Week of May 2, 2025
Week of May 2, 2025
(JNS) — Politicians, intellectuals and activists agreed on Sunday that applying Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria is the only viable path to securing Jewish rights and safety in Israel. At the inaugural JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem, panelists said the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 signaled the dangers of allowing a Palestinian state to be established in Israel’s biblical heartland. Such a development, they warned, would expose Jewish communities to even greater threats. Knesset Member Ohad Tal (Religious Zionism...
(JNS) — The war against Hamas “will not end with hostages in Gaza, period,” Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, told the inaugural JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem on April 27. “We haven’t finished the job,” declared Danon, a senior member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party. The Israeli diplomat addressed the JNS summit just hours after touring the sites of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas massacre with a group of approximately 30 fellow U.N. ambassadors, he revealed....
(JNS) - Nefesh B'Nefesh, Friends of the IDF and Jewish National Fund-USA have announced the resumption of "Operation Hug," an initiative that will enable hundreds more families to reunite with lone soldiers serving in the Israel Defense Forces. Amid Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, thousands of young men and women who made aliyah and are serving in active combat units remain separated from their families abroad. These lone soldiers face unique emotional and logistical challenges,...
(JTA) - In his final public speech, delivered less than 24 hours before his death, Pope Francis addressed the war in Gaza, expressing sympathy for the Palestinian people and calling for an end to the war that includes the release of Israeli hostages. Francis made the comments in his annual Easter speech, which an archbishop delivered while Francis was seated on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. His comments about the war in Gaza, which Israel and Hamas have been fighting since Oct....
(Israel Hayom via JNS) - Freed Hamas hostage Noa Argamani wore a stunning yellow maxi dress, designed by Israeli designer Eli Tala, to the 2025 Time100 Gala in New York on April 26. Argamani has become one of the most prominent figures in Israel and around the world in recent months, using her public platform to convey one clear message - the urgency of bringing all the remaining hostages home. The 27-year-old was included in TIME magazine's 2025 list of the 100 most influential people in the...
(JNS)- Massive wildfires sweeping through central Israel have triggered widespread evacuations, road closures, and a full-scale emergency response as flames threaten residential areas near Jerusalem. The evacuated communities include three moshavs: Eshtaol, Mesilat Zion and Beit Meir and initial estimates speak of at least 3,500 evacuees. The Fire and Rescue Authority has declared a general mobilization across six districts, deploying more than 110 teams, eight firefighting planes and a...
(JTA) - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro revealed on Thursday that investigators had managed to retrieve ritual Passover items from the dining room that was heavily damaged by an arsonist's fire shortly after his family's seder on Saturday night. "Some just required a dusting and a cleaning," he said outside a Harrisburg firehouse where he and his wife Lori were serving lunch to first responders who rescued his family and doused the flames early Sunday morning. "Others are destroyed." Shapiro,...
(JNS) — Tal Shoham, who was freed from Gaza as part of the hostage deal with Hamas on Feb. 22, revealed that the terrorists had called his wife, freed during previous ceasefire, and threatened to kill him if she talked about her own experiences in captivity. Adi Shoham was taken hostage during the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre alongside her two young children. They were released after 50 days in captivity as part of the first ceasefire agreement with the terrorist group. Tal Shoham, a 40-year-old Israeli with dual Austrian citizenship, was...
(JTA) - OŚWIĘCIM, Poland - At Auschwitz for the annual March of the Living, Maggie Megidish and her daughter, released hostage Ori, stood among a delegation of survivors of both the Holocaust and Oct. 7. The visit stirred memories of their own ordeal. When a Holocaust survivor spoke of the hunger she endured in the camp, Maggie said she was transported back to the weeks she barely ate, tormented by thoughts of her daughter in captivity. "With every bite, or every sip of water, I wondered if...
(JNS) — Some 130 Palestinians left the Gaza Strip through Ramon Airport in southern Israel. Around 110 Gazans flew to France, while the remainder will settle in Bosnia and Chile, according to Channel 12 News, which cited Israeli officials. On April 1, Interior Minister Moshe Arbel visited Ramon Airport to inspect “the voluntary departure process” of Palestinians from Gaza. “Dozens of Gazans were flown to Leipzig, Germany, on a designated flight accompanied by German diplomats today,” said the Population and Immigration Authority,...
