Weekly roundup of world briefs

List names 3,000-plus Jews protected by Catholics in Rome during World War II

(JNS) — From September 1943 through June 1944 during the Second World War, more than 150 women’s and men’s religious orders, as well as other Catholic groups, protected 4,300 people. Information has now revealed the names of those offered shelter, with the majority of them identified as Jews.

Compiled by Italian Jesuit Gozzolino Birolo, the list uncovered in the archives of the Pontifical Biblical Institute of Rome names 3,600 people. Through comparing the names with the archives of the city’s Jewish community, researchers say at least 3,200 are Jews.

The International Institute for Holocaust Research at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem participated in the analysis. Findings were released on Sept. 7 at the Museum of the Shoah in Rome.

Estimates place Rome’s Jewish population during World War II between 10,000 to 15,000, with at least 2,000 murdered during the Nazis’ occupation of the city.

Names from the list have not yet been released; family members and descendants will likely receive notification first.

Australian Jewish leader Jeremy Jones dies at age 64

(JNS) — Jeremy Jones, one of the most influential figures in Australia’s Jewish community, passed away on Sept. 6 after losing a battle with cancer.

The 64-year-old was the director of international and community affairs at the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC.) He worked for years to promote peace between communities and received awards recognizing those efforts, including the Australian Human Rights Medal and the Stepan Kerkyasharian AO Medal for Community Harmony

Jones was also recognized as an expert in antisemitism and contributed to the drafting of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

AIJAC’s national chairman Mark Leibler and its executive director Colin Rubenstein stated that “everyone at AIJAC is utterly devastated by the passing today of our beloved, and widely admired and respected, colleague.”

International Legal Forum CEO Arsen Ostrovsky said Jones “was not only a titan of the Australian Jewish community and a world recognized leader in combating antisemitism, but he was also a mentor, a mensch and a dear friend.”

Ostrovsky described Jones as “a man with unmatched compassion, wit, kindness and a Rolodex like no other. What a tremendous and devastating loss to Australia, Israel and the world at large. May his memory always be a blessing!”

He is survived by his wife, Naomi, and their children: Gidon and Galit.

Israel tops Belarus to stay in contention for Euro 2024 qualification

(JNS) — Israel’s national soccer team pulled out a heart-stopping 1-0 victory over Belarus on Tuesday night, keeping the team in contention to qualify for the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship.

Gabi Kanichowsky found the back of the net in extra time (93rd minute), sending an already raucous crowd into a frenzy at Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium.

The win keeps Israel in third place in Group I, right behind Romania.

Israel and Romania played to a 1-1 tie in Bucharest on Saturday evening.

Switzerland stayed atop the group with 14 points after cruising to a 3-0 victory over last-place Andorra. Romania stayed two points behind in second place by beating Kosovo 2-0.

Israel sits on 11 points in the qualifiers, with three other teams in the group trailing far behind.

The top two teams from the group will qualify for the Euros next year in Germany.

While Israel is fighting for a trip to Germany next year, the team has already qualified for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. Israeli soccer will be heading to the Olympics for the third time.

Storm Daniel slams Israel with heavy, unseasonal rains

(JNS) — Storm Daniel battered Israel with heavy rain on Wednesday, after causing mass destruction in Libya and several other countries in the Mediterranean region earlier this week.

Israeli authorities warned of potential flash floods in the Judean Desert and Dead Sea areas as well as in the northern Jordan Valley.

The were also reports of sinkholes opening up in the center of the country, where the Israel Meteorological Service forecast two to three inches of precipitation.

The unseasonable storm is expected to last only one day.

In Libya, over 5,000 people have been confirmed dead after flood waters smashed dams and swept away entire neighborhoods in the eastern city of Derna. According to Libyan officials, the final toll could surpass 10,000.

Daniel—dubbed a “medicane” for its Mediterranean location and hurricane-like properties—made landfall in Libya on Sunday after lashing Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece, where at least 18 people were killed.

Medicanes form once or twice a year in the region, most often between September and January.

Reporters can fly back with PM after threat to boycott US trip

(JNS) — In an about-face, the Israeli diplomatic press corps traveling with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the U.S. next week will be allowed to return with him to Israel on his plane despite the proximity of the return flight to Yom Kippur.

The decision, announced by the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday, defused a crisis with journalists who had threatened to boycott the premier’s American trip over an earlier decision not to allow them to travel back to Israel on the same plane because of his rush to get back home ahead of the fast day.

Netanyahu is scheduled to depart for the U.S. on Sunday evening, immediately after the end of Rosh Hashanah, and land in San Francisco the following day.

