If you are desperate to get a jump on Academy Award season, head to the Washington Jewish Film Festival for Blessed Is the Match: The Life & Death of Hannah Senesh, which is one of 15 finalists for the five slots available in the documentary category. It's a prime chance to see the film before Oscar buzz picks up. Washington District of Columbia Jewish Community Center has sponsored the festival, now in its 19th year, for its entire run.

via media.diamondbackonline.com

I will start with there being two major challenges facing the Jewish community today and then turn it around and reflect on those and say what the Jewish community and what the Jewish perspective have to say about one or two of the major problems that confront us all. Now let me begin with a sad and bothering issue which has become one of our leading concerns. And of all things that have happened in my life time the least expected is the return of anti-Semitism I must mention it because our community is very concerned about it.

via timesonline.co.uk

"No, that's a pretty big commandment," said Gettinger, a Jewish Museum Milwaukee educator, who seized it as a chance to expound on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and its message of redemption. "If we stole or we're bad to our parents . . . we can make amends," Gettinger told the boys, all students at Townsend Street School in Milwaukee's Sherman Park neighborhood. "You get to feel like you're changing your life every year."

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I am addressing you as a convinced Christian theologian and at the same time as a sincere friend of Islam who wishes to understand Islam better and to work for a constructive cooperation among Christians and Muslims. These were exactly the words with which I opened my lecture in March 1985 to a distinguished group of high ranking mullahs in Tehran. And this was indeed my most challenging dialogue experience with Muslims, among them the later president Chatami.

via timesonline.co.uk

While the predominantly Christian population of Dothan, Alabama, starts drawing up its Christmas lists this year, the tiny Jewish population in this town known as the "Peanut Capital of the World" is hoping for its own Hanukka miracle: the arrival of at least one new Jewish family into its bosom. So what would lure American Jews happily ensconced in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Ohio and beyond to a town with almost 60,000 hard-line right-wing, devout Christians and fewer than 50 Jewish families? About $50,000 if Larry Blumberg.

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Outside of philosophers and students of religion, the only ones who might be expected to know the name Maimonides are those youngsters who attended Hebrew school. The great 12th-century thinker composed a “ladder of tzedaka” that ranks his preference from best (helping the individual find a job so he may take care of himself) to worst (giving begrudgingly). Since Jews are taught at an early age about the importance of tzedaka, it’s a perfect fit.

via njjewishnews.com

An online accommodation agency I came across recently used one of the most tasteless slogans I’ve ever seen to advertise a holiday rental in Amsterdam. “Amsterdam Stay Apartments present the Anne Frank apartment,” read a banner across the top of the apartment’s Web page. “Live like Anne Frank during your Amsterdam stay,” it promised, “with the keys to your own roof attic apartment.

via jewishtimes.com

When Congregation Achduth Vesholom celebrates its 160th anniversary Sunday, it will be with a piece of its 19th-century Jewish past brought back to it by modern technology. The item is an engraved, golden-topped walking stick, presented by the congregation to its founder, that had been languishing in a Philadelphia-area man’s estate. The tale worthy of PBS’ “History Detectives” began with an e-mail that arrived at the synagogue’s office in April, says Beth Zweig, of Fort Wayne, the congregation’s president and celebration coordinator.

via journalgazette.net

My column gives examples of compassionate individuals whose altruism goes beyond their self-interest. Of the three examples I give, Kaplan takes offence to my example of a young man who is helping Arab villagers to harvest their olives in the face of Israeli settlers' opposition. What I said was factual and had nothing to do with Judaism. I was writing about a compassionate young man.

via thewhig.com

Amy-Jill Levine is not given to cliches, but the one about the road to hell and good intentions cropped up in a talk she gave last week. Levine used the old saw to summarize her point: Liberal, tolerant Christians are defaming Jews and Judaism. From the left-leaning World Council of Churches and liberation theologians to former President Jimmy Carter, Christians have spread myths about Judaism: that Jesus overthrew a wrathful Old Testament God in favor of a loving deity.

via boston.com

HEREFORDSHIRE pupils prayed to different gods at a multi-faith conference. The event, held at Holmer CE Primary and Whitecross High School, took place over four days and encouraged pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding of five religions. Workshop leaders from across the country taught the children about Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and the Baha’i Faith. Pupils took part in hands-on activities, including dance, music, art and story telling and saw demonstrations on the way other people celebrate their faith.

via herefordtimes.com

A coalition of non-governmental organizations and educators hope to improve Muslim-Jewish coexistence in Israel by teaching Islam to Jews and Judaism to Muslims in the nation's public schools. "We believe that if there will be more knowledge about Islam among Jews and if Israeli Muslims know more about Judaism this would have a positive effect on social relations," said Rabbi Ron Kronish, head of the Interreligious Coordination Council (ICCI).

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WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 7, 2008 - In response to Senator Barack Obama's election as 44th President of the United States, Reform Jewish leaders today sent the President-elect a letter of congratulations. Signed by Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, Peter Weidhorn, chairman of the Union for Reform Judaism, and Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

via religionblog.dallasnews.com

Barack Obama said in a 2004 interview that Judaism was as influential a factor "as any other faith" in defining his beliefs. The transcript of the interview of the president-elect by Cathleen Falsani, a religion writer, was published Thursday in its entirety for the first time by the Web site beliefnet. Falsani interviewed Obama just after he won the Illinois Democratic Party’s nomination for a U.S. Senate seat. She wrote up the interview in a Chicago Sun-Times piece at the time, and it later became part of her book.

via jta.org

AishCafÉ’s flashy Web presence makes it look more like a gambling site than the religious experience it is. There are interactive animations, clickable icons and even a mock iPhone to attract Jewish college students. And, like gambling, it could pay to play. The site, run by Aish HaTorah, an Orthodox Jewish educational network based in Israel, offers students willing to learn about their faith a payout of up to $250 or a $300 subsidy for a trip to Israel.

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