Articles written by Ben Sales
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Orthodox rabbis compare abortion to murder-and Orthodox women are angry about it
NEW YORK (JTA)—When New York State liberalized its abortion law last week, the Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention unsurprisingly released statements slamming the action. And they were joined by two large Orthodox Jewish religious...
How the Forward ran low on cash-and miracles-before ending its print edition and laying off its top editors
NEW YORK (JTA)-A decade ago, the publisher of the Jewish Daily Forward asked his board to believe in miracles. "We are supposed to believe in miracles; we are forbidden to rely on them, " Sam Norich w...
Illinois governor opens up about his family's immigrant past
(JTA)—J.B. Pritzker’s great-grandfather slept in a train station on his first night in Chicago. Now his billionaire descendant is about to become the governor of Illinois. Pritzker, a Jewish venture capitalist and Democrat, defeated the Republica...
Can anyone beat Benjamin Netanyahu?
(JTA)—Israeli police want him to be indicted in three separate corruption cases. He’s embattled from left and right for his attacks on Gaza and his policy in the West Bank. He’s made a point of cozying up to controversial right-wing...
The fast train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv isn't fast and doesn't go to Tel Aviv
JERUSALEM (JTA)-As our train hurtled through the tunnel-my ears popping on the descent-and then burst out into sunlight bathing a landscape of fields and rocky hills, I finally let myself feel impress...
A lot of the bread in the US will no longer be kosher
By Ben Sales NEW YORK (JTA)-The largest baking company in the United States will be removing kosher certification from nearly all of its bread and rolls. Bimbo Bakeries USA confirmed to JTA that it...
This Santa Claus is an Orthodox Jew
(JTA)-Just like any other Santa Claus, Santa Rick will spend much of the next couple of weeks sitting children on his knee, asking whether they've been good and listening to their Christmas wishes....
Netanyahu says he supports a Palestinian 'state-minus' controlled by Israeli security
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that he supported a Palestinian “state-minus,” wherein Israel would maintain a military presence across Israel and the West Bank. Netanyahu also said in a question-and-answer...
More than 75 percent of Jews voted for Democrats in the midterms
(JTA)—More than 75 percent of Jews voted for Democrats on an Election Day that was also good to Jewish congressional candidates. A poll conducted by GBA Strategies, a Democrat-aligned pollster, and commissioned by the liberal Israel lobby J...
Here are the results in Tuesday's races that matter most to Jews
(JTA)—Democrats took control of the House of Representatives in the midterm elections held Nov. 6, with Jewish Congress members poised to take key leadership roles. Republicans looked to increase their majority in the Senate. Five Jewish Democrats...
Stars of Hope brings comfort to Pittsburgh with help of trauma survivors
PITTSBURGH (JTA)-In the middle of the day on Tuesday, above a growing pile of wilting flower bouquets and sympathy cards, five wooden, five-pointed stars hung on a signpost in front of Tree of Life...
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting shakes the city's iconic Jewish neighborhood
(JTA)-When a gunman entered The Tree of Life Congregation and killed 11 worshippers on Saturday, he also struck at the heart of Pittsburgh's Jewish community-the neighborhood of Squirrel Hill....
How a school for kids with learning disabilities prepared its students for mainstream Jewish high school
NEW YORK (JTA)-Going to high school for the first time last month, Linda Shamah felt like many other incoming freshmen: really nervous and really excited. The large lecture-style classes seemed...
Israelis want American Jewish help
(JTA)—For years, American Jewish groups have agitated for more religious pluralism in Israel. And year after year, the Israeli government has acted as if the country’s demographic and political realities make any kind of substantial reform...
Wohl wants to be the face of young Jewish Trump supporters
NEW YORK (JTA)-If you scroll down the Twitter feed of Jacob Wohl, former teenage hedge fund manager and current pro-Donald Trump provocateur, you'll see a stream of insults directed at Robert...
Randi Weingarten wants the teachers' union to love Israel
By Ben Sales (JTA)-The statement, issued the day Israel passed a controversial bill defining itself as a Jewish nation-state, could have come from any number of liberal American Jewish groups. "We...
Here's how JTA covered the real-life story of 'Operation Finale' and Eichmann's capture
(JTA)-When undercover Israeli agents captured Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann in 1960, JTA's reporters were just as surprised as everyone else. An article dated May 23 of that year described an...
Hydrox, the original kosher sandwich cookie, is accusing Oreo of sabotage
(JTA)-You know what Oreos are. They're two delicious chocolate cookies sandwiched around a creme filling. Oreos also come in Double Stuff, vanilla, birthday cake and pumpkin spice (really). There is d...
Lauder helped make Netanyahu prime minister-now he's opposing him
(JTA)-It's gotta hurt when the guy who used to fund your political career writes two op-eds criticizing you in The New York Times. Benjamin Netanyahu would know-that's what's happening to him right...
Ocasio-Cortez cheered
NEW YORK (JTA)-Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic congressional candidate and rising progressive star, was cheered at an event at a Jewish museum that did not touch on Israel or the Jewish...
Here's how Birthright guides talk about the Palestinians
(JTA)-When Samuel Green talks about Israel's West Bank security barrier with the Birthright groups he guides, he first explains the Israeli view that the barrier was built to prevent Palestinian...
Zuckerberg says Facebook won't delete Holocaust denial posts
(JTA)-Mark Zuckerberg says he wants to give everyone in the world a voice. But what happens when some of those wishing a voice are Holocaust deniers? That question was posed to the Facebook founder...
Jewish philanthropist questioned by Israeli airport security
NEW YORK (JTA)—A prominent Jewish philanthropist says he was aggressively questioned by Israeli airport security after going on a Jewish tour of Palestinian areas of the West Bank. Meyer Koplow, chair of Brandeis University’s board of trustees...
They tried to take Judaism out of synagogue spaces-now they're coming back to them
NEW YORK (JTA)-For 10 years, Rabbi Dan Ain has tried to take Judaism out of the synagogue. He's convened Friday night prayers in auditoriums with musicians like Matisyahu and Lisa Loeb. He's held...
Filipino guest workers come to Israel-and embrace Judaism
TEL AVIV (JTA)—One of the biggest days of the year for Ronaldo and Bernadette Lopez is Christmas. They open up their Filipino restaurant in South Tel Aviv, and their friends bring their families, crowd the place and eat embutido, a rolled pork...
