NEW YORK (JTA) — A Muslim from Pakistan helped save a Brooklyn synagogue.
The man, who worked at a gas station near the Congregation Young Israel of Kings Bay, became suspicious when another man came by several times to fill a container with gasoline.
The man called police when he saw the second person dousing the synagogue with the gasoline. Police soon arrived at the scene and arrested the alleged perpetrator, who said he wanted to “get back at the Jews.”
White supremacist arrested for murder plot
NEW YORK (JTA) — The Anti-Defamation League applauded the arrest of the leader of the virulently anti-Semitic World Church of the Creator.
Matthew Hale was arrested on charges that between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17 he attempted to get someone to murder Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow.
“Hale has been outspoken, even praiseworthy, of those followers who seek to violently act out their hatred against Jews, blacks and other minorities, so his arrest on charges of soliciting the murder of a judge is not surprising,” said Richard Hirschhaut, Chicago regional director for the ADL.
Ohio Senate president is criticized for slurs
COLUMBUS (JTA) — The president of Ohio’s state Senate is being criticized for using anti-Semitic slurs.
Republican Doug White came under criticism for using the phrase “Jew them down” during a fund-raiser. White defended the term as “hillbilly” banter and said it was not meant in a negative way.
The National Jewish Democratic Council called on White and others in the Ohio Senate to condemn the comment and show more sensitivity to minority groups.
Columbia won’t rehire anti-Israel Irish poet
NEW YORK (JTA) — Columbia University decided not to rehire an Irish poet who once said West Bank settlers should be “shot dead.”
Columbia’s decision came weeks after the Zionist Organization of America called on the school not to rehire Tom Paulin.
The ZOA also had urged parents to reconsider sending their children to Columbia, and urged donors to reconsider their contributions, if Paulin were rehired.
Will Florida rabbibe evicted for prayer?
MIAMI (JTA) — A Florida county is trying to foreclose on a rabbi’s house because prayer services were held there in violation of local zoning laws.
A hearing will be held Wednesday in Orange County, Fla., to evict Chabad Rabbi Joseph Konikov and his family from their house.
The Konikovs have filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the county is violating their constitutional right to assemble peacefully and pray in their house.
Stella D’Oro bakery keeps goods dairy free
NEW YORK (JTA) — A bakery abandoned plans to add milk to its recipes because the change would harm its healthy sales among the Orthodox community, according to The New York Times.
The Stella D’Oro company would not reveal why it recently backtracked on adding milk to its recipes, which would mean that observant Jews could not have the cookies with meat meals.
But officials with the Orthodox Union told the Times that the company changed its mind after reports that cookies labeled as dairy, anticipating the change, were not selling in Orthodox neighborhoods.