Jewish News

CUNY to rescind decision withholding honor from Kushner over anti-Israel views

On Friday, the board of trustees of the City University of New York moved to reverse its earlier decision to not grant an honorary degree to playwright Tony Kushner over his views on Israel, the New York Times reported.The New York Time report quoted CUNY board chairman Benno C. Schmidt Jr. as saying that he believed that the board had ...

‘Cultural Jews’ Define Themselves on Their Own Terms

An Ipsos Internet poll of 1,000 American Jews reveals that one in six are purposefully looking for a way to express themselves Jewishly and engage with their Jewish identity outside of affiliation with a synagogue.The study, released by the Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring, debunks the myth that American Jews either identify culturally or religiously as Jews, that it is an either/or ...

Cuba’s Jewish leaders visit jailed Alan Gross for Hanukkah

A leader of Cuba’s small Jewish community who visited jailed American contractor Alan Gross and even released pictures of them celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah together said Wednesday that he was in good spirits and fine health. But her account was quickly disputed by the man’s wife, who said he was increasingly frail and despondent.Adela Dworin said that she ...

Cuba seeks 20-year prison sentence for alleged Jewish-American spy Alan Gross

Cuban prosecutors will seek a 20-year prison sentence for Jewish U.S. aid contractor Alan Gross, accused of crimes against the state, Communist Party newspaper Granma said on Friday, in a case that has stalled progress in U.S.-Cuba relations.A government statement posted on the paper’s website said Gross was accused of “Acts Against the Independence and Territorial Integrity of the State” ...

Crown Heights Public School Among 17 to be Closed

The NYC Department of Education is shuttering 17 public schools throughout the city after a “rigorous review of academic performance” for the DOE. Among the schools to be closed is P.S. 167 on Eastern Parkway and Schenectady Avenue.The New York City Department of Education announced plans Monday to close or phase out 17 schools.The department said all the schools are ...

Crown Heights Culinarians Introduce Pesach Sausages

Sausage is a sin no more – even for Passover. Two Crown Heights foodies who started a kosher meat and deli business 18 months ago are adding specially-made sausage for the holiday which starts Friday at sundown.“Never in the history of Passover have Jews had sausage, ” said Jack Silberstein, 26, showing off the $7.99 packs of Spicy Southwestern and ...

Cracks found on two American Airline 767-300 aircraft

American Airlines has found cracks in large pylons that hold engines onto the wings of two of its 767-300 aircraft, according to the airline and to the planes’ manufacturer. Concerned the problem may exist on other airline fleets, Boeing says it plans to advise airlines to inspect the parts more frequently than the current recommendation of every 1,500 takeoff and ...

Court to Hear Case on ‘Religious Jews only’ Project

The Haifa District Court is set to hear a petition on Tuesday by civil rights groups, which asks the court to order the cancellation of land tenders won by two groups to build 196 housing units for religious Jews in Acre.The petitioners contend that the land tender was discriminatory because it had been promoted only to religious Jewish groups.The Association ...

Court to approve kosher buses

The High Court of Justice will not ban gender segregation on haredi bus routes, and is likely to accept the Transport Ministry’s recommendation to make the separation between sexes voluntary rather than compulsory, Justice Elyakim Rubinstein said Sunday.In line with the recommendation, Transportation Ministry officers will monitor buses serving the ultra-Orthodox population to make sure that no violence against female ...

Court Seeks Clarification on Egged Ads’ Exclusion of Women

Some three and a half months after they filed a petition with the High Court of Justice against the Transportation Ministry, police, Egged Bus Company and Cnaan Media PR – the court on Sunday served an order ruling that the State must, within 30 days, provide the court with an explanation as to why it does not stipulate that licenses ...

Court orders Orthodox woman to be cremated after three month battle

The body of a 105-year-old Jewish woman from New York who died three months ago will finally be removed from a mortuary after a judge ruled that she could be cremated.Ethel Baar, who died on September 11, began following Orthodox Judaism late in life, and her great-nephew James Pollak said that she had wanted to be laid to rest in ...

Court: Does rabbinic ordination equal academic degree

After a preliminary hearing on Tuesday determined that the issue should be handled in the courts, the Jerusalem Labor Court will be deciding over the next few months whether rabbinic ordination should be recognized as equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, vis-à-vis the Civil Service Commission’s prerequisites for the position of a supervisor in the haredi educational system.The legality of the ...