Lithuania passes law allocating nearly $40 million for Holocaust survivors

(JTA) — Lithuania’s parliament passed a law this week to set aside over 37 million euros ($38 million) as restitution for Holocaust survivors and their heirs. Ingrida Šimonytė, Lithuania’s prime minister, introduced the bill in the Seimas, Lithuania’s national legislature in Vilnius, on Nov. 15, proposing to nearly double the money the government had already […]

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Recalling Franco Harris’ ‘Immaculate Reception’ and the Pittsburgh bar mitzvah celebration it sidelined

This week was bittersweet for football fans, but especially for Pittsburgh Steeler fans. Legendary Steeler running-back Franco Harris passed away on Tuesday, and Friday marks the 50th anniversary of Franco’s Immaculate Reception, the play that the NFL designated the greatest in its 80-year history. I was lucky enough to be at Three Rivers Stadium in […]

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‘Married to the Mob,’ but under a chuppah: A new memoir details a Jewish family’s crime ties

(New York Jewish Week) — The Geiks weren’t your typical Bronx working-class Jewish family.  The father ran a mob-protected trucking company in Manhattan’s Garment District. Another brother, an NYPD detective, chauffeured organized crime couriers around the city with illicit cash. A kid sister visited a Las Vegas casino where the tween was set up with […]

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In Turkey, Orthodox drama ‘Shtisel’ is being adapted for a Muslim audience

ISTANBUL (JTA) — “Shtisel,” a TV series about haredi Orthodox Jews that became an international phenomenon after Netflix picked it up in 2018, is getting a Muslim makeover for Turkish audiences, according to Turkish media.  A new show titled “Ömer” has begun production and will premiere sometime in 2023 on Turkey’s STAR TV, Turkish media […]

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From Patagonia to Paris, here are 10 Jewish destinations that JTA reporters visited in 2022

(JTA) — Providing a window into Jewish communities across the globe, on the ground — from European metropolises to more isolated outposts — has always been part of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s mission. This year, our reporters ventured into places where Jews and Jewish life are at risk, including Ukraine — where we sent several […]

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Leading Brazilian Jewish economist targeted by criticism ripped from ‘antisemitism handbook,’ Jewish groups say

RIO DE JANEIRO (JTA) — Jewish groups in Brazil are calling for a retraction after one prominent Brazilian economist questioned the loyalty of a Brazilian Jewish economist during an interview streamed by a widely viewed news organization. The comments were about Ilan Goldfajn, a Brazilian-Israeli economist who was recently elected president of the Inter-American Development Bank, […]

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