Israeli Labor Strike Causes Closures, Delays

Posted on: February 8th, 2012

Israel’s main labor union, the Histadrut, declared a general strike on Wednesday impacting services across the country.

Bank of Israel: 15,000 Stolen Credit Cards Will Be Protected

Posted on: January 3rd, 2012

The Bank of Israel assured the 15,000 Israelis whose credit card numbers were posted online by a group of Saudi hackers they they will not have to pay for fraudulent charges on their cards.

Apple’s First R&D Center Outside of US in Israel

Posted on: December 20th, 2011

Computer and software giant Apple has begun searching for office space for its first technology development center outside of Cupertino, California - in Israel.

Rami Levy starting cellular service today

Posted on: December 5th, 2011

Rami Levy enters the cellular market, undercutting the competitors as he always does.

Israeli Anti-Nausea Pill for Cancer Patients Passes Clinical Trial

Posted on: April 24th, 2012

Israel’s RedHill Biopharma announced success last week in a major clinical trial of a new drug to prevent nausea in cancer patients.

Israeli Startup Wins NYC Big Apps 3.0 Award

Posted on: April 22nd, 2012

YooGuide, an Israeli startup, has won “The Investors Choice Application” award at the NYC Big Apps 3.0 competition for its app, The Funday Genie.

Israeli-Based “DogTV” For Dogs At Home Alone

Posted on: April 19th, 2012

The new made-in-Israel US cable channel, DogTV, is scientifically designed to make dogs happy when they’re left at home alone, according to Israel21C.

Israel to Launch Google Street View

Posted on: April 17th, 2012

Famed Google Maps application Street View, which is a technology featured in Google Maps and Google Earth providing 360-degree panoramic views from positions along streets throughout the world, will be launched in Israel on Sunday.

Edouard Vuillard, 1890-1940, at the Jewish Museum

Posted on: May 8th, 2012

"Edouard Vuillard: A Painter and His Muses, 1890-1940" has opened at the New York Jewish Museum and will run through September 23. The exhibition offers a fresh view of the French artist Edouard Vuillard’s career, from the vanguard 1890s to the urbane domesticity of the lesser-known late portraits.

Two Irish Bands Succumb to Cultural Terrorism

Posted on: May 7th, 2012

Two Irish bands scheduled to play highly-publicized concerts in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Nahalal in June have cancelled, citing an overwhelming international uproar over their refusal to join the boycott against relations with Israel. Dervish and Fullset both published apologies on their Facebook pages, explaining that a mutual friend of theirs, Israeli musician Avshalom Farjun, [...]

A Jewish Palimpsest In Maastricht, Netherlands

Posted on: May 4th, 2012

One of my favorite places when I was growing up in Boston was the used bookstore on Beacon and St. Mary’s streets. Boston Book Annex could play a used bookshop on television; it was dimly lit and cavernous, crawling with cats, and packed with a dizzying array of books, many of which sold three for a dollar. But used bookstores of this sort, however picturesque and inviting, are a relatively modern phenomena. In the Middle Ages, for example, I would never have been able to afford even a single used book unless I had been born into an aristocratic family. (Full disclosure, I was not.)

Shuls On My Mind: Robert Feinland’s Paintings

Posted on: April 26th, 2012

One thing is certain about Robert Feinland - he has shuls on his mind. His career has spanned over 40 years, exploring landscape, cityscape, sculpture and abstraction. For many of those years he has focused on the relentlessly changing urban landscape of New York, feeling the necessity to document and, in some way preserve, the physical fabric of the city he loves. A selection of recent paintings, most concentrating on the Crown Heights community, is currently at the Chassidic Art Institute. Many of the images are of shuls.

“Think Israel Summit” – Strengthening Israel Identity for Young Professionals and Singles

Posted on: November 16th, 2011

More and more young singles are realizing that their future is in Israel

A Journey with Destiny: The Story Of A Righteous Filipina’s Conversion To Judaism

Posted on: March 15th, 2012

The heading of this article is the title of Angelita Valdes’ biography written by her husband, Dr. Robert Dublin. Dr. Dublin was the physician who treated and nursed the young Filipina dancer and TV starlet back to life when she became ill with tuberculosis meningitis - a life threatening disease. Angelita Valdes’ biography is an astonishing story of an amazing woman’s life.

Hadassa Dubrofsky: A True Role Model

Posted on: February 17th, 2012

Hadassa Dubrofsky, a lovely twelve-year old girl from Toronto, Canada decided to forgo bat-mitzvah presents and replace them with something even more meaningful and exciting – an act of chesed (charitable kindness).

