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Lawmakers Delay Trip, Prematurely, It Seems

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Talk about being dealt a bad hand: For the second time now, debate over the 2009-10 state budget has led to the postponement of the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition's legislative mission to Israel. And this time, as it turns out, the group folded too soon. They actually didn't need to cancel. On Jan. 6, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed legislation legalizing...

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At Last, She Decided to 'Go Home' for Good

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Aaron Passman, JE Feature

Sometimes, immigration to Israel isn't only about ideology, but also about a matter of convenience. Miriam Esris of the Rhawnhurst section of Northeast Philadelphia was one of more than 200 people from across North America to make aliyah Dec. 29 on the final Nefesh B'Nefesh flight of 2009. Esris, formerly an elementary-education teacher in the Neshaminy school district, said that...

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He Left His Hometown, but Hasn't Forgotten His Roots

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Aaron Passman, JE FEature

Growing up in the 1950s and '60s, Rayman Solomon, the son of David and Miriam Solomon of Helena, Ark., read the Megillah in English at Purim; attended Passover seders that concluded not with "Next Year in Jerusalem," but with a rendition of "America the Beautiful"; and was confirmed as a teenager alongside eight of his peers, in lieu of becoming...

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And a Happy New Year -- With Old Biases?

By:

Michael Elkin

Season's greetings took on a somewhat sour note when I heard a certain salutation amid the jingle bells and paper horns touting a happy new year. "Where's my husband? He's at the store, trying to Jew down the owner for a better price." I happened to be in the lovely resort of Aruba, sifting through children's clothing along with my...

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Consul: Jews, Koreans Have More in Common Than You Might Think

To many people, Jews and South Koreans couldn't be more dissimilar. They don't seem to share such things as language, food, religion, history or geography. Still, that's not the way E. Harris Baum sees it. "They are a people that are very warm and devoted to principles that we believe in as Jewish people: ethics, moral integrity and dedication," said...