Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice
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(JNS) - "Everyone is just talking about the war," said Yana Koblenko from Ukraine, who arrived in Israel on Sunday with a plane of 74 other new immigrants. "Until the last minute, I was worried the flight would be canceled." The Koblenko family-Yana, her husband Yevgeny and their young daughter-had been longing to come to Israel for some time. The rest of Yana's family, including her parents, had made aliyah just before the pandemic. "It's scary in Ukraine right now," Yana said as she arrived...
(Israel Hayom via JNS) — Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid has ordered Israeli embassy staff in Kyiv to move to consular offices in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, as war looms between Russia and Ukraine. “The consular office in Lviv has been working to provide travel documents to Israeli citizens since Thursday and will assist citizens interested in leaving the country, primarily through land border crossings to neighboring countries,” the ministry said in a statement. Officials said that the ministry was “prepared for any develop...
BBYO holds largest Jewish gathering since the pandemic began By Ron Kampeas BALTIMORE (JTA) — More than 3,000 teenagers from 40 countries attended a BBYO convention in what is believed to be the largest Jewish gathering since the beginning of the pandemic. A release from the organizations said the event at the Baltimore Convention Center running Feb. 17-21 focused on Jewish philanthropy and Jewish education. Speakers included Mike Posner, a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter; Rabbi Angela Buchdahl of New York’s Central Synagogue, who fie...
(JTA) — One week ago, Jews outside of Ukraine knew Volodymyr Zelensky as the world leader on the other end of the “perfect phone call” that resulted in the impeachment of President Donald Trump. But now, after days of watching Zelensky balance humor and gravitas while rallying his fellow Ukrainians to rebuff the Russian army invasion, they know him as a contemporary Jewish hero. “Zelensky gives modern Maccabee energy,” Peter Fox, a writer, wrote on Twitter. Fox was referring to the ancient Jews who, though outflanked in every way, fended of...
‘F— Jews’ sprayed outside Israeli restaurant on Upper West Side By Lisa Keys (New York Jewish Week via JTA) — A recently opened Israeli restaurant on the Upper West Side has been vandalized with vulgar, antisemitic graffiti. On Thursday morning, staffers arrived at Miriam, an Israeli eatery on Amsterdam Ave. and 74th St. that opened on Jan. 24, to find the words “F— Jews” spray-painted three times on its outdoor dining shed. According to Patch, the NYPD arrived on the scene around 12:20 p.m. and began the process to remove the hateful scraw...
China has been accused of committing genocide against the Uyghurs. Here's what you need to know, and what you can do about it. Some people are refusing to watch the Winter Olympics this year because of concerns over China's dismal human rights record of the Uyghurs, a persecuted minority in China. The US, Britain, Canada, and other nations have refused to send officials to the Games in a quasi-boycott. A recent British report accused China of committing genocide against the Uyghurs. Here are som...
(JNS) — The blowback over a biased report by Amnesty International on Israel continues nearly a week after its release as 469 organizations and more than 4,000 individuals signed a strongly-worded letter on Monday urging U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to make sure the report is not used to attack Israel within the United Nations. Besides the 4,000 individual signees, the letter was signed by 172 Jewish Federations and Jewish Community Relations Councils. “The Amnesty report traffics in false claims against the sole Jewish state, dist...
Washington Commanders defensive tackle wishes he could dine with Hitler By Ron Kampeas WASHINGTON (JTA) — A defensive tackle for the NFL’s Washington team said that if he had his druthers he’d break bread with Adolf Hitler. Jonathan Allen removed his offending tweet on Wednesday after Twitter blew up with outrage. Allen, who was drafted by the newly renamed Washington Commanders in 2017, opened up in an “ask me anything” tweet, and a fan asked him who were the three people, dead or alive, he wanted to dine with. He listed his grandfath...
(JNS) - Amnesty International's latest controversial report released on Feb. 1 during a press conference in Jerusalem, this time accusing Israel of apartheid, has come under fierce condemnation from the Israeli government and Jewish groups around the world as being "anti-Semitic." The Biden administration rejected it as "absurd." Some U.S. lawmakers denounced it as "rooted in historic prejudices and false narratives." But Amnesty has doubled down on its accusation, claiming any argument to the...
BERLIN (JTA) - On a recent Friday afternoon, with the Beijing Olympic Games only three weeks away, Mischa Ushakov and Padma Wangyal chained themselves to the entrance of the Allianz insurance giant's headquarters in Germany's capital. They had two demands: that Allianz "drop their sponsorship of the games in China and comment on the human rights abuses of the Chinese government," Ushakov said. "We gave them a one week deadline," he added. Ushakov, 23, is a cofounder with Bini Guttmann of Never...
Israel appoints first female attorney general (JNS) — The Israeli Cabinet on Monday approved the appointment of Gali Baharav-Miara as attorney general, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office. “This is one of the most important and sensitive appointments in the public service,” said Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at the start of the Cabinet meeting at which Baharav-Miara’s appointment was finalized. “At this time, given the erosion of public confidence in law enforcement, there is an important opportunity here to maintain wh...
(JTA) - Despite the continuing COVID chaos and the mounting protests about China's human rights record, the 2022 Beijing Olympics are proceeding on schedule, just six months after the delayed Tokyo games - and we have your guide to the Jewish athletes who are on their way. In Tokyo, dozens of Jewish athletes competed, and many clinched medals. The Winter Olympics are typically a smaller affair, with fewer sports and fewer countries participating. Nevertheless, we're excited to cheer on these...