(JNS) — U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday requiring colleges and universities to better disclose their funding from foreign sources or risk losing federal funding. The Higher Education Act of 1965 in part “requires institutions of higher education to report significant sources of foreign funding,” but since the relevant section “has not been robustly enforced, the true amounts, sources and purposes of foreign money flowing to American campuses are unknown,” Trump stated. “From 2010 to 2016,...
(JNS) — Israeli authorities were working on Sunday afternoon (April 27) to rescue around 100 teenagers who were trapped in the Ein Prat Nature Reserve in the Judean Desert after a fire broke out on a popular hiking trail. “Firefighters from the Binyamin Regional Station are currently working on a fire in Nahal Prat,” the Israel Fire and Rescue Services said in a statement. “According to reports, many hikers remain in the stream, and it is difficult to rescue them. In addition, there is a topographical challenge, making it difficult to...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog believes the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip was a strategic error, he told Israel Hayom in an interview, an excerpt from which was published on April 28. “It is clear to me now that the disengagement was a mistake. Not the desire to separate from two million Palestinians — that was logical — but the act itself, which, due to the Palestinian Authority’s weakness, led to a Hamas takeover in Gaza,” said the president. Ahead of Israel’s 77th Independence Day, Herzog...
(JNS) — A clay jug estimated to be 1,200 years old, bearing distinctive camel decorations, has been unearthed at the archaeological site of Horvat ‘Anim in the Yatir Forest, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Thursday. The discovery was made during excavations carried out in cooperation with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael–Jewish National Fund as part of a broader initiative to improve public access to the site. Yatir Forest is located on the southern slopes of the Hebron Hills, near...
(JTA) — Jewish stars are condemning Kneecap after the Irish band delivered an anti-Israel performance during its set at Coachella. At least one is calling for the Trump administration to revoke the band’s work visas in advance of its upcoming — and nearly sold-out — U.S. tour. “Their actions included projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech, and this band openly support terrorist organizations,” wrote Sharon Osbourne on Instagram. “This behavior raises concerns about the appropriateness of their participation in such...
Mark your calendars and grab your golf clubs - on Monday, May 12, at 9 a.m., the Jewish Pavilion's 13th Annual Golf Tournament returns to Heathrow Country Club for a day of friendly competition, community spirit, and heartfelt giving. The tournament promises more than just great golf -I t's a tribute to the vision and dedication of its founder, Ken Davis, whose passion and leadership have made this event a cornerstone of local philanthropy. Thirteen years ago, Ken Davis was moved by the work of...
(JNS) — Renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino and his spouse, Israeli singer Daniella Pick, recently bought property in Tel Aviv for an estimated 50 million shekels (~$13.8 million), Hebrew media reported on April 27. The nearly half an acre of land currently has two old buildings on it, according to Israeli business daily Globes. The couple plans to demolish the two adjacent houses and erect one large home instead, according to the report. The property is situated in the northern Tel Aviv neighborhood of Tel Baruch, at the corner of Yaakov...
(JTA) — The Irish band Kneecap displayed a large anti-Israel message during its set Friday at Coachella, a music festival held in the California desert. A series of messages projected behind the band accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and condemned the United States for its support for Israel’s military. The messages concluded with a small phrase on top of a larger one: “F–k Israel. Free Palestine.” The progressive Twitch streamer Hasan Piker beamed the performance to his millions of followers, widening Kneecap’s reach beyond the...
Historian Sandie Stratton, M.A., will speak of Minorcans in Florida: A Brief History under the sponsorship of the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society, 4 pm., Thursday, May 8 at the St. Johns County Public Library Main Branch, 1960 North Ponce De Leon Boulevard in St. Augustine. Stratton, who earned a master’s degree in American/European History from the University of North Florida, will provide a foundational understanding as local Jews and Minorcans seek together to discover their overlapping origins in the Balearic Islands off the...
