Week of February 13, 2026
Week of February 13, 2026
(JNS) - Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday received the diplomatic credentials of the new ambassadors of Fiji and Thailand to Israel in formal ceremonies at the President's Residence in Jerusalem. Welcoming Fiji's envoy, Jesoni Vitusagavulu, Herzog said, "I am honored to welcome the first-ever ambassador of Fiji to Israel in Jerusalem." Herzog congratulated the Pacific island nation on its decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, calling it a historic milestone in bilateral relations....
Temple Israel brought together ancient heritage and modern innovation last Thursday night with an unusual offering: Into to 3D Pringing with Rabbi Neely. The class, held Jan. 29, invited congregants to explore how new technology can give timeless Jewish traditions a creative twist. Rabbi Neely showcased a table full of colorful 3D-printed objects he'd designed himself, including mezuzahs-the decorative cases that hold a small scroll of sacred text-crafted using sites like Tinkercad. He even...
(JNS) - Backed by Mexico and Brazil, Gabriel Boric, Chile's outgoing president, nominated former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet, a harsh critic of the Jewish state, to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations. Boric, who is also anti-Israel, made the announcement on Monday. José Antonio Kast, a right-wing politician who is set to assume the Chilean presidency next month, would be unlikely to nominate Bachelet, 74, for the role. Bachelet, who was Brazil's president twice-from...
(JNS) — The upcoming U.S.-Iran nuclear talks are now expected to be held in Oman on Friday after the Trump administration agreed to Tehran’s request to move the venue from Turkey, Axios reported on Tuesday, citing an Arab source familiar with the discussions. The source told reporter Barak Ravid that there are ongoing negotiations about whether Arab and Muslim regional countries will join the talks in the Gulf state, with the White House declining to comment. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that he had instructed...
(JNS) - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he has become more open about his Jewish faith following the massacre at a synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa., and the Hamas attack against Israel and subsequent rising Jew-hatred. "As people have approached me and expressed to me the fear that they have to live openly about who they are in this country, I have felt the responsibility to be more open about my faith, to offer some comfort to them," Shapiro told a group of reporters at an event sponsored by...
(JNS) — A year into U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, experts are divided on how to grade the administration’s efforts to protect Jews on campus—an area that the White House and the U.S. Justice and Education Departments, among other agencies, have made a priority. In 2025, Columbia University, Northwestern University and Cornell University agreed to pay $221 million, $75 million and $60 millionrespectively to settle federal probes over alleged Jew-hatred, and the Trump administration has sought $500 million from Harvard...
(JNS) — Israel’s Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli lashed out on Sunday at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, calling him a “dictator,” “Hamas sympathizer” and “promoter of Sharia-based authoritarianism.” Chikli referenced a short video clip posted on social media in which Erdoğan apparently spoke recently in Turkish about the need of the region’s peoples to unite on the “common ground of Islamic brotherhood.” It is unclear whether the Turkish leader was referring to the Muslim...
(JNS) — In recent years, the number of Jews in New York applying for German citizenship has nearly doubled, according to a Deutsche Welle report. That includes Ruth Gruenthal, who fled Nazi persecution in her teens and rebuilt her life in the United States. The 103-year-old told the German publication that U.S. President Donald Trump’s reelection “evoked feelings that I thought I would never in my lifetime have to deal with again.” The German consulate in New York City has recorded 666 restorations of naturalizations of Jews, whose...
(JNS) — In an E.U. survey published on Tuesday, 69% of some 25,000 respondents said that events in Israel shape how Jews are perceived in their country. The poll, published on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, showed an increase in the perception that Israel influences how Jews are thought of: In a similar poll from 2018, 54 percent indicated there was a link to the Jewish state. The European Commission’s Eurobarometer survey on the perception of antisemitism also reported that 55 percent of respondents consider antisemitism to be...
(JNS) — The Israeli currency surged to one of its strongest levels in decades, trading at 3.09 shekels per dollar at noon on Thursday. A similar exchange rate was last recorded in November 2021 and in 1996. The Bank of Israel’s representatives exchange rates set on Wednesday afternoon included 3.0910 per U.S. dollar, 4.2609 per British pound, 2.2798 per Canadian dollar, 2.1657 per Australian dollar and 3.7039 per euro. The shekel’s strengthening is not a momentary outlier, as it has been rising against the nominal effective exchange...
(JNS) — Lebanon’s prime minister vowed on Tuesday to keep his country out of war after Hezbollah’s leader last week warned that a strike on Iran would be an attack on its Lebanese terror proxy. “We will never allow anyone to drag the country into another adventure,” AFP quoted Nawaf Salam as saying during the World Governments Summit in Dubai, in response to a question about comments made by Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem. Hassan Nasrallah’s replacement said on Jan. 26 that his Lebanese Shi’ite terror army and its main...
