Shavua Tov: This Week’s Jewish News

Shavua Tov MicThis week’s Jewish news brings you a very prolific mohel, an update on sanctions against Iran, the JCRC’s response to anti-Muslim graffiti in St. Cloud, Hanukkah songs from Senator Orrin Hatch and a Ladino-Jewish hip hop group (videos below), a Hebrew-speaking dog in Montana, and a new report about prostitution in the Palestinian territories.

Light a Hanukkah candle or two and start reading. Shavua Tov – have a great week!

1.  “Analysis: US sanctions on Iran likely to pass.” Jerusalem Post. It’s about time the U.S. did something to put pressure on Iran. Now let’s see if it works.

2. “The Man Who Shaped 20,000 Penises.” Bintel Blog. A beautiful video profile of a man who claims to be the most prolific mohel in the world, from ‘New York on The Clock,’ which is doing a series of documentaries on interesting New Yorkers. You’ll learn a little Jewish law, and he’s an interesting guy.

3. A Sephardic hip hop Hanukkah song “Ocho Kandelikas” from the Ladino-Jewish New York band Hip Hop Hoodios, hailing originally from Bosnia’s Sephardic Jewish community (yeah, you didn’t even know that Bosnia had a Jewish community, did you?). Thanks to Capital J for this video. Watch the bagels….

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XllEBkaEW0s

4. “Rare report on prostitution in Palestinian territories.” Jerusalem Post. UN Human Rights report sheds light on a part of Palestinian society that no one is talking about.

5. “Yes, Miky, There Are Rabbis in Montana” NY Times.  Best part of the article? That a Hasidic rabbi is helping a Montana cop speak Hebrew to his dog.

6. “JCRC Condemns Hateful Cartoons Targeting Muslims in St. Cloud.” Mpls Star Tribune. Props to the local JCRC for responding immediately and striking back at these nasty anti-Muslim, racist, and anti-Semitic cartoons across St. Cloud, Minnesota.

7. “The True Story of Orrin Hatch’s Hanukkah Song.” The Atlantic. Read the back-story about the Mormon senator’s Hanukkah song, and then watch it on Youtube below. Don’t miss the Mezuzzah around Sen. Hatch’s neck. Did you know he wore one? Pretty cool.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XND3Naa6N5o

(Photo: Visual.Dichotomy)