Mideast

Groups working to support Israeli hostages and their families awarded 2024 ‘Jewish Nobel’



Five Israeli groups supporting Israelis held hostage in Gaza and their families will receive the 2024 Genesis Prize, the $1-million award known as the “Jewish Nobel.” Presented annually since 2013, the award is given by the Genesis Prize Foundation and has historically gone to Jewish celebrities or public figures. More recently, the foundation has given the prize to organizations that […]

For thousands of Israeli soldiers wounded in Gaza, a long journey to recovery of body and mind



RAMAT GAN, Israel–In December, Nechemia, a combat engineer, was serving in Gaza alongside his close friend when a rocket-propelled grenade exploded next to them. Nechemia suffered severe shrapnel injuries on one side of his body, one of four soldiers injured in the incident. His friend, just feet away from him, was dead. Now, Nechemia is recovering in Sheba Medical Center, […]

Argentina will move its embassy to Jerusalem, Javier Milei announces during emotional visit



On his first day of his visit to Israel, Argentina’s new president, Javier Milei, told Israeli authorities that his country would move its embassy to Jerusalem. Milei had vowed during his campaign to move the embassy from its current home in Herzliya, in a sign that Argentina recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. If carried out, the embassy move would make […]

‘I want to get married before a rocket lands on my head’: War has amped up Israel’s passion for matchmaking



Katie Silver had already mastered volunteering and racing to safe rooms when she hopped on another Israeli wartime trend. Silver, a Pilates instructor in Jerusalem, logged onto a Facebook group called Secret Tel Aviv and announced that she was looking for love. Like many single 30-somethings, Silver had tried dating apps but felt burned out. But she saw something different […]

A Tel Aviv exhibit recreates Nova massacre in exacting detail, with healing as an aim


TEL AVIV–Daniel Ozeri found himself returning to the worst moments of his life on a recent Sunday–not inside his own mind, but inside a Tel Aviv convention center. Ozeri was in Expo Tel Aviv, a sprawling complex in the city’s north where the Nova music festival which ended when Hamas attacked on Oct. 7–has been recreated in exacting detail. At […]

After Israel was plunged into war, these Jews moved there anyway



TEL AVIV–When Yona and Mikhael Benichou decided over the summer to move to Israel from their home in France, they set a target date of around a year later–in time for their eldest son, David, 15, to begin his studies for Israel’s matriculation exams. But after Oct. 7, they sped up their plans to immigrate, known in Hebrew as making […]

A move to Israel was not ‘if,’ but ‘when’ for Alexa Vecchio



For Marla Vecchio, it was never a matter of “if” but “when” her daughter, Alexa, 28, would make her way to Israel permanently. The Vecchio family, who reside in Marlton, have long been ingrained in the South Jersey Jewish community–Marla is a teacher by profession, and currently teaches religious school at both Cong. Kol Ami and Cong. Beth El. Her […]

Assistant director of JCC Camps has profound volunteer experience in Israel



Last month, when Shari Goldberg, 24, caught wind of an opportunity to volunteer in Israel through the Birthright Israel Onward volunteer program, she felt compelled to go. “I want to be able to say that I did the most I could to help the people of Israel and Jewish people at this time,” said Goldberg, a Mt. Laurel native and […]


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