- A Jew spends time in Earth orbit. He took a mezuzah along, but on Passover, no Matzah. (San Diego Jewish Journal)
- A San Diego Jew visits the struggling Jewish community of Wellington, New Zealand. (San Diego Jewish Journal)
- The eclectic Jewish community of Taiwan, such as it is, centers on the efforts of the island’s sole rabbi, age 89. (The Jerusalem Post)
EUROPE:
- Although “many Jews harbor a seething, deep-seated hostility toward Polandâ€?, there are many positive signs in Poland, including “Poland’s vibrant and emerging Jewish lifeâ€?, new permission to submit claims for lost communal property, a pro-Israel stance by the government, and full Jewish studies programs at three universities. (J)
- Yitzhak Szyf helps revive Jewish life in Transylvania. (Combined Jewish Philanthropies)
- Dov Hikind, having toured in England, France, Belgium and Germany, reports that local leaders are quite gloomy about the future. (The Jewish Week)
SOUTH OF THE BORDER:
- Nathan Englander, who has no connection to Argentina “but has dedicated most of his adult life to writing a novel set there,� gives us a tour of Jewish Argentina and the Dirty War, which is the focus of his book. (Nextbook)
- A photoessay of the Jewish cowboys (gauchos) of Argentina. (BBC)
mezuzah
Pronounced: muh-ZOO-zuh (oo as in book), Origin: Hebrew, a small box placed on the right doorpost of Jewish homes. It contains a parchment scroll with verses from the Torah inscribed on it, including the Shema prayer (Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21).