Viera Rybarova: A Remarkable Mission

Posted on: February 3rd, 2012

Last year Viera Rybarova, professor of English language and literature in Bratislava, Slovakia, undertook a formidable task. Having read my Holocaust memoirs, she decided to translate one of the books into Slovak, where there is still a shortage of literature on the tragic fate of the Jews seventy years ago.

Sister Rose Thering: Sister Rose’s Passion

Posted on: January 24th, 2012

Sister Rose's Passion is a documentary film on the life of Sister Rose Thering, a life that stood for love of Jews, for fighting prejudice, anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.

The True Meaning Of Motherhood

Posted on: May 11th, 2012

This past December 5, I became a Savta again. My mother always told me not to count my grandchildren, so I won't. Suffice to say, Baruch Hashem, our little tribe has expanded greatly since our first granddaughter, Aleeza, was born eight years ago. And since they all came on the scene, my husband Lou and I have spent countless hours enjoying them.

Big, Hairy Problems

Posted on: May 11th, 2012

Welcome once again to “You’re Asking Me?” – a humorous advice column that is pretty much like any other advice column, except in terms of helpfulness. Like all other advice columns, we try to answer your questions, but if you stump us, we say, “That’s beyond the scope of this article,” and we move on with our lives. That’s a nice way of saying, “We have no idea. There are people you can pay by the hour for this sort of thing.”

Is It Time To Cry Out Again?

Posted on: May 10th, 2012

"In every generation they try to kill us, and the Holy One, Blessed Be He, rescues us from their hands." Every year, for centuries, Jews the world over say these words at the Seder. I paid particular attention this year as this phrase was sung by the golden-voiced Dudu Fisher, a chazzan and Broadway star, who led sedarim at Kutcher's Hotel in the Catskill Mountains.

NCFJE’s Toys For Children: Bringing Cheer To Those Who Need It Most

Posted on: May 9th, 2012

Huge plush teddy bears greet me as soon as I walk through the door. Puzzles line the shelves along with boxes of Lego and dress-up clothes. Every few inches another toy. Another game. Another child’s dream.

The Lax Family – Formerly Of Neve Dekalim; Now Of Nitzan

Posted on: April 19th, 2012

The family: I was born in Israel and I’ve never left. My husband Moshe was born in Detroit, MI. His family made aliyah when he was 12 years old.

These I Shall Remember

Posted on: April 6th, 2012

It was Moishele, and Itche, and me. We did everything together. We even made our own language, which only we understood. In shul they jokingly called us “the troika,” after the three bishops whose authority extended across Poland.

Double Bris In The Amazon

Posted on: March 30th, 2012

Against all odds, the spark of Judaism continues to burn brightly in the Amazon as two members of the Brazilian city of Porto Velho underwent a bris milah performed by a renowned Argentian mohel just days after Rosh Chodesh Adar.

A Morah’s View from Out-of-town

Posted on: March 30th, 2012

When you‘re here, over the rainbow, it is different. Being out-of-town is not about living in some neighborhood of Brooklyn (other than Boro Park, Williamsburg, or Flatbush). Living out-of-town also does not mean living in other parts of the Big Apple, like Manhattan or Queens. It doesn’t even mean living in the suburbs – like the Five Towns or Great Neck. Being here, over the rainbow, means living away.

Israeli Doctor: Over-the-Counter Drugs Could Raise Blood Pressure

Posted on: May 9th, 2012

Chemical components in anti-inflammatory pain relievers, antibiotics, contraceptives and anti-depressants may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke, according to Dr. Ehud Grossman of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine and the Sheba Medical Center. In a recent article published in the American Journal of Medicine with co-author Dr. Franz Messerli of Columbia [...]

Rambam Hospital Doctors Save Gaza Girl with Congenital Heart Defect

Posted on: February 5th, 2012

Rambam Medical Center Public Affairs Director David Ratner describes how the life of a young Palestinian girl was saved by the hospital.

Getting Help From Mental Health Guidance Counselors

Posted on: January 4th, 2012

What began 10 years ago as a small group of volunteers providing mental health referrals within the Jewish community has evolved into a full-fledged mental health referral, education and support organization that takes on 6,000 new patients annually in four major cities across the globe.

The Ins And Outs Of Visiting The Sick: An Interview With Hospital Chaplain Rabbi Simeon Schreiber

Posted on: December 21st, 2011

Some people are naturals at visiting people in the hospital. Others feel awkward: What should I say? How long should I stay? Does the person even want me to come?

