24 May 2013 - 15 Sivan 5773 - ט"ו סיון ה' אלפים תשע"ג
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New stamps to commemorate 20 years of Israel and India relations E-mail

In New Delhi on 19 November, two new stamps commemorating twenty years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel were launched.

These limited edition stamps were each based on a common theme, the ‘festival of lights.’ One stamp designed by Israel artist Ronen Goldberg depicts the Jewish festival of Chanukah and the other stamp, designed by Indian artist Alka Sharma depicts the Hindu festival of Divali. The stamps will be in circulation in December in both countries.

“It is indeed a privilege to be here today on this particular occasion of the presentation ceremony to commemorate 20 years of diplomatic relation between India and Israel,” said Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal while speaking at an event to release the stamp.

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Families sue Bank of China in US for Hamas money transfers E-mail

The families of five victims of Hamas terror attacks are suing the Bank of China for knowingly assisting the terror group.

The law-suit, filed in November in a New York State Court, accuses the bank of making wire transfers amounting to several million dollars beginning in 2003.

In March 2008, eight students were killed and fifteen injured when a Palestinian man from East Jerusalem opened fire in the grounds of the Mercaz Harav Yeshiva. Hamas praised this attack but denied responsibility.

Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, director of Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center is the lawyer representing the families. She states that the Bank of China knowingly assisted Hamas to carry out this attack with the full approval of the Chinese government.

She maintains that the transfers were initiated by Hamas in Iran and Syria, processed through Bank of China branches in the US and then sent to another Bank of China account in China, operated by a senior terrorist. The lawyer says that these funds were then distributed to Hamas and other West Bank and Gaza terror groups, including Palestine Islamic Jihad.

The Bank of China has rejected all claims relating to this law suit, stating that all media reports about this case and all accusations are, “entirely groundless.”

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Florence Melton Adult Jewish Learning comes to Asia E-mail

The Florence Melton Adult Education School began operating in Hong Kong last year with 33 students.

The programme, already in fifty communities around the world, made its first foray through Ohel Leah Synagogue which has sponsored the programmed locally. Ohel Leah’s Rabbi Oser said “I knew about Melton from Sydney where it draws across many communities. I contacted Melton because I thought Hong Kong was ready for this sort of learning initiative.”

The core curriculum is a two year programme that consists of thirty two hour classes per year. In the first year students studied the Purposes of Jewish Living and the Rhythm of Jewish Living and in the second year students are studying the Dramas of Jewish Living and the Ethics of Jewish Living. For many the course has been an eye opener. “This was the first time I have encountered sophisticated Jewish learning,” said one student. Another student, said, “The classroom dynamic between the various participants is something I really enjoyed. Each person brought their own perspective and experience to the texts we studied, which made for some interesting discussion and debate.”

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Grandson of PhiliPPine President Quezon meets max Weissler E-mail

Over half a century ago, more than 1000 European Jews arrived on Philippine soil to seek refuge and a new life, far away from the tyranny of Nazi oppression in Europe. Among these refugees were a young Max Weissler and his family.

This life-saving journey was made possible through the heroic actions of the President of the Philippines at the time, Manuel L Quezon. President Quezon firmly believed in the vision of doing what is right, much akin to the heroic vision of Oskar Schindler.

President Quezon declared an ‘Open Doors’ policy which facilitated the issue of 10,000 visas for Jewish refugees who were escaping the terror of the Holocaust during WWII.

Tragically, only 1,300 Jews were able to reach the Philippines and accept the generosity of President Quezon and the Filipino people and start a new life in the Philippines. As the war unfolded it became increasingly difficult for Jews to leave Europe and find a safe haven.

On 2 October 2012, the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv facilitated the first ever meeting between Manuel Quezon Avanceña, a grandson of President Quezon, and Max Weissler, now aged 76, who still lives in the Philippines and who is one of the few surviving Jewish refugees there.

This memorable and touching meeting was hosted by the Philippine Ambassador in Israel, Generoso Calonge. Ambassador Calonge was delighted to be a part of this, noting how Mr Weissler is always keen to recount his journey to the Philippines and the story of his family as they settled into life in Manila.

The Ambassador said, “He is a living testament to the heroic deed of President Manuel Quezon who did what other nations could not or did not do during the difficult ordeal of the Jews in Europe.”

At the meeting Mr Weissler recounted many of his adventures and fond memories of life in the Philippines and even showed off some of the Tagalog words and phrases that he could still remember, to the delight of President Quezon’s grandson.

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Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu engages with Chinese Ambassador E-mail

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Gao Yanping, Chinese Ambassador to Israel, on the occasion of China’s National Day, which is celebrated on 1 October.

They discussed the recent progress in relations between the two nations with the Prime Minister stating, “the relationship with China is in the national interest of the State of Israel.”

This year, Israel and China commemorated 20 years of diplomatic relations. Israel assigns great importance to the promotion of its ties with China, the number two economic power in the world, a member of the UN Security Council and a major player in Asia and in the international arena. Israel greatly admires the economic, scientific and technological development that character rises the growth of China in the last few decades.

Jewish people today fully appreciate the safe haven that China provided for thousands of Jews at the end of the 19th century, throughout the Russian revolution and also during WW II when Shanghai provided a sanctuary for 30,000 European Jews.

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