After a ban, Poland may be set to reinstate kosher slaughter. [Times of Israel] Unseen Amy Winehouse photos go on display at London Jewish Museum. [Londonist] Bulgaria's Ataka party is following neo-Nazi lines. [Arutz Sheva] Palestine has chosen a new president--on TV. [Ynet] Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men are breaking the fashion mold. [Forward] The Vatican plans a Torah art exhibit in Venice. [Forward] In praise of dairy restaurants...and blintzes. [Tablet] Gazans like KFC so much, they're smuggling it …More

Dorina Pilipovsky has been cooking since she was a little girl. She learned about Jewish food from her Russian Babushka, and has modernized the kosher classics just for you. Stay tuned for more recipes for the Jewish kitchen. It is tradition on Shavuot to eat dairy. Since my family prefers savory to sweet, I decided to come up with a simple dairy and vegetable recipe. These pastry puffs are delicious. As far as I’m concerned anything on puff pastry is amazingly good, but these spinach and feta turnovers …More

Israeli leaders celebrated Shavuot this week, the ritual holiday commemorating the gift of the Torah to the Jewish people on Mount Sinai. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu honored the holiday at a gathering with children from the Valley of Springs Regional Council. Bibi spoke with the children and accepted gifts of locally grown fruit, a traditional food for the holiday, as biblical commandment mandated that farmers bring their “first fruits” to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. "I thank you for …More

Any reason to eat some cheesecake is a good one. Shavuot is one of those reasons. So make this Shavuot a delicious one with this cheesecake recipe. Enjoy! Chag sameach! Time: 1 hour Makes: 12+ servings Ingredients: 1/3 cup butter or margarine 1 1/4 cups plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature 4 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup sour cream Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 9x13-inch pan. 2. Melt butter or margarine. Add 3 …More

Standing in the customs line at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, Jacob was carrying a Torah scroll. This is a typical scenario in Israel, where dozens of Torah scrolls travel daily to their destinations worldwide. Suddenly a custom official approached Jacob. He said, “In Israel we don’t have our Torah wait in line! Please proceed to the front of the line.” Nature dictates that when we experience something often, we become accustomed to it. The excitement and enthusiasm we experience the first …More

With its tradition of dairy meals, Shavuot is one of my favorite holidays. Arriving later in the spring—an ideal time to find delicious fruits, herbs and vegetables—it’s perfect for using fresh and seasonal ingredients. The four dishes I have selected for a Shavuot menu not only are perfect for dinner or lunch, they also reflect my philosophy on eating well: good planning, portion control and nutrition. Each dish can be prepared in advance, is not too difficult to make and doesn’t require …More

In a change from most of the meat-filled Jewish holidays, Shavuot is typically celebrated with an array of dairy delights. Though no one is complaining about a full day of blintzes, cheesecake, and creamy ice cream, the hard and fast biblical explanation as to why this day strays from the traditional brisket and beef menu remains to be seen. Though many Jewish laws have different interpretations or translations in modern society, the rule prescribing the consumption of dairy on Shavuot is particularly interesting …More

A new poll shows half of Israeli Jews back the Women of the Wall. [Israel Hayom] Sholem Aleichem's granddaughter writes e-books. [Jewish Business News] Jimmy Carter wants the EU to label products coming from the West Bank. [Arutz Sheva] A Jewish center in New York is contributing to Google Art. [Ynet] A British lawyer has been fined $12,000 for an anti-Semitic rant. [Forward] The Newseum will "re-evaluate" its plans to honor two Hamas cameramen. [Times of Israel] Some non-dairy dishes for Shavuot. [Tablet] …More

Coca-Cola has personalized its cans with common Hebrew, Arabic, and English names. [Tablet] A Jewish women’s Greek cuisine offers a Shavuot-themed recipe. [Jewcy] The Bronx High School of Science now houses a hands-on, professionally designed Holocaust museum. [Times of Israel] Budapest’s historic Jewish quarter hosts memorials to the tragedies and re-building it has seen since Jews first arrived in Hungary in the 12th century. [Times of Israel] Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu continue to …More

Former Mossad agent Zvi Aharoni, 91, passed away over the weekend. [Israel Hayom] Madonna brings in 4,000 tourists to Israel for the premiere of her new concert tour, MDNA. [Haaretz] Jewish soldiers help restore Silver Lake Cemetery with the Hebrew Free Burial Association. [The Huffington Post] Tunsian Jews celebrate the religious holiday of Shavuot. [Tunisialive] The Bulgarian economic crisis creates a “new poor” in the Jewish community. [The Jerusalem Post] US Jewish groups call on Israel to …More

Hundreds of trees are going to be destroyed near Netzer, a settlement area in the West Bank. The trees, which the IDF Civil Administration claims were illegally planted, are scheduled to be cleared sometime after Shavout, which ended this weekend. In an open letter to the Gush Etzion community, where Netzer is located, Chief Rabbi Gideon Perl wrote, “We have recently been informed that the Civil Administration has directed the IDF to uproot all trees that have been planted throughout the last few years in …More

In honor of Shavuot, the farmers of the Megilot Regional Council presented Israeli President Shimon Peres with the first fruits from their farms, following an ancient holiday custom that dates back to when Jewish pilgrims presented offered their first yields to Temple. Shavuot, which begins on May 26, is often celebrated in the United States with all-night Torah study marathons, wearing white and eating cheese. In many areas of Israel, however, Shavuot celebrations harken back to the agricultural roots of the …More