Big Opening Day in All Star Israel Softball League

Posted on: May 3rd, 2012

Opening day action in the All Star Israel Softball League was marked by action and excitement, as fans were treated to two tight pitchers’ duels and two big slugfests.

Jewish NFL Lineman Heads to Cleveland

Posted on: May 3rd, 2012

For the Jewish community in Ohio, the newest Cleveland Browns lineman is also a landsman. Mitchell Schwartz will arrive in Cleveland on Thursday, May 10 for the Cleveland Browns’ rookie minicamp, having been chosen as the 37th pick in last week’s NFL Draft. In an interview with Cleveland Jewish News, the 22 year-old Brown said [...]

Olympic Committee Refuses to Commemorate Israeli Munich Massacre Victims

Posted on: April 22nd, 2012

A campaign by the widows of two Israeli victims of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre have had their petition for a memorial at the 2012 Olympic games rejected by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Play Ball!

Posted on: April 12th, 2012

The 2012 baseball season should be a most interesting one. Every game is important. No longer can a team just play for the Wild Card spot and have an equal shot with the three division winners at participating in the World Series (as St. Louis did last year).

Community Currents – May 18, 2012

Posted on: May 16th, 2012

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It’s My Opinion: Tantrums

Posted on: May 10th, 2012

The recent loss by the Knicks in game two of their playoff series with the Miami Heat resulted in more than the loss of a basketball game. In an explosive postgame meltdown, Knicks star Amare Stoudemire lost control and punched the glass case of a fire extinguisher. His outburst led to 15 stitches in his hand. Stoudemire left Miami bandaged up and wearing an arm sling.

Kosher Food Concession Stand Opens At Marlin Park

Posted on: May 10th, 2012

Marlins Park, the new home of baseball’s Miami Marlins, has a kosher concession stand called Kosher Korner. The stand, an exciting accommodation to South Florida’s kosher crowd and visitors, has been met with great enthusiasm.

Chabad Of South Broward Holds Siyum

Posted on: May 10th, 2012

A siyum in honor of the conclusion of Seder Zeraim, the first of six orders of the Mishnah, was held on April 24, Iyar 2, at the Chabad of South Broward located in Hallandale Beach. The Mishnah is the basis of the Oral Torah. Zeraim deals primarily with agricultural laws.

Chronicles Of Crises In Our Communities

Posted on: May 17th, 2012

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Stuff Couples Say! Stuff My Date Says!

Posted on: May 16th, 2012

Beineinu and Choice of the Heart will be holding their annual Symposium this Thursday night, May 17th, at Heichal Shlomo in Jerusalem. The focus of the symposium is creating successful relationships through a combined spiritual and practical approach. 

New Gifts for New York Hospital-Cornell Bikur Cholim

Posted on: May 15th, 2012

Students of Moriah Yeshiva of Englewood, NJ put together a Chessed project for children visiting New York Hospital Cornell

Boundless Miracles Available For The Taking

Posted on: May 10th, 2012

Dear Dr. Respler: The holidays are a great time to learn about ourselves – the good, the bad and the ugly – and then try to make lemonade from the lemons, turn the positive into building blocks, and generally create good things from the lessons learned. The Yamim Tovim are saturated with kedushah, leading to beautifully crafted creations from what one learned and experienced during these holy, spiritual days.

Beyond Politics: Inspirational People of Israel

Posted on: April 18th, 2012

Unlike formulaic biographies from popular publishing houses in the Orthodox Jewish world, Beyond Politics is not predictable. The vignettes of individual men and women who trekked through Ethiopia and Sudan, flew in from Austria, India, and Algeria, or were born on Israeli soil are gritty, adventurous, and heartwarming.

Two New Books on Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik

Posted on: April 15th, 2012

The OU Press has brought out two very significant books on the thought of the Rav, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik.

Title: Beyond Politics: Inspirational People of Israel

Posted on: April 15th, 2012

Beyond Politics: Inspirational People of Israel is a compact introduction to decency. Its eighteen personal profiles illustrate how Israelis from all walks of society improve the Holy Land’s quality of life, and then some.

Title: Here Comes Shabbos!

Posted on: April 6th, 2012

The book Here Comes Shabbos! is about a family baking, cooking, polishing silver, shining shoes, shopping and cleaning for Shabbos. The activities begin on Friday morning and only conclude shortly before lighting the Shabbos candles. During that time span, it covers everything you need to do in order to get ready for Shabbos.