Britannia Radio

Daily Briefing

FEATURED STORY In a remote New Mexico valley, a Jewish skiing legacy at Taos Ernie Blake, the founder of Taos Ski Valley, was a larger-than-life character who fled prewar Germany to became an interrogator of Nazis and later founder of New Mexico's largest ski area. Read more » EDITORS' PICKS When the Jews went to North Korea The leader of a Jewish delegation to North Korea in 2008 and 2009 says the transition period following Kim Jong Il's death represents an opportunity for the West. JTA's Ron Kampeas has the story. West Point's diverse Jewish choir The Jewish -- and non-Jewish -- members of the West Point Jewish Chapel Cadet Choir took center stage at this year's White House Chanukah party. JTA's Edmon Rodman tells their story. A rabbi's free-spending charity (Forward) The charity of well-connected Israeli kabbalist Rabbi Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto has made numerous luxury expenditures, but the rabbi's camp says that he is being blackmailed. Chanukah in Kerala (Public Radio International) A fading Jewish community in India celebrates the Festival of Lights. Arabs teaching Jews (Associated Press) In an effort to bridge Israel's social divisions, Jewish schools are bringing in Arab teachers to teach Arabic. On the range, a kosher ranch (Tablet) A Colorado couple raises livestock for premium organic kosher meat. The tombs of Israel (N.Y. Times) Shmuel Rosner reflects on the Israeli practice of making pilgrimages to the burial places of religious figures -- even when the authenticity of the graves is questionable.

BREAKING NEWS Hamas will join the Palestine Liberation Organization in an effort to advance Palestinian unity. A lawyer for the man accused of killing 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky said his client has a mental deficiency due to inbreeding in the Chasidic community. Anthony Weiner, who resigned his Congress seat after lying about tweeting an illicit photo of himself to a 21-year-old supporter, has become a father. Israel's attorney general has closed the case against Israelis who participated in the 2010 Gaza flotilla. The Hadassah Medical Center has not been able to pay its suppliers, an Israeli business daily has reported. A northern New Jersey synagogue was hit by anti-Semitic vandalism near where another synagogue was struck a few days earlier. Some 700 people lit Chanukah menorahs simultaneously at a suburban New York synagogue. Two Baltimore-based philanthropies are paring down a coordinated tuition grant program for area Jewish day schools but will still be giving to the schools. A synagogue in Mumbai, India, celebrated its 150th anniversary. The Israeli army has lifted travel and other restrictions on Palestinian Christians for the holiday season. The Polish journalist and commentator Leopold Unger has died at the age of 89.