Sharansky Complaining Iran Fears Hurt Aliya Stats
Sharansky told Israel Radio on Sunday that potential immigrants who had finalized their plans to move to Israel have delayed their arrival by several months because they are afraid of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and an Iranian response.
German Federation Condemns Fans Who Hitler-Saluted Israeli Player
The German soccer federation condemned an anti-Semitic act involving Kaiserslautern's Israel striker Itay Shechter, 24, and says such abuse has to be "nipped in the bud" and "we must act decisively." Sunday's taunts came the day after his team's 4-0 defeat by Mainz – their fourth straight loss – in which Shechter did not play.
Sheikh Boycotts Interfaith Conference Because of Jews
Al-Qaradawi said he opposes any discourse with Jews in principle.
Precious Passover Pop Priceless
The Fountainheads are a group of young Israeli singers, dancers, and artists, all graduates and students of the Ein Prat Academy for Leadership, who "have joined forces to create new Jewish artistic content for today's Jewish world." So far, this could be an intro to some really boring stuff, but in this case it ain't so. In my search for great, new Passover content, I landed on their YidVid Breakin' Free, and will definitely be using it while running on my treadmill.
‘Paul Ryan Will Not Be Mitt Romney’s Running Mate’
This is too delicious for words. On Friday, Bruce Bartlett of the Fiscal Times published a column under this very headline. It should obviously be filed under the "Dewey Beats Truman" category.
Too ‘Hot’ for Comfort, Temp Sues Orthodox Bosses in Failure to Communicate
The owners of Native Intimates are Orthodox Jews. That by itself is not exactly shocking, since Jews of all stripes have been running New York's garment industry since the early 20th century. What's unique about this particular outfit is their poor choice in letting go a female temp at their warehouse because she looked and dressed too provocatively for the workplace.
Drake: ‘I’m a Proud Young Jewish Boy’ and I Want My Re-Bar Mitzvah
Drake says: "When I had a Bar Mitzvah back in the day, my mum really didn't have that much money. We kinda just did it in the basement of an Italian restaurant, which I guess is kinda like a faux pas. I told myself that if I ever got rich, I'd throw myself a re-Bar Mitzvah. That's the concept for the video."
Two Hamas Terrorists Earn Darwin Awards in August while Caring for Explosives
A member of the military wing of Gaza's ruling terrorist movement Hamas died when a bomb he was securing accidentally exploded, the Hamas Ezzedine al Qassam said on Friday. He and another Hamas terrorist this month joined several other Palestinian terrorists who have been the recipients of the much coveted Darwin Award, which recognizes individuals who contribute to human evolution by self-selecting themselves out of the gene pool.
The Nice Lady Who Destroyed Obama
Miriam Goderich – remember that name, it will go down in history as the woman who brought down a president. But poor Miriam never did anything bad, in fact, what she did happened decades ago and now it could topple President Barack Hussein Obama.
Church Official: ‘If You Flatten a Globe, Israel Is at the Center’
Malcolm Hedding, an associate pastor of the World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was executive director of International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, which has a constituency of 14 million in 110 countries, according to Hedding. “Its main mission is to repair bridges opened up between Christians and Jews because of historical anti-Semitism.”
Supreme Court Won’t Hear ‘Birther’ Appeal, Obama May Be American After All
Believe it or not, the birther effort to de-legitimize the Barack Obama presidency may be officially over. The Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to Obama's U.S. citizenship and, consequently, to his eligibility to be the country's commander in chief.
Egyptian President Giving Chutzpah a Bad Name, Lecturing the US on Respect
Instead of stressing his friendship and loyalty to a country which, despite its own economic woes is generously helping to feed his 80 million plus citizens, Morsi is actually lecturing the United States, saying it needs to "fundamentally change its approach to the Arab world, showing greater respect for its values and helping build a Palestinian state, if it hoped to overcome decades of pent-up anger." For the record, since 1979, an annual contribution which totals, give or take, $30 billion has yielded the United States "decades of pent-up anger."
‘Natural Born Killers’ Murdered ‘Jewish Sounding’ Victim
Anti-Semitism in some parts is apparently so rampant, it's enough to have a Jewish sounding name for your life to be in danger. A couple of rampaging murderers who are up for several murders in Oregon and California, said in a jailhouse interview after their arrest that one of their victims, Cody Myers, was killed because he had a "Jewish sounding" last name. Myers happened to be a devout but extremely unlucky Christian.
Two Holocaust Survivers Reunited 70 Years Later
Lemel Leo Adler, left, and Leon Schagrin are cousins, the sons of two sisters. After the invasion of Poland, they were transported to the Tarnow ghetto, and then to several labor camps, and finally to Buna, "a chemical plant taht also known as Auschwitz III." In there they met only briefly, between shifts. In January 1945 they were separated and didn't see each other again. "A far as they know, everyone else in their families were killed."
I Want to have Your Baby, Sarah Silverman
Let's talk about motherhood and babies, and why some young girls start planning their weddings at age 7 and have the albums to show for it.