(JNS) — The Hamas terrorist group released a propaganda video on Wednesday showing a sign of life from Israeli hostage Omri Miran, who was taken captive from his home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz 565 days ago. Miran was abducted during the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Gunmen invaded the home that he shared with his wife, Lishay, and their two daughters. They moved the family to an adjacent house and then decided to abduct Omri, leaving his family behind. “Hello, my name is Omri Miran. Today, I am 48 years old. This is the second...
Freed Hamas hostage dons tefillin in ‘death shelter’ (JNS) — In an emotional full circle, former Hamas captive Eliya Cohen returned on Sunday for the first time to the shelter from which he was kidnapped and donned tefillin. Cohen was abducted on Oct. 7, 2023, by Hamas terrorists while attending the Nova music festival with his girlfriend, Ziv Abud. When the rocket fire began, they fled to a shelter that later became known as the “death shelter.” With them were Ziv’s nephew, Amit Ben Avida, and his girlfriend Karin Schwartzman,...
On Sunday, May 18 from 5-9 p.m., Temple Israel’s Roth Social Hall will transform into a casino, where you can test your luck at the tables, win prizes, and even renew your wedding vows. “It’s Vegas, Baby!” is a fundraiser you’ll want to take a gamble on! Play poker, craps, blackjack, roulette, and more while enjoying drinks and heavy appetizers. Off the tables, you’ll find a human slot machine and horse races. Take a break for some romance and renew your vows at the Oy Vegas Wedding Chapel, officiated by Rabbi Joshua Neely under...
(JNS) — Israeli enforcement authorities tore down additional illegal Palestinian Authority structures in a protected nature reserve in the eastern Gush Etzion region of Judea, the Israel Hayom daily reported on Thursday. Two buildings were razed on Thursday morning as part of a third wave of demolitions, according to the Hebrew-language newspaper, which noted that an Israeli demolition ban had been in place until a year ago. At the orders of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry...
(JNS) — As we mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany and the liberation of the concentration camps, that terrible chapter of history no longer seems so distant. While there are only 15.7 million Jews among a global population of more than 8 billion—still less than the nearly 17 million who were alive in 1938, the year before World War II broke out—the uninitiated could be forgiven for thinking that the number is at least twice that, given the volume of media and political attention that the Jewish state and...
By (JTA) — I vividly remember each of the many times I was fortunate enough to meet with Pope Francis. The initial meeting was in June 2013, when the pontiff welcomed a group of Jewish organizations to the Vatican — the first of many such meetings of his tenure. We were expecting a large ornate hall, complete with the new pope seated on a royal chair atop a riser. But Francis had not yet (reluctantly) given in to the reality of his position, the one where he led more than a billion Catholics and became, perhaps, the most recognized and...
This week, Palestinian Arabs and their supporters around the world have declared a “Day of Rage” on April 22. Again. Their “Days of Rage” along with “Nakba Day” are pretexts to rally support for Palestinian Arabs, my heart sinks — not out of fear, but out of a profound sadness for the moral bankruptcy it reveals. This phrase, dripping with venom and incitement, is not a call for justice, peace, or progress. It is an orgy of anger, a glorification of destruction, and a stark reminder of timeless failure of Palestinian Arab...
(JNS) — Are they serious? The president of the United States is finally doing what the Jewish community dreamed the Biden administration would do to stop antisemitism on campus. They are taking action — actual, tangible, visible action to hold campus agitators and foreign funders accountable. Yet instead of applauding this long-overdue shift in domestic policy, some in our community are wringing their hands and crying about “authoritarianism” and “chilling speech.” Let’s be honest. For years, the Jewish community has asked for...
(JNS) — I trust that Jews worldwide enjoyed a meaningful and memorable Passover with family and friends. Of course, no one could stop thinking of our brothers and sisters who have been held hostage in Gaza now for 18 months. We continue to pray for them to speedily enjoy their own anxiously awaited “season of freedom” and liberation. After all the excitement of Passover, we now return to the weekly Torah readings; the portion this week is Shmini (Leviticus, Chapters 9-11). We read about Aaron, the brother of Moses, who was consecrated...
