On Sunday, tens of thousands of people gathered in front of the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the terrorist bombing that left 85 dead and 300 injured. As each victim’s name was read out loud, the crowd respectfully, but firmly, cried, “Presente.” The dead were present —…
The United States Senate race in Florida is being roiled by allegations that the leading Democratic candidate failed to act strongly enough against a suspected terrorist. Democratic front-runner Betty Castor is being slammed for failing to dismiss and speak out against computer science professor Sami Al-Arian during Castor’s tenure as president of University of South…
The Bush administration is working with European governments on a plan to kick the question of Iran’s nuclear ambitions to the United Nations Security Council as a part of a broader examination of nuclear proliferation. The strategy — combining gradualism, multilateralism and a reliance on the United Nations — contrasts sharply with the approach the…
TEL AVIV — As Gaza teetered on the brink of chaos this week, with signs that the West Bank might follow, Israelis were anxiously peering through the fog to try and understand what lay ahead in the territory from which Israel has vowed to withdraw in the coming months. Gaza erupted into violence last Friday,…
SYDNEY — The left-leaning government of New Zealand has imposed a series of sanctions on Israel in the wake of the bungled Mossad-passports affair, and the diplomatic rupture is likely to be “long lasting” unless Israel “explains, apologizes and reassures” the Wellington government, said the island nation’s foreign minister. “We are the victims of an…
WASHINGTON — In an effort to end America’s status as the only Western nation to execute juveniles, more than 30 religious organizations have come together to urge the Supreme Court to outlaw the practice. The coalition of Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Buddhist organizations signed on to a friend-of-the-court brief filed Monday, which argued that such…
Ready to Rumble: More than 20 Jewish Democratic lawmakers are volunteering to debate President Bush’s Jewish Republican partisans on any aspect of John Kerry’s record. “The Bush-Cheney campaign thought they could get away with mischaracterizing Kerry’s record. Let’s do Israel. Let’s do domestic policy. Bring it on,” said the executive director of the National Jewish…
Chirac: No Note to Sharon French President Jacques Chirac denied reports that he rescinded an invitation to Israel Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to visit Paris. On Monday, it was reported that Chirac had sent a letter to Sharon after the Israeli leader called on French Jews to move to Israel because of antisemitism in France….
One never knows where one will find a Jewish linguistic question answered. It can even be in an old Humphrey Bogart movie. The movie I was watching on TV the other night was “The Big Sleep,” starring Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Made in 1946, it was directed by Howard Hawks and its highly entertaining screenplay…
On the occasion of his 55th yahrzeit, Perets Hirshbeyn was featured in the pages of the Forverts devoted to the “Pearls of Yiddish Poetry.” Hirshbeyn was a man of multiple talents and worldwide interests. He is best known as a playwright and theatrical impresario who organized the first Yiddish art theater. He was a world…
In an unprecedented victory for pro-Palestinian activists, leaders of the largest Presbyterian denomination officially equated the Jewish state with apartheid South Africa and have voted to stop investing in Israel. With the decision, approved in a 431-62 vote at the 216th annual General Assembly of Presbyterian Church (USA), the church, boasting nearly 3 million members,…
