Miriam's Recommended Reading & Viewing From The News
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Patrick Little, a Republican, said in a campaign video that he “woke up to the Jewish question and dedicated my life to exposing these Jews that control our country.”
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One of the Israeli intelligence agency’s most daring missions is being turned into a movie, ‘Red Sea Diving Resort.’ One of the operatives looks back on a breathtaking operation that saved thousands of Ethiopian Jews’ lives in the 1980s. Read more of this article.
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Some describe it as a "transformational moment"; others the result of an "unprecedented" wave of protests.
But whatever it is labelled, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn's surprise resignation is setting the stage for a crucial succession race, that is likely to shape the future course of a country rocked by violent unrest and political instability. Hailemariam, who has sat at the helm of the Ethiopian government since 2012, announced on Thursday he would be stepping down as prime minister and head of the ruling coalition. Read Entire Article |
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The 3rd annual A-Sham Arab Food Festival took place in Haifa, Israel, over three days in December — right on the heels of Donald Trump’s announcement about moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Somehow, the news of the festival glided by without a bleep, right under the international media’s radar. There was a conspicuous spirit of collaboration among the participants — approximately 70 chefs, both Jewish and Arab (Muslim and Christian).
A-Sham in Arabic is the name for the geographic area in the Middle East historically known as the Levant At the helm of the festival, an initiative of the City of Haifa, which is the 3rd largest city in Israel, is its creative visionary and mastermind, Chef Nof Atamna-Ismaeel, 37. Atamna-Ismaeel, a charismatic mother of three, is a microbiologist by training (with multiple post doctorate degrees), and Israel’s “Master Chef” Season 4 winner. Atamna-Ismaeel hails from, as she put it, “The Triangle” — the moniker for an area west of the green line in Israel, where there’s a large number of Arab villages and towns. Read Entire Article |
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There was plenty of jarred gefilte fish and bland brisket in Phil Rosenthal’s childhood home, but what the “Everybody Loves Raymond” creator really craved was food with flavor: pizza and burgers, oil and fat and salt.
There was plenty of jarred gefilte fish and bland brisket in Phil Rosenthal’s childhood home, but what the “Everybody Loves Raymond” creator really craved was food with flavor: pizza and burgers, oil and fat and salt. To compensate for all of that lost time, the Jewish writer-turned-food critic found a way to eat his way around the world on Netflix’s dime in his new show, “Somebody Feed Phil.” In the six-part series, Rosenthal brings a healthy dash of humor to the food documentary genre. Read Entire Article |
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Latest Aliya Wave Leaves Thousands of Ethiopian Jews Behind
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Members of the Jewish Ethiopian community attend a prayer service at the HaTikvah Synagogue in Gondar, northern Ethiopia, September 30, 2016.. (photo credit: REUTERS)
Families of thousands still waiting to make aliya were left wondering when their family members would also be approved to make the move. The last 119 Ethiopian Jews approved to make aliya were set to arrive on Wednesday and Thursday, completing the immigration of the 1,300 persons whom the government had promised to bring to Israel by the end of the year.
The families of the thousands still waiting to make aliya were left wondering when their family members would also be approved to make the move.
According to the two latest cabinet decisions on the issue, held in November 2015 and in August 2016, some 9,000 Falash Mura, Ethiopian Jews whose ancestors converted to Christianity, may be brought to Israel by the end of 2020, starting with the 1,300 in 2017.
Sabine Hadad, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry’s Population and Immigration Authority, has stressed in the past that “9,000” is only the potential number, and that of those 9,000 people, the government will accept only those who meet the ministry’s criteria.
Alisa Bodner, spokeswoman to foreign media of the advocacy group Struggle for Ethiopian Aliya, has accused the ministry of not having upheld all of its commitments, specifically referring to Clause 5 of cabinet decision 1911, passed in 2016.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
The families of the thousands still waiting to make aliya were left wondering when their family members would also be approved to make the move.
