Local

Making It All 'Relative'

Eager individuals seek info far and wide about their extended families

By:

Hillel Kuttler, Jewish Exponent Feature

Soon after Laurel Katz moved from Los Angeles to South Philadelphia three years ago, she began investigating her local roots. She joined the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Philadelphia, and at meetings wore a badge reading "Magen," the surname adopted by her great-great-grandfather Samuel -- Shmuel Megadenke in Ukraine -- when he moved to the city in 1904. A genealogy...

Local

Interfaith Gathering Hopes for 'Ripple Effect'

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

She didn't know how her friends and colleagues would react to the news. So for several days after Israel launched its incursion into Gaza last winter, Margalit Ziv -- an Israeli Jew who heads the early-childhood department at Al-Qasemi Academy near Netanya, a women's college where Arabs comprise the majority of the faculty and virtually all of the students --...

Local

What to Do About a Costly 'I Do' Simchas become more modest affairs as everyone crunches the numbers

By:

Aaron Passman, Staff Writer

When Tracy Bodoff's fiance asked her to marry him last spring after more than a decade together, the answer was clear. Less clear was what sort of wedding to have and how to pay for it. "We have a budget, and we've been very good," Bodoff said, adding: "I think we're going to be able to do this for around...

Local

Kansas Church Planning a Philly 'Protest' Stop

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

A fringe, Kansas-based church that routinely stages demonstrations across the country is planning to protest outside a number of synagogues, Jewish institutions and events in Center City this weekend. The Westboro Baptist Church -- led by Fred Phelps -- has been labeled a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League for its statements regarding gays, Jews and blacks. Westboro's members --...

Local

Does 'Portnoy' Really Need to Come Out of the Closet?

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

Since its publication 40 years ago, Portnoy's Complaint -- the salacious and perhaps still best-known work by literary icon Philip Roth -- has been hailed both as a breakthrough novel, and labeled as a demeaning portrait of certain women and slanderous to all Jews. But few have ever claimed it has homosexual undertones. Until now, that is. Could it actually...