San Diego — If one longtime San Diego resident fulfills his life’s dream, Vilnius, Lithuania, will once again emerge as a capital of Jewish life in Eastern Europe. But the man in question is a strange candidate for the task: He is neither a Yiddish scholar nor a Holocaust survivor, nor is he a descendant…
In a rare public spat between Israel and its supporters in the United States, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert bluntly denounced efforts by a coalition of American Jewish groups aimed at maintaining a united Jerusalem. Following statements by several hawkish and Orthodox groups that appeared to question Israel’s right to broach discussion of dividing Jerusalem with…
An ultra-Orthodox umbrella organization spoke out at its annual conference against the division of Jerusalem, marking the first time that the traditionally non-Zionist body has taken a public stance on the peace process. Agudath Israel of America has traditionally steered clear of matters involving Israeli sovereignty, on the grounds that a true Jewish homeland can…
Jerusalem – As the Annapolis conference kicked into high gear, one Israeli reporter chose a more modest urban backdrop: the southern Israeli town of Sderot, its streets deserted for fear of Qassam rocket attacks from the nearby Gaza. “Residents here know that no matter what happens, in the end they get Qassams falling on their…
Relatively few Jewish activists took to the streets here Tuesday to express their views on the Middle East peace conference that was taking place at the United States Naval Academy. An estimated 100 people attended a rally arranged by a coalition of nine dovish Jewish groups in support of the peace process. The coalition struggled…
This weekend’s gathering of Conservative movement leaders will be the first to take place since the movement accepted gay rabbis and same-sex unions, and the last before the departure of two of the movement’s top leaders. The Conservative movement has struggled in recent years to maintain a sense of identity without abandoning its “big tent”…
Los Angeles — The City of Los Angeles may be known for its sprawl, but is it so vast that it needs not one but two major Holocaust museums? That is the question being raised as the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, a 46-year-old institution that has yet to find a permanent home, is…
We’re still waiting for the Giuliani “Lapsed Catholic Leader” video, and the Hillary Clinton “United Methodist Leader” video. I wonder why Joseph Lieberman never made a “Jewish Leader” campaign video? Whatever Huckabee’s doing, it seems to be paying off: The latest poll from Rasmussen has him first in Iowa. Although perhaps that showing is on…
Leftist Dennis Kucinich and libertarian Ron Paul may hail from opposite ends of the political spectrum, but they share a strong antipathy toward the projection of American power abroad and have both garnered cult followings with their respective long-shot presidential bids. They also happen to have developed a strong friendship in Congress, and have been…
As a kid growing up in Queens, Mark Strausman would often walk down the hall of his family’s apartment building to trade his mother’s stuffed cabbage for some of his neighbor’s eggplant parmesan. The flavors might have been a little different, the ingredients not quite the same, but there was something familiar in how the…
Mark Strausman suggests these recipes when planning a Hanukkah menu. The one for Tuscan pot roast appears in Strausman’s new cookbook, “Two Meatballs in the Italian Kitchen” (Artisan Books), co-authored by Pino Luongo. Tuscan Pot Roast Arrosto Toscano Serves six to eight 1 brisket (about 5-6 pounds), trimmed of excess fat 1 teaspoon kosher salt,…
