news about Israel
Rabbi Robert Scheinberg wrote:
"Shalom -- I'm not a Middle East expert. I don't even play one on TV.
But being an actively involved Jew demands that I know what's going on in Israel, and that I get it from a variety of reliable, fair, non-sensationalistic sources.
Thankfully, the Internet makes it easy to be well-informed. Some have asked me what news sources I recommend for learning about what's going on in Israel. Here's a list of some of my recommendations, with some of my own idiosyncratic comments. If I left off your favorite news source or you disagree with my comments, let me know. But please take some time to become better informed about the situation - don't let the New York Times and CNN be the totality of your education. After all. . . it's free. . ."
You can also get articles from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a clipping service recommended by Rabbi Scheinberg.
News Alert
The Carmel Forest is devastated and vulnerable to additional fires. Haifa, its firefighters and all rescue teams desperately need more equipment and support - both for their safety and for fighting fires. Here are some links to donate now:
The Haifa Foundation give2gether campaign to donate directly to Help Save the Carmel!
The Haifa Foundation - a public, non-profit charitable organization serving Israel's third largest city. Its mission is to advance educational, cultural, coexistence, community and environmental projects and to improve the quality of life for all of Haifa's residents.
Hazon - means vision and is America's largest Jewish environmental group.
| New Jersey Jewish News | Published by United Jewish Communities (UJC) of MetroWest NJ, NJJN provides coverage of local, national and world events; explorations of the world of Jewish culture and the arts; and a wide array of other articles |
| New Jersey Jewish Standard | The Jewish Standard "is not affiliated with any program, organization, movement, or point of view, but is dedicated to giving expression to all phases of Jewish life." |
| Ha'aretz | This is the English language edition of Haaretz, sometimes described as Israel's 'newspaper of record.' (It presents a diversity of opinion with an editorial voice that is somewhat left of center.) Hebrew edition is http://www.haaretz.co.il/. |
| Committee for Accurate Reporting in the Middle East (CAMERA) | "Founded in 1982, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America is a media-monitoring, research and membership organization devoted to promoting accurate and balanced coverage of Israel and the Middle East." |
| Jerusalem Post | Israel's English-language daily newspaper. Slightly right of center. |
| Kol Israel | A tremendous diversity of news and information sites from throughout the middle east. |
| Jewish Online Radio | Hundreds of hours of audio lectures on Jewish topics, by teachers across the Jewish spectrum, available for mp3 download. Specially recommended are entertaining and informative lectures by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin; Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson, and Rabbi Daniel Gordis. |
| Prof. Eli Segal | Web site of Professor Eliezer Segal of the University of Calgary. See especially his Dr Seuss-style Passover haggadah, his entertaining essays on Jewish holidays, and his "Interactive Talmud" page, which is one of the best introductory web sites about the Talmud. |
| Jerusalem Report | A Time- or Newsweek-style weekly magazine published in Jerusalem; worth subscribing to. Some of the contents are available on the Web. Ideologically centrist and diverse (some say it's a little left of center). Ehud Ya'ari, the diplomatic/military affairs correspondent, is a very well-respected voice. |
| Radio Reports from Israel | Listen to Israeli radio, live -- stations in Hebrew, English, Arabic, Russian, and other languages |
| Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI) | A site that provides English translations of articles in the Arab-language press in the Middle East. Often very troubling reading. (Remember the article a few years ago in a Saudi government newspaper about how the Jews use the blood of Muslim adolescent boys to make Hamentashen? This site is how the American press found out about the article.) |
| My Jewish Learning | Incredibly comprehensive introduction to Judaism site -- highly recommended on any topic! |
| Reform Voices of Torah | The Union for Reform Judaism's Torah portion page, coordinated by USH member Audrey Merwin. Includes audio files of each week's dvar torah, read by Audrey! |
| Adult Jewish Learning podcasts | Downloadable mp3 Audio provided by the Skirball Center for Adult Jewish Learning in NYC: discussions led by major Jewish leaders, writers and teachers, on a variety of subjects including God, Kashrut, the minimum wage, dating ethics, Israel, Jewish-Muslim dialogue, etc. |