Mallorca’s first ‘public’ sukkah is a triumph over the Spanish Inquisition By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA Sep 20, 2021 Before the Spanish Inquisition, the island of Mallorca had a sizeable Jewish community. Every fall, the island became dotted with the leaf-roofed huts that Jews are commanded to erect during the holiday of Sukkot. But that all changed under the Inquisition’s campaign of persecution that began in 1488 (four years before it started on Spain’s mainland)… Read More
Politics A year later, the Abraham Accords draw a rare show of bipartisanship Jared Kushner had plenty of folks to praise at an event in Washington Tuesday marking the first anniversary of the Abraham Accords, the deals he brokered… By Ron Kampeas, JTA Sep 15, 2021
Israel Taliban: We want ties with the rest of the world — but not Israel The Taliban, the extremist Islamist movement once famously insular, is ready to build relations with the world — except for Israel. Suhail Shaheen, the… By Ron Kampeas, JTA Sep 10, 2021
Politics An oral history of the Durban Conference — a ‘festival’ of antisemitism Some of the Jewish organizational officials flying into the coastal city of Durban, South Africa, on the last week of August 2001 were excited. They… By Ron Kampeas, JTA Sep 10, 2021
World Afghanistan’s last Jew has left the country Zebulon Simantov, the last remaining Jew in Afghanistan, has finally left the country for fear of persecution by the Taliban, an Israeli television… By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA Sep 9, 2021
World Jewish Agency: World Jewish population rises slightly The world population of those who self-identify as Jews stands at about 15.2 million — an increase of 100,000 over last year — with the number in the U.S.… By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA Sep 9, 2021
Religion 700-year-old Rosh Hashanah prayerbook on auction for $4 million If you find your synagogue’s prayerbook a little dull at Rosh Hashanah services next week, you may be able to buy a livelier — and much older —… By Ben Sales, JTA Sep 5, 2021
Israel Ex-FBI agent: After 9/11, the U.S. helped thwart al-Qaeda attack in Israel Al-Qaeda had planned to carry out a massive terrorist attack on Israeli dance clubs in 2002 but was thwarted with the help of U.S. intelligence… By Cnaan Liphshiz, JTA Sep 3, 2021
World Montreal anti-vaxxer takes off yellow star, still references Holocaust Last month, Francois Amalega Bitondo was standing on a Montreal street, megaphone and cellphone in hand, protesting against Covid-19 vaccines. A bright… By Ben Sales, JTA Sep 2, 2021