March 28, 2013 | 3:25 am

This week in power: Obama recap, Flotilla apology, Twitter suit, Passover message

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Presidential trip
President Obama spent two days in Israel last week. So how'd it go? "Of course there is only so much Obama can do. He can’t make Netanyahu negotiate peace, nor can he make Palestinians accept one. But as much as he could do with a speech, Obama did today. He probably wishes he gave it a long time ago," said Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine. "Will Mr. Obama also take the risks that will be needed to be a credible mediator and nudge the parties forward?" asked a New York Times editorial. "If Obama uses this trip as a first step of many in a concerted effort to persuade, to push, yes, to risk political capital in the name of a peace process, then this will have been, for all its limits, a signal moment," wrote David Remnick in The New Yorker. Stay tuned.

Flotilla ending
Remember that 2010 raid of a Turkish ship?  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized this week to Turkish leader Recep Erdogan for the "operational mistakes of the Israeli military," what's seen as the first steps toward mending fences between the two nations. "Whether or not there was direct involvement by President Obama to broker the apology is not clear, but there was certainly involvement by American officials, probably the State Department. Normalization of relations is in everyone's interest, including the US as relevant decisions regarding Syria are made. None of them will be easy, but both Turkey and Israel will play a major role," said Karl Gotthardt at Digital Journal. Not so fast, said Barry Rubin on his blog: "Perhaps these seeming word games and niceties are beyond the interest or comprehension of many people, but everyone involved directly on this issue knows exactly what is happening. Erdogan knows very well that this was not a Turkish victory—except in public relations-- though Israel won’t object to letting it be claimed as such."

Levy banned
Philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy was barred from visiting Libya last week because he is Jewish, according to reports. He was supposed to join French leader Nicolas Sarkozy on a visit in Tripoli, but was denied. "This is a depressingly familiar narrative that liberal Jews never seem to learn from no matter how often it repeats itself," wrote Daniel Greenfield at Front Page Mag. Levy is known to be in favor of the rebel forces whose revolution led to the rise to power of Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan. His banishment came as a surprise to many.

Lawsuit filed
The Union of French Jewish Students (UEJF) announced that it is suing Twitter over its failure to live up to its end of the bargain after the #unbonjuif case. At the time, a French court ordered Twitter to monitor racist and anti-Semitic remarks and to coordinate with police when those remarks arise, but the suit claims that the social networking site hasn't done its part thus far. UEJF president, Jonathan Hayoun told AFP: "Twitter is playing the indifference card." Twitter stands by its first amendment rights in the U.S. "While Twitter does reserve the right to disclose user information when requested by law, the social media site has always been an advocate for the privacy of its users," said one report.

Passover takeaways
America's most endeared holiday is among us, so what's the message this go-around? “It is not about sacrifice. It is really is about the separation and being aware of what you are eating and thanking God for that animal,” said one woman quoted in The Washington Post. “For me , Passover is a time of freedom. You think about the journey — the Exodus was a huge journey. I think about the personal journey in my life. It is definitely a time you want to be with family.” Rabbi Lawrence Troster also focused on the intrernal journey in his Huffington Post article. "Preparing for Passover then is not only about removing the physical leaven from our homes but also about the spiritual of the law: The cleaning out of our homes should also be a cleansing of our spirits, a renewal to the meaning of our Exodus experience and the new Creation that is spring."

March 21, 2013 | 6:07 am

This week in power: Obama arrives, New pope, Pollard fight, Passover preview

Posted by Danny Groner

Photo by Darren Whiteside/REUTERS.

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Obama in israel
Although nobody is expecting the Presidet to make any sweeping changes during his short stay in israel this week, "if any progress is going to be made on the Mideast peace front (or the Iran situation) this trip will be the pivotal moment for anything he hopes to accomplish there in his second term," wrote Dashiell Bennett at The Atlantic Wire. During his stay, he's sure to do more than just tour the country, and his meetings will surely touch on all of the key issues. "If Obama improves his standings with the Israelis and patches things up with Netanyahu, he can call the trip a success. The raised expectations can come later," said a GoSanAngelo editorial.

