Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky said the fear of a war with Iran has caused Jews in the Diaspora to delay their aliyah plans. Sharansky told Israel Radio on Sunday that potential immigrants who had finalized their plans to move to Israel have delayed their arrival by several months because they are afraid of an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities and an Iranian response. Public discussions by Israeli politicians and defense officials about an Iran strike "have crossed every red line," Sharansky …More

British Jewry claims the International Olympics Committee denied the Munich 11 moment of silence three yeas before the London games. [Times of Israel] Paul Ryan is lauded by Republican leaders, but some Jewish groups are wary of the VP candidate. [Jewish Standard] The diaspora is undergoing a Jewish leadership crisis: retirement. [Algemeiner] A Jewish LA orchestra celebrates 18 years, its chai birthday, of making music. [Israel National News] South Africa’s Jews and government clash over cancellation …More

A new study on North African Jewry backs up the case for a genetic link to Jewishness. The findings, part of a study by an Albert Einstein College of Medicine doctor, showed North African Jews have more genetically in common with Jews of the Diaspora than with their African neighbors. The result, said Dr. Harry Ostrer, is proof that one’s Jewishness is inherently genetic. "This work demonstrates a shared genetic history among the Jews of North Africa and strengthens the case for a biological basis for …More

Faina Kirshenbaum is a Knesset member from the Yisrael Beitenu party. As an immigrant to Israel, a woman and a member of the Knesset, I must juggle many sensitivities and responsibilities. I do this with great honor and try to be responsive to competing demands and ideals. Sometimes this means that I have to examine fundamental beliefs. When I made aliyah in 1973 from the former Soviet Union, I was of the firm opinion that Jews everywhere should come and live in Israel. But over the years, with my own personal …More

A $1 million prize being touted as the Jewish Nobel Prize was announced today. The Genesis Prize will be an international award given to Jews around the world for accomplishments in arts and sciences. Plans for the prize were revealed in a statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky and Genesis Philanthropy Group founder Mikhail Fridman. The million-dollar price tag will be met by the Genesis Philanthropy Group, made up of groups from the former Soviet Union. …More

At the Reut Institute, every impending project is undertaken with the same initial premise: How can this benefit the Jewish community? The Tel Aviv-based group connects Israelis and Jews of the diaspora, not just by bringing the two groups together, but by giving them common goals as well. Whether Reut’s teams are focusing on national security or global affairs, the ultimate aim of the organization isn’t only to gather and research information, but to get that information to those able to initiate …More

Knesset members have joined forces to strengthen the Diaspora’s bond with Israel. Forty members have agreed to raise awareness about the plight of Jews living outside Israel, in an open forum where officials can bring up and debate important Diaspora issues. The decision came after a study by the Jewish Agency showing 91 percent of participants think Israel should help non-resident Jews. Ninety-one percent also said the Diaspora would stand with Israel against threats from Iran and other menacing …More

Those of the diaspora are less Jewish than their Israeli counterparts, argued Israel Prize laureate A.B. Yehoshua at a lecture Friday. “They are partial Jews while I am a complete Jew,” Haaretz reported Yehoshua as saying in reference specifically to American Jewry. “In no way are we the same thing—we are total and they are partial; we are Israeli and also Jewish. In recent years, my friends and I have needed to defend Israel against the matter of the state, as if it is merely an issue of …More

A substantial majority of Israelis want the country's lawmakers to consider Diaspora Jewry when devising new legislation on Jewish identity issues, according to a poll. Seventy-seven percent of respondents to a survey carried out last week by the Ruderman Family Foundation agreed that it was extremely important for members of the Knesset to consider Diaspora views, The Jerusalem Post reported. The 509 Israeli adults were answering the question, “How important do you believe it is for Israeli lawmakers to …More

Israeli President Shimon Peres is scheduled to visit American President Barack Obama in March. His trip to America will include addressing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and meeting with Silicon Valley and Hollywood moguls. Peres has been offered the opening speech at the annual AIPAC convention, where he will receive a historic lifetime achievement award for his role in strengthening the ties between Israel and the United States. AIPAC will screen a social documentary on his life for the 12,000 …More

Israeli Opposition leader Tzipi Livni met with United States Senator Joe Lieberman in Jerusalem on Wednesday to discuss a variety of issues, including the rise of religious extremism in Israel and what that means in terms of the country's relationship with the United States. Livni said that the passing of radical legislation and the recent intense battles over the segregation of women in Israel make it difficult for American Jews to defend the Jewish state. “I met with Senator Joe Lieberman and discussed …More

In an effort bring together youth in Israel and the diaspora, the Jewish Agency for Israel launched Partnership2Gether Thursday. The virtual network will connect twin schools from around the globe to foster clear, open communication about what life is like for both sides. The first phase of the project includes 200 Israeli schools and 200 schools from the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, Mexico, Russia, Hungary, Argentina and Turkey. Partnership2Gether hopes to quickly expand …More