JTA North America

U.S. Jewish community mourns soldiers

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The news that the two Israeli soldiers abducted by Hezbollah in July 2006 were returned to Israel deceased prompted an outpouring of sympathy by U.S. Jews and a pledge to continue fighting for Gilad Shalit's release.

Jolie's Jewish ob-gyn speaks

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Jewish doctor who delivered the twin babies of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt talks about the births, the Hollywood couple and his own Jewish connections.

HUC, JTS partnering to train clergy

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The largest Conservative and Reform seminaries are partnering in a rabbinic training program that officials from both schools say is the first to provide joint instruction to future clergy from different movements.

UJC, JAFI press Olmert on conversion

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Diaspora Jews are stepping up pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to intervene in a dispute in Israel over conversions to Judaism.

Pelosi, Itzik talk tough on Iran

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Nancy Pelosi and Dalia Itzik, the spakers of their respective countries' legislatures, both talked tough on Iran during speeches to delegates at Hadassah's annual convention in Los Angeles.

Agriprocessors' PR firm accused of impersonating rabbi

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The public relations firm 5WPR was brought on recently to help bolster the image of the country's largest kosher meatpacking company, but now 5WPR finds itself under the microscope following allegations that someone associated with the agency impersonated a rabbi who has been critical of Agriprocessors.

Rabbi fights sexual allegations

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A disgraced American rabbi with a tangled history of alleged sexual misdeeds is relaunching his career as a spiritual mentor and backtracking from an apparent confession he signed two years ago.

Gates to accept Hebrew U. award

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Usually a "mazel tov" would go to the person being honored, but this week the American Friends of the Hebrew University is accepting congratulations for convincing one of the world's richest men to accept an award.

Agri takes aim at feds; boycott call dropped

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Embattled kosher slaughterhouse dodges one bullet as an Orthodox boycott call is dropped, but the federal investigation continues as two supervisors are arrested for helping workers acquire fake ID papers.

Kosher cooking school opens

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The only professional kosher cooking school in North America -- a six-week, $4,500 intensive course run in cooperation with a local community college -- opened in Brooklyn.

Iran war talk drives oil prices

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Experts are saying that talk of an Israeli strike on Iran is a key part of what's unsettling already volatile oil markets.

Jewish groups react to Supreme Court decisions

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Perhaps the most noteworthy development for Jewish groups that watch the Supreme Court was not what it decided this session, but what it decided not to decide.

Jewish food pantries feel squeeze

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. economic crisis is hitting Jewish food pantries hard as they struggle with what many describe as the perfect storm: rising food and transport costs, tough government budget cuts and increasing demand for services.

U.C.'s new kosher president

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The new president of the University of California keeps a kosher home, lectures on Maimonides for intellectual stimulation and is an unabashed Israel supporter.

Rabbi in Iraq leads his Pa. book club

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Plenty of rabbis lead their congregation's book club, but Jon Cutler of Tiferes B'nai Israel in Pennsylvania may be the only one who does so from a war zone.

U.S. Jew helps in Lebanon

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Josh Martin's experience helping rebuild northern Israel after the 2006 war with Hezbollah inspired him to go to Lebanon to do the same -- and to try to heal some of the war's emotional wounds.

JTA wins four AJPA awards

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

JTA garnered three first-place awards at the American Jewish Press Association's annual meeting this week in Washington, including in the investigative reporting category for the fifth straight year.

Olmert's ideas buoy Jewish Agency

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Facing significant budget deficits, Jewish Agency officials said they were buoyed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's ideas about Israel taking a more active role in the Diaspora-Israel partnership.

Funding deal falls through over ORT

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A deal between the two overseas arms of the North American federation system over how to split the money they receive from the federations apparently has fallen through over a disagreement over which should fund World ORT.

Sderot, MIAs galvanize U.S. Jews

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The plight of Israelis under rocket fire in Sderot and the cause of Israel's missing soldiers have galvanized American Jewry like few Israel-related issues in recent years.