Jews

 The U.S. Senate narrowly approved a tax overhaul, moving Republicans and President Donald Trump a big step closer to their goal of slashing taxes for businesses and the rich while offering everyday Americans a mixed bag of changes, reported Reters. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Nov. 23 rapped his deputy foreign minister for "offensive" remarks in which she said US Jews were too "comfortable" to understand threats to Israel.

Heirlooms and other items crafted by members of the once-thriving Romaniote Jewish community of Ioannina are on display in a special exhibition at the Silversmithing Museum in Ioannina Castle until January 11. Many of the items are on loan from members of the Jewish Community of Ioannina and the Jewish Museum of Greece. The exhibition runs until January 11 and opening hours are 10 a.m.

A smattering of rain and easing temperatures helped more than 1,000 firefighters battling the largest wildfire in Los Angeles history gain the upper hand on the blaze on Sept. 3, but officials warned that danger remains.

"We've turned the corner, but this is not over," Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told reporters. "With winds this strong, anything can happen."

Hundreds of citizens have protested last night at the home of Israeli Chief Prosecutor to insist on indicting Benyamin Netanyahu for charges of corruption, BNT said.

"Liparidas!"… Remembering the word, her face instantly lights up with joy. She travels back to her childhood in Ortaköy, a neighborhood once densely populated by Jews in Istanbul. One could apparently see that she feels the taste, too. This is one of the highlights of the delightful documentary by Deniz Alphan shown at the special screening section of the 36th Istanbul Film Festival this year.

A U.S. judge on April 5 ordered that he be given more detail about former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani and another lawyer's representation of a Turkish gold trader, Reza Zarrab, charged with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions against Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he favors a pardon for an Israeli soldier convicted Jan. 4 of manslaughter for shooting dead a Palestinian assailant as he lay wounded.

Elor Azaria had been on trial in a military court since May 2016, with right-wing politicians defending him despite top army brass harshly condemning his actions.

Religious and political leaders have marked the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah in Istanbul's Ortaköy neighborhood, underlining the importance of the Jewish community for Turkey.

I recently had a chance to visit Jerusalem to attend the Second Global Forum of the National Library of Israel. It was a significant event that gathered dozens of scholars from both the Jewish state and the world to discuss "the fate of secularism." For me, it was a chance to listen to mind-opening intellectuals, hear new arguments, and feel the holy city, once again, in all its intimate majest