Israeli aid effort helps Haitians -- and Israel’s image

By Uriel Heilman

The Israeli aid workers’ presence in Haiti has provided desperately needed assistance to earthquake survivors while promoting a positive image of Israel overseas. Read more »

This Week's Top News from JTA

A commercial flight was diverted to Philadelphia after a Jewish passenger's tefillin were mistaken for a bomb.

Mel Gibson and a Jewish broadcaster sparred over the actor's anti-Semitic rant in 2006.

The presidents of two Pacific islands who vote consistently with Israel at the United Nations visited the Jewish state to enhance their relationship.

An Israel Defense Forces team in Haiti has set up a satellite-based communications system.

Israel wants to keep troops on the West Bank's border with Jordan, even after the formation of a Palestinian state, its prime minister said.

Illegal African immigration is a serious threat to Israel's Jewish and democratic character, Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Israel's entry in the Oscars has made the first cut.

Two days after the pope's visit to a Rome synagogue, the Vatican issued a document citing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as one of the main challenges facing Christians in the Middle East.

A Jerusalem-based watchdog group is suing the European Commission for failing to disclose its funding to nongovernment organizations.

Erich Segal, the author of the popular novel and movie screenplay "Love Story," has died.

Israel deported a Jewish-American journalist working for a Palestinian news agency.

The Republican Jewish Coalition hailed the party's victory in the special election in Massachusetts to fill the U.S. Senate seat held by the late Edward Kennedy.

One of the Israeli soldiers who raised a banner protesting the evacuation of Jewish settlements was dismissed from the military.

Israeli forces razed a structure built in contravention of an announced 10-month freeze on construction in the settlements.

Germany is preparing to tighten sanctions against Iran, Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

An Israeli team helped rescue two students buried under the ruins of a university in Port-au-Prince.

Some 150 Ethiopians claiming Jewish links began arriving in Israel this week, the first groups to immigrate in more than a year.

Israel's Cabinet met for the first time in Germany as the two countries held a joint Cabinet meeting in Berlin.

The Web site of Britain's major Jewish newspaper was the victim of an online attack.

Christoph Waltz won a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor for his role as a suave and sadistic Nazi colonel in “Inglourious Basterds.”

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev is establishing Israel's newest center for Yiddish studies.

Elsewhere in the Media

Love of Jerusalem unites Jews everywhere, so why turn the Western Wall, the single most important symbol of both Israel and Jerusalem, into a source of division?, asks Rabbi Yoffie. Read more »

Haiti's tiny Jewish community has a long history, but even before the earthquake finding a minyan and having services was no easy task. Read more »

There are three words that form Judaism's answer to instances of great human suffering such as we are seeing in Haiti - see, feel, act. Read more »

With a kippah affixed to her head and a tallit draped on her shoulders, Dr. Abby Caplin spoke in San Francisco's Union Square of the violence befalling women who wear the same religious garments while praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Read more »

Groups fighting separation of sexes on buses say they will use special means to battle Haredi bigotry. Read more »

Outgoing Attorney General Menachem Mazuz has decided to join a petition against the Jerusalem municipality's decision to fully fund the activity of ultra-Orthodox educational institutions, while clearly discriminating against other sectors. Read more »

And what a voice! Read more »

Union News

Union collects and disburses aid to Haiti.

In just over one week, the Reform Movement has raised nearly $650,000 for Haiti Disaster Relief efforts following the January 12, 2010 earthquake. The Union is now ready to disburse these funds to our partner relief organizations who are on the ground in Haiti doing rescue work, providing emergency medical care, and providing food, water and temporary shelter. In the coming weeks, additional funds will be provided to fund longer-term recovery efforts.

Among the organizations to receive our grants are Direct Relief International, The United Nations Foundation, American Jewish World Service, The International Rescue Committee, UNICEF, and United Israel Appeal of Canada, which is providing funds for the relief effort to Isra-Aid: The Israel Forum for International Humanitarian Aid.

Please make a donation by going to the Union's Haiti Disaster Relief website.

Got Shabbat?

Check out all our resources for a joyous family Shabbat. We've got music, prayers, stories - everything but the challah. And of course we've got a prayer for that too! Read more »

Books & Music:

We now have a sheet music download for the hit song "For Trees" by Peter & Ellen Allard. Tu Bi'Shvat, January 30, is upon us so celebrate the holiday with music and joy. Read more »

What's in a webinar? Lots of good stuff for your congregation. Read more »
Jan. 28, Making a Difference: Engaging Young Adults Through Social Action.  Social action is a magnet for young adults and congregations that engage in social justice advocacy can bring in new members using some of our models.
Jan. 28, Audits in synagogues and the possible impact of IRS changes. IRS rules can be confusing even for professionals. Learn with our experts about audits and the effect of new IRS regulations. Feb. 3, Congregational Response to Difficult Financial Times. Congregations can provide much needed support and resources for members of their community who have been hit hard by the down economy. Feb. 3, Leading With Vision: Managing the Sacred for Board Members. We have lots of resources to help you fulfill your mission as a congregation board member. Feb. 10, Websites: Your Congregation's New Front Door. Learn about website layout and content and how to provide your congregation members with the information they want and potential members the information they need. Feb. 11, L'Dor Vador: Creating a New Generation of Temple Leadership.  Let us teach you strategy for identifying and recruiting potential leaders and developing current ones so that you can build a sustainable culture of leadership in your congregation.

American Conference of Cantors Launches Cantor-in-Residence Program for Small URJ Congregations.
The ACC is launching a pilot program designed to serve congregations with fewer than 250 member units.  To find out more about this program and how your congregation can take advantage of it please contact Barbara Ostfeld at 716-568-1125 or by e-mail at bjostfeld@accantors.org .

North American News

Representatives of day schools from across the denominational spectrum come together in New Jersey to address affordability issue, other challenges facing the system. Read more »

Tuesday’s election of Scott Brown to replace the late Ted Kennedy in the U.S. Senate has thrown the future of health care reform into doubt. Jewish groups backing comprehensive reform are figuring out how to respond. Read more »

A religiously and politically diverse group of experts issued a statement describing the current state of the law on the separation of church and state. Read more »

Around the Globe

A rise in spitting attacks by Jewish fundamentalists on Armenian Christians in Jerusalem has caught the attention of Jewish and Christian religious authorities.
Read more »

While sparring between the Jewish community and the Vatican over beatification of the Holocaust-era Pope Pius XII cast a shadow over Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Rome's main synagogue, the visit was marked by an effort to mend ties and reaffirm the Vatican's commitment to Christian-Jewish dialogue. Read more »

The changing nature of the commemorations of international Holocaust Memorial Day on Jan. 27 -- including discussion of other genocides and attempts by Arab groups to highlight the plight of the Palestinians -- reflects the changing times. Read more »

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