-
British soldier murdered London ‘Islamist’ attack
Today
England is coming to terms with the brutal slaying of a British soldier on a London street in an attack after which one of the perpetrators addressed a video camera saying ‘an eye for an eye…you people will never be safe’ claiming the act of terror was a reprisal for British interference in the affairs of Muslim countries.
-
Two Presidential candidates wanted by Interpol
Today
Iran’s religious leaders recently trimmed the number of people that would be permitted to run in the country’s upcoming Presidential elections down to a slate of eight candidates – but two men are suspects in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires .
-
Government pressure on web ahead of elections
Today
With the Iranian presidential elections coming up on June 14 , high-speed, filter-free Internet access in the Islamic republic has become scarce.
-
US Senate approves Israel strikes on Iran
Today
In a show of force, the United States Senate unanimously approved a resolution urging an uncompromising US stance against Iranian efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, and calling for Washington to support Jerusalem, should Israel decide to strike the programme.
Israeli PM meets Kerry, urges revival of peace talks: Reviving peace talks with the Palestinians tops Israel’s agenda, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jerusalem at the start of the American diplomat's latest visit to the region
Security Service of Ukraine holds anti-terror drill: The Security Service of Ukraine has held an anti-terror exercise in central Kiev at the Israeli embassy
Livni calls for talks with Palestinians: Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni met US Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in Jerusalem, after which she said mutual accusations between Israel and the Palestinians must stop; she said the next few weeks would be crucial for negotiations
Israeli Air Force chief issues warning: Commander-in-Chief Amir Eshel has warned that Israel should be prepared for a protracted war with Iran and its proxy Hezbollah
Security Service of Ukraine holds anti-terror drill: The Security Service of Ukraine has held an anti-terror exercise in central Kiev at the Israeli embassy
Livni calls for talks with Palestinians: Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni met US Secretary of State John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary William Hague in Jerusalem, after which she said mutual accusations between Israel and the Palestinians must stop; she said the next few weeks would be crucial for negotiations
Israeli Air Force chief issues warning: Commander-in-Chief Amir Eshel has warned that Israel should be prepared for a protracted war with Iran and its proxy Hezbollah
Complaint against German rabbi galvanizes debate
The debate over religious circumcision is heating up after a German doctor filed a complaint against Rabbi David Goldberg for performing the ritual on a child.
Formal criminal charges haven’t been filed against the rabbi, but the complaint alleges the procedure caused bodily harm and references a recent ruling by a court in Cologne outlawing the practice. The ruling isn’t enforceable outside the court’s jurisdiction, but it has caused several hospitals throughout Western Europe to recommend that doctors don’t perform circumcision until lawmakers can decide whether or not to allow it.
The possibility that governments could outlaw the practice has many members of Europe’s Jewish community worried. Danish Chief Rabbi Bent Lexner recently said a ban would be equivalent to telling Denmark’s 400-year-old Jewish community that it “may as well leave.”
European Jewish Parliament Member from Germany Nathan Gelbart told JN1 that Jews in his country would be able to live with certain regulations on the practice, but said the basic ritual must be preserved.
MEJP Nathan Gelbart:
“People are trying to force Jews to abandon a tradition that is a pillar of Judaism. It’s not one of the 613 Mitzvo; it’s a pillar of Judaism like Shabbat. Nobody would dare to discuss with Jews why Shabbat should last for one complete day—why not for only two hours? Why should our meals be completely free of pork meat? Why not 10% or 15%? These are such basic discussions that there is no ground for compromise. We can compromise on whether circumcision should be carried out near a hospital in case anything should happen to the kid.”
Germany’s parliament is currently debating a law that would decide the legality of the practice, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel taking a firm position that the right to religious circumcision must be maintained. Gelbart added that he thinks it’s likely lawmakers will decide to allow the ritual to continue but perhaps require a doctor to always be present or require that it’s done near a hospital. But what a decision like that will mean for the rest of Europe remains to be seen.
Sort by:
date
rating
- No comments
- Comment
Breaking news
-
Rabbis and Imams visit Nazi death camp together
Muslim religious leaders from the Middle East, US, Africa and Europe have joined Jewish scholars and rabbis on a visit to a former Nazi concentration camp in Germany. The tour group, led by US rabbi and Holocaust refugee Jack Bemporad, visited Dachau camp as part of an educational tour of concentration camps in Germany and Poland.
US rabbi and Holocaust refugee Jack Bemporad:
"The very fact that you have Jews, Christians and Muslims together going through and trying to learn something about what was one of the most atrocious and horrifying experiences of the last century and how we can unite to work together to educate people, inform people so that it never happens again, I can't think of anything more important that can be done."
Marshall Breger, a professor of law and vice-president of the conservative Jewish Policy Center in the United States, spoke of how he was touched by the visit.
Marshall Breger, Jewish Policy Center:
"What moved me here was to see how, in what an authentic manner the Muslim Imams and religious leaders could relate to the authentic horror of what happened here, and to be in some communion with the Jewish community and the other victims of the Holocaust.
Visiting imam Dr Ahmet Muharrem, who is the secretary-general of the Journalists and Writers Foundation in Turkey, said he was surprised that the camp was run in such a clinical way.
Visiting imam Dr Ahmet Muharrem:
"I was thinking something happened in the past by the uncivilised people, uneducated, and arrogant people. But I saw that here was very civilised, very technological torture I saw here."
