I spoke last night at a vigil for Pope John Paul II at University of Michigan sponsored by the Polish Student Society. I had no reservation about speaking at this vigil as many rabbis around the world were reflecting and memorializing the Pope publicly. I spoke first and explained how meaningful it was for me…
By Dan BaronJewish Telegraphic AgencyJERUSALEM — After 22 years of living as an Israeli, Justina Hilaria Chipana can finally consider herself a full-fledged member of the Jewish state. The 50-year-old native of Peru was one of 17 petitioners who won High Court of Justice recognition of their non-Orthodox conversions to Judaism on Thursday, in what…
From Edah On March 26, 2000, Pope John Paul II came to Jerusalem, to the heart of Israel, to that city to which all Jewish hearts have turned for 2000 years. He came to the Western Wall, adjacent to the Temple Mount. He placed a prayer in the Western Wall. It read: God of our…
University of Wisconsin-Madison Hillel Professional Goes Homeless for Habitat for Humanity By Stephanie Simon Liz Fremer, the program associate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Hillel, went to have her old, dying car checked out a couple of weeks ago. The amount of money needed to fix her car far exceeded the actual face value of…
From World Jewish Congress site Madonna and Ritchie under fire for Purim dresses Madonna and her husband, the filmmaker Guy Ritchie, have infuriated Catholic leaders by attending a party dressed as a nun and the Pope respectively, at a time when Pope John Paul II is becoming increasingly frail. Madonna and Ritchie were attending a…
Israel’s supreme court has ended the Orthodox monopoly on conversion to Judaism, clearing the way for recognition of conversions performed by reform or conservative rabbis in Israel, army radio reported. The verdict, which was reached by 11 judges, could have far-reaching implications for Israel’s conversion system. Until now, the country’s Orthodox community has had sole…
Secret Service probes claim three ousted from Bush meetBy Associated PressMarch 29, 2005 DENVER – The U.S. Secret Service on Monday said it was investigating the claims of three people who said they were removed from President Bush’s town hall meeting on Social Security last week after being singled out because of a bumper sticker…
JEWISH WOMEN WATCHING HOAX STIRS UP JTS CELEBRATION OF WOMEN RABBISConservative Movement Angrily Disavows Message of Equity and Non-Discrimination New York, NY (March 30, 2005) – Jewish Women Watching (JWW), the anonymous collective of feminist rabble rousers, has claimed responsibility for infiltrating last night’s Jewish Theological Seminary of America (JTS) event celebrating twenty years of…
Jewish Actress Helps Expand Trauma Unit For Jerusalem Hospital Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital received a $50 million donation last week from one of the people born there – famed Jewish actress Natalie Portman. Portman’s donation is earmarked for an improved and expanded emergency trauma center being funded by the Hadassah Women’s Zionist movement. The expansion will…
From the NY TimesMarch 28, 2005 AMSTERDAM JOURNALA Dutch Soccer Riddle: Jewish Regalia Without JewsBy CRAIG S. SMITH AMSTERDAM – Just minutes before a high-stakes soccer game not long ago between this city’s home team, Ajax, and their rivals from the southern city of Eindhoven, a chant built to a roar in the hall packed…