January 23, 2015
1:28 pm

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver outside federal courthouse after his arraignment on bribery and corruption charges, Jan. 22, 2015 (Photo credit: Yana Paskova/Getty Images/JTA)

Silver’s arrest a 2nd strike for NY Orthodox power brokers

State Assembly speaker is deeply connected to Met Council on Jewish Poverty’s William Rapfogel, convicted of corruption in 2013

By Uriel Heilman

January 13, 2015
3:21 am

The crowd outside the kosher supermarket Hyper Cacher as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pays his respect to the victims of last week’s terrorist attacks, Jan. 12, 2015 in Paris (Photo credit: Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images/JTA)

Embattled French Jews have mixed feelings about Israel’s aliya calls

Dispute between Israeli, Diaspora Jews stems from divergent views about the viability of Jewish life abroad

By Uriel Heilman

January 10, 2015
11:02 pm

Rabbi Shulim Greenberg's organization, Chesed 24/7, receives a truckload of pomegranates each year donated from Pom Wonderful, the nation's largest pomegranate juice producer. (Uriel Heilman/JTA)

Hasidic help and healing through… pomegranate juice

New York volunteer health organization spreads Judaism’s 613 commandments, one juice bottle at a time

By Uriel Heilman

January 8, 2015
2:32 am

The JCC building in the Detroit suburb of Oak Park is one of two JCC buildings in the Detroit area; the other is in West Bloomfield. (Photo credit: JTA/Aaron Tobin)

Amid $6m deficit, Detroit-area JCC may close

With annual losses of $1 million, building expected to be shut down

By Uriel Heilman

December 31, 2014
6:17 pm

Orthodox girls at school (illustrative photo credit: Yossi Zamir/Flash90)

Orthodox Union wants public funds for NY’s private Jewish schools

Lowering tuition bills and breaking women’s glass ceilings are themes at OU’s annual conference

By Uriel Heilman

December 30, 2014
2:27 am

Professional poker player Ari Engel says he doesn't gamble. (YouTube screenshot)

For this son of an Orthodox rabbi, poker is not gambling

Ari Engel keeps kosher and often wears his kipah, but when it comes to defining games of chance, he’s a very liberal Jew

By Uriel Heilman

December 20, 2014
3:30 am

People stand outside the Little Havana restaurant Versailles, as they absorb the news that Alan Gross was released from a Cuban prison and that US President Barack Obama wants to change the United States Cuba policy, Dec. 17, 2014 in Miami. (photo credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

For Cuban Jews, US rapprochement with Castro a cause for concern

Older generation of emigres object to warming ties between Washington, Havana, but younger Cuban Jews in US eager to visit

By Uriel Heilman

December 19, 2014
2:01 am

Illustrative photo of an interfaith wedding ceremony (photo credit: Rebecca Wilson/Creative Commons/JTA)

Prominent Conservative rabbi considers breaking intermarriage ban

Wesley Gardenswartz proposes performing interfaith weddings before backing down, promises not to sever ties with movement

By Uriel Heilman

December 18, 2014
6:13 am

Yashar Lachayal's Leon Blankrot, in black, handing out aid packages with cold-weather gear to an all-Druze Israeli army unit, Nov. 28, 2014. (Courtesy Yashar Lachayal/JTA)

Rules of engagement vary for Americans aiding IDF soldiers

Diaspora Jews use a yiddishe kopf to work around laws that bar sending combat equipment to foreign armies

By Uriel Heilman

November 29, 2014
12:46 am

A rendering of the new condo project The Hamptons in Herzliya Pituach, a brainchild of Rabbi Marc Schneier of The Hampton Synagogue in Westhampton Beach, N.Y. (Courtesy The Hampton Synagogue/via JTA)

East End rabbi pitches Hamptons-style Zionism in Herzliya

Rabbi Marc Schneier takes time away from his interfaith work to return to a former occupation — real estate

By Uriel Heilman

November 25, 2014
2:42 pm

Muslims pray on the Temple Mount at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, July 28, 2014. (Sliman Khader/Flash90)