Israeli government officials have begun laying the groundwork for the possible evacuation of Ukrainian Jews as fears of a Russian invasion continue to rise, Haaretz reported. According to the report, representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the foreign, defense, diaspora affairs and transportation ministries, the National Security Council and the Jewish Agency gathered on Sunday to discuss the threat level faced by Ukraine’s Jewish communities. They were also joined by officials from Nativ, an organization that maintains ties between I...
(JNS) - At a crucial moment for U.S. President Joe Biden's foreign policy, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken held a virtual policy session with an Atlanta synagogue on Monday night, where tensions regarding a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine's borders were front and center. China was also discussed as another threat to America's interests. The lecture, titled "21st Century Global Challenges Facing the U.S.", was moderated by Stuart Eizenstat, the U.S. Special Adviser on Holocaust Issues, who...
(JTA) — Ambo Anthos, the Amsterdam-based publishing house that printed the Dutch-language translation of a controversial book alleging that a Jew had betrayed Anne Frank, has apologized for not reviewing the material more critically and ceased printing new copies of it on Monday. The book “The Betrayal of Anne Frank,” published earlier this month by the Canadian author Rosemary Sullivan, hypothesizes that the teenage diarist and her family were turned over to the Nazis by Arnold van den Bergh, a notary and a member of the Jewish Council, which...
(JTA) - A full-page advertisement in The New York Times on Saturday paid for by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity urged athletes and corporate sponsors to "walk away" from the Olympic Games, set to begin next month in Beijing, to protest China's persecution of the Uighurs. "We urge the athletes and the sponsoring corporations to walk away from these games unless Beijing takes steps to reunite Uyghur families. And we urge the world's citizens to embrace the cause of this persecuted...
Antisemitic incidents in France increased by 75 percent in 2021 By Cnaan Liphshiz (JTA) — Reports of antisemitic incidents in France increased by 75 percent in 2021, according to the French Jewish community’s main watchdog group. SPCJ recorded 589 hate crimes against Jews last year, including a 36 percent increase in physical assaults over 2020. The group released its annual report Wednesday. Incidents targeting people – as opposed to communal buildings and institutions – accounted for 45 percent of all incidents in 2021. Of those, 10 percent...
BERLIN (JTA) - A new survey of youth in Germany shows growing interest in Nazi-era history, but it also suggests that their attention span is shrinking. According to the study conducted by the Cologne-based Rheingold Institute, Germany's 16-25 year olds are much more interested in the Nazi era than their parents were. They tend to draw analogies from the time period to racism and discrimination today, and are eager to examine the motives of perpetrators. But they also want more "snackable conten...
(JTA) - U.S. Jewish groups slammed a top Presbyterian Church official for Martin Luther King Day remarks that equated Israel's West Bank "occupation" with slavery and implied that American Jews have the influence to get the U.S. government to end it. "The continued occupation in Palestine/Israel is 21st-century slavery and should be abolished immediately," Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, II, the stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church USA said in remarks released Monday. "Given the history of Jewish...
(JNS) — The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday adopted an Israeli-sponsored resolution that condemns denial and distortion of the Holocaust. The resolution, co-sponsored by Germany and backed by the United States, Russia and many other countries, affirms that the Holocaust “will forever be a warning to all people of the dangers of hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice.” The text also points out the “growing prevalence of Holocaust denial or distortion through the use of information and communications technologies,” and urges all U.N. members to...
(JNS) - A U.S. District Court judge in New York dismissed a civil case brought by the family of slain Israeli American pro-Israel activist Ari Fuld against the PLO and the Palestinian Authority, citing lack of jurisdiction in a decision that could have broad implications in how American victims of terrorists can hold perpetrators liable. The lawsuit was brought by Fuld's family and the U.S. Justice Department after the 2018 murder of the 45-year-old father of four by a Palestinian terrorist....
(JNS) — Unilever’s stock has plunged 20.7 percent in the six months since it informed Avi Singer, the owner of Ben & Jerry’s Israel, that his contract was over unless he stopped selling the company’s ice cream in Judea and Samaria. That amounts to a $26 billion loss, according to Channel 12 News, which first reported on the story. The loss stems from the withdrawal of investments, holdings and pension funds by dozens of states who have anti-boycott laws in place, such as New York, Illinois and Texas. “This is a tremendous boost to the dogge...
(JNS) — As nuclear talks between Iran and world powers continue in Vienna, Iran appears to be already eying its next moves. On Jan. 14, Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited China to discuss the 25-year cooperation agreement signed by the two countries earlier this year. That agreement aims to boost economic and political relations at the very same time the United States is looking to reduce its presence in the Middle East. “At the beginning of the new year in 2022, I am very happy to start my first visit to China since...
Netanyahu is considering a plea deal in his corruption cases that could bar him from politics for years, reports claim By Gabe Friedman (JTA) — Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors in his ongoing corruption cases that could bar him from politics for several years and further reshape Israel’s political landscape. Although various Israeli media reports have swirled inconclusively for several days — including some that claim momentum for a deal is slowing — all allege that Netanya...
(JTA) – The Simon Wiesenthal Center, named for the famed Nazi hunter who died in 2005, defines itself as "a Jewish global human rights organization researching the Holocaust and hate in a historic and contemporary context." The center's associate dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, has helped to defuse antisemitism controversies involving celebrities for decades, such as the recent one surrounding Nick Cannon in 2020, in which Cooper personally engaged in several dialogue sessions with Cannon. Other W...
