Britannia Radio

Daily Briefing

Thursday, May 10, 2012

FEATURED STORY 3 million (free) books on, PJ Library eyes expansion In the past seven years, PJ Library has distributed 3 million free Jewish-themed books, become a force in the publishing industry through its mass purchases and spawned two similar programs in Hebrew. Read more » EDITORS' PICKS Rep. Joe Walsh's one-state solution A Republican congressman's call for Israel to hold onto the West Bank and permanently deny its Palestinian citizens voting rights prompted one journalist to ask why Jewish groups have been quiet in response. JTA's Ron Kampeas looks at the issue on Capital J. The education of a mother In a JTA essay for Mother's Day, Sharon Duke Estroff writes that her children taught her how to be a mother. Still discovering ghettos (Associated Press) An ongoing research effort yields new information about the more than 1,100 ghettos into which Eastern European Jews were confined during the Holocaust. A code of silence on sex abuse (N.Y. Times) Some in the haredi Orthodox community have been shunned or faced intimidation for reporting child sex abuse. Learning from Israel's ultra-thin model ban (The Atlantic) Talya Minsberg looks at the response to the new Israeli law aimed at curbing the use of ultra-thin fashion models and considers whether it could serve as inspiration for efforts elsewhere. In sickness, experiencing haredi generosity (N.Y. Jewish Week) Deborah Friedman came to appreciate the haredi community's caring side after she was diagnosed with cancer. Obama's 'Forward' and the Jewish Forward (Daily Beast) Some conservatives say that the Obama campaign's new slogan, "Forward," is tainted by a communist past, but Seth Lipsky notes the anti-communist heritage of the Jewish newspaper that goes by that name. The Lag B'Omer respite The 33rd day of the Omer has arrived, which means it's time to have a little fun during this otherwise mournful period. Learn all about the traditions of Lag B'Omer at MyJewishLearning. JEWISH IDEAS DAILY Sponsored Content The Case of American Religious Zionism Though many wish to forget, the story of Zionism in America belongs not just to Labor Zionism, dominated by culturalists and secularists, but also to Orthodox Jews. Read more »

BREAKING NEWS Celebrity hairstylist Vidal Sassoon, who was committed to fighting anti-Semitism and fought in Israel's War of Independence, has died. A number of Jewish groups praised President Obama's endorsement of gay marriage, although an Orthodox group said it was "disappointed." Hundreds of Jews gathered on Tunisia's Djerba Island as part of a pilgrimage to the 2,500-year-old El Ghriba synagogue. The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation that reaffirms and enhances U.S. policy commitments to Israel's security. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for action to prevent harm to Palestinian prisoners on hunger strikes in Israeli jails. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton that Iran must agree to halt all uranium enrichment in upcoming talks. A 1790 letter by George Washington decrying bigotry to a synagogue in Rhode Island will go back on public display for the first time in a decade. Hebrew College is renegotiating its debt and will be able to keep its flagship Newton building. American actress Claire Danes arrived in Israel to film the second season of the popular television series "Homeland." The Advanced Talmudic Institute at MATAN, one of the few programs for women in Israel that focuses on high-level Talmud study, is closing. The number of tourists entering Israel last month set a record. Kadima party chairman Shaul Mofaz was approved as a government minister and Labor party chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich was appointed head of the opposition. Israel’s ambassador to Hungary canceled a planned visit to the northern town of Eger to protest reported anti-Semitic comments directed at Jewish actor Jozsef Szekhelyi. Israeli President Shimon Peres on a state visit to Canada praised the country and its prime minister as "an extraordinary friend." The editor of the Weekend Australian newspaper apologized to the Jewish community for a headline that accused Israel of "cruel apartheid." Pro-Palestinian activists called on the Irish multinational building materials firm CRH to sell its stake in the Israeli group Mashav, accusing the company of profiting from the "illegal occupation" of the West Bank. A group of 10 female Israeli soldiers and terror victims is in New York on a trip sponsored by a Chabad-Lubavitch group.