According to the two latest cabinet decisions on the issue, held in November 2015 and in August 2016, some 9,000 Falash Mura, Ethiopian Jews whose ancestors converted to Christianity, may be brought to Israel by the end of 2020, starting with the 1,300 in 2017.
Sabine Hadad, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry’s Population and Immigration Authority, has stressed in the past that “9,000” is only the potential number, and that of those 9,000 people, the government will accept only those who meet the ministry’s criteria.
Alisa Bodner, spokeswoman to foreign media of the advocacy group Struggle for Ethiopian Aliya, has accused the ministry of not having upheld all of its commitments, specifically referring to Clause 5 of cabinet decision 1911, passed in 2016.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
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Palestinians burn US and Israeli flags in riots over Jerusalem
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JERUSALEM (JTA) — Protests erupted in Jerusalem and across the Palestinian territories hours after U.S. President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Demonstrators on Thursday burned tires as well as American and Israeli flags and threw rocks at Israeli security forces and Israeli cars as the Palestinian Authority called for a general strike, leaving stores shuttered and school cancelled.
Soldiers clashed with protestors in Jerusalem’s Old City, including at a demonstration at the Damascus Gate. A CNN video from the West Bank city Ramallah showed large crowds throwing stones and burning flags. In Nablus, protesters burned an effigy of President Donald Trump as part of the protest. Clashes also occurred in Bethlehem.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
Soldiers clashed with protestors in Jerusalem’s Old City, including at a demonstration at the Damascus Gate. A CNN video from the West Bank city Ramallah showed large crowds throwing stones and burning flags. In Nablus, protesters burned an effigy of President Donald Trump as part of the protest. Clashes also occurred in Bethlehem.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
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Is It True That Elephants Don't Forget
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Elephants are incredible creatures. The largest land mammals on earth, they show a wide range of behavioral and emotional patterns in their up-to-60-year lifespans. They grieve over the bodies of dead herd members, and can even recognize their own reflections in a mirror. And, of course, there's that old saying: "Elephants never forget." While it may be an exaggeration, there's more truth to the adage than you might realize.
In the wild, an elephant’s memory is key to its survival—and its herd’s. Each herd has a matriarchal structure, with one older female in charge. When younger males in the group reach sexual maturity—usually around 14 years of age—they leave the herd to roam solo or occasionally form groups with other males. Proof of elephants' long memories lies in their behavior: When confronted with an unfamiliar elephant, matriarchs will huddle in defensive positions because they realize that those elephants could pose a threat to the herd's safety.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
In the wild, an elephant’s memory is key to its survival—and its herd’s. Each herd has a matriarchal structure, with one older female in charge. When younger males in the group reach sexual maturity—usually around 14 years of age—they leave the herd to roam solo or occasionally form groups with other males. Proof of elephants' long memories lies in their behavior: When confronted with an unfamiliar elephant, matriarchs will huddle in defensive positions because they realize that those elephants could pose a threat to the herd's safety.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
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Making Lace & Money
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In the old stone house where they work, 10 Druze women greeted me, most of them dressed in traditional clothing with white head covers hiding their hair and obscuring their faces. A few of the women were toying with the fabric, alternately masking and unmasking their mouths
What was I doing there? During the Second Lebanon War, in 2006, our Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey was looking for a way to help people living in northern Israel, and focused on a project for women’s advancement in the Druze village of Hurfeish. (Druze are a monotheistic religious sect described as an offshoot of Ismaili Islam).
In my role as Israel Center Associate, I decided to visit the village and meet the women participating in this initiative.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE
What was I doing there? During the Second Lebanon War, in 2006, our Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey was looking for a way to help people living in northern Israel, and focused on a project for women’s advancement in the Druze village of Hurfeish. (Druze are a monotheistic religious sect described as an offshoot of Ismaili Islam).
In my role as Israel Center Associate, I decided to visit the village and meet the women participating in this initiative.
READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE