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  • Hamas agrees to hostage deal with IDF still in Gaza

    Dec 20, 2024

    (JNS) — Hamas has agreed to two of Israel’s key conditions for a ceasefire in Gaza, raising hopes for an agreement to release hostages within days, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Hamas for the first time agreed to accept the presence of Israeli forces in Gaza during a 60-day truce, the newspaper quoted unnamed Arab mediators as saying. The sources also confirmed to the paper reports from earlier in the week that Hamas had submitted a list of hostages, including U.S. citizens, whom it would release. The purported breakthrough fol...

  • Kibbutz Nir Oz votes to rebuild following Oct. 7 destruction

    Dec 20, 2024

    (JNS) — A majority of Kibbutz Nir Oz members voted on Monday to return to their destroyed homes and rebuild. The kibbutz was among the hardest hit communities during Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of southern Israel. One in four residents was either killed or kidnapped, including the Bibas family, mother Shiri, husband Yarden and their two children, Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months old. In a letter to the government, the kibbutz members stressed their expectations for a large-scale and generous construction plan, according to Israel’s Chann...

  • What's ahead for the 34 Jewish members of the next Congress

    Ron Kampeas|Dec 20, 2024

    (JTA) — WASHINGTON — There are 34 Jews in the incoming Congress, with a 35th likely to join in April. Should that candidate, Florida State Sen. Randy Fine, win his special election in Florida, that would mean no change in numbers overall between the outgoing Congress and the incoming one: The House Jewish delegation will drop from 26 to 25, but the number of Jewish senators will increase from nine to a minyan. Dig a little deeper, though, and there are some changes — both in terms of new challenges and new opportunities for the Jewish class...

  • Weekly roundup of world briefs

    Dec 20, 2024

    JewBelong to put up antisemitism awareness billboards during holidays (JNS) — December 2023 had the highest number of antisemitic incidents of any month last year, the Anti-Defamation League reported. The activist group JewBelong is attempting to make sure that doesn’t repeat itself this month. To that end, as of Dec. 9, the nonprofit organization is placing billboards on main roads near four airports in the United States: Chicago O’Hare International Airport in Illinois, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, Fort Laude...

  • Assad regime has been toppled, ending five-decade rule in Syria

    Akiva Van Koningsveld|Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) - Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country after a coalition of rebel groups stormed Damascus, ending his family's five-decade rule over the Arab Republic, Reuters reported on Sunday morning. Syria's army command notified officers on Sunday that the regime had fallen, an officer who was informed of the move told the press agency. A Syrian airplane took off from Damascus International Airport as the capital was being taken by the rebels. Reuters said it could not immediately...

  • 'Historic day' at Syrian border

    David Isaac|Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) - Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu, visiting the Syrian border on Sunday, hailed the collapse of the Assad regime, "a central link in Iran's axis of evil," describing it as a "historic day in the history of the Middle East." Netanyahu said the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who fled the country after a coalition of rebel groups stormed Damascus on Sunday, was the direct result of blows Israel inflicted on Iran and Hezbollah, "the main supporters of the Assad regime." U.S. National...

  • Take a Virtual Travel trip courtesy of Temple Israel

    Dec 13, 2024

    Temple Israel Adult Education is hosting a Virtual Travel Series that continues in January. This is offered to the community by Temple Israel. Places to visit include Jewish Mexico, Jewish Ireland and Jewish Jamaica. There is no cost to enjoy this series that can be enjoyed from the privacy of your own home. Register at templeisraelevents.com to get the zoom link. Jan. 30, 2025 — 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. “Jewish Mexico” with Monica Unikel-Fasja This will be a visual tour to get to know the origins of Jewish life in Mexico at the beginning of th...

  • New president of the Jewish Chamber

    Dec 13, 2024

    On Tuesday, December 3, the Jewish Chamber hosted a festive Hanukkah breakfast at One Senior Place in Altamonte Springs, welcoming 25 attendees from diverse backgrounds to celebrate the Festival of Lights. The event featured a vibrant display of holiday décor and a delicious spread of homemade Hanukkah favorites creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Guests enjoyed classic treats like latkes, sufganiyot, and other traditional holiday dishes while connecting with fellow attendees. The...

