Local

Will Butkovitz Be Last Jew Left in Top City Post?

By:

Ten years ago, all three of Philadelphia's top citywide officials were Jewish: Mayor Ed Rendell, District Attorney Lynne Abraham and Controller Jonathan Saidel. With Abraham set to retire at the end of the year, and the results in from the May 19 primary, the most likely scenario is that City Controller Alan Butkovitz will remain Philadelphia's lone Jewish elected official...

Local

Israelis: Here Physically, There Mentally

They relish life in the Philadelphia area, yet hesitate when it comes to involvement

By:

Daphna Berman, JE Feature

Viktor Fadlon attended Shabbat services every Friday night in his native Israel, but in the nearly three years since he moved to Philadelphia, the 25-year-old says that he's been to synagogue just once. "I haven't connected to the Jewish community," he admitted recently, taking a break from his job as manager of a Center City pizzeria and bar. "I work...

Local

Parceling Out the Pie: Who Gets What?

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

The board of trustees of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has approved the allocation of more than $23.2 million to a broad swath of Jewish programs, projects and institutions in the region and beyond. In a nod to grim economic realities and increased communal need, Federation shifted a greater percentage of its resources to social-service and critical-needs programs, while,...

Local

Young Man, Fluent in Mandarin, Wins a Prime Spot at HIAS

By:

Aaron Passman, JE Feature

Hansi Wang grew up in the Philadelphia area and will graduate from Swarthmore College later this month with a bachelor's degree in political science. His parents, on the other hand, immigrated to Philadelphia from China and Vietnam, respectively, his father in search of educational opportunities and his mother as a refugee fleeing the Vietnam war. Perhaps as a result of...

National

Specter Surprises All With Move to the Left

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

When Sen. Arlen Specter dropped his political bombshell Tuesday that he was switching parties, many longtime Jewish supporters who had seen an uphill battle ahead of them breathed a huge sigh of relief. "This is great news," said Gary Erlbaum, a longtime Specter supporter who backs candidates in both parties. "It would have been very difficult for him to win...