(JNS) - Professor and Jewish historian Deborah Lipstadt, former U.S. envoy for monitoring and combating antisemitism from 2022 to 2025, is set to receive Bar-Ilan University's 2026 Jonathan Sacks Institute Prize for Outstanding Achievement as a Public Intellectual. The award, established by the Gewurz family of Montreal in memory of Samuel Gewurz, honors figures whose work advances the ideas and moral vision of Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, chief rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the...
(JNS) — Barnabás (Barni) and Noa Szollos, brother and sister and Team Israel’s representatives on the ski slopes for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, have already cemented their place in Israeli winter sports history. Noa, 23, became the youngest Israeli to medal at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics in Lausanne, Switzerland, taking bronze in the super-G (super giant slalom) speed-focused event and silver in combined, an event that features a speed and a technical portion. Part of her motivation was beating her brother’s personal best,...
(JNS) — The Pulitzer Prize Board is facing scrutiny following the election of Vijay Iyer, a composer, pianist and professor at Harvard University with a documented history of anti-Israel bias and activism. A Jan. 25 announcement from the Pulitzer Prize Administrator’s Office, which also included the election of Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of the Associated Press, stated that Iyer, a tenured professor of the arts at the Ivy League school with joint appointments in music and African and African American studies,...
NANCY GAIL SCHWARTZ Nancy Gail Schwartz, 72, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in Winter Park, Florida. She was a devoted wife, loving mother, cherished grandmother, and a truly beautiful soul whose warmth and kindness touched everyone she met. Born on May 24, 1953, in New York, New York, Nancy was the daughter of the late Sam Schechter and Helen "Cookie" Small. She grew up in Fresh Meadows, Queens, where she developed the warm, light-hearted spirit and wonderful sense of humor for which...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Eighty-one years after the Holocaust, in a scenario that once seemed inconceivable, Israel and Germany have become allies. Germans defend Israel in the international arena, and Israel provides military defense for Germany. In an interview marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Jan. 27, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, one of Israel’s most prominent friends in the Bundestag, explained why Berlin will continue purchasing weapons from Israel and supporting it in the international arena despite...
(JNS) — Elaine Grossinger Etess, the third-generation Jewish proprietor of the famed Grossinger’s resort in Liberty, N.Y., in the Catskill Mountains, died on Jan. 27. She was 98 years old. The hotel was part of the famed Borscht Belt, where Jewish residents—many of them from the five boroughs of New York City—would go to unwind with their families amid expansive lawns, swimming pools, exercise and dance classes, day and nighttime activities, and legendary comedy acts, complete with all-you-could-eat kosher food. Etess was the daughter...
(JNS) — A bill increasing government support for bereaved Israel Defense Forces families and victims of terrorism passed its final reading in the Knesset on Monday, following approval by the Labor and Welfare Committee. Among other provisions, the amendments to the Families of Soldiers Who Fell in Battle Law and the Benefits for Casualties of Hostile Acts Law grant orphans aged 21 and up a monthly stipend of 3,500 shekels ($1,120) until age 30 and 2,000 shekels ($640) per month until age 40. The amendments also significantly increase the...
US, Israeli navies conduct planned Red Sea drill By JNS Staff (JNS) — Israeli naval vessels on Sunday conducted a joint exercise with a U.S. Navy destroyer, as part of ongoing cooperation between the Israeli Navy and the U.S. 5th Fleet in the Red Sea arena. The American destroyer docked at the port of Eilat as part of a “pre-planned, routine visit,” according to the Israel Defense Forces. The exercise “highlights the close cooperation between the two navies and the respective militaries,” the IDF stated. The USS Delbert D. Black...
(JNS) — Zionists must step forward — not defensively, not apologetically, but proudly and thoughtfully. This is not a moment for silence or retreat. It is a time that demands clarity of language, depth of understanding, and the confidence to speak and act with conviction. Zionism has always required courage; however, this moment is an era of ever-increasing anti-Jewish hatred and bigotry. It calls not only to fight forward against it but also requires literacy and resolve. I am a Zionist not because it is fashionable or convenient, but...
(JNS) — The protests against illegal immigration enforcement, the Black Lives Matter movement, Occupy Wall Street, No Kings marches and the umpteen demonstrations against Israel and for terrorists—they are all branches of the same ideological tree. These are not like the civil-rights protests of previous generations, despite their best efforts to convince the public that they are. These people have exposed themselves to be divisive and hateful. Until people recognize that connection, they will keep losing the arguments, one issue at a...
(JNS) — After 843 days, Israel laid to rest the body of 24-year-old Ran Gvili, the final hostage held in Gaza. With his return last week, a promise made in the aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023, has been fulfilled: No Jew taken by force would be left behind. This moment is not about closure; it is also about agency. Oct. 7 was not only an act of mass murder, but an attempt to reorder Jewish history by force, to return Jews to a familiar role as hunted subjects. The brutality was deliberate, the spectacle intentional, and the message unmistakable....