(JNS) — In India, an attack by Islamic terrorists against Hindu tourists visiting Pahalgam in the Kashmir region on April 22 was a heartbreaking reminder of the enduring pain caused by religious hatred and intolerance. A total of 26 people were murdered. Husbands and fathers were slaughtered in front of their families. As an Indian Jew observing Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, I lit a candle to honor the victims of the Holocaust. Yet it deeply saddens me that, even after 80 years, people continue to be killed simply for their faith....
Menachim Begin 1977-1983 A Holocaust survivor, and a religiously educated Jew, Menachim Begin’s Revisionist approach to Zionism reflected two primary beliefs. First, Judaism had only survived the millennia by embracing its historical teachings. Second, the historical State of Israel included the entirety of Trans-Jordan, modern Palestine, Judea and Samaria, and Gaza. As such, Begin viewed Ben Gurion’s acquiescence to a Partition of the land as both “illegal” and “unjust,” in betrayal of Jewish history, and the product of a...
The column name “Give a listen” was presented to me by comedian Jackie Mason and, of course, in his familiar Yiddish accent. In response to my invitation, he had shown up in a dream in which he also proceeded to expound on many of today’s controversial topics. He stayed with me the rest of the next day. Or perhaps his appearance the night before enabled me to better channel his persona. And thus I was able to deal with a number of troubling issues with a sense of humor as I imagined his...
"What's that you have in your ear?" my mother asked me. We were on our way home from a family event in New York City in March 2009. Larry was driving, my sister, Laura, was in the passenger seat and I was sitting in the back with my mom. "This is my iPod. I can listen to music on it," I responded. "Can I try?" "Of course!" I removed the earbuds from my ears and put them in my mother's. Then I scrolled through my playlist. Nearly 90 percent were Broadway musicals. I knew my mom would love them....
The primary aim of a chronic pain treatment program is to alleviate pain, enhancing the quality of life rather than completely eradicating the pain. It’s important to understand that chronic pain cannot be cured with medications like opioids. Opioids can be addictive and may increase your nervous system’s sensitivity to pain, reducing pain sensation while increasing pain sensitivity. Pain management specialists recommend a comprehensive approach to manage chronic pain effectively: • Consult a Sleep Specialist: Quality sleep is crucial...
(JNS) — Cpt. Eden Nimri, 22, was a champion swimmer who could have represented Israel at the Olympics. On Oct. 7, 2023, she was murdered at Nahal Oz base as she fiercely defended her soldiers, still in her pajamas, as her weapon ran out of ammunition. Eden’s mother, Sharon, has honored her by participating in a poignant art exhibition in the city of Modi’in in central Israel. Nine bereaved mothers from across the country took part in the exhibition, which focuses on the tragic events of...
(JNS) — Madison Stock of Woodbury, N.Y., is officially the 10,000th participant in the Birthright Israel volunteer program. The 22-year-old recently completed working on agricultural projects in Moshav Gamzu, Moshav Zeitan, Moshav Beit Yitzchak, Moshav Gan Haim and Hinanit as part of the subsidized Post-October 7 Volunteer Program. She is still in Israel and has decided to extend her visit. Stock participated in the 10-day Birthright Israel trip last summer, fell in love with the country, and decided to return as a volunteer. In the United...
3 1/2 T. canola oil 2/3 cup water 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/3 cup sesame seeds 2 T. chia seeds 1/2 cup flax seeds 1/3 cup cornstarch 13 x18-inch parchment-lined baking sheet 1/2 tsp. flaked sea salt 275 F Mix dry ingredients. Bring water and oil to just a boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool 10 minutes. Mix dry ingredients and stir into cooled liquid. Allow to sit on counter 10 minutes for seeds to absorb the liquid. Use offset spatula or back of a spoon to spread...
MORNING MINYANS Chabad of South Orlando — Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. and 10 minutes before sunset; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 8:15 a.m., 407-354-3660. Congregation Ahavas Yisrael — Monday - Friday, 7:30 a.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-644-2500. Congregation Chabad Lubavitch of Greater Daytona — Monday, 8 a.m.; Thursday, 8 a.m., 904-672-9300. Congregation Ohev Shalom — Sunday, 9 a.m., 407-298-4650. GOBOR Community Minyan at Jewish Academy of Orlando — Monday – Friday, 7:45 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Temple Israel — Sunday,...
