We regret to inform you of the passing of Rabbi Yosi Eisen. Rabbi Eisen spent six years as the OU-JLIC Rabbi at University of Massachusetts-Amherst where he worked with his family to create a home away from home for the countless students who came through his door. He strengthened the Kashrut on campus, empowered student leaders […]

The battle over ownership of the Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the United States, is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied a petition filed by Rhode Island’s Congregation Jeshuat Israel to revisit a ruling that declared it a tenant of the building. That ruling found that Shearith Israel, […]

In recent years, Orthodox women have sought a greater voice in Torah scholarship and learning, prompting the OU to fund a number of Women’s Initiative Challenge Grants to meet growing communal needs. Adina Shmidman, the founding director of the department, told JNS the OU initially planned to make 10 grants, but was “bowled over” by […]

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Wednesday came to the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns & Rockaway in Lawrence to announce awards under a state grant that makes $25 million available to enhance security at nonpublic schools and community centers. The program allocates $50,000 grants — and as much as $150,000 if a school has […]

Israeli security officials have determined that Monday’s stabbing of Israeli Shuva Malka, 18, by a Palestinian man was a terror attack. Malka remains in serious but stable condition after undergoing emergency surgery. The Israel Security Agency (the Shin Bet) announced Tuesday that the attack, which occurred in the northern city of Afula, was nationalistically motivated. […]

Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev says that Israel should withdraw as host of the Eurovision song contest if it is not held in Jerusalem. “I will recommend to the government that if the Eurovision is not in Jerusalem, then it wouldn’t be right to host it,” she said. “It will cost Israel NIS […]

This summer more than 1,550 young adults (the largest amount ever) from diverse backgrounds and communities will experience Israel through Israel Free Spirit, an official Birthright Israel trip provider. Before the trip, many participants never have had the opportunity to genuinely connect to their Jewish identity. The climax of every Israel Free Spirit Birthright trip […]

New Berlin West High School in Wisconsin has stopped distributing yearbooks after finding  an anti-Semitic quote from one of the seniors. According to WTMJ Milwaukee, the quote reads, “There will always be one true Final Solution.” In an email, principal Michael Fesenmaier apologized to parents for the vetting oversight on the school’s part and called the student’s […]

An object initially believed to be a Torah scroll was seized from criminals during a police raid in Rio de Janeiro. Experts were summoned and they identified the item as a sefer haftarah, which contains readings from the books of the Prophets that are read on Shabbat following the Torah reading. The scroll was recovered last […]

Sirens sounded in southern Israel 166 times between Tuesday night and early Wednesday. They stopped Wednesday morning with an informal cease-fire agreement being reached. Approximately 200 rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza into southern Israel by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. No one was injured, though a private home in Netivot was struck and damaged. Hamas announced […]