Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Giffords, who has become an advocate for stricter gun control after being shot in the head in 2011, was recognized for the courage she has demonstrated in pushing for policy changes aimed at reducing gun violence. The ceremony was held Sunday at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. Earlier this year, Giffords and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, founded Americans for …More

An Israeli trauma unit trained in counseling victims of violence traveled to Boston yesterday to help the local school system following the Boston Marathon bombing. The Israel Trauma Coalition (ITC) will be in the Boston suburb of Watertown through Friday. Watertown made international news last month when the city shut down during a manhunt for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the perpetrators of the attack that killed three and wounded hundreds more. “Our partners in Israel, who are all too familiar with the …More

Neil Diamond caused a joyful ruckus Saturday, when he made a surprise appearance at Fenway Park to perform “Sweet Caroline.” The number was in tribute to the city of Boston and victims from last week’s bombing at the Boston Marathon. “Sweet Caroline” is the unofficial anthem of the Boston Red Sox. Diamond, who wrote the song in 1969, flew in from his home in California especially for the performance. The singer later tweeted a photo of himself with Boston police, with the tagline, …More

In the aftermath of last week's deadly bombing at the Boston Marathon, which left three dead and more than 170 injured, staff at Massachusetts General Hospital praised an Israeli team for its help in prepping local doctors in emergency response. Two years ago, a delegation of Israeli medical professionals traveled to Boston, participating in disaster training culled from the Jewish state's unfortunate experience in dealing with terrorist attacks. “About two years ago in actual fact we asked the Israelis …More

Temple Ohabei Shalom is at approximately the 24-mile mark on the Boston Marathon route. As he passed the synagogue, its cantor knew he only had two miles or so to go. What he didn’t know was that the finish line would turn into a scene of such carnage. Bostonians are still trying to understand why this came to pass. With yesterday’s horrific news of violence in Boston, perhaps today we can reflect on the message of Temple Ohabei Shalom—its name means “lovers of peace.” The day after …More

Israeli Independence Day celebrations in Boston were muted and security was increased in the wake of bombings that left three dead and dozens injured at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Mike Rosenberg, director of community relations at Maimonides, a Jewish day school in suburban Brookline, said an event Tuesday commemorating Israel's 65th anniversary had been toned down out of respect for the victims of the attack and their families. “Messages have gone out to parents and students that in the …More

In the wake of yesterday’s apparent terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon, which killed three and injured upwards of 100 others, Jewish centers were placed on high alert in Boston and in cities like New York, DC, and beyond. “Like all Americans, we were deeply shocked by the apparent bombing of the Boston Marathon,” said ADL head Abraham Foxman. “It is sad that anytime a bomb explodes in a public place we are conditioned as a first reflex to think of it as a terrorist attack; but …More

The head of the security network for US Jewish organizations said the community is "standing vigilant" following bombings at the Boston Marathon. Two people were killed and more than 30 injured in two blasts at the marathon on Monday, according to reports. One of the bombs exploded at the finish line. "We know that unfortunately 30 percent of terrorist attacks had Jewish institutions as secondary targets," said Paul Goldenberg, director of the Secure Community Network. "However, I must stress that there is …More

News is still unfolding as details from today's deadly attacks at the Boston Marathon emerge. [Algemeiner] Sixty-five things to love about Israel. [Times of Israel] The grandson of Shoah survivors loses his bid for president of Venezuela. [NYT] Egypt summons its Canadian envoy over John Baird's visit to Jerusalem. [Arutz Sheva] Blowing up Hitler's yacht. [Tablet] Some Twitter responses to Justin Bieber's Anne Frank message. [Rolling Stone] …More

Every year, hundreds of eager 18-year-old girls from all over the world step off the plane at Ben Gurion airport to spend a year studying in seminaries across Israel. These girls, also known as ‘sem girls’, devote their whole academic year to Judaic study programs. Although learning is a major aspect of the seminary year, there are other important experiences that motivate many recent high school graduates, especially from America, to spend their gap year in Israel. For Talia Epstein, who hails from …More

A new signature gymnastics leotard collection has just been released by GK in honor of Aly Raisman. The Boston native recently won two gold medals at the London Olympic Games and was named an official GK Champion in April of 2012. On GK’s website, Raisman is quoted saying, "I'm really excited to have my own gymnastics leotard collection with GK! I have always loved fashion, so this is a dream come true. I am looking forward to collaborating with GK on more leotard designs in the future.” As of now …More

Israeli artist Ori Gersht is currently featured at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, in a full-scale exhibit that is the largest collection of the London resident’s work to date. The multimedia artist deals with portraits, photography and film to create videos that look like living art. Common themes draw on the line between the beautiful and the grotesque, with motifs that point to a certain violence behind calm veneers. “There’s this amazing thing that happens when technology meets artistry …More