  • Upcoming Temple Israel Sisterhood events

    Dec 13, 2024

    Join with Temple Israel Sisterhood for these upcoming events. To register for each event, please go to templeisraelevents.com Dec. 15 — Hanukkah Market open to the public, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Jan 12 — Zumba with Miritza Aguilar in the Roth Social Hall, from 10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. The cost is $5. Jan 26 — Book Club – “The Hebrew Teacher” by Maya Arad, 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. All are welcome. Jan. 26, Feb. 23, March 30, April 27 — Yoga at 9 a.m. Jan. 26, Feb. 23, March 30, April 27 — Paint by Numbers with Yaela,10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Cost is $5 per session for Si...

  • Jewish Historical Society to screen documentary

    Dec 13, 2024

    The St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society will screen the award-winning documentary film “Xueta Island” at the St. Augustine Waterworks, 184 San Marco Ave, St. Augustine, FL 32084 on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025. The 4 p.m., 63-minute screening will be followed by a commentary and discussion with Andrea White PhD, City Archaeologist for St. Augustine. Call the Waterworks at (904) 808-7330 for best directions. All are welcome, there is no charge. No advance arrangements are necessary. For further information contact SAJHS at www.sajhs.com, saj...

  • Cotton introduces bill to ban federal use of the term 'West Bank'

    JNS staff|Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS)— Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) introduced legislation on Thursday that would ban the federal government from using the term “West Bank” and instead use Judea and Samaria, the terminology preferred by Israel. Formally titled the “Retiring the Egregious Confusion Over the Genuine Name of Israel’s Zone of Influence by Necessitating Government-use of Judea and Samaria (RECOGNIZING Judea and Samaria) Act,” the bill would prohibit government funds from being used to describe “the land annexed by Israel from Jordan during the 1967 Six-Day War...

  • Melbourne, Australia, synagogue set ablaze in suspected arson attack

    Ron Kampeas|Dec 13, 2024

    A synagogue in suburban Melbourne, Australia, was set ablaze on Friday, causing congregants to flee and injuring at least one person. The fire before dawn on Friday at Adass Israel, a haredi Orthodox synagogue in the town of Ripponlea, sent congregants gathered for morning prayers into the streets at 4:10 a.m. Those who fled the fire reported assailants breaking windows and throwing firebombs into the building. The damage from the fire appeared to be extensive and was brought under control by 5 a.m. by a team of 60 firefighters and 17 trucks,...

  • Chuck Schumer reelected head of Senate Democrats - but this time as minority leader

    Ron Kampeas|Dec 13, 2024

    (JTA) — WASHINGTON — Sen. Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat, is ready to relinquish his title as Senate majority leader, but the most senior Jewish elected official in U.S. history will get to remain the leader of what will be a minority caucus in the next Congress. Senate Democrats reelected Schumer as their leader on Tuesday, a validation after a tough election for the party, which lost control of the White House and the Senate and failed to regain the U.S. House of Representatives. Schumer was unopposed and the vote was unanimous. As of...

  • Netanyahu to hostage families: Assad's fall could facilitate deal

    JNS Staff|Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told representatives of hostages’ families groups on Sunday that the fall of the Assad regime, weakened by Israel’s determined stand against Hezbollah and Hamas, could help advance a deal for the return of the hostages. Netanyahu held two separate meetings in Jerusalem, one with the Hostages and Missing Persons Families Forum and the other with the Tikva Forum. The two groups differ on the best way to free the hostages, with the right-leaning Tikva Forum opposing the former’s call for a deal at any cos...

  • UN calls for conference to advance Palestinian state

    Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) — The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution calling for a “High-level International Conference” to be held in June to push forward the establishment of a state of Palestine. The conference will advance implementation of U.N. resolutions regarding “the question of Palestine,” reads the resolution, one of three passed on Tuesday concerning the two-state solution. The conference will take place in New York on June 2-4, with a preparatory meeting to be held in May. It will adopt an “outcome document” that will out...

  • Netanyahu praises Trump for stressing Hamas's culpability for hostages

    Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday for the latter’s “strong statement” calling on Hamas to release the 101 hostages it has held in Gaza for 424 days. “It is a forceful statement, which makes it clear that there is only one responsible for this situation, and that is Hamas,” the Israeli premier said. Netanyahu addressed the president-elect’s remarks ahead of an Israeli government meeting in Nahariya, a northern city that has often been the target of cross-border attacks by Irani...

  • Seven Jewish American mothers visit Israel

    Dec 13, 2024

    Seven women from Orlando — Sarah Gittleson, Stacey Soll, Shifra Yachnes, Carol Feuerman, Debbie Cohen, Limor Raz and Orly Wilf — were part of a group of 100 women from eight American cities who visited Israel from Nov. 4-11 as part of an eight-day trip organized by the global Jewish organization Momentum. The organization aims to inspire Jewish women to lead a Jewish future by becoming more connected to their identity, heritage, and Israel. The eight-day trip was part of the Momentum year-long program known as the Journey of Growth, an ini...

