Rallies demand Gilad Shalit’s return
new york (jta) | Thousands of Jews around the world gathered Monday, July 10, to protest the recent kidnapping of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian gunmen.
The largest gathering was in New York City, where a crowd of several hundred, including Jewish leaders and their interfaith colleagues, stood in front of the Syrian mission to the United Nations.
Rallies also were held in Washington, Ottawa and Santiago, Chile. Community meetings were held in Paris and Johannesburg, while Australia and Buenos Aires are planning initiatives lasting two weeks.
In London, a delegation submitted a letter requesting Shalit’s release to the Syrian ambassador, who accepted the letter and invited several people into the embassy.
The rallies were sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel and the World Zionist Organization.
Shalit, a 19-year-old corporal, was captured in a June 25 raid on an Israeli army base by gunmen affiliated with Hamas, among others. The terrorist group is headquartered in Syria.
Former Jewish student leader killed
washington (jta) | A former chairman of the British Union of Jewish Students was killed in an apparent robbery and assault attempt in Washington.
Alan Senitt was walking his girlfriend home in Washington’s Georgetown neighborhood before dawn on Sunday, July 9, when he was stabbed to death.
Two men, a woman and a juvenile were charged with murder. One of the males was also charged with assault with intent to commit first-degree sexual assault, according to Washington police spokesman Sgt. Joe Gentile.
Senitt, 27, headed the student group in 2002. The SomethingJewish.co.uk Web site said he subsequently was active in Labor Party politics, pro-Israel activism and Muslim-Jewish dialogue.
OU praises Senate for stem cell debate
washington (jta) | The Orthodox Union applauded Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) for securing unanimous consent to consider stem cell research legislation.
Opponents of stem cell research lobbied to bury a House of Representatives bill passed last year that would fund research using cells from invitro-fertilization clinics. Frist engineered a compromise, and now senators also will be able to consider two other bills: one that would develop stem cells that do not utilize embryonic cells; and one that would make it a crime for anyone to trade in tissues from fetuses that were conceived and aborted expressly for research purposes.
The Jewish community supports stem cell research across the board. Some conservative Christian groups oppose it because they regard the use of embryos as unethical. In its statement, the Orthodox Union said it would back the two funding bills.
Court stays out of Satmar dispute
new york (jta) | A New York appeals court upheld a ruling that the secular courts have no role to play in a Chassidic succession dispute. The court refused to get involved in a dispute between two brothers over who should lead the Satmar community in New York.
The decision appears to benefit Zalman Lieb Teitelbaum, the younger of the brothers, who was named by his father, Moses Teitelbaum, to head the group. Moses Teitelbaum died in April.
Zalman’s older brother, Aaron, has challenged the decision. The decision to head the estimated 120,000 member group also carries authority over millions of dollars of real estate, including a matzah factory.
The Satmars oppose the state of Israel because they believe Jews should not have political sovereignty until the Messiah comes.
Jews for Jesus pressed on logo use
new york (jta) | New York subway officials called on Jews for Jesus to stop using the subway’s logo in recruitment efforts.
The officials sent the letter June 28 after the missionary group began using the subway’s logo in its “Behold Your God” campaign, even though the subway rejected Jews for Jesus’ licensing application.
The campaign in the New York area, which runs through July, represents the final stop on the group’s five-year, $22 million tour of every city outside Israel with a Jewish population of 25,000 or more. Jewish groups in New York have are combating the campaign.
First Hebrew-English speaking doll
new york (ynetnews.com) | She goes by the name of Sarah and is the world’s first Hebrew and English- speaking doll.
Produced by Language Littles, the Sarah doll is able to say more than 25 words and phrases and speaks first in English and then Hebrew.
Israeli cafe spreads to North America
new york (jta) | An Israeli cafe chain is opening in the United States.
Aroma Espresso Bar, which has 72 locations in Israel, is opening its first U.S. branch in New York this month.
The chain plans to expand to Toronto and other North American cities as well.