Contact B'nai B'rith

1120 20th Street NW, Suite 300N Washington, D.C. 20036

info@bnaibrith.org

202-857-6600

Spring 2015 Issue Also Highlights the Fast-Growing Metropolis of Beersheba, Ben Gurion University and Louis Armstrong

Jews of color are a growing segment of the American-Jewish community. A 2011 survey by the UJA-Federation of New York found that 12 percent of Jewish households identified themselves as non-white. Angela Warnick Buchdahl, who became the senior rabbi of the Central Synagogue in midtown Manhattan last July, was the first ordained Asian-American rabbi in 2001.

The increasing diversity of Jewish culture is also reflected in popular culture by people like Grammy-award winning rapper Drake and Fox News reporter Geraldo Rivera. While the reality may be changing, perceptions of “what a Jew looks like” have not yet caught up. Writer Miranda S. Spivack looks into the reality of being a Jew of color.

In the spirit of Passover, B’nai B’rith International President Allan J. Jacobs reviews B’nai B’rith International’s role in attaining freedoms for Israel and Jewish people around the world.

Over the last decade, Ben-Gurion University has done revolutionary research on neurological conditions like, dementia, concussions and autism. Despite the fact that its student population has tripled to more than 20,000, it is ranked number one in Israel for ambience and individual attention. Writer Maayan Jaffe highlights the country’s fastest growing institution of higher learning.

50 years ago, Beersheba, a city in southern Israel, was not considered to be a substantial part of Israel. Today, it features a booming business district, the Soroka University Medical Center, a cyber-security industry and Ben-Gurion University. Writer Hillel Kuttler explores the transformation of Beersheba from a modest city into a burgeoning metropolitan area.

With spring upon us, B’nai B’rith Executive Vice President Daniel S. Mariaschin’s column turns to baseball. As a life-long fan, Mariaschin examines Jewish Americans’ cultural connection to the sport—and his own.

Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong is undoubtedly one of the most influential jazz musicians in history. As a child, he was part of an impoverished New Orleans family and was forced to work at a young age. But a Jewish family helped him along the way, cementing a lifelong bond with the Jewish people. Writer Sam Seifman details the story of Armstrong and the Karnofsky family.
Picture

Read Full Magazine


Feature Stories: