If Arash Saghian\’s recent marriage had taken place in the late 1980s or early 1990s, he would likely have faced ostracism from Los Angeles\’ Iranian Jewish community. The family of the 25-year-old businessman might have also frowned upon the match, all because his spouse Maya was Ashkenazi.
Her heart pounding, the 15-year-old girl with a long, honey-colored braid down her back scrambled down the steep hillside in the black of night, running from police who had swarmed in to evacuate her and others who had come to set up an illegal settlement outpost.
Chanukah celebrates the triumph of our forefathers who sought religious freedom. To commemorate the holiday, President Bush hosted Jews from around the world who had experienced religious persecution, including several former refuseniks, to celebrate religious freedom. The following evening, in the U.S. Capitol, senators and representatives commemorated the struggle of Soviet Jews and the activism of the world Jewish community on their behalf.
There\’s a famous story in the Talmud about a smart aleck who asks the sages Hillel and Shammai to teach him all of Torah while he stands on one foot. Hillel\’s response is well known: \”What is hateful to you, do not do unto others All the rest is commentary.\”
Last week, Karl Rove, the architect of George W. Bush\’s election victories, offered Barack Obama free advice on how to defeat Hillary Clinton.\n\nIn that spirit, I\’d like to offer you my six-pointed plan on how to win the Jewish vote in \’08.
Philippe Karsenty is not sure exactly when he snapped. He does recall a certain morning in Paris when one of the employees in his software firm walked into his office, and, instead of talking business, brought up something rather unexpected: \”What did you do yesterday in Gaza? When will you Jews stop murdering Arab children?\” the employee asked.
If the plans follow the promises of its sponsors, the site of the next preeminent national Jewish institution will be in the historic heart of Philadelphia.
There, steps from the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, edging a revitalized Independence Mall, the proposed National Museum of American Jewish History is to begin construction early next year for its target completion date of July 4, 2010.
Forget cotton, Lycra and leather. Israeli balloon twister Ori Livney has a new material that could put a real bounce in your gown: rubber.
\”The air is the expensive part,\” says Ori Livney, grinning from behind a pile of colorful rubber balloons. \”But it\’s not as complicated as it sounds. I can make just about any regular dress out of balloons. The challenge is to make it a perfect custom fit.\”
Soon after their engagement, Rosie and Abe Finkelstein, residents of the Tel Aviv suburb of Givatayim, checked out some hotels and traditional event halls but ultimately chose a kibbutz as the venue for their wedding.
The minute Rosie Finkelstein, a holistic healer, viewed the catering facilities at Kibbutz Havat Ronit, located next to the better-known Kibbutz Ga\’ash in the center of the country, she knew it was the right place for her nuptials.
Jackie and Adam Sandler. Shaunie and Shaquille O\’Neal. Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale. Heidi Klum and Seal. Jami Gertz and Tony Ressler. Janice and Billy Crystal. When these high-profile pairs have a star-studded soirÃÂ(c)e to host — anything from a wedding to a bridal shower, a bar mitzvah to a birthday or business bash — they all leave the preparations to one party planner: Mindy Weiss, owner of the Beverly Hills-based Mindy Weiss Party Consultants. But if you think her job is just about selecting flowers and ordering cakes, you\’re sorely mistaken.
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