Talia Lavin Twitter Email RSS

is JTA's editorial assistant. She was a Fulbright scholar in Ukraine. Her poetry and nonfiction writing have been published in Tuesday Magazine, the Gamut, The Birch, Tablet, The Starry Night Review and elsewhere. Follow her on Twitter at @chick_in_kiev.

Latest

• Meet Esther, the new (Jewish?) ‘Queen of Persia’

  March 14, 2014 11:23am

  Remember Esther, the “Queen of Persia” contestant who scored big points with the audience — and the king — when she touched his scepter (no innuendo intended) during the final date round? Well it turns out the winner of the Bravo reality series might just be a member of the tribe. And you know how…

• Top 10 JTA stories from a century of Purims

  March 13, 2014 5:42pm

  Stories from decades of Purim celebrations — featuring zeppelins, kosher vodka and fowl galore!

• Putin’s Jewish embrace: Is it love or politics?

  March 11, 2014 5:32pm

  Some see President Vladimir Putin as a great friend of Russia’s Jews, while others argue his motives are cynical.

• Wounded Ukrainian protesters airlifted to Israel for medical treatment

  March 7, 2014 12:25pm

  A volunteer effort coordinated from Kiev and Israel has allowed seven individuals wounded in Ukrainian protests to be airlifted to Israel for medical care.

• Blast from the past: Cossacks, hundreds and ‘pogromists’ ride again

  February 27, 2014 6:44pm

  Recent events in Ukraine and Russia have put back in the headlines some terms with ugly resonances for Jews, but their contemporary meanings are often more complex than we realize.

• Ukraine Jews hunkering down amid turmoil

  February 25, 2014 12:25pm

  With their country undergoing political upheaval, the Jewish community in Ukraine upgrades its security and looks with uncertainty toward the future.

• Looking at Kiev, through blood and fire

  February 19, 2014 5:17pm

  After spending last year living in Kiev, the author describes feelings of painful powerlessness in the current crisis.

• When a handshake is more than just a handshake

  February 19, 2014 10:52am

  An Orthodox Jewish candidate for European Parliament is drawing ire for refusing to shake hands with women.

• In Hebrew immersion day camps, summer fun augmented with learning

  February 19, 2014 10:47am

  The growing trend of Hebrew-immersion day camps offer children a chance to learn Hebrew while engaging in summer fun.

• 50 shades of Abe Foxman

  February 10, 2014 8:36pm

  In honor of the Anti-Defamation League chief’s impending retirement, here are 50 shades of Abraham Foxman’s disapproval.