Briefs

Israeli Kayaker Captures Bronze

Israel won its only medal of the 2000 Olympic Games when kayaker Michael Kolganov earned a bronze medal in the men’s K1 500-meter sprint.

The medal won Sunday by Kolganov, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union and a member of Kibbutz Degania Bet, partially erased a disappointing Olympics by Israeli athletes.

Justice Thou Shalt Pursue

An Israeli court recently sent a severe message to taxi drivers who think they can take unsuspecting passengers for a ride. The court fined a taxi driver $1,750 for over-charging a passenger and refusing to turn the meter on.

The driver was fined after he charged a female passenger $4 for a ride that should have cost $2.60.

Wiesel Endorses Hillary

Elie Wiesel endorsed Hillary Rodham Clinton in her bid for the U.S. Senate seat from New York.Clinton has “always been on the side of those who fight hatred and fanaticism,” Wiesel said last week, noting that it was his first political endorsement.

Groups Back RU-486 Decision

Some Jewish groups applauded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s decision to approve the “abortion pill” RU-486 for use in the United States.

“Jewish values affirm the rights of women as moral decision makers, capable of making responsible choices about every aspect of their own lives,” the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism said in a statement.

Offers Help to Survivors

The New York Legal Assistance Group launched its Holocaust Compensation Assistance Project, providing free legal assistance and support to survivors and their families seeking restitution under pending German and Swiss settlement agreements.

The project, jointly sponsored by the Claims Conference and UJA-Federation of Greater New York, can be contacted at (212) 688-0710.

The Claims Conference is planning to set up similar projects in other areas with large survivor populations, including California and Florida.

Woman to Head R.I. Federation

The Jewish Federation of Rhode Island hired Janet Engelhart to be its executive vice president. Engelhart will be the only woman currently in the top position in one of North America’s 40 largest federations.Her appointment comes as a multimillion-dollar project – the first initiative emerging from the federation system’s Trust for Jewish Philanthropy – is in the works to bring more women into top professional positions in Jewish organizations (see story, p. 35).

Israel’s Population Density High

Israel’s population density is among the highest in the world, with an average of 278 people per square kilometer, according to the Statistical Yearbook just issued by the Israeli government.

The nation’s total population is 6.3 million, up 2.5 percent this year, with immigration accounting for 34 percent of the growth.

Jews account for approximately 82 percent of Israel’s population.

Violence Mars Berlin Wall Anniversary

A synagogue in Düsseldorf, Germany, was firebombed by vandals who threw as many as three Molotov cocktails against the shul’s main door. No one was injured and damage was minimal in Monday night’s incident. Michel Friedman, vice president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said that on the 10th anniversary of the country’s reunification, “The Nazis and their violence in both East and West are also united.” Also Monday night, vandals painted swastikas on the bell tower at the site of the former Buchenwald concentration camp.