Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Sorted by date Results 26 - 34 of 34
Absolutely no surprise... The following comes directly from the World Jewish Congress Digest (WJC) and is very worth repeating (but no surprise). The headline read “Israel Ranked 3rd Largest Sci-tech Partner to U.S.” Here is the story that followed: “The U.S.-Israel Science & Technology Foundation (USISTF) says that Israel last year placed third out of 16 nations deemed the world’s heavyweight partners in science and technology with the United States. The foundation’s ‘innovation index’ for... Full story
HERZLIYA, Israel (JTA)—Naftali Bennett and Tzipi Livni don’t agree on much. Bennett, Israel’s economy minister, sees the West Bank as an inseparable part of the Jewish state and wants Israel to annex its settlements there. Livni, the justice minister, says Israel can remain a Jewish democracy only by evacuating settlements. But on one thing they agree: Israel must break its status quo with the Palestinians. Bennett and Livni were two of the five politicians who presented a range of responses to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict last Sunda... Full story
WASHINGTON (JTA)-Is the new Palestinian government kosher under U.S. law? A range of American Middle East policy analysts and current and former U.S. officials say that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas threaded the needle last week and created a government of technocrats untainted by Hamas and not subject to its influence, although Hamas has declared its backing of the government. That could all change, however, if elections to replace the interim government are held in about six... Full story
Many questions surrounded the future of the Chabad-Lubavitch branch of Hasidism after the death of its seventh and final leader-"the Rebbe," Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson-on June 12, 1994. Schneerson had no children, and no successor was named. But 20 years later, Chabad is not only alive and well, but increasingly receiving the so-called highest form of flattery: imitation. Against the backdrop of last fall's much-discussed Pew Research Center survey of American Jews, many Jewish leaders... Full story
Washington Jewish Week She may not be flashy, a firebrand speechmaker, or even very well known outside of her Queens congressional district, but despite her brief legislative career, freshman U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) has become one of Congress's most steadfast supporters of Israel and Jewish issues. Along the way she has endeared herself to colleagues and supporters on both sides of the aisle and the Jewish community in her district. Meng's demeanor, both in conversation and in Congress,... Full story
Kerry calls for release of kidnapped Israelis, cites likely Hamas involvement (JTA)—U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called for the immediate release of three kidnapped Israeli teens and noted the “many indications” pointing to Hamas’ involvement. In a statement released Sunday afternoon, more than 48 hours after the teens’ abduction, Kerry said he “strongly condemns” the kidnapping and reiterated that Hamas is a “terrorist organization.” Kerry said Washington officials “continue to offer our full support for Israel in its search for the miss... Full story
BUDAPEST, Hungary (JTA)—It isn’t every day that Jewish organizations reject funding for Holocaust commemorations. But that’s what happened in Hungary this spring when Jewish groups refused nearly $1 million in special state grants to protest what they see as the government’s whitewashing of Hungarian complicity in the Holocaust. “We wanted to send a very strong message to the government that we are interested in truthful, not symbolic, remembrance, and this is something money cannot buy,” sai... Full story
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Blocks away from the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and the headquarters of two major banks, in the corner of the lobby of a boutique hotel, Nimrod Gruber sticks his hand into an ATM. A few seconds later, a QR code prints out. Gruber takes the slip of paper and walks away, no cash in hand. He’s not worried. He owns the ATM, and there’s nothing like it in the Middle East. It identifies users by scanning their palms, and instead of dispensing dollars, euros or shekels, it dispenses Bitcoin. “It shows up in your account in 30 seconds... Full story
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (JTA)-The Bais Menachem Youth Development program in this northeastern Pennsylvania city is no typical Chabad yeshiva. The students wear flip-flops and T-shirts, not the typical black-and-white of Hasidic seminaries. In addition to Jewish law and Bible study, the curriculum includes improv nights, poetry slams and screenings of National Geographic nature shows. The students take taekwondo classes, skiing lessons and canoe trips down the Delaware River. There's even a house... Full story
