President Barack Obama kicked off Jewish Heritage Month at the White House yesterday, despite a canceled annual party due to sequestering cutbacks. "Jewish immigrants from all over the world wove new threads into our cultural fabric with rich traditions and indomitable faith, and their descendants pioneered incredible advances in science and the arts," Obama said Tuesday. "Teachings from the Torah lit the way toward a more perfect Union, from women's rights to workers' rights to the end of segregation." Obama …More

Saplings from the chestnut tree that acted as a symbol of hope for Anne Frank will soon be planted in 11 spots across the US. The Sapling Project was initiated by the Anne Frank Center USA, as a way to spread the message against intolerance that Anne Frank’s diary has generated. The young author famously hid in an annex with her family from Nazi persecution, ultimately dying at Bergen-Belsen. Her diary has been printed in hundreds of countries and has been turned into a play and film. In the book, Anne …More

Rafael Medoff, JNS.org Seventy years ago this week, 40,000 New Yorkers watched as Jewish activists and Hollywood celebrities joined hands to bring news of the Holocaust to the vaunted stage of Madison Square Garden. But a requested message of greeting from President Franklin D. Roosevelt never arrived, because the White House decided the mass murder of the Jews was too “political” to touch. In January 1943, a Gallup poll asked Americans, “It is said that two million Jews have been killed in …More

The US Senate confirmed Jacob Lew as Secretary of the Treasury Wednesday, affirming President Barack Obama’s nomination. The move makes Lew the highest-ranking Orthodox Jew in US history. In a statement issued after the vote, Obama said, "At this critical time for our economy and our country, there is no one more qualified for this position than Jack... His reputation as a master of fiscal issues who can work with leaders on both sides of the aisle has already helped him succeed in some of the toughest jobs …More

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell defended the president’s nomination of Chuck Hagel for secretary of defense, calling Hagel "a very, very strong supporter of the state of Israel.” Powell made the remarks during yesterday’s episode of “Meet the Press” with David Gregory. "My judgment and my knowledge of Chuck and my discussion with Chuck would suggest that he wants to see both sides come to the table and find a solution. He supports the peace process,” Powell …More

The takeout menu at the White House’s lunch service saw a new addition in 2012—a kosher option. That change can be pinned on one man: Jack Lew, the current Chief of Staff for President Barack Obama and the man tipped to be the next Secretary of the Treasury. The move makes Lew the highest-ranking Orthodox Jew in US history. Lew is a New York native with an extensive background in finance. The 57-year-old is a Harvard and Georgetown graduate who advanced up the chain of command early and often, …More

It has become something of a White House Hanukkah tradition. For the second time, the Obama White House used a menorah from a hurricane-hit region to mark the holiday. This Hanukkah, Rabbi David Bauman brought to the White House one of two 90-year-old menorahs that survived when Hurricane Sandy ravaged Temple Israel in Long Beach, NY. The menorah used in 2010 at the White House was from a New Orleans synagogue hit by Hurricane Katrina. "This 90-year-old menorah survived, and I am willing to bet it will survive …More

President Barack Obama and the First Lady headed the annual White House Hanukkah party last night, hosting leaders from the Jewish community as well as Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren and the West Point Jewish Chapel Cadet Choir. “Tonight, as we gather to light the sixth candle of Chanukah, we remember an enduring story of resilience and optimism,” the president said. “Over 2,000 years ago, a tyrant forbade the Israelites from practicing their religion and his forces desecrated the Holy Temple. …More

A French Jewish cemetery is going digital. [Forward] UK Jews are concerned over the government's omission of Hebrew from its list of approved school foreign languages. [WJC] DC's Holocaust museum has taken over the URL ThirdReich.com. [NYT] Israel has launched a public diplomacy department in Arabic. [Algemeiner] A Bar Ilan student was kicked out of class this week for not donning a yarmulke. [JPost] It was a Very Obama Hanukkah last night at the White House. [Washington Post] A 13-year-old Jewish girl has …More

With Hanukkah just hours away, Jewish groups around the world are preparing to celebrate this Festival of Lights. Perhaps the most anticipated menorah lighting in the US will take place Sunday outside the White House. The annual Washington Hanukkah party will include addresses from President Obama and First Lady Michelle, with Chabad representatives on hand to help light up a commanding menorah set against the backdrop of the White House. New York, the US’s arguable Jewish capital, has a host of …More

The White House and FEMA got a bit of help last week figuring out ways to beat traffic and set up gas outposts for Sandy survivors in need---thanks to an Israeli app. Government officials last Friday contacted the offices of Waze, a GPS application developed in the Jewish state. Within an hour, Waze staff had helped the government set up on online system in which consumers in ravaged areas could report which gas stations were up and running, and which were in the most need of fuel. Quickly, FEMA has a strategy …More

Reports surfaced yesterday that Iran has offered the US emergency assistance in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. The rumors suggested the Islamic republic was willing to send over response teams, equipment and funds to help in rescue and cleanup missions caused by the devastating storm. "Iran's Red Crescent is prepared to help the victims in the US," said Mahmud Mozaffar, Head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society's Relief and Rescue Organization. "Given its ample experience in rescuing storms and floods victims, …More