Israeli Media ‘Crucifying’ Windsurfer who Said ‘Shma Israel’ and Lost
She told an Israeli reporter about her plans: "I get on the surfboard, say 'Shma Israel, Hashem Elokeino Hashem Echad' and I go to war."
Netanyahu’s Leg Put in a Cast – Could Be First Divine Warning…
During a soccer game on Monday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slipped on the grass and stressed a leg tendon. Will Bibi be able to recognize the divine warning that was delivered with his injury?
Blogger Puts Congressional Aide’s Get Refusal In Context
The case is, predictably, another ugly and scary and very personal one, which is why I stayed off it all this time. But as the pressure campaign is increasing and even Fox News is dumping on the husband (a Republican!), I went looking for some context. Now you can, too…
Lubavitch Replicate Another Major Edifice
After moving the Rebbe's home at 770 Eastern Parkway to Israel, Lubavitch now moves the Kotel to America. My advice to you is, fasten the bolts and beams in your house, or one morning you'll wake up to discover Lubavitch has moved you to a new continent…
No More Hebrew Classes in North Texas University, Registrar Glitch Blamed
For the past 10 years, UNT has been the only university in the North Texas area where students could study Hebrew outside of seminary. But, according to NTDaily.com, after many years of low enrollment, the program is being eliminated. Ruth Precker, the adjunct professor hired in 2002 to teach Hebrew, believes the program’s recent low enrollment is due to issues with the registrar – there was a glitch!
Sheldon Cooper’s Girlfriend Speaks at National Museum of American Jewish History about her Bat...
The lovely Mayim Bialik, heartthrob of millions of geeks as Amy Farrah Fowler on The Big Bang Theory, spoke at the National Museum of American Jewish History to mark the 90th anniversary of the Bat Mitzvah. I absolutely love Mayim, who confessed to nursing her own little boy, Fred, through age 3 ("I believe in child-led weaning"). I just think she may not be the best advocate for rituals of adulthood…
Iran VP Says Talmud to Blame for Drugs Trade
Rahimi's remarks came at an international anti-drug conference in Tehran, attended by many foreign diplomats, and AFP says it was "a rare diatribe by an Iranian official targeting the Jewish faith, rather than the state of Israel."
‘Ashkenic’ Jews to Celebrate the Passover with Brisket and Kuegel
In Woody Allen's 1973 comic Sci Fi masterpiece "Sleeper," an underground band in the far future is trying to revive Allen's memory by acting out scenes from his childhood in Jewish Brooklyn. One of the men, in the roll of Allen's father, urges him, "Stop whining and eat your shiksa…" That was the feeling that overcame me when I read the article in Monday's Daily Mail of New Baltimore, NY, under the headline "Church brings Jewish traditions to life."
Matzel Toff? Really?
Punning might be the most annoying form of art save for mime (a punning mime, now that would be hateful). Check out the Monday NY Post (a paper known for outrageous punning, not enough mime) for verification. They claim that an outfit named Urban Nosh, which got its start making Matzel Toff, a chocolate-covered matzah, is adding a new, year-round version of the same dubious treat, called Matzel Bits, and are also conspiring to launch yet another new product, called Holy Macaroons. Help…?
When I Murdered Rabin
Between conversations and nibbling, one of my neighbors bent over and whispered, smiling, “At least in this shul we know no one is going to recited Tehillim for his speedy recovery.” My immediate, totally uncalculated reaction was to open a siddur (prayer book) and begin to recite Tehillim. I couldn’t behave otherwise. That‘s my nature – if someone will tell me NOT to jump off a bridge, I’m already up on the railing, hat in hand.
Food Co-op Wars Revisited
Ginia Bellafante writes in the NY Times about the Park Slope coop wars we told you about a week ago (In-Fighting at Brooklyn Food Co-op over Israel Boycott). She points out the obvious: "Calling for a boycott of Israeli-made foods at the Park Slope Food Co-op turns out to be a lot like calling for a boycott of Speedos in Minsk. And, predictably, the use of a healthy food-related organization for political reasons has enraged the Hummus Party. I kid you not.
Technology Can Save Lives, Even in Borough Park
The Asifa was a sober and responsible approach to a real problem, and I was impressed by the quickness with which the organizers responded to the potential pitfalls of being portrayed as Luddites, which does not befit a nation of scholars and questioners.
Presidential Conference “Facing Tomorrow” While Facing Away from Observant Jews
Who on those panels has any connection whatsoever to me, to my shul, to our children? What does any of those folks know about the explosion of Torah learning in Israel, about our packed houses of worship, about our proliferation of loan societies, about our irrepressible demographics?
Pushkar, New Mecca for Israelis, Even Has Chabad ‘Missionaries’
Calcutta News this morning reports on Pushkar, 130 km from the state capital of Jaipur, where many signboards and menus are in Hebrew.
Cartoon Rehab: Fixing the Crucifix
This cartoon, by Syrian artist Tishrin, was published September 22, 2011, and, to be fair, as anti-Israeli cartoons go it is relatively tame. But I was delighted by the opportunity to turn Tishrin's clever (albeit kinda trite) use of the letter T as cross, into the letter T as clothesline.