(JNS) — B’nai B’rith International condemned the U.N. General Assembly’s request that the International Court of Justice issue a legal opinion concerning Israeli policies on Palestinian-claimed territories. The referral was endorsed by a UNGA committee in November and has now been rubber stamped by the assembly’s plenary. Read more » »

Marc Katzen, 82, of Winter Park, passed away on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2022. He was born Feb. 11, 1940, in Sykesville, Pennsylvania, to Margaret Gordon Katzen and Harry Katzen and was the middle of five children. Marc’s mother took care of the children and his father was a businessman. Read more » »

Robert (Bob) Picheny was born in Brooklyn, New York, June 7, 1944. He grew up in Brooklyn and Long Island where he met and married his wife, Sandra. The newlyweds moved to Orlando five months after their wedding. They lived in Central Florida their entire married life, first in Altamonte Springs and later in Lake Mary. Read more » »

(JTA) – Alex Trebek, the beloved baritone host of „Jeopardy!,” died of pancreatic cancer Sunday at 80.In his 36 years as host of the immensely popular game show, Trebek encountered his share of Jewish moments. We’ve rounded up a few especially notable ones from the last decade here. Read more » »

(JTA) — The debate on abortion access, which for years has polarized the predominantly Catholic nation of Poland, is now dividing the country’s Jews as well.A high court ruling last month severely restricting access to abortions in what was already among Europe’s least pro-choice countries has prompted a major protest movement in Poland. Read more » »

(JNS) — U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem will be allowed to list Israel as their place of birth on their U.S. passport, alluded the Trump administration on Wednesday.Politico first reported the development, citing a U.S. official, adding that the announcement could be made as soon as Thursday. Read more » »

(JTA) — A coalition of Jewish groups including the likes of Hadassah and B’nai B’rith International has temporarily blocked a plan by Orthodox and right-wing parties to take over top positions throughout the World Zionist Congress, the Jewish National Fund and other crucial groups that spend $1 billion annually on international Jewish causes. Read more » »

In 1994, I attended, along with a number of my colleagues from the Capital District Educational Opportunity Center, an Office of Special Programs conference in downstate New York. After the opening night’s dinner, I wandered over to the venders’ tables that had been set up in an adjoining room. Read more » »

WASHINGTON (JTA) — In 2015, the Zionist Organization of America gave John Bolton a standing ovation when he said he wanted to be U.S. president. In 2018, the ZOA gave him its Defender of Israel Award.This week, Bolton is about as far away from the presidency as he’s been in his life, and the ZOA doesn’t appear interested in defending him. Read more » »