Новости за 18.04.2018

In a recent New York Times book review of Jonathan Weisman’s (((SEMITISM))): Being Jewish in America in the Age of Trump, the famed author Simon Schama counseled, as a defense against anti-Semitism, “an aggressive defense of … the integrity of the democratic process, the protections of the Constitution and the preservation of the ideal of a nation of immigrants.” And, he added, “A little davening now and then wouldn’t do any harm.”

To celebrate Israel’s 70th Independence Day, the Academy of the Hebrew Language asked Israelis to select the seven most influential words in the nation’s history, one for each decade. It’s a tough challenge: Which word best captures the uncertainty of the 1940s and 1950s, when the state was still busy being born and fighting for its survival? Which embodies the 1960s and 1970s, when the country was growing at a dizzying pace? And which best describes the 1980s and 1990s, when the nation grappled with war and peace... Читать дальше...

A coworking space for tech professionals and start-up companies is opening next week in Bnei Berak, the haredi suburb east of Tel Aviv. It may not be the first of its kind serving the ultra-Orthodox population in Israel, but it’s definitely a rarity.

Few things are more quintessentially Israeli than the hour or so that marks the passage from Yom Hazikaron, or Memorial Day, to Yom Ha’Atzmaut, Independence Day. One moment you’re mourning your friends and relatives who had fallen in defense of the homeland, the next you’re dancing and drinking and worry-free. It’s a tough emotional juggling act to master, but one at which Israelis are inherently adept, understanding the joy and the sacrifice are intertwined.

Were I a librarian specializing in Jewish children’s books, I would warmly recommend Habibi’s Adventures in the Land of Israel to young readers and their parents. Its clear, unadorned prose, ornamented by a series of equally straightforward black-and-white illustrations as well as a map, follows the exploits of a red-headed, blue-eyed, pre-bar mitzvah age American boy with the improbable name of Habibi. Together with his frisky dog, Yow, a little black spaniel who understands Hebrew, they travel the length and breadth of pre-state Israel... Читать дальше...

Though it’s nowhere near Thanksgiving, now is as good a time as any for the release of an entertaining comedy about coming home for the holidays that may be especially enjoyable for Jewish audiences.