He is expected to visit Silicon Valley for a tour of the tech industry and meet with Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter.

The prime minister will then fly to New York late Tuesday, where he will deliver an address to the U.N. General Assembly on the morning of Friday, Sept. 22.

Netanyahu will hold his long-anticipated meeting with President Joe Biden in New York, on the sidelines of the annual U.N. general debate. While in the city, he is slated to meet with the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as well.

Netanyahu will spend Shabbat in New York and leave for Israel on Saturday night, landing in Israel on Sunday afternoon, a few hours before the start of Yom Kippur.

IDF honors US ‘oleh’ Chabad Chassid as top combat soldier

(JNS) — Every year ahead of Rosh Hashanah, the Israel Defense Forces recognizes its best.

On Monday, Staff Sgt. Yossi Bluming and a handful of his comrades were recognized as Outstanding Soldiers who continuously excel in the Israel Defense Forces’ 6,000-strong Paratroopers Brigade. The award honors soldiers who not only apply maximum effort to their duties but also build positive relationships throughout the IDF and the communities they serve.

Bluming, who made aliyah from the U.S. three years ago, commands a unit of 18 combat soldiers. His unit has been assigned challenging tasks along the northern border and throughout Judea and Samaria.

The award ceremony, led by Lt. Col. Ami Biton, commander of the Paratroopers Brigade, included a 50-year commemoration and retrospective of the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Biton spoke about the brigade’s heroic efforts in the past and about how this year’s recipients regularly go above and beyond expectations.

Bluming said that he was humbled to receive the honor. Reflecting on his service as a Chassidic soldier, he noted, “In the IDF, I have not had to sacrifice any part of my religious identity for my professional identity. My colleagues respect that.”

A member of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, he said that “the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson] encouraged us to shine the light of Judaism through the life we live, wherever we live.”

He added a note of encouragement to other Chassidic teens considering service in the IDF, saying “it is my honor to serve and protect the people of Israel and it has certainly been worth the investment for me. I believe other haredi young men who choose this path can have a similar experience.”

Bluming is the son of Rabbi Menachem Mendel and Sarah Bluming, leaders of the Chabad Congregation of Potomac in Maryland. Yossi met his wife, Batya, in Israel, and they reside in a small community near Modi’in.

Major collection of shofars goes on display in Beit Shemesh

(JNS) — An exhibition at the Biblical Museum of Natural History in Beit Shemesh explores the world of shofars, showcasing one of the largest global collections of the quintessential Jewish instruments.

The display includes straight, curved, spiral and even impractical shofars of every size and shape, originating from myriad creatures—from the more traditional ram, ibex and goat, to huge shofars made from spectacular sable and waterbuck antelope, as well as a surprisingly strong shofar made from an unusual creature called an East Caucasian tur.

The exhibit also features the spiral horns of the kudu antelope from Africa—the traditionally preferred shofars in certain Yemenite communities.

Traditionally, shofars used on Rosh Hashanah are made from ram (adult male sheep) horns.

People have used horns to make shofars for millennia—but while every shofar is made of a horn, not all horns are suitable for making a shofar.

Some 135 animal species have hollow horns. After excluding a handful of species of domestic and wild cattle and straight-horned species, there are still more than a hundred species with curved horns that may be used. However, with the exception of the domestic sheep, gemsbok and kudu, no shofars from these species are commercially available.

Shimon Peres honored in Portugal

(JNS) — The Portugal-based International Observatory of Human Rights (Observatório Internacional de Direitos Humanos, OIDH) on Sunday honored the legacy of Israel’s former prime minister and president Shimon Peres.

Peres’s family joined the Israeli ambassador to Lisbon, Jewish leaders and politicians during a ceremony in the coastal city of Porto, where OIDH President Luis Andrade presented a “certificate of homage” to the late Israeli statesman.

“Peres was an elite statesman who represents the best of Israel: Resilience, imagination, brilliance, bravery and courage,” said Andrade. “A devoted Zionist, he dedicated his life to seeing Israel born, grow, survive and shine. He is an example for the new generations of Israel in an increasingly unstable and dangerous world.”

Michael Freilich, a member of Belgium’s parliament, called Israel’s ninth president a “man whose legacy of peace and human rights continues to inspire us.”

“Having met him in 2013, I can attest to his profound impact on statesmanship and moral leadership. As we navigate today’s complex challenges, let us remember his enduring principles as a guide for building a more just and fraternal world,” he added.

For his part, Dor Shapira, Jerusalem’s ambassador in Portugal, lauded Peres’s “tireless efforts to achieve peace, his significant contributions to Israel’s security, and his role in promoting the country as a leader in innovation.”