A dozen imams and religious educators from countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Bosnia, Morocco and Turkey are taking part in the tour which aims to educate religious leaders about the Holocaust and to promote tolerance and diversity.
Later in the week the group will also visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.
-
Gefiltefest Food Festival
Here in North London JN1 was invited to attend the fourth annual Gefiltefest , and what fun it was, aside from the delicious food available, attendees were treated to live music and cookery demonstrations.
The food festival turned charity began by accident four years ago when Michael Leventhal won a competition. He decided to share the prize, a cookery class with his friends.
Michael Leventhal, Gefiltefest Founder:
"This year year for the first time we've got Silvia Nacamulli talking about the Jewish flavours of Tripoli from the Italian Jews that went to Tripoli. We've got an Ashkenazi versus Sephardi cook-off for the first time. We've got some of the favourite people back, some of the best speakers, but we try and give a platform to new speakers who aren't as well known, but some of the, you know, the most treasured speakers from the community as well".
The name of the festival is a play on gefilte fish, an popular Ashkenazi dish. For the past three years Gefiltefest has worked in partnership with the London Jewish Cultural Centre.
Louise Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer, London Jewish Cultural Centre:
"We're absolutely thrilled to be hosting it once again, we sold over three hundred tickets in advance, we expect many more people to be here on the day, over forty-five events both for adults and for children, and I think that the facilities, and the house and the garden here work very well for the event."
And for those daring enough, there was the opportunity to learn more about locusts. The edible insects have proved to be a popular snack for some people in several countries including Israel .
Rabbi Harvey Belovski, Golders Green Synagogue:
"One of the things that's wonderful about Gefiltefest is its an opportunity to explore and learn about unusual foods, and, locusts are something which most people in the West find to be a bit disgusting, but actually the Torah, the Jewish Bible permits at least some varieties and in some circumstances . You can fry them, or you can bake them. Through Yemenite tradition was to bake them very slowly and then to take the heads off, and serve them with sauce. What does it feel like to hold a locust?"
- I thought I'd be more afraid, but it's actually ok, it's, its not wriggling or trying to get out of my hand.
Rabbi Harvey Belovski, Golders Green Synagogue:
"I think if you prod it a little bit it might wriggle".
- Oh there we go.
Rabbi Harvey Belovski, Golders Green Synagogue:
"Yeah it's wriggling a little bit. It has a hard ex, it has a hard exoskeleton, so that's why it's a bit crunchy on the outside, but I think unless you press it very hard you won't hurt it".
And sessions like Jewish flavours of Tripoli and Indian kosher cookery explored how Jewish people have held on to their traditions, whilst experimenting with distinctive flavours.
Silvia Nacamulli, Italian-Jewish cooking expert:
"Jewish flavours of Tripoli is very much North African cooking with, keeping the Kosher rules, so making sure no mixture of meat and milk, no pork, no seafood, and a with a bit of an Italian addition to it. I made tershi which is a pumpkin dip, with homemade harissa; so I showed how to make a homemade harissa which is a very spicy chilli sauce".
Nikita Gulhane, Founder of the Spice Monkey:
"This particular recipe which comes from a Jewish hotel, or a house, which is owned by a Jewish man, is now called Koder House, this is a recipe from their restaurant kitchen there. It uses onions, basically they make a paste of onion and then they add cashew paste, and then you season it up, and then you add a lovely bit of kingfish, something like that. So the Jewish aspect is the use of onion".
And the fun-filled events also attracted VIP's including David Miliband.
David Miliband, Former UK Foreign Secretary:
"We were standing outside waiting for one of our kids to catch up, and the organisers saw us out there and invited us to come in and find out about it, so we did. The highlight is meeting Claudia Roden who is a great star of the cooking world, and who my mother tried to cook from, and did cook from her recipe books, so its nice to be able to meet her".
For more information on Gefiltefest and for future events go to www.gefiltefest.org.
Well today's certainly been a success, with a great turn out, and fantastic weather.
Celestina Olulode, JN1 , London
-
Israel prepares for massive military drill
Israel’s Home Front Command has said it is preparing to hold a massive nationwide military drill next week to focus on dealing with chemical weapons attacks which include the civilian population as well as military and emergency services.
The simulation will begin on 26 May when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces a week of national emergency preparedness. The drill will be the first time an entire network of early warning systems will be tested, including sirens, and alerts to civilians by text message , social networks, and television broadcasts. During the drill civilians will be asked to proceed to protected bomb shelters or remain inside for 10 minutes.
The simulated rocket attacks come at a time when tensions are rising over the civil war in neighbouring Syria after the Israeli Air Force (IAF) reportedly carried out airstrikes twice to eliminate advanced weaponry bound for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The attacks, which were never officially claimed by Israel, prompted Syria to train advanced missiles on the Jewish State and vow retaliation if another strike occurred.
The commander of the IAF has said that Israel must be ready for a surprise war that could break out anytime, cautioning that the Bashar al-Assad regime could fall at any time, with many unfriendly elements looking to get their hands on Syria’s large chemical weapons stockpile.
Israel’s Home Front Defense Minister seems to agree with the general’s assessment warning that rockets raining down on densely populated areas in Israel “are only a matter of time” saying the question is not if but when.
Israel regularly distributes gas masks to its citizens as a precautionary measure and some 5 million people of the country’s 8 million strong population are said to have the protective head gear. After Israel was taken by surprise in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, it seems the nation is determined not to let such an attack happen again.