Posted by bonniekgoodman on October 26, 2014
https://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2014/10/26/israel-musings-october-26-2014-women-of-the-walls-historic-torah-scroll-smuggling-reading-at-kotel-bat-mitzvah/
Source: JTA, 12-12-12
A prominent Israeli Orthodox rabbi has called for state recognition of non-Orthodox steams of Judaism….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on December 12, 2012
https://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/israel-brief-december-december-12-2012-prominent-israeli-rabbi-calls-for-recognition-of-non-orthodox-streams/
Source: JTA, 10-3-12
An estimated 70,000 Jewish worshipers gathered at the Western Wall in Jerusalem to hear the priestly blessing….READ MORE
Posted by bonniekgoodman on October 3, 2012
https://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/10/03/israel-brief-october-3-2012-70000-gather-at-kotel-for-priestly-blessing/
Source: JTA, 5-31-12
The so-called “kishkes issue” — what does President Obama, deep down, really feel about Israel — is now being addressed at the highest level by Obama himself.
Obama dropped in on a White House meeting Tuesday of lay and rabbinical leaders of the Conservative Judaism and Jack Lew, the president’s chief of staff. During his 20 minutes at the hourlong meeting, Obama emphasized his affection for Judaism and Israel, and like Vice President Joe Biden last week in a similar meeting with organizational leaders, his frustration with perceptions that he is cool toward the Jewish state.
The tone, coupled with blitzes of Jewish communities by Democratic leaders in recent months, reinforces the impression that the party’s leadership is unsettled by Republican inroads into what for decades has been a Democratic base constituency.
The presidential visit was “informal,” although the group of Jewish leaders knew a drop-by was likely. So when Obama walked into the Roosevelt Room, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the executive vice president of the Conservative movement’s Rabbinical Assembly, was ready with the traditional blessing for heads of state….READ MORE
Source: JTA, 5-29-12
A group of leaders from the Conservative movement held an informal meeting Tuesday with President Obama.
Obama dropped by a scheduled meeting with White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew and thanked the 17 rabbis and lay leaders for their work to improve their communities.
The president stated his strong commitment to Israel’s security and discussed his actions to enhance security cooperation between the U.S. and Israel, as well as implement biting sanctions against Iran, according to a White House official.
Participants said they asked Obama questions about the social net, health care, the relationship with Israel, the threat from Iran, and Obama’s views on Jusaism and Israel.
The hour-long meeting with Lew in the White House’s Roosevelt Room was arranged by Rabbi Jack Moline, the rabbi of Agudas Achim synagogue in Alexandria, Va. and the director of public policy for the movement’s Rabbinical Assembly. Moline has close ties with the Obama administration.
“The meeting spoke to the president and administration’s deep appreciation of the values that motivate Jewish communities around the world,” Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, the executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, told JTA. “It was a values-driven conversation and represented the great potential for the Jewish community to make its views heard.”
Posted by bonniekgoodman on May 29, 2012
https://togetherwithisrael.wordpress.com/2012/05/29/israel-political-brief-may-29-2012-president-barack-obama-speaks-to-conservative-judaism-leaders-defends-his-israel-commitments-touts-his-jewish-ties/
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