The event was held at the local headquarters of B’nai B’rith International, one of the world’s oldest Jewish organizations.

The Lisbon-based International Observatory of Human Rights seeks to contribute to “a better world for humanity” by supporting causes that seek to “eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, support the sick, promote universal peace and facilitate reconciliation between peoples.”

At-risk Israelis advised to wear COVID masks during High Holidays

By Pesach Benson

(JNS) — The Israeli Health Ministry on Tuesday called on at-risk persons to wear masks during the High Holidays if they will be in closed spaces with many people.

Researchers have already tracked a number of mutations of the COVID-19 variant called BA.2.86. The variant manages to evade the immunity the body is able to provide from previous infections and accounts for a significant amount of current diagnoses.

The ministry also recommended wearing a mask when meeting with people who are in high-risk groups, and that anyone showing COVID-19 symptoms should isolate himself until the symptoms are over.

The announcement comes one week after the ministry instructed hospitals to test new admissions for COVID-19 amid the spread of the BA.2.86 variant.

According to the ministry, Israelis who have not received a COVID-19 vaccination in the past six months are more vulnerable. It advised people in high-risk groups, such as the elderly, the pregnant, the obese or individuals with serious pre-existing health conditions, to get vaccinated for both COVID and influenza.

Clinics have already begun administering annual winter flu shots.

The ministry also said it is preparing dedicated vaccines against the newest mutations.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Israel is not clear. Health Ministry figures are regarded as partial because most Israelis have been testing themselves at home since the pandemic tapered off.

The Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital announced last week that the BA.2.86 variant now accounts for over 16% of cases in Israel. The hospital said its conclusions were based on Health Ministry data.

The High Holidays begin on Friday night with Rosh Hashanah.

BA.2.86 (the “Pirola variant”) is an Omicron subvariant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

Israel predicts 1.3 million electric vehicles by 2030

By 2050, the government wants all 6 million private vehicles in Israel to be electric.

(JNS) — Israel’s Energy and Infrastructure Ministry said on Tuesday that there will be 1.3 million electric vehicles on the country’s roads by 2030.

This would represent an increase of more than 1.2 million in just seven years; there are 70,000 electric vehicles in the country today, representing less than 2% of all cars on the road.

By 2050, the government wants all 6 million private vehicles in Israel to be electric.

According to the forecast, by 2030 the number of battery-powered buses is expected to increase to around 8,000, representing about 35% of the entire bus fleet. By 2050, the entire fleet is to be converted to electric or hydrogen.

The announcement comes ahead of November’s U.N. climate conference in Dubai, which will see the largest ever Israeli delegation to the annual event. The 1,000-strong delegation will include representatives of more than 100 climate tech companies.

The Israeli delegation to the COP28 Climate Conference, which is scheduled to take place between Nov. 30 and Dec. 12 at Dubai’s Expo City complex, will be headed by Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will attend the two-day leadership conference at the start of the event.

Jewish state’s population pushes 10 million

Israel’s population is expected to double by 2065.

(JNS) — Israel’s population will pass 10 million in 2024, according to data the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) published on Wednesday ahead of the Jewish New Year.

As the Hebrew year of 5783 draws to a close, the Jewish state has a population of approximately 9.795 million people, the report said. Some 7.181 million (73%) identify as Jewish, 2.065 million (21%) as Arab and 549,000 (5%) as neither.

The country’s population will reach 10 million by late 2024 and 16 million by 2048, the CBS said. By 2065, Israel’s population is expected to have doubled.

Jews in Israel who are at least 20 years old are identified as 44% secular, 21% traditional, 12% traditional-religious, 12% religious and 11% haredi (or ultra-Orthodox).

The average life expectancy for Israeli men rose slightly over the past year to 80.7 years, compared to 84.8 years for women.

According to the CBS, 172,000 babies were born in Israel in 5783, while 74,000 people made aliyah, with overall population growth estimated at around 2%.

Among Jewish Israelis, David was the most commonly chosen name for boys born in 5783, followed by Ariel and then Lavi.

Overall, Muhammad remained the most popular name for Israeli newborns. Second place went to Adam, with Yosef/Joseph/Yusef ranking third.

Abigail was the most popular name for Jewish girls, and also in the overall ranking. Tamar came in second, both in the Jewish sector and overall. Other popular girl names included Miriam, Sarah and Yael.

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, starts at sunset on Friday, Sept. 15, and will conclude at sundown on Sunday, Sept. 17. The holiday is followed by Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar, which begins at sunset on Sunday, Sept. 24.