Pope Francis
A new pop took over last week and Jews around the world couldn't be more thrilled with the choice. Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, has a history of denouncing "injustice, corruption, social inequality, [and] human trafficking," according to JTA's Mordechai Levin, and he has a "commitment to building a better society." It's not just the Jews who are rejoicing, but other faiths, too. “When he told his colleagues in Rome that [the Islamic community here] would visit him at the diocese, he said they were surprised; that they couldn’t believe it,” an Islamic Center representative told the Miami Herald. “I think he’s going to be good for all of mankind, without exception.” Everyone is hopeful for a better future under the new pope. "Imagine a more peaceful world that respects religious difference. I believe it can happen. And I hope that, one day, respecting religious (and non-religious) differences will be what we remember, when we think of the legacy of Pope Francis," wrote Joyce S. Dubensky in The Huffington Post.

Pollard strike
One group that will be protesting via a hunger strike upon Obama's landing in Israel are supporters of Jonathan Pollard, the American serving a life term for spying for Israel. They say it's time to send Pollard home. "No, he is not innocent of wrong-doing. No one ever said that. But he has served his time – and another 4 times as much as he should have served," said Paula R. Stern in The Jewish Press. Others vehemently disagree. "Nations are rightly judged by their choice of heroes. Israel has plenty of worthy heroes, yet today there's a square in Jerusalem named for Pollard," said Bret Stephens in The Wall Street Journal. "So here's something else I'd like Mr. Obama to do while he's in Israel: Insist that the square be renamed. Maybe then, in a quieter hour and without regard to diplomacy or politics, can Jonathan Pollard's fate be reconsidered in a purely humanitarian light."

Hungary honor
Outrage erupted after Hungary announced that a Jewish sociologist, Andreas Kovacs, and two people accused of making anti-Semitic statements were going to receive prestigious national awards called the Szechenyi Prize, according to reports. Among the winners is Ferenc Szaniszlo, a television personality for Echo TV, who has been accused of using the term “apes" and he's made several anti-Semitic comments, Some believe that the selections are part of the of government's efforts to win favor with the far right.

Passover prep
Passover is around the corner and the talk of food is in the air. "Thing is, I've got all year to drink good wine. Passover is the one night when I can ignore taste and can reach again and again (and again) for the Manischewitz," said Bon Appetit editor Adam Rapoport. "Unless you’re vegan or watching your cholesterol, Passover is about as eggy as Easter: Eggs are used in cakes, souffled vegetable side dishes and weeknight frittata," said Bonnie S. Benwick in The Washington Post. And think about others while you clean this weekend, advised Ariel Gros-Werter at The Huffington Post: "Too often in today's world, our willingness to give to those in need is inhibited by reluctance to part with items of financial value. Passover thus presents a special opportunity to give. The food is already paid for and has been deemed of no further use by its owners. Giving it away doesn't impose any cost upon the giver: it's an expense-free but valuable gift. What could be better than doing good at no additional cost?"

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March 14, 2013 | 3:36 am

This week in power: Obama plans, Egypt movie ban, Brooks column, SXSW

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Obama's coming
"What should Barack Obama, who is to visit Israel next Wednesday for the first time in his presidency, do about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?" asked Rashid Khalidi in The New York Times. "In short, if the objectives of the entire peace process are not ending the occupation, removing the settlements and providing for real Palestinian self-determination, then what is the purpose of pretending to restart it?" Others are focused on the President's agenda for the week. "And then Obama is off to Ramallah, a visit that signifies his continued commitment to a two-state solution. Interestingly enough, the time allotted for the Ramallah trip – where he will meet Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – is the same as the time allotted for his meeting with Netanyahu: five-and-a-half hours," wrote Herb Keinon in The Jerusalem Post. Stay tuned next week.

Movie delayed
A documentary about Egypt’s Jews that was scheduled to screen this week in the country was suspended after security officials "delayed the renewal of its authorization," said reports. "Jews of Egypt" may yet air, but censorship stand in the way now. "There is no excuse for this except delay and obstruction," said the film's producer in a post on the film's Facebook page. "I announce the delay of the screening of Jews of Egypt until a solution is found for this inexplicable problem, inherited from long years in the parlours of the Egyptian state securities and which aim to terrorise thought and repress creativity." He is also threatening to take legal action for financial losses incurred due to the delay.

Brooks column
New York Times' columnist David Brooks took a trek to an Orthodox neighborhood in Brooklyn and lived to tell the tale in a much-discussed op-ed. "As someone who has spoken out about the crisis in marriage among the non-Orthodox, I appreciate and indeed envy the devotion to marriage and children exemplified by the large families and countercultural values that Brooks so lovingly describes," said Jane Eisner in The Jewish Daily Forward, but it's only half the story. Other bloggers were even more aghast over the overlooking of key facts. "The people who shop at Pomegranate voted with their tuition dollars and sent their daughters to Brooklyn schools that emphatically and purposely do NOT prepare their students for careers as US attorneys. If Brooks was attempting to be a journalist rather than a publicist he might have discovered this," said DovBear.

