Jewish News Syndicate

Deep in the Judean Desert, Two Jewish Pioneers are Building an Oasis Amid Uncertainty

Jeremy Gimpel (left) and Ari Abramowitz on their property, Arugot Farms, in the Judean Desert. Photo by Josh Hasten.

Jeremy Gimpel (left) and Ari Abramowitz on their property, Arugot Farms, in the Judean Desert. Photo by Josh Hasten.

Ari Abramowitz and Jeremy Gimpel, the two men behind Arugot Farms—a retreat center for music, prayer, art and meditation—say that U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan could destroy all they have built.

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

‘Orange Pages’ Provide Easy Access, Boost to Businesses in Judea and Samaria

Gedaliah and Elisheva Blum, who operate the “Dapei Katom” or the “Orange Pages website, which mirrors the Yellow Pages business directory in the U.S. but for small businesses in Judea and Samaria. Credit: Courtesy.

Gedaliah and Elisheva Blum, who operate the “Dapei Katom” or the “Orange Pages website, which mirrors the Yellow Pages business directory in the U.S. but for small businesses in Judea and Samaria. Credit: Courtesy.

Husband-and-wife team Gedaliah and Elisheva Blum take a page or two from an American iconic directory, and a decade later, see a thriving resource for residents, visitors and others looking for information at their fingertips.

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

Amid Criticism of Trump Plan by Leaders in Judea and Samaria, Others See ‘Historic Opportunity’ Despite Flaws

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Efrat mayor Oded Revivi during a visit to Efrat, in the Gush Etzion area of Judea on July 31, 2019. Photo by Gershon Elinson/Flash90.

Israseli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with Efrat Mayor Oded Revivi during a visit in Efrat, in Gush Etzion, on July 31, 2019. Photo by Gershon Elinson/Flash90

As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to lay the groundwork to begin the process of applying Israeli sovereignty to the Jordan Valley, and parts of Judea and Samaria, a debate has emerged among leaders in those Jewish communities over the ramifications of the Trump administration’s so-called “deal of the century.”

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

When a Saver of Lives Needs to be Saved: Eli Beer’s Story

Eli Beer, founder and president of United Hatzalah, saying the Shema upon arriving in Israel after battling COVID-19 for six weeks at a hospital in Miami, Fla. Credit: United Hatzalah.

Eli Beer, founder and president of United Hatzalah, saying the Shema upon arriving in Israel after battling COVID-19 for six weeks at a hospital in Miami, Fla. Credit: United Hatzalah.

United Hatzalah’s founder and president, who returned to Israel after surviving a six-week battle against COVID-19 in a Miami hospital.

 

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

Jewish Initiative Crowdfunds Gear for Health-Care Workers to Protect Against Coronavirus

The arrival of supplies to Cedar Sinai Park Assisted Living in Portland, Ore., April 2020. Credit: Courtesy.

The arrival of supplies to Cedar Sinai Park Assisted Living in Portland, Ore., April 2020. Credit: Courtesy.

With more than 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States to date, many of the hardest-hit states include those with large Jewish populations—New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California. As a result, Jewish nonprofit organizations in the heath-care arena, including nursing homes and assisted-living centers, hospice facilities and those who provide homecare for Holocaust survivors and other vulnerable populations, have witnessed overwhelming fatality rates as a result of the pandemic.

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

Recalling San Remo and International Law Regarding the Jewish State, 100 Years Later

Delegates at the San Remo conference in 1920. Source: YouTube.

Delegates at the San Remo conference in 1920. Source: YouTube.

Exactly 100 years ago this week, World War I allied powers including the British Empire, Italy, France and Japan, along with the United States serving as an observer nation, met in San Remo, Italy, and ratified the 1917 Balfour Declaration, calling for a national home for the Jewish people in “Palestine.”

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

As Corona Advances through Efrat, Residents Buckle Down on Individual Home Fronts

Efrat residents at home under quarantine due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), March 30, 2020. Photo by Josh Hasten.

Efrat residents at home under quarantine due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), March 30, 2020. Photo by Josh Hasten.

Less than 20 kilometers south of Jerusalem in the Gush Etzion bloc, the community of Efrat and its 13,000 inhabitants made headlines this week as having one of the highest levels of coronavirus-infected residents percentage-wise in the country.

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

Israeli Parents Get a Crash Course in Homeschooling

Israeli youths during a remote learning session at their home in Moshav Yashresh on March 18, 2020. Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90.

Israeli youths during a remote learning session at their home in Moshav Yashresh on March 18, 2020. Photo by Yossi Aloni/Flash90.

After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shut down the country’s schools and universities until at least after Passover, Israeli parents, like their counterparts in other countries shut down by the COVID-19 virus, suddenly found themselves confronted with the task of overseeing their children’s education.

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

Former MK Yehuda Glick Arrested for ‘Provocative Behavior’ on Temple Mount

 

Commander of the Jerusalem District Police Doron Yedid with former Knesset member Yehuda Glick at the Western Wall Plaza near the Mughrabi Bridge in the Old City of Jerusalem after clashes broke out on the Temple Mount and around its gates, as Jews mark Tisha B'Av and Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, on Aug. 11, 2019. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90.

Commander of the Jerusalem District Police Doron Yedid with former Knesset member Yehuda Glick at the Western Wall Plaza near the Mughrabi Bridge in the Old City of Jerusalem after clashes broke out on the Temple Mount and around its gates, as Jews mark Tisha B’Av and Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, on Aug. 11, 2019. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90.

The former Likud Party Knesset member tells JNS that the incident epitomizes the fact that non-Muslims are discriminated against at the holy site in Jerusalem.

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate

Extension of High-Speed Rail to Old City Jerusalem Expected to Alleviate Traffic, Boost Tourism

 

Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the first ride of the the new high-speed train between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Dec. 18, 2019. To help tourists and east local traffic congestion, he announced its future extension to the Old City, February 2020. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich on the first ride of the the new high-speed train between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv on Dec. 18, 2019. To help tourists and east local traffic congestion, he announced its future extension to the Old City, February 2020. Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90.

“Jews from around the world will be able to land at Ben-Gurion and in a short amount of time be at the Western Wall to be spiritually uplifted. It’s the perfect blend of modern technology and ancient spirituality,” said Rabbi Steve Burg, CEO of Aish HaTorah.

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Posted by Josh Hasten in Jewish News Syndicate