Jewish

A pro-Israel organization canceled a protest rally at the Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica after the hotel's co-owner condemned anti-Semitism and agreed to donate to Jewish and Israeli causes. In reaching the agreement with the western region of the Zionist Organization of America, hotel executive Tehmina Adaya sought to defuse reaction to a jury's recent decision that she had discriminated against a Jewish group that held a charity event at the hotel. "I care deeply about the hurt, anger and misunderstanding that has resulted, and I want the Jewish and pro-Israel community to know I condemn anti-Semitism," Adaya said Friday in a statement.

One does not usually think of the conventions of the major U.S. political parties as having any particular impact on Jewish history. But 68 years ago, the Republican National Convention adopted a plank that would shape the future of U.S.-Israel relations and redefine the role of Jewish voters in American politics. This surprising turn of events was the result of efforts by an unlikely trio: a former president, a maverick journalist-turned-congresswoman and the father of Israel's current prime minister.

The fact that the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony is making a big deal out of its 18th anniversary concert on Sunday at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre - and isn't sure whether it will treat its 20th as a special occasion - is just the latest unique happenstance flowing from Noreen Green's decision to strike up an orchestra different from all other orchestras. Her idea of forming an ensemble that follows Jewish threads through the classical and pops traditions has had enough staying power to reach a milestone that is itself uniquely Jewish.

JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday condemned the brutal beating of a Palestinian teenager by a gang of Jewish youths shouting anti-Arab slurs. Though racially motivated attacks by both Israelis and Palestinians are not uncommon, the incident Thursday night in central Jerusalem has triggered a wave of soul-searching among Israelis, particularly after one suspect expressed pride in his actions because the victim was Arab. "In the state of Israel, we are not prepared to tolerate racism," Netanyahu said Tuesday.

Today in “news that's interesting if not terribly surprising”: Jews like Jon Stewart and Christians like Stephen Colbert. In a survey conducted by the religiously themed dating websites JDate and Christian Mingle, more than 2,000 users were asked to name their “favorite political news funnyman.” Stewart, who is Jewish, was the overwhelming favorite of the JDate poll (51% ) while Catholic Stephen Colbert won a plurality of the votes on Christian Mingle (39%). To be fair, the survey was less than scientific and the choices were rather limited - in addition to Stewart, Colbert, users could select “Real Time” host Bill Maher or “Weekend Update” anchor Seth Meyers - but the results suggest there may be a strong cultural bias when it comes to political satire.

The Hotel Shangri-La in Santa Monica and its owner discriminated against members of a Jewish organization at a charitable event two years ago, a jury in Santa Monica determined Wednesday. The case was brought by young leaders of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, who had gathered on the afternoon of July 11, 2010, at the Art Deco hotel. Soon after their party got underway around the pool, hotel staff and security guards began telling group members to remove their literature and banners, to get out of the pool and hot tub, and to stop handing out T-shirts, according to legal documents and testimony.

Though historians argue about the importance of individuals to the course of history, the significance of Theodor Herzl in the development of Zionism and the eventual creation of the state of Israel is hard to deny. As detailed in the informative but uneven documentary "It Is No Dream: The Life of Theodore Herzl," the passion this unexpected man developed for creating a homeland for the Jews was the sine qua non for putting modern European Zionism on the map. When Herzl said, in his most famous quote, "if you will it, it is no dream," he proved as good as his word.

Dan Schnur misses some crucial points about the Jewish community in his Op-Ed article Sunday on  Republican efforts to woo Jewish voters. First, the idea that President Obama's policies toward Israel are substantially different than Mitt Romney's would be -- or than President George W. Bush's were -- is incorrect.  Rhetorically, Obama made some effort in 2010 to rein in Israel's settlement building, but in practice Israel has been able to...

Have you heard the one about the Westside Jewish Republican Club? Its members take turns hosting the gatherings, and they meet each month in the host's car. The Democrats' advantage among Jewish voters might not be quite that extreme, but there's no question that the Jewish community in this country has always leaned strongly toward the Democratic Party and its candidates. Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush achieved a high-water mark for the GOP by winning more than 30% of the Jewish vote during their elections in the 1980s.

The campaign trail can often be bumpy and harrowing -- early-morning wake-up calls, bad food and late-night deadlines all lead to wear and tear on the politicos and reporters who crisscross the nation trying to keep tabs on the men and women who seek to become the leader of the free world.  But, as an incident involving Mitt Romney showed Wednesday, campaigns can also take on the carnival-like feel of a circus. The presumptive GOP nominee, upon arrival in Lake Terrace, N.J., for a fundraiser, was literally chased by a wedding party, including one man who tried to scale a fence.