Elina Svitolina, a Ukrainian professional tennis player, made history as the first Jewish woman to make the Wimbledon final. She reached a career-high rankings of world No. 3 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association, winning 17 WTA Tour singles titles and finishing runner-up three times. And yet, she had no answer for the showcase of shots that Marketa Vondrousova produced in her straight sets victory on Center Court, 6-3 6-3 in 74 minutes. [...]
Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America, has elected Carol Ann Schwartz as its 28th national president. Schwartz, who is from a four-generation Hadassah family and whose election caps more than 30 years of service to the organization, will begin her four-year term on Jan. 1, 2024. She will succeed Rhoda Smolow, who took office in 2020.
President Isaac Herzog of Israel addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress on July 19 as part of an official visit to Washington. Herzog used the address to smooth tensions between his country and the United States, appealing to American lawmakers to continue investing in the positive relationship between the two nations. “We are proud to be the United States’ closest partner and friend,” he said.
Last Call at the Hotel Imperial, Deborah Cohen Winner of the Mark Lynton History Prize, this historian’s account of a close-knit band of famous American reporters — John Gunther, H.R. Knickerbocker, Vincent Sheean and Dorothy Thompson — who, in the run-up to WWII, landed exclusive interviews and helped shape what Americans knew about the world at that time. The Pages, Hugo Hamilton With Germany under the Nazis as the background, this book explores censorship, [...]
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, Britain’s chief rabbi, was knighted by King Charles on July 11 at Windsor Castle. Rabbi Mirvis is a close friend of the monarch, who invited the rabbi and his wife to stay at his home during the coronation in May so they could be within walking distance to the event on Shabbat. Official Windsor Castle photo
Eighty-five years ago, Munich’s main synagogue was demolished on direct orders from Adolf Hitler — a harbinger of the destruction to come. But early in July, The New York Times said, during a project to refurbish old underwater infrastructure, a construction crew found pieces of the synagogue in a river five miles from where it once stood in Munich. The items construction workers found, including columns and a large piece of the synagogue’s Torah shrine, [...]
Shani Chamovitz, 22, flew in on a 10-hour flight from Israel, landing at Newark Airport at 3:30 a.m. on July 9 for the annual North American Jewish Choral Festival, held this year in Tarrytown, NY. She didn’t get much sleep but said the hassle was worth it. “It’s been life changing fort me,” said Chamovitz, who attended for the first time last year. “It was an amazing experience, singing with such a range of people [...]
Holding U.S. and Israeli flags, a crowd of largely Evangelical Christians prays during “Night to Honor Israel” event on July 17 in Arlington, VA. Jacquelyn Martin photo
A jury has found that the Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooter is eligible to face the death penalty. The 50-year-old gunman was found guilty on June 16 of all 63 charges against him for killing 11 worshippers and wounding 6 others at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in 2018. Twenty-two of those counts were capital offenses. In the next phase of the trial, the jury will hear from survivors and the victims’ families. Then the jury [...]
The Art, The Gathering, The Talk, The Reception, The Setting, The Weather “Breathtaking,” was the descriptive heard most often from the crowd of art supporters and well-wishers attending Judith K. Weiner’s studio tour on Sunday afternoon, July 23. The shul’s Judaism and Art group had initiated the idea of artists’ studio tours as learning opportunities for members, but the event hosted by this artist was the first invitation to the entire congregation for an immersive [...]
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