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‘It’s like having your hands and legs tied and your eyes wide open’: a Russian Jew in L.A.
Anastasia Shostak always expected to celebrate on the day she became a United States citizen. But on the day it happened — yesterday — the Russian-born Los Angeles resident’s thoughts were thousands of miles away— 6,337, to be exact— in Sumy, the northeastern Ukrainian city where her family is hiding in a neighbor’s basement. “If…
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26 miles West of Russia, Ukrainian Jews hunker down and wait
When Dovid Margolin spoke to the rebbetzin of Kharkov before Shabbat, he could hear heavy artillery fire in the background. While he didn’t notice any panic in her voice, she quickly moved to make sure her family had started heading to the synagogue basement. Kharkov, the second-largest city in Ukraine, is just 26 miles west…
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Never ‘enough time to grieve’: Has American culture changed shiva for the worse?
When Rabbi Michael Goldman sat shiva for his mother last April, friends and relatives brought over noshes like chickpea kale stew and Israeli sweets. Goldman, who coordinates senior programs at Westchester Jewish Community Services, found himself crying and crying, he said, falling apart in front of guests — including some who he hadn’t known well…
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University of Washington donor pulls funding for Israel Studies program over professor’s criticism of Israel
(Ha’Aretz) — The University of Washington has put its five-year-old Israel Studies Program on hold after a major donor, angry about a professor’s criticism of Israel, took her money back. Becky Benaroya, a prominent Seattle philanthropist, gave $5 million in 2016 to create the program. But after a professor who held the Jack and Rebecca…
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Her son on the spectrum was mistreated at school. Thirteen years ago, she started a month for Jews with disabilities.
The cantor was singing a beautiful rendition of Oseh Shalom when Shelly Christensen, an author and advocate, happened to look at a woman sitting nearby. The woman, who lived in a facility for people with disabilities, had come to synagogue for a special service celebrating Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM) — a…
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North Carolina synagogue expected to hire rabbi taken hostage in Texas
A North Carolina Reform synagogue plans to vote Thursday night on hiring Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, who became an international hero after being taken hostage in his Texas synagogue during Shabbat prayer services last month. Gayle Goldsmith, a 20-year member of Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem, N.C., said in an interview Wednesday that she and others met…
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A maskless Los Angeles rabbi draws ire of parents angry over COVID-19 rules
When Rabbi David Wolpe, the leader of Sinai Temple, accepted a free ticket to the Super Bowl he never imagined it would cause weeks of turmoil at his Los Angeles congregation. But Wolpe was forced to apologize after he posed maskless for a photo at the event — in contravention of Los Angeles County regulations…
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‘As We See It’ features a ‘Jewish heartthrob’ and other actors on the spectrum
On a typical television soundstage, a loud bell alerts the cast and crew that filming is about to begin and they must be quiet. On the set of “As We See It,” a new series streaming on Amazon Prime, Elaine Hall made sure the producers gave the actors warning before the bell rang — and…
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Eastern Ukraine’s Jews brace for food shortages and antisemitic provocations
This article originally appeared on Haaretz and was reprinted here with permission. With Russian troops moving into eastern Ukraine following Moscow’s official recognition of two breakaway separatist enclaves on Monday evening, local Jewish leaders have expressed concern not only that their constituents could be displaced by renewed fighting, but that the Kremlin may attempt to…
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Orthodox leaders travel to Israel to lobby government against issues important to Conservative and Reform movements
A group of American and European Orthodox leaders are heading to Israel on Tuesday for a 48-hour mission to lobby the government to shelve plans that would change the status quo on religious issues that are supported by liberal Zionists and the Reform and Conservative streams of Judaism. The mission is organized by Am Echad,…
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Founder of Jewish museum expelled from Iraqi Kurdistan
An American Jew who settled in Iraqi Kurdistan and dedicated himself to preserving its Jewish history has been expelled from the country. Levi Meir Clancy said officials told him he was a security threat, but that he believes the real reason for his expulsion is his outspokenness about those in the region who falsely claim…
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