Washington – The Bush administration and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert are pressing the Jewish community to support the war in Iraq, arguing that American failure there would hurt Israel’s security and America’s efforts to thwart Iran’s nuclear program. Vice President Dick Cheney made the argument during a speech Monday to an estimated 6,000 activists…
In biblical times, the existence of the Sabbatical year was a boon to anyone plagued by the habit of overspending: Every seven years, all debts were forgiven, those literally enslaved to their debts were freed and community members were set back on equal footing. Now, in a fresh twist on an ancient Jewish tradition, a…
The neo-Gothic brick building at 770 Eastern Parkway, in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, has become the defining symbol of Chabad Lubavitch as the ultra-Orthodox movement has spread around the world with its philosophy of reaching out to all Jews. The building was once the headquarters of the Hasidic movement’s grand rebbe, Menachem Mendel…
Jerusalem – It is unclear how the elaborate courtship between Israeli and Saudi government officials will play out in advance of the upcoming Arab League Summit in Riyadh. But some Jewish and Arab businessmen are already looking to tie the knot on a deal that could lead to the development of a Saudi-financed hotel in…
Washington – Perhaps the most enthusiastically received speaker at this year’s annual Aipac conference was the fiery evangelical leader Pastor John Hagee. During his speech Sunday night to the 6,000 delegates, he drew no fewer than seven standing ovations, including one that came after he bellowed, “It is 1938, Iran is Germany and Amadinejad is…
For decades, the Arab world blackballed Coca-Cola over the company’s decision to enter the Israeli marketplace. Now, the oldest Zionist organization in the United States is calling for a boycott of the beverage maker. The Zionist Organization of America is accusing Coca-Cola of “antisemitic and immoral conduct” regarding a bottling facility in Egypt that the…
For better or for worse, what one first notices about the fledgling Hebrew College rabbinical program is what it is not: It’s not affiliated with a movement or committed to a single view of how Jewish law is meant to be understood. And it’s not very big or old — the first of its 45…
MIZRAHI PURIM SHPIEL SHOWCASES ESTHER AS AN ADOPTEE WITH TWO DADDIES When fashion guru Isaac Mizrahi mounted The Waldorf-Astoria’s ballroom stage with the aid of a walker, he assured the festive crowd at the Jewish Museum’s February 27 Purim Ball: “It was only a car accident. I’ll be fine… I’m your fabulous celebrity Purim shpiel…
The book of Exodus comes to a close this week with laws relating to gift-giving for the Tabernacle and the details of its construction. In what appears to be a fund-raiser’s fantasy, Moses relates God’s command that the Israelites “give their heart’s desire” (Exodus 35:5), and they give so much he has to ask them…
Check out New Mexico Governor and presidential dark horse Bill Richardson at the DL21C’s next Road to the White House series event. When: Monday, March 26 8:30 pm (doors open at 8:00 pm) Where: Zanzibar, 645 9th Avenue @ 45th St.
Anyone who has walked through a bookstore recently knows there’s no shortage of parenting books. From getting your baby to sleep through the night to understanding what your ‘tweens are doing online, shelves are overflowing with advice for the sleep-deprived, jittery or just plain puzzled parent. But what if you’re looking for a Jewish take…