(JNS) — Television rarely gets Jewish life right. Too often, Jewish characters are comic foils, political symbols or walking memorials of tragedy. That’s what makes Dr. Michael Robinavitch (played by Noah Wyle, who had a lead role in the TV series “ER” that aired on NBC from 1994 to 2009, and whose father, original name Weil, is Jewish)—in HBO’s medical drama “The Pitt”—quietly remarkable. He is not defined by neurosis or by slogans. He is defined by how he treats people. This lead physician goes by “Dr. Robby,” sparing...
(JNS) — When Israel demolished the abandoned former Jerusalem headquarters of the disgraced United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Western press reflexively condemned the Jewish state for a myriad of bogus transgressions. Their accusations falsely claimed Israel violated international law, threatened the welfare of Palestinian “refugees” and acted out of unwarranted political motivations. In fact, Israel has in no way violated international law, nor did its demolition of the UNRWA compound threaten the welfare of...
(JNS) — I have read the recent statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem warning against so-called “damaging ideologies” like Christian Zionism. As a native Aramaic Christian living in Israel, I feel I must respond—not to create division, but to share the truth about what life is really like for Christians living in the Holy Land. Christian Zionism is not a political ploy. It is rooted in the Bible. God spoke of the daughter of Zion and loved His fellow Jewish people. Christian Zionism honors that biblical...
"Even through these challenges, I have remained committed to being a strong example for my siblings and to upholding our Jewish traditions with pride." - Samuel Kyeyune I generally don' t write articles about members of our tribe living outside the Orlando area. After all, the title of my column is "Jews in the Land of Disney." But, I have an interesting story to tell. Recently, I was contacted by a 26-year-old young Jewish man living in Uganda. The term "Jewish geography," comes to play, and...
Talk about a life full of history and adventure. That is Aryeh Green's life. Chief strategy officer of Gigawatt Global, a Jerusalem-based renewable energy platform for Africa, and co-founder of its nonprofit arm, Gigawatt Impact, Green recently spoke to a group in Winter Park about the ongoing work of the renewable energy firm. And even though the Israel-linked solar projects are extremely important with the ability to help some of the poorest countries in Africa (more on this later), he has...
(JNS) - To paraphrase a French maxim: "The more things stay the same ... the worse they get." At least, as far as antisemitism is concerned. This thought came to me early one recent morning, while I was channel switching my TV at home. I came across a broadcast of "Gentleman's Agreement," the ground-breaking 1947 movie, starring Gregory Peck, about discrimination against Jews in post-World War II, post-Holocaust, supposedly enlightened American society. The film, in which Peck portrayed Philip...
When cold weather arrives and the air turns sharp enough to sting, some Jewish households still turn to the kitchen. Long before health insurance, urgent-care clinics, or online medical advice, healing came from bubbling pots, simple ingredients, and slow cooking. Food has always been more than sustenance: It is how people manage to stay upright when illness, hunger, and winter close in. Grandmothers do not need nutrition charts to know what works. Nutrition writers today speak of probiotics, antioxidants, collagen, and immune-supporting...
On the day before the National Football League championship game last Sunday, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was studying his playbook, and reviewing game films. He was reviewing the plays his team could use the next day against the New England Patriots. He was studying the defensive formations and personnel alignments the Patriots could send on the field. He was preparing to put himself into the best mental state for victory. A devout Christian, he should have gone to shul. ,,, . ,≥ The Torah portion read in synagogue on the day...
Got your grogger? Here we go! Such a commotion. Naturally! Exactly what you expect from the Jewish noisemaker. But there’s more commotion. Because, just like Chanukah, there are many ways to spell and pronounce the name of the device most notably associated with the holiday of Purim. Maybe you have a favorite Jewish blog you like to read on your computer. If so, you’ll likely have a blogger writing about the grogger — a rhyme you’ll remember. Alternatively, there’s grager, gragger, or...
As we age, keeping our brains sharp is just as important as staying physically active. One fun and effective way to do both at once is through dual-tasking – a simple but powerful method that challenges both the mind and body at the same time. You may already be doing it without realizing it! Ever walked and talked with a friend at the same time? That’s dual-tasking. But recent research shows that when we intentionally combine movement with mental effort, it can significantly boost our memory, coordination, focus, and even help delay...
Workshop Series, Session 1 — On Feb. 22, noon – 1 p.m., The Holocaust Center will host “Democracy ofn the Edge: The Weimar Republic and the Fragility of Freedom.” This series will examine how the Weimar Republic’s struggles revealed the vulnerabilities of democratic systems. The one-hour lecture will explore the political, social and economic pressures that undermined freedom in Germany between the world wars, and the lessons that remain relevant...
