Naomi Ragen, the New York-born Israeli novelist and playwright known for her portrayals of Orthodox Jewish women in crisis, says the cancellation of a planned Chicago revival of one of her plays represents a “return to McCarthyism” in the American cultural scene. Ragen, 77, has revealed that plans by a Jewish arts company in Chicago […]
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The head of the Jewish Greens said she may leave the Green Party of England and Wales after it adopted a policy that defines Zionism as racism and calls for a single democratic state “in all of historic Palestine.” Vivien Lichtenstein, a 29-year member of the Greens who worked on Israeli-Palestinian peace initiatives since the […]
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”They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat.” Alan King’s joke about Jewish holidays gets to the essence of Jewish persistence in the face of horror. He might have added “Let’s sing.” Music has accompanied the Jewish people for millennia through periods of joy and sorrow. Moses and the Israelites praised God for His […]
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In 2015, while visiting Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, James Beard Award-winning chef Alon Shaya came face-to-face with a World War II artifact that moved him deeply. It was a red cloth triangle — cut from a Nazi flag — embroidered with the names of a few dozen female prisoners at the Ravensbrück concentration camp. […]
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Police in the Ontario town where a gunman charged the Sons of Jacob synagogue on Yom Kippur are investigating antisemitic flyers distributed around the synagogue’s neighborhood. In an Oct. 1 press release, Belleville police encouraged those with tips or video evidence to contact police. “We recognize that incidents such as this can cause concern within […]
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From artists and actors to technologists to politicians advancing visions for the future, Time magazine has recognized Jewish figures on its list of “the world’s most influential rising stars.” The magazine launched the Time100 Next list in 2019 to highlight people whose influence is still taking shape. This year’s list reflected shifts in popular culture, […]
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TEL AVIV – The Omani pilot who allegedly tried to hijack and crash a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv has drawn new attention to his native country. Oman, which has sometimes been dubbed the “Switzerland of the Middle East,” has long sought to balance its relations with the West and Iran. Its strategic location, […]
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TORONTO – A number of Canadian groups are demanding answers in the wake of media reports that the country’s national broadcaster suspended a Jewish reporter after he posted a video of pro-Palestinian protesters outside Yom Kippur services and wrote about his pained reaction. The reported suspension came after Neil Herland shared footage of protesters gathered […]
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Spanish fashion retailer Zara removed a children’s Halloween costume from its website on Wednesday after social media users noted that the gray-and-blue striped outfit resembled prison garb worn by inmates in Nazi concentration camps. Zara described the ensemble as “Kids costume featuring vertical stripes with decorative topstitching, a lapel flower and a distressed effect. Includes […]
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The Anti-Defamation League is alleging “systemic exclusion of Jewish and Israeli artists” in a trio of reports released Thursday focusing on the publishing, museums and entertainment spaces. The reports, which the ADL calls its “State of the Arts” initiative, were shared with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in advance of their publication and come as Jews […]
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