  • Seeds of hope: Volunteers help farmers rebuild northern Israel

    Amelie Botbol|Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) - Dozens of volunteers are heading north, following the implementation of Israel's ceasefire with Iranian proxy Hezbollah that ended 14 months of war, to assist local farmers in their recovery efforts. "We are currently developing a plan with the aim of bringing at least 100,000 volunteers in the coming months to support farmers in the north," said Yoel Zilberman, founder and CEO of the HaShomer HaChadash ("The New Watchman") agricultural volunteer organization, who is leading the effort....

  • What the fall of Bashar Assad in Syria means for Israel

    Ben Sales|Dec 13, 2024

    (JTA) — Syrian dictator Bashar Assad has fled the country and his government has fallen to rebels, a swift and stunning collapse after more than a decade of civil war. The country is now enveloped in joy and turmoil as hundreds of thousands of refugees stream home, political prisoners go free and Syrians — along with the rest of the world — wonder what’s next. Also wrapped up in uncertainty: Syria’s neighbor and longtime adversary, Israel. Assad’s fall came after several of his regional partners have been weakened in Israel’s multi-front w...

  • Trump taps Abraham Accords negotiator as envoy for hostage affairs

    Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) — U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced his selection of Adam Boehler to be the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs in the incoming administration. Boehler previously led negotiations on the 2020 Abraham Accords, the agreement that normalized diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain that was later expanded to include Sudan and Morocco. Trump touted Boehler’s experience as a negotiator and his unanimous confirmation by the Senate as the first CEO of the U.S. Development Finance Cor...

  • Lawsuit challenges handling of Jew-hate

    Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) — On behalf of six families, the Deborah Project has sued the Sequoia Union High School District in Redwood City, Calif., charging systemic failures to address antisemitism among both students and staff. The legal nonprofit’s suit, filed on Nov. 15, summarizes reported antisemitic acts and the alleged failure of administrators at the public school to take the threat seriously. Sam Kasle, the lead plaintiff, said “I tried for months to get the school officials to respond like professionals. Instead, they allowed my daughter to be harme...

  • Weekly roundup of world briefs

    Dec 13, 2024

    German luxury hotel flies Israeli flag, sees 136% bump in bookings (JNS) — A luxury resort in the Bavarian Alps which has been flying an Israeli flag since Oct. 8, 2023, has seen a 136 percent rise in Israeli bookings over the past year, according to Hebrew media reports. Schloss Elmau, located in Krün near the Austrian border, reported 438 overnight stays by Israeli guests in the first 10 months of 2024, compared to 185 during the same period the previous year. Owner Dietmar Müller-Elmau has pledged to keep the flag flying until all the hos...

  • 'Always looked out for the little guy,' friends say of Omer Neutra

    Izzy Salant|Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) - Michelle Rich, director of teen travel and international engagement at United Synagogue Youth, laughs as she tells JNS about a memory she has of Omer Neutra, an Israeli-American 22-year-old, whose death on Oct. 7 Israel confirmed on Monday. On a USY bus trip across the country in 2016, Neutra and his friend came down from the hotel and "they had given each other haircuts," Rich recalled. "I was like, 'call your parents please,'" she said. "He was so smiley, and so happy and so jolly,"...

  • Doha dives back in as Trump seeks ceasefire before Jan. 20

    Joshua Marks|Dec 13, 2024

    (JNS) - Doha is no longer sitting on the sidelines of the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, after suspending its involvement on Nov. 9, citing a lack of "good faith" on the interested parties' part. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has traveled to Qatar and Israel in a bid to restart ceasefire talks, with Trump seeking a deal before he is sworn in on Jan. 20, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing a source briefed on the talks. Witkoff met separately in late November...

  • Heritage has a new publisher

    Christine DeSouza|Dec 6, 2024

    Heritage Florida Jewish News has had a second change of ownership in its 48-year history. Laura Ossin purchased the paper on Nov. 30, 2024, from its publisher, Jeff Gaeser. Ossin grew up in the Dr. Phillips area. After graduating from Florida State University with a degree in communications and public relations she moved to Winter Park for work. She later met her husband, Lee Ossin, and moved to Maitland where they now reside. If the name Ossin sounds familiar to some that's because Lee is the s...

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