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Winona Ryder calls Shoah part of her life

LOS ANGELES (JTA) — Hollywood star Winona Ryder, a former Petaluma resident, says the fact that many of her relatives perished in the Shoah has been "a very big part of my life."

In an interview with Jewish Webzine GenerationJ.com, the 28-year-old star film star — whose original name is Horowitz — speaks briefly about her Jewish background.

Furrow indicted on L.A. hate crimes

LOS ANGELES (JTA) — A white supremacist charged with going on a shooting spree last summer at a Los Angeles-area Jewish community center and later killing a postman was arraigned this week on a new federal indictment that added hate crime allegations.

U.S. prosecutors did not say at Monday's hearing whether they will seek the death penalty against Buford Furrow Jr.

Supremacist appeals denial of law license

NEW YORK (JTA) — A white supremacist is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to review an Illinois state decision to deny him a law license.

The leader of the World Church of the Creator, Matthew Hale, was denied a license in part because of his views on race, according to the petition now before the court.

Orthodox worker loses condom case

NEW YORK (JTA) — A jury in Florida has ruled against an Orthodox Jew who sued a drug store chain that fired him after he refused to sell condoms to customers on religious grounds.

The jury ruled last Friday that the Eckerd Corp. could not reasonably accommodate Hillel Hellinger without hurting customer service.

Clinton appoints head of Holocaust museum

WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Clinton this week officially appointed Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg chairman of the council that oversees the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

Greenberg is an Orthodox rabbi known for his writings on the Holocaust and for his leadership at two organizations that promote Jewish pluralism and learning: the Jewish Life Network and CLAL National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership.