Category News

Kosher certification changes

In his book Kosher: Private Regulation in the Age of Industrial Food, American author Timothy Lytton recounts an old rabbinic joke featuring two mythical creatures created by God at the dawn of time: the Behemoth, a giant ox, and the…

Archive of 1948 open

photo - Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, pronounces the Declaration of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, in Tel Aviv

(photo from commons.wikimedia.org) By age 20, Elad Peled was a senior commander in the Palmach, one of the branches of Israel’s pre-state army. He was wounded during the fighting and was taken to the hospital. On the way, he passed…

Unilateralism in store for Israel?

With the collapse of the U.S.-brokered peace negotiations, the Palestinian leadership has embarked on a plan of unilateral action to gain recognition of a Palestinian state and to isolate Israel internationally. Couple those developments with the Fatah movement’s unity pact with the terrorist group…

Taking on good deeds

photo - Linda Cohen

Linda Cohen, author of 1,000 Mitzvahs, spoke at King David High School’s Teaching for Tomorrow earlier this month. Imagine channeling your grief at the loss of a loved one into something exceptionally positive and using that something to honor their…

PJ Library launches Lantern Library for Arab Israeli kids

photo - Children in Baka al-Gharbiyah enjoying Maktabat al-Fanoos books and working with their teacher on their storytelling skills

Children in Baka al-Gharbiyah enjoying Maktabat al-Fanoos books and working with their teacher on their storytelling skills. (photo by Akmal  Nagnagy) PJ (aka “pajama”) Library is taking the PJ concept to Israel’s Arab population, with the creation of the Lantern Library…

Eight Over Eighty celebration honors leadership and vision

(Haber, Hayes and Korsch photos by Lorne Greenberg) Louis Brier Jewish Aged Foundation’s Eight Over Eighty celebration honors eight individuals/couples who have shown exemplary leadership and vision in the community. Last week, the Independent profiled honorees Dr. Marvin and Rita…

Critics peek under the Conference umbrella

photo - President Barack Obama meets with leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in the state dining room at the White House on March 1, 2011

President Barack Obama meets with leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in the state dining room at the White House on  March 1, 2011. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza) Since the Conference of…