and sorority, found that large numbers of respondents have experienced antisemitism on campus. The survey also found that about half of respondents have felt the need to hide their Jewish identity on campus or in virtual campus settings. A…
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