France’s military involvement in Mali “significantly increases” the threat facing French Jews, the country's Jewish communal security service said. “The situation requires we raise the level of protection around our community and double the level of vigilance around synagogues, Jewish schools, community centers and gathering places,” said a communiqué by SPCJ, which often determines its level of preparedness based on consultations with French authorities. French ground forces …More

London mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone has apologized to the Jewish community, following his comments that Jews were too “rich” to vote for him. The apology came after a private letter penned by several leaders of the British Jewish community, who wrote to Labour party leader David Miliband expressing their concern over Livingstone’s politics. The politician is currently running under the Labour party for another term in the mayoral office. In early March, Livingstone met with a Jewish …More

An estimated 25,000 Iranian Jews could end up caught in the middle, should Israel or Iran decide to mount an attack. Though Iran has a history of treating its Jewish minority well, Iranian Jews and their descendants living in Israel, who now number between 100,000 and 200,000, worry that an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would expose Jews still living in the republic to retaliation. Iran’s government is “unstable and unpredictable. If there is a war, you can’t tell what the …More

Poland is issuing commemorative coins to honor three Catholic-Polish families who were killed by the Nazis for having rescued Jews during the Holocaust. The two coins to be issued March 15 by the National Bank of Poland honor the Ulma, Kowalski and Baranek families. The coins come in denominations of two zlotys, worth about 65 cents, and 20 zlotys, worth about $6.50. On March 15, 1943, German auxiliary police discovered eight Jews hidden in the home of Wincenty and Łucja Baranek in the village of Siedliska. The …More

Trailing in the polls and with elections just 10 weeks away, French President Nicolas Sarkozy went to one of his most reliable bases of support -- French Jews -- to drum up enthusiasm. On the morning of Feb. 8, Sarkozy met at Elysees Palace with released Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who holds dual French-Israeli citizenship. And later that day, the president addressed the annual dinner of the main French Jewish umbrella organization, the CRIF. “France won't compromise on Israel's security because Israel …More

Orthodox Jews have appealed to a court in Sydney to overturn a decision to deny them an Eruv. Plans for a symbolic religious enclosure have been underway for more than five years on Sydney's north shore, but last year the local council voted against allowing the construction to go forward. The New South Wales Land and Environment Court is this week considering the case after the organizing committee of the Northern Eruv appealed the decision. A heated debate has raged among locals in Sydney's north shore with …More

Jewish and Israeli institutions in the Unites States are on high alert over concerns that Iran or its proxy will target them, a U.S. news network reported. The precautions were put into place by the institutions, ABC reported Feb. 3, citing an Israeli internal security document. The document was a letter from the head of security for the Israeli Consul General for the Mid-Atlantic States, according to ABC, which stated that the security threat has increased on "guarded sites" such as Israeli embassies and …More

As more Jews intermarry, figuring out how to many traditions is not easy. [NJ.com] Iranian threat against Jewish “soft” targets in North America is growing. [Jpost] As the United States warns Israel about attacking Iran, they and other nations are increasing their own capabilities to support just such an action. [Debka] Iran is considering boycotting all high-tech companies that have ever dealt with Israel. [Shalomlife]   Syrian forces kill over 300 and would over 1,300 as the UN Security …More

Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs Minister Yuli Edelstein told WIZO’s Enlarged General Meeting that how Israel treats the Diaspora has changed, saying that the Jewish state is “now willing to invest” in programs like Birthright. [Jerusalem Post]   Roger Cohen writes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be making a huge mistake if he attacked Iran this spring or summer, because it would damage relations with United States President Barack Obama. [New York …More

There were three winners in the Iowa Republic caucus: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and, not far behind them, Ron Paul. There were also (at least) three takeaways for Jewish observers: Foreign policy matters, evangelicals matter -- and Ron Paul matters. The importance of foreign policy in the 2012 presidential race, even in a farm state once known better for the pledges for ethanol subsidies it extracts from candidates, was evident in the speeches following voting. Romney, the former Massachusetts governor and …More

The Central Bureau of Statistics released its annual statistics roundup last week. “Israel in Figures 2011” tells the story of the Jewish State through details about population, education, labor, wages tourism and economy. According to the survey, almost half of the Jews in the world live in Israel. With a total population of about 7.7 million in 2010, Israel is home to slightly more females than males. The young, urban country enjoyed an upswing in almost all categories since 2009, illustrating a …More

On the first night of Chanukah, I stood in the splendid reception hall of the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Prague as the ambassador himself lit the first candle in an imposing gilded menorah and chanted the blessings over the flames. Since it was the first night of the holiday, these included the Shehecheyanu – the thankful blessing recited when reaching a special or long-awaited moment: “Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe who has given us life, sustained us, and allowed us …More