News

Romney To Meet In Boston With Jewish Donors

05/25/2012
JTA

 Mitt Romney is meeting with about 30 major Jewish donors to his presidential campaign as part of a "constituents day."

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and all-but-certain Republican nominee for president, will meet for about an hour with the donors in Boston on Thursday.

A donor who was invited told JTA that the purpose of the meeting would be an exchange of views.

There would be other meetings the same day with other constituent groups, the donor said, confirming reports of the meeting from a number of Jewish community officials.

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U.S. Jewish Groups Condemn Anti-African Violence In Tel Aviv

05/25/2012
JTA

Jewish groups called on Israel to protect African migrants in Israel after riots in Tel Aviv.

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Hynes Warns That Rabbis Could Face Prosecution For First Vetting Abuse Allegations

05/24/2012
Hella Winston
Special To The Jewish Week

 

After months of equivocal statements about Agudath Israel’s longstanding position that — with very limited exception — child sexual abuse allegations must first be investigated by rabbis, the Brooklyn district attorney has issued a clear warning to the haredi umbrella organization that its policy puts rabbis at risk of running afoul of the law.

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Will New Hebrew School Model Help Or Undermine Synagogues?

The Jewish Journey Project is the brainchild of Rabbi Joy Levitt.

Collaborative Jewish Journey Project recruits pilot cohort, but turf questions linger.

05/23/2012
Julie Wiener
Associate Editor

Does Hebrew school sound a little too 20th century for your third grader?

How about eight weeks of “Talmudic Stories In Stop-Motion Animation,” a session of “Create Your Own Hip-Hop Siddur” or a winter break spent doing Jewish theater? Or perhaps your child would prefer to learn Hebrew through a Saturday-night ropes course taught by a former Israel Defense Forces lieutenant?

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He’s Going To ‘Graceland’

South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo personifies hope, says Mitch Goldstein, left, the group’s longtime manager.

N.J. native Mitch Goldstein’s 20-year musical and spiritual journey with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

05/22/2012
Steve Lipman
Staff Writer

A year after Paul Simon released his boundary-shattering 1986 “Graceland” album, which he recorded with several black singers and groups when apartheid still reigned in South Africa, Brooklyn-born music lover Mitch Goldstein went to a Simon concert at Radio City Music Hall.

He didn’t know it would change his life.

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Organizations’ Plans For Succession Seen Lacking

When the JDC’s Steven Schwager resigned earlier this month, the organization took several days to name an interim replacement.

New study arrives in the wake of sudden resignations of top execs from the Joint, HIAS.

05/22/2012
Helen Chernikoff
Staff Writer

The resignations of the top executives at the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society come just weeks before the release of a survey showing that an “overwhelming majority” of almost 450 Jewish executives have no succession plan prepared in the event of their departure.

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Questions Surfacing On Hynes’ Task Force On Witness Intimidation

Former Mayor Ed Koch is pushing the Brooklyn DA to put anti-abuse advocates on new panel. getty images

Critics wonder if new panel on abuse cases will be independent enough; DA may include victims’ advocates.

05/22/2012
Hella Winston
Special To The Jewish Week

Under fire for his handling of child sexual abuse cases in the ultra-Orthodox community, the Brooklyn district attorney will “possibly” involve some members of the advocacy community on his new task force to combat intimidation of witnesses in such cases, according to a spokesman.

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Brooklyn Man Sentenced For Abusing Haredi Kids

05/22/2012
JTA

A Brooklyn man was sentenced to 20 years to life for sexually abusing children in his Orthodox Jewish community.

Michael Sabo, a 38-year-old father of four, confessed to sexually abusing two children. He was sentenced Monday after agreeing to a plea bargain.

The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office said it had evidence of seven additional victims.

The case has been cited as an example of the difficulties facing prosecutors in convincing abuse victims from the close-knit haredi Orthodox Jewish community to come forward.

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Orthodox-Owned Lingerie Company Sued For Sexual Discrimination

05/22/2012
JTA

A New Jersey woman who was told to “tape down her breasts” has filed suit against an Orthodox-owned lingerie company claiming religious and sexual discrimination.

Laura Odes, a former data entry worker, was fired from Native Intimates after working there for a week. A supervisor for the wholesale firm told Odes that the store owners, who are Orthodox Jews, were not happy with her outfit, saying it was too “distracting” and she was “too hot.”

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Women Questioned For Wearing Prayer Shawls At Western Wall

05/22/2012
JTA

Three women were stopped for questioning after attempting to pray at the Western Wall in Jewish prayer shawls.  The women, part of a group of about 40 from the Women of the Wall group, were praying at the wall Tuesday morning as part of their monthly rosh chodesh, or new month, prayer service, The Jerusalem Post reported.  A policewoman approached one of the women during the service and asked her not to wear the prayer shawl, or tallit, the way a man would and then adjusted it for her, according to the Post.

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