Britannia Radio

Daily Briefing

Thursday, January 19, 2012

FEATURED STORY Turkish Jews celebrate country's Eurovision pick, but singer would prefer quiet about his religion Can Bonomo, Turkey's selection for the Eurovision song contest, is a Jewish boy made good. He's not so happy talking about the "Jewish" part. Read more » EDITORS' PICKS Netanyahu denies comments on Haaretz, New York Times The Israeli prime minister denied a JTA report that he told a journalist Israel's two biggest enemies are Haaretz and The New York Times. Sarid responds to Netanyahu (Haaretz) If Benjamin Netanyahu indeed identified Haaretz as one of his two biggest enemies, it would be a great source of pride, Haaretz columnist Yossi Sarid writes following a JTA report on the matter. (In Hebrew) Rise of Islamist movements cast shadow over Egypt In a JTA Op-Ed, Robert Wistrich argues that the political reforms in the Middle East have empowered Islamists and that Egypt must hunker down and resist concessions for peace. Jewish airman killed in Afghanistan (Baltimore Jewish Times) More than 500 people attended a funeral service for Matt Seidler, an explosives ordnance disposal technician who died Jan. 5 in southern Afghanistan. The Carlebach bootlegs (N.Y. Jewish Week) The late Jewish music legend Shlomo Carlebach left behind thousands of hours of recordings of his concerts and teachings, most in the hands of the amateurs who made them. A new project now aims to digitize and index them all. Keepin' it real, Torah-style (MTV) Rapper Shyne disputes the notion that his Jewish identity is a reaction to jail time served, saying he was "rockin' my tzitzis" all along. Out of Africa (CNN) Though it's located only a few miles from one of Africa's foremost tourist attractions, few know that the city of Livingstone, in Zambia, was once home to a small but influential Jewish community. Jews in Jeopardy (Jerusalem Post) A Jewish guy from New Jersey became one of the winningest contestants ever on "Jeopardy!" and now he wants to visit the Holy Land. Introducing Shabbat-book (N.Y. Daily News) A new Facebook-like website launches to connect hosts and guests for Shabbat dinners -- but be careful, there's a background check. Tebowing in the off-season (Time) With the Denver Broncos loss to the New England Patriots over the weekend, the Jewish founder of the website Tebowing.com may finally be able to get some rest. Shabbat in the White House (Forward) How can an Orthodox Jew keep Shabbat and serve as President Obama's chief of staff? Rabbi Ethan Tucker offers some guidance. BREAKING NEWS Rick Perry dropped his bid to become the Republican presidential nominee and endorsed Newt Gingrich. The Obama administration said an Iranian lawmaker had mischaracterized its message warning against blocking the Strait of Hormuz and reiterating its commitment to dialogue. An Israeli school bus driver was suspended for making racist statements to Ethiopian children. A founder of the French Liberal Jewish movement was questioned on suspicion that he raped several female minors. “Footnote,” Israel’s Oscar entry for best foreign-language film, has qualified for the shortlist of nine semifinalists. Six West Bank settlers and three police officers were hurt during the demolition of an illegal outpost near Jericho. Jailed American Jewish contractor Alan Gross visited Cuba at least five times in one year to set up wireless Internet connections, according to a report citing leaked court documents. A British nun who saved dozens of Jews in Rome during the Holocaust has been advanced on the road to sainthood. A new kosher restaurant in Florida owned and managed by Israelis has received anti-Semitic hate mail and graffiti for the last month. British scientists and filmmakers have called on the Natural History Museum in London to pull out of a study because of its collaboration with the Israeli company Ahava, which operates in the West Bank. The chief rabbi of Amsterdam was suspended from his position for signing a statement on "curing" homosexuality. Thousands of protesters demonstrated in Jerusalem against racism and discrimination against Ethiopians in Israel.