News

Romney To Meet In Boston With Jewish Donors

Adam Dickter — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:55:22 +0000

Breaking News

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.

Barack Obama Iran nuclear program Massachusetts Mitt Romney

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

Adam Dickter — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:52:00 +0000

Breaking News

JTA

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

Africa Gaza Israel Jerusalem JFNA Rabbi Steve Gutow RAC RCA tel aviv

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

Dani Shetrit — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:52:00 +0000

New York

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.

Will New Hebrew School Model Help Or Undermine Synagogues?

Adam Dickter — Wed, 23 May 2012 18:21:00 +0000

New York

Julie Wiener

Associate Editor

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

Does Hebrew school sound a little too 20^th 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?

Hebrew School Ivy Schreiber JCC in Manhattan Jewish Journey Project Jim Joseph Foundation Michael Steinhardt Rabbi Felicia Sol Rabbi Joy Levitt Rabbi Lori Forman-Jacobi Rabbi Sid Schwarz Saul Kaiserman

He’s Going To ‘Graceland’

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:08:00 +0000

New York

Steve Lipman

Staff Writer

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

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.

concert Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Organizations’ Plans For Succession Seen Lacking

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:06:00 +0000

National

Helen Chernikoff

Staff Writer

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

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.

Jewish Communal Service Association leadership development succession plan succession planning UJA-Fed NY

Questions Surfacing On Hynes’ Task Force On Witness Intimidation

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 01:03:00 +0000

New York

Hella Winston

Special To The Jewish Week

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

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.

Brooklyn Brooklyn DA sexual abuse

Brooklyn Man Sentenced For Abusing Haredi Kids

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:55:00 +0000

Brief

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.

child abuse Michael Sabo

Orthodox-Owned Lingerie Company Sued For Sexual Discrimination

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:54:00 +0000

Brief

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.”

Laura Odes lingerie store

Women Questioned For Wearing Prayer Shawls At Western Wall

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:53:00 +0000

Brief

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.

Kotel Prayer Shawls Women in Tallit

Eight Members Of Family Killed In Galilee Crash

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:52:00 +0000

Brief

JTA

Eight members of a northern Israeli family were killed when their car’s brakes failed and the car rolled down a hill.
The family minivan burst into flames at the bottom of the hill, killing six children and their parents early Tuesday morning.
One daughter, 7, survived because she was thrown out of the car when it overturned.

Car Crash Galilee

Israeli Doctors To Perform Face Transplant

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:52:00 +0000

Brief

JMNS

Dr. Eyal Gur, director of the Plastic Surgery Department at the Tel Aviv Ichilov hospital, and Dr. Arik Zaretsky, head of the Micro-Surgery Division of the Plastic Surgery Department, are preparing to undertake Israel’s first full face transplant, an operation which has only been performed 21 times around the world and is considered the most complex procedure in medicine.

face transplant Tel Aviv Ichilov hospital

Hottest Woman Alive Is Israeli, Says Maxim

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:51:00 +0000

Brief

JTA

Israeli supermodel Bar Refaeli was voted No. 1 on the annual Maxim Hot 100 list.

It marked the first time that the international men’s magazine allowed readers to partake in the selection process for the list, which was announced Monday by the magazine. Refaeli, who turns 27 on June 4, beat “Daily Show” correspondent Olivia Munn for the top spot.

In addition to Refaeli, Jewish honorees include actresses Mila Kunis (No. 3), Lea Michele (14) and Scarlett Johanssen (17).

Bar Refaeli Maxim

Brooklyn’s Beth Elohim Wins Landmark Grant Contest

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:50:00 +0000

Brief

JTA

Congregation Beth Elohim of Park Slope, Brooklyn tallied the second highest number of online votes in the American Express Partners in Preservation program and will receive $250,000 for preservation. The contest was run in conjunction with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

American Express Beth Elohim of Park Slope Brooklyn

White House Reassures Jews As It Readies Iran Offer

Dani Shetrit — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:47:00 +0000

National

Ron Kampeas JTA

Administration emphasizes that sanctions will remain.

Washington — The differences between the U.S. and Israeli positions on Iran’s nuclear program are about to become very clear, and the Obama administration is reassuring the Jewish community that the divide is not so vast.

Administration officials in a meeting Monday with Jewish communal leaders emphasized that they will be steadfast in upholding one key Israeli demand: That sanctions not be sacrificed to the negotiating process. Iran won’t get relief just for showing up for talks, the officials said.

Iran Israel White House