SXSW: Jewish edition
The annual tech and music festival South by Southwest began last weekend in Austin and attracted all kinds of people, including those looking for a religious experience while staying there. Chabad couldn't really sit out such a festivity, could it? "#openShabbat is like any of the umpteen other events put on throughout the week, except for one rule: no technology," wrote Adrianne Jeffries at The Verge. "All told, the reviews were positive. Some even waited until after Shabbat ended to share their love on Twitter," joked Tablet's Adam Chandler about the event. Some savvy Jewish entrepreneurs attended the conference to gain momentum for their products and services as well.

New Haggadah
There's a new Haggadah in town this Passover season. And it omes from a familiar source, Edgar Bronfman, the businessman and Jewish philanthropist. What do people think of “The Bronfman Haggadah” so far? "No Kiddush, no Four Questions, No Dayenu. Not only is this not your grandfather’s Haggadah, it’s not your father’s," wrote Steve Lipman in The Jewish Week. "Their Haggadah, they say, is meant for people like them: committed to Jewish life but not committed to strict Jewish observance. Based on several years of research, it evolved from notes Bronfman used at the seders he led for friends and family." For the more historically-minded, this Haggadah could be just the right fit.

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March 7, 2013 | 3:31 am

This week in power: AIPAC, Chavez, Ukraine bomb, Soccer protest

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

AIPAC conference
"From the second one arrives at the Washington Convention Center, the AIPAC spectacle is all-encompassing. From the anti-Israel demonstrators clustering around the entrance to the sparkling multi-screen plenaries in the main hall, there is a both a sense of showmanship and a sense that this is, for two days, the only show in town," said Ben Cohen in The Jewish Press. This year's festivities included an address from Vice President Biden. "The president missed AIPAC this year—no great scandal, since he’s making his first in-office trip to Israel later this month," said Slate's Dave Weigel. Not everyone thought the conference covered for it. "There’s elephant in the room in this AIPAC conference, and this elephant is American policy in the region. In one session after another one hears criticism of American inaction, American hesitation, American lack of coherence," said Shmuel Rosner in the Jewish Journal.

Chavez gone
Venezuelan Jews and the rest of the world said farewell to leader Hugo Chavez on Tuesday after he passed away at the age of 58. Chavez never explicitly threatened the Jews there, said reports, but he was known to be staunchly anti-Israel. "His one-man style, gleeful nationalizations and often harsh treatment of opponents," said the Jewish Journal, were seen "as traits of an egotistical dictator whose misplaced statist economics wasted a historic bonanza of oil revenues." A new leader will take over within a month. There's no way to know how he will rule. “As part of the security apparatus of the regime, many Venezuelans are under surveillance,” said a Jewish columnist at El Nacional, quoted by JTA. “The Jewish community is obviously perceived as some sort of threat that warrants those actions.”

Ukraine bomb blast
President of the All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress, Vadim Rabinovich, was the target of a bomb attack in Kiev recently, according to reports. An explosive device was thrown into Rabinovich's moving car, resulting in damage to his vehicle and nearby buildings. Miraculously, nobody was injured in the blast. The perpetrator got awaym but police are looking for the suspect. It's too early to know if antisemitism was the motivating factor, but many locals suspect it was.

Weinstein let off
Carmen Weinstein, the president of the Egyptian Jewish community, was acquitted of fraud and embezzlement of roughly $450,000 by the Abdeen Court of Misdemeanors. After Weinstein was sentenced to three years in jail, she had her sentence overturned. An Egyptian businessman had accused Weinstein of stealing from him after he paid for a Jewish community property. Weinstein filed a countersuit arguing that the accusation was baseless.

Racist protest
The hatred in the stands at Israeli soccer games is only getting worse, by the looks of it. Hundreds of fans last weekend left the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team after the first goal was scored by a Muslim player. The match with Maccabi Netanya, which ended in a 1-1 tie, but it was Zaur Sadayev's goal that had people talking afterward. Most of the Beitar Jerusalem fans, however, remained in the stands for the duration of the game. "An obsession with racial purity ... where have we heard that before?" asked Dan Amira in New York Magazine. "Now we have to add Israel to the ever-growing list of countries that are home to bigoted shitbag soccer fans," added Tom Ley at Deadspin.

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