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Forward this to a friend December 18, 2008

In This issue

Chicago, Midwest, and US news

* Madoff scandal rocks Jewish philanthropic world; JUF/JF had no investments with Madoff
* Federation participates in Obama Transition Team meeting with Jewish groups
* Deputy Consul offers the Israeli perspective on Gaza

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

* More Kassams rain on Israel
* Annapolis process for Mideast peace garners strong support

Israel and World news

* Dalia Itzik wins Kadima primaries
* Deadly crash comes as Russian tourism to Israel climbs
* Israel to aid developing countries
* UN human rights investigator--and 9/11 conspiracy theorist--unwelcome in Israel
* Jews of Yemen might relocate in wake of attacks
* Pope Benedict XVI to visit Israel in May
* Film school offers a 'kosher' career choice
* Israel all abuzz over 'Big Brother'

Events and Programs

* TOV's Merry Mitzvot offers opportunities to give back
* Latest episode of 'Sanctuary' available online

Opinion & Analysis

* From the world press

Chicago, Midwest, and US news
MADOFF SCANDAL ROCKS JEWISH PHILANTHROPIC WORLD; JUF/JF HAD NO INVESTMENTS WITH MADOFF

The fallout from Bernard Madoff's alleged fraud is rocking individuals, foundations and charities, especially many Jewish non-profits.

Earlier this week David Sherman, chairman, and Steven B. Nasatir, president, assured the JUF/JF board of directors that the institution's investments "have no direct or indirect investment in any Madoff-related account and have not been affected by this alleged fraud. Funds invested in our pooled endowment portfolio by donor-advised funds, other federations, foundations, and organizations in our community also have not been impacted."

Investments in Federation's pooled endowment portfolio are diversified extensively, with more than 100 individual investments in the pool. As a matter of policy, no more than 1.5% of the total portfolio can be invested in any single hedge fund-type investment. Also, any investment in the Jewish Federation pooled endowment portfolio is subjected to an extensive screening process. As a matter of policy, the Federation does not invest in entities that are not audited by a nationally-recognized accounting firm. In addition, before we initiate any type of hedge fund investment, the manager's record is subjected to an exhaustive quantitative screening process--and any results that cannot be quantitatively replicated are considered suspect and will warrant a more in-depth analysis.

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FEDERATION PARTICIPATES IN OBAMA TRANSITION TEAM MEETING WITH JEWISH GROUPS

Amy York, head of the Chicago Jewish Federation's Washington, D.C. Government Affairs office attended a meeting earlier today with senior members of President-elect Obama's transition team. Federation was one of 25 groups -- most of which are national in scope -- invited to participate in the meeting that was expected to focus on domestic and international issues.

In advance of the meeting, JTA reported: "Foreign policy issues expected to be featured on the agenda include containing the Iranian nuclear threat, Obama's position on the Bush administration's late push for Palestinian statehood and whether as president Obama would encourage the Israeli-Syrian peace track. On domestic policy, Jewish officials said they were less likely to focus on Obama's grand proposals of universal health care and public works, and more on emergency measures aimed at addressing the current financial crisis, including gaps in funding for Medicare and Medicaid, the entitlement programs that subsidize health care, respectively, for the elderly and the poor."

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DEPUTY CONSUL OFFERS THE ISRAELI PERSPECTIVE ON GAZA
Deputy Consul General of Israel to the Midwest Gershon Kedar was interviewed about the Israeli perspective on the situation in Gaza on Chicago Public Radio, WBEZ, 91.5 FM, Tuesday.
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Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
MORE KASSAMS RAIN ON ISRAEL

At least 24 Kassam rockets were fired on southern Israel Wednesday morning. One exploded in the border town of Sderot, wounding two people and damaging a restaurant. Nine rockets hit Israel Tuesday. In response, Israel's army struck two launchers ready to fire Kassams into northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, the truce between Israel and Hamas is scheduled to expire Friday.
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ANNAPOLIS PROCESS FOR MIDEAST PEACE GARNERS STRONG SUPPORT

Palestinian and Israeli negotiators have made considerable progress since restarting peace talks at the U.S.-sponsored Annapolis Conference in November 2007, says Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who urged both sides to redouble their efforts toward a two-state solution and a future Palestinian state.
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Israel and World news
DALIA ITZIK WINS KADIMA PRIMARIES

Knesset speaker -- the big winner in Wednesday's Kadima primaries -- will follow Livni, Mofaz on party's Knesset list. Only 44% of eligible voters cast ballots, marking lower turnout than recent Likud and Labor primaries.
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DEADLY CRASH COMES AS RUSSIAN TOURISM TO ISRAEL CLIMBS

Twenty-four Russians and one Israeli died, and more than 30 people were injured, when the charter bus they were riding in crashed on the winding mountain road near Eilat in southern Israel on Tuesday afternoon. The passengers were travel agency representatives from St. Petersburg.
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ISRAEL TO AID DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Israeli Ambassador to UN Gabriela Shalev signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Program through which Israel will aid developing nations -- mostly in Africa -- to provide knowledge and technological abilities in the fields of agriculture, water, food, health and education.
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UN HUMAN RIGHTS INVESTIGATOR--AND 9/11 CONSPIRACY THEORIST--UNWELCOME IN ISRAEL

Israeli authorities on Monday expelled Richard Falk, a United Nations investigator of human rights in the Palestinian territories, saying he was unwelcome because of what the government has regarded as his hostile position toward Israel.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Falk's "highly politicized views" legitimize "Hamas terrorism and drawing shameful comparisons to the Holocaust."
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JEWS OF YEMEN MIGHT RELOCATE IN WAKE OF ATTACKS

President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen is planning to relocate Yemen's Jews from the Amran district and the city of Raidah to the capital, Sana, where each Jewish family will receive a plot of land. The news comes on the heels of last Thursday's murder of Moshe Nahari in the northern town of Riydah and the Monday night throwing of two hand-made bombs at a home of a community member.
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POPE BENEDICT XVI TO VISIT ISRAEL IN MAY

Pope Benedict XVI plans to visit Israel in May, stopping en route in Amman, Jordan, an Italian newspaper reported Tuesday. The schedule was also said to include masses in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth.
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FILM SCHOOL OFFERS A 'KOSHER' CAREER CHOICE

The author of the popular Israeli TV series, "Srugim," is a graduate of the Ma'ale School of Film and Television, barely known outside Jerusalem, which puts modern Orthodox Jews in front of and behind the camera. "We're bringing a new visual language to Judaism," says Neta Ariel, Ma'ale's director since 2001.
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ISRAEL ALL ABUZZ OVER 'BIG BROTHER'
From Internet chat rooms to household dinner tables, the Israeli version of the reality TV show "Big Brother" has all but taken over the national discourse. Critics complain the show is dragging the nation's culture into the sewer and distracting the country from real issues of importance.