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Fast Forward Czech Jews Join Nation in Mourning Havel
Along with their fellow countrymen, Czech Jews mourned the death of former President Vaclav Havel. Havel, who as Czechoslovakia’s first post-Communist president repeatedly denounced anti-Semitism, died Sunday at 75 after a long illness. A statement from the Federation of Czech Jewish Communities said that Jews had respected Havel as a statesman and a world-renowned writer,…
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Food Jewish Cookies Santa Would Love
As much as I loved Hanukkah growing up, I still had a bit of Christmas envy. It wasn’t the presents, tree or Santa I lusted after, but the cookie culture my Christian friends took part in. I was in awe of my friend’s family, the Lowes, who took such care in decorating their cookies that…
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Fast Forward Orthodox Child Sex Abuse Details Revealed: Report
Brooklyn prosecutors say authorities have arrested 85 people in the Orthodox Jewish community on child sex abuse charges in the past three years, the New York Post reported Sunday, confirming earlier reports in the Forward. Prosecutors in the office of Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes told the Post that 38 of the sex cases had…
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Culture Cheers! We’re Not Poisoned — Or Are We?
Two interesting comments have come from readers about [my November 25 column][1] on the Jewish toast “l’chaim,” which I traced back to a medieval custom, still practiced by Sephardic and Middle Eastern Jews, that is connected to the Kiddush, the traditional Sabbath and holiday blessing over wine. The first of these, from Harold Zvi Slutzkin…
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Opinion ‘I’m Not Ashamed To Say That I’m a Jew…’
We too were taken aback by Rick Perry’s new campaign video — the swagger, the Christian language, the denigration of gays, and America described as feminine with Perry posing as its shining defender. He was, for certain, trying to appeal to evangelical voters, and perhaps he’ll be releasing the Jewish version of the ad in…
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News Dems Join GOP in Critique of Gutman
U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman may not have been quoted correctly. But his November 30 comments about Muslim anti-Semitism have now gone beyond serving as Republican ammunition against the Obama administration and spilled over to include criticism from Democrats and Jewish organizations. To be sure, Republicans were the first to blast the diplomat after…
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News South of the Border for Hanukkah
Mexico in December overflows with Christmas spirit. Virtually every home boasts a nativity scene and pots planted with bright-red poinsettias. And on Christmas Eve, families follow the solemn midnight Mass with a festive party filled with delicious food and a piñata for the kids. Unlike in America, where Hanukkah has become its own commercial and…
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News Falash Mura Must Wait Another Year
Backtracking on an earlier commitment, Israel will delay by at least one year completion of its admission of some 4,000 Ethiopian Jews already approved for entry, some of whom have been waiting since 1991 to immigrate there. The government has instructed the Jewish Agency for Israel to reduce the flow of Ethiopian immigrants to only…
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Fast Forward Ye debuts ‘Heil Hitler’ music video that includes a sample of a Hitler speech
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Culture Cardinals are Catholic, not Jewish — so why do they all wear yarmulkes?
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Fast Forward Student suspended for ‘F— the Jews’ video defends himself on antisemitic podcast
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Fast Forward ‘Honey, he’s had enough of you’: Trump’s Middle East moves increasingly appear to sideline Israel
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Fast Forward Yeshiva University rescinds approval for LGBTQ+ student club
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Fast Forward Rumeysa Ozturk ordered free on bail, after judge says op-ed criticizing Israel is insufficient to justify detention
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