Submitted Stories by Joe Berkofsky RSS Feed Stories Submitted by Joe Berkofsky
Reform rabbi rapped for violation
A Reform rabbinical board has upheld the reprimand of a California rabbi over allegations of sexual misconduct, but it declined to impose a more serious penalty of censure. Read more »
Support for centralized restitution
Israeli Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has joined the fray over the multimillion-dollar Swiss banks Holocaust settlement, arguing that restitution efforts need to be centralized. Read more »
Allstate won’t blacklist Israel travelers
With legislative pressure building on insurance companies, Allstate announced that it would no longer deny life insurance coverage to people because they have traveled to Israel or plan to do so. Read more »
Tracking Jewish connections
College-age Jews affiliated with the Conservative movement identify with Israel and voice pride in their heritage, but are less observant and often date non-Jews, according to a new study. Read more »
More money for Swiss account holders?
Swiss banks and the U.S. judge overseeing a $1.25 billion settlement of Holocaust-era claims have reached an agreement that may yield hundreds of millions of dollars in additional assets for survivors and their heirs. Read more »
Movements act against abuse
New get-tough policies are emerging in the wake of pledges by the various Jewish denominations to respond to cases of sex abuse by rabbis and others in the past decade. Read more »
Changes urged for Swiss bank fund
A new battle is brewing at the main organization managing Holocaust restitution payments over how a massive Swiss bank fund should be distributed among survivors. Read more »
Belzec memorial opens
The emotional opening ceremony of a Holocaust memorial built at the site of the Belzec death camp opened a new chapter for the once-ignored site and ended a highly charged debate over the memorial’s construction. Read more »
German firms and slave laborers battle over money
Attorneys for U.S. Holocaust survivors and German corporations are squaring off over whether the firms owe more money in addition to the hundreds of millions of dollars already paid out to Jews and non-Jews forced into slave labor by Germany´s Nazi Read more »
Schorsch marks 18 years at JTS
As Rabbi Ismar Schorsch marks 18 years as head of the Jewish Theological Seminary, some say the Conservative movement must do more to retain its relevance — and reclaim American Jews' allegiance. Read more »
RSS Feed Breaking News
Updated 05/24/12 @ 04:11PM EST
- Jewish groups called on Israel to protect African migrants in Israel after riots in Tel Aviv.
- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel is returning campaign donations under investigation by federal authorities.
- A new survey suggests that Germans have lost some love for Israel over the past three years.
- An Arab-Israeli immigrant to the United States was found guilty of murder in Michigan.
- Israel's Arava Power Company has closed on financing for eight solar power projects worth $204 million.
- U.S. Jewish groups condemn anti-African violence in Tel Aviv
- Mandel returns funds under investigation
- Obama’s same-sex marriage nod echoes historic Catholic-Jewish debate
- Survey: Israel losing ground with Germans
- Israeli Arab guilty of murder in Michigan
- Israel’s Arava firm finances $204 million for solar projects
- Israel will solve African migrant problem, Netanyahu assures
- Senate distinguishes between Palestinian refugees and descendants