NJ rabbi’s extreme views on Arabs don’t faze congregation

‘I don’t think I’m saying anything outlandish,’ says Teaneck Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, who called Arabs ‘unruly animals’ in a recent blog post

By Uriel Heilman

November 14, 2014
4:08 am

IsraAID psychosocial trauma specialists Hela Yaniv (left), and Sheri Oz leading a counseling and training session for service providers in Sierra Leone, on October 27, 2014. (photo credit: Courtesy IsraAID/JTA)

Jews fight Ebola in Africa from the head down

IsraAID provides psychosocial counseling and training to those tackling the epidemic on the ground

By Uriel Heilman

November 12, 2014
2:02 am

Academy Award-winning actress and activist Marlee Matlin speaking about her Jewish heritage, career and experience overcoming disabilities at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in suburban Washington, Nov. 10, 2014. (photo credit: Ron Sachs/JTA)

US Federations’ GA was part pep rally, part training session, part reunion

Collaboration emerged as key for leaders gearing up with new programs and new methods of outreach to disaffected young Jews

By Uriel Heilman

November 9, 2014
7:17 am

Rabbi Josh Ahrens demonstrates how to put on tefillin during a conversion course at the Sofia JCC in Bulgaria. (Dianna Cahn)

Whatever happened to ‘loving the convert’?

For some Orthodox converts, their biggest challenges come after mikvah when they are alone in a sea of families

By Uriel Heilman

November 7, 2014
6:01 pm

Jerry Silverman, CEO of the Jewish Federations of North America, speaking at the umbrella group's General Assembly in Jerusalem, Nov. 7, 2013. (Flash90/via JTA)

Are the Jewish Federations delivering on their promises?

Ahead of Sunday’s General Assembly, a point-by-point look at some of JFNA’s stated goals — and whether it is meeting them

By Uriel Heilman

Writer: Uriel Heilman

Silver’s arrest a 2nd strike for NY Orthodox power brokers

State Assembly speaker is deeply connected to Met Council on Jewish Poverty’s William Rapfogel, convicted of corruption in 2013

Embattled French Jews have mixed feelings about Israel’s aliya calls

Dispute between Israeli, Diaspora Jews stems from divergent views about the viability of Jewish life abroad

Hasidic help and healing through… pomegranate juice

New York volunteer health organization spreads Judaism’s 613 commandments, one juice bottle at a time

Amid $6m deficit, Detroit-area JCC may close

With annual losses of $1 million, building expected to be shut down

Orthodox Union wants public funds for NY’s private Jewish schools

Lowering tuition bills and breaking women’s glass ceilings are themes at OU’s annual conference

For this son of an Orthodox rabbi, poker is not gambling

Ari Engel keeps kosher and often wears his kipah, but when it comes to defining games of chance, he’s a very liberal Jew

For Cuban Jews, US rapprochement with Castro a cause for concern

Older generation of emigres object to warming ties between Washington, Havana, but younger Cuban Jews in US eager to visit

Prominent Conservative rabbi considers breaking intermarriage ban

Wesley Gardenswartz proposes performing interfaith weddings before backing down, promises not to sever ties with movement

Rules of engagement vary for Americans aiding IDF soldiers

Diaspora Jews use a yiddishe kopf to work around laws that bar sending combat equipment to foreign armies

East End rabbi pitches Hamptons-style Zionism in Herzliya

Rabbi Marc Schneier takes time away from his interfaith work to return to a former occupation — real estate

NJ rabbi’s extreme views on Arabs don’t faze congregation

‘I don’t think I’m saying anything outlandish,’ says Teaneck Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, who called Arabs ‘unruly animals’ in a recent blog post

Jews fight Ebola in Africa from the head down

IsraAID provides psychosocial counseling and training to those tackling the epidemic on the ground

US Federations’ GA was part pep rally, part training session, part reunion

Collaboration emerged as key for leaders gearing up with new programs and new methods of outreach to disaffected young Jews

Whatever happened to ‘loving the convert’?

For some Orthodox converts, their biggest challenges come after mikvah when they are alone in a sea of families

Are the Jewish Federations delivering on their promises?

Ahead of Sunday’s General Assembly, a point-by-point look at some of JFNA’s stated goals — and whether it is meeting them

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