Dozens of groups, from across the gamut of political ideologies, send e-mails to the American Jewish World. It’s hard to keep up.
Today, I checked out the links to an outfit called the Unity Coalition for Israel (UCI). Based in Shawnee Mission, Kansas, UCI displays a clear anti-Muslim bias; perhaps, in their minds, this constitutes support [...]

Ahead of the publication of a story in its Sunday magazine, Haaretz reported today that the son of a “leading Hamas figure who famously converted to Christianity, served for over a decade as the Shin Bet security service’s most valuable source in the militant organization’s leadership.”
The story specifies that Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of Sheikh Hassan [...]

From the production team that created Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West, comes Crossing the Line: The Intifada Comes to Campus, a documentary about anti-Israel activism on college campuses. The rollout of the film — which is directed by Wayne Kopping and produced by Raphael Shore — comes ahead of Israel Apartheid Week events which [...]

Winners of the Keren Or – Ray of Light creative art and writing forum for Minnesota Jewish teens were presented with their award certificates and cash prizes on Sunday afternoon at Adath Jeshurun Congregation in Minnetonka.
The American Jewish World’s Feb. 19 edition includes an eight-page supplement with the winners’ photos, poems and stories. The winning [...]

Larry Gopnik’s 1966 Dodge Coronet, from the Coen brothers’ film A Serious Man, will be auctioned online to benefit Variety – The Children’s Charity of Southern California. The auction starts Monday, Feb. 22 and ends Thursday, March 4 — to place a bid, go HERE.

Larry Gopnik’s 1966 Dodge Coronet from “A Serious Man.” (Photo: Wilson Webb)

Larry’s [...]

In the spirit of Purim frivolity, the front page of this week’s American Jewish World features an article about Jewish chefs cooking with pork, and there is a photo of a pig.

The pig. (Photo: Johnmuk / Creative Commons)

It was not our intention to offend Jewish readers — whether they observe kashrut (Jewish dietary laws) or not [...]

First Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival will run Feb. 25–March 7 at the Sabes JCC
By ERIN ELLIOTT BRYAN / Community News Editor
Theatre Or at the Sabes JCC has announced the first ever Minneapolis Jewish Humor Festival, a 10-day Fringe-like festival of one-act plays, one-person shows, music performance, stand-up comedy, improv, visual art, workshops, storytelling, film and events [...]

Bulgarian Jewry, which was saved in the Shoah then repressed during the Communist era, is enjoying a resurgence
By MORDECAI SPECKTOR
Dr. Alexander (“Alek”) Oscar, a neuro-ophthalmologist and president of the Sofia, Bulgaria, Jewish community, recently visited the AJW offices. Accompanied by Mort Naiman, campaign coordinator for the Minneapolis Jewish Federation, Oscar came to express his appreciation [...]

LONG AGO ON SECOND AVENUE — Zalmen Mlotek, artistic director of The National Yiddish Theater-Folksbiene, captivated the audience last Saturday night at the St. Paul JCC with his musical lecture about the history of the Yiddish theater in New York City, its stars and songs, and its influence on Broadway composers from Irving Berlin to [...]

The tradition of drinking to excess on Purim is problematic, because Jews are not exempt from alcoholism
By RABBI SHARON STIEFEL
Every Jewish holiday has its associations. When we think of Purim, we think of hearing the megilla reading — the Book of Esther — making noise at Haman’s name, sending gifts to one another of mishloach [...]