Sadie Weiner 1926-2023

Sadie Weiner — beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother — passed away on May 15 in Perth. She was 96 and lived independently until the final few weeks of her life. Read more

Australian mother featured in first app tailored for Jewish women

Brisbane mum Ilana Mendels was selected as one of the dozens of Jewish women from around the world to share their story on Yomm, a website and complimentary app launched by the Momentum organization. Read more

From Pittsburgh to Poway

When a natural or human-made disaster strikes my community, it’s my natural instinct to write about it. Read more

Hurricane Harvey the peak of a devastating three-year flooding trend for Houston’s Jews

As a member of Houston’s Jewish community writing about a devastating flood for the third time since May 2015, I’m at a loss for words…writes Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org. Read more

Five of Israel’s latest ‘miracles’ leading up to its 69th birthday

With its forces vastly outnumbered by Arab armies, Israel’s victory in the 1948 War of Independence was widely considered a modern-day miracle. The Jewish state shocked the world again in 1967 by significantly expanding its borders and reunifying Jerusalem during the Six-Day War.  Read more

Momentum and mixed signals: a snapshot of the Arab-Israeli peace process

While regional conditions create momentum for a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace deal, Palestinian and Arab leaders are sending Israel mixed signals…writes Jacob Kamaras/JNF.org. Read more

Year in review: 10 Israel news storylines that defined 2016

President Barack Obama sprang his much-anticipated “December surprise” on Israel at the United Nations, capping off 2016 with a bang as it relates to the Gregorian calendar year’s major events surrounding the Jewish state. Read more

‘No statute of limitations on genocide,’ Nuremberg anniversary confab reminds

 

Why should the casual observer care about the seemingly obvious need to prosecute and convict Nazi war criminals, whether it be during the Nuremberg trials of the 1940s or similar proceedings in more recent years?…asks Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org. Read more

Netanyahu to Jewish Federations: U.S., Israel ‘should work together now’ on Iran

Despite their disagreement over the Iran nuclear deal, the U.S. and Israel “can and should work together now” to ensure that Iran complies with the agreement and to curb Iranian aggression throughout the Middle East, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday at the General Assembly of The Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in Washington, DC. Read more

Israel advocacy goes mobile

Israel news is abound these days, and myriad sources from the mainstream to the niche are serving it up—particularly during times like the current wave of Palestinian terrorism. But which content should a pro-Israel advocate read, trust, and share with others to make an impact? Read more

The Holocaust legacy that packs a punch

Shot three times by the Nazis in Poland, Bernard Fleischer was down for the count. But just as he was about to be finished off, the German soldier’s gun froze. Assuming he’d die anyway, the soldier left Bernard in a barn…writes Jacob Kamaras (JNS.org). Read more

Netanyahu likely to remain prime minister

 

Israeli television exit polls on Tuesday night showed that while the country’s national election remains too close to call, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party defied the projections of pre-election polling and would likely extend his current six-year run as prime minister. Read more

Words matter: how vocabulary defines the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Settlements or Jewish communities? West Bank or Judea and Samaria? East Jerusalem or eastern Jerusalem? Those are some of the language choices that journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are faced with each day—and those choices should not be taken lightly, experts say…writes Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org Read more

Nike yet to address video ad with antisemitic overtones

After initially raising concern on the issue this summer, the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is continuing to press the Nike footwear and apparel giant to remedy its promotion of a pre-Soccer World Cup animated video whose content has what critics call antisemitic overtones. Read more

Israel’s deputy defense minister not afraid to speak his mind…writes Jacob Kamaras

In March, ahead of what would have been Israel’s fourth release of 26 Palestinian terrorist prisoners for the now-collapsed peace talks, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon (Likud) said he would resign from his position in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if the prisoners were freed. Read more

Birthright expands eligibility for free trips to Israel

The Taglit-Birthright Israel program has expanded eligibility for its free 10-day trips to Israel for Jewish young adults ages 18-26, JNS.org has learned. Read more