Ashton Kutcher Wishes You Shabbat Shalom & Other Orthodox Jews in the News

Two Ultra-Orthodox Feminists Challenge Israel’s Political Landscape
They are ultra-Orthodox feminists and liken their group to the suffragist movement. Esty Shushan and Estee Rieder-Indursky have been fighting for the past five years for women’s rights within their strictly conservative ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community. Now they are trying to draw worldwide attention.

Jamaica’s 1st Kosher Eatery Serves Spicy Jerk Cuisine
Jamaica has its first kosher restaurant. Kosher Hot Spot, run by Chabad of Jamaica, will serve the island nation’s famous jerk cooking in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet marinated with a hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice. The eatery, which opened last week, is located on Montego Bay’s “hip strip,” which is home to dozens of restaurants and shops. In addition to traditional Jamaican food, the restaurant will serve Israeli specials such as falafel. The restaurant also sells Judaica and Jewish Jamaican souvenirs. “We will feed your body and soul,” Rabbi Yaakov Raskin, co-director of Chabad of Jamaica.

Uptown Rabbi Donating His Kidney to a Stranger
Out of the goodness of his heart, Rabbi Avrohom (Alan) Hoffman decided to donate a kidney to a stranger. The 63-year-old rabbi and teacher will be wheeled into surgery Tuesday morning, surrendering a kidney for the benefit of a 62-year-old Queens woman. Donor and recipient met for the first time Monday.

Women Should Dress Modestly To Succeed At Work — Science Proves It
After years of dressing modestly, I noticed how I became less preoccupied with what others thought of my physical attractiveness. This did not change my commitment to dressing with style, but it became more about projecting polish, authority and competence, as opposed to sexiness. However, as a lobbyist with a graduate degree in public policy, I can’t rely just on anecdotes or subjective emotions. I ventured to see if there is any data and empirical evidence that would explain this phenomenon to me. What I found blew me away.

How This Chasidic Rabbi’s Video About A Lobster Went Viral
In 2008, a 91-second video of Rabbi Abraham Twerski, a chasidic rabbi and psychiatrist, discussing how to deal with stress, was released on JInsider, a website with a mission to offer Jewish wisdom to the world. To date, the video (below) has been viewed more than 84 million times on Facebook. It has been shared by 1.7 million people, “liked” by 438,000 and has received 49,000 comments. And those numbers continue to increase.

Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Are Getting Their First Startup Fund
The first investment fund for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox startup community is about to close, offering a new springboard for religiously devout entrepreneurs whose centuries-old garb and insular ways haven’t made them a natural fit for the tech scene. With a target of $5 million, the 12Angels fund is meant to encourage the slow but steady inroads the ultra-Orthodox, or haredi, community is making into an industry dominated by veterans of elite Israeli military units. Its first investment, of $150,000, was supplemented by the head of Facebook Israel, the chief scientist’s office and another fund. The company, developing a cyber tool for websites, raised $1 million in total.

Ashton Kutcher Wishes Instagram Followers ‘Shabbat Shalom’
On Friday, the actor posted an image of candles with the Shabbat blessing in Hebrew on his Instagram page. His caption was “SS,” a shorter way of saying “Shabbat Shalom.” The post garnered nearly 4,000 likes in under an hour — and plenty of Shabbat Shalom wishes in return.

Salomon Family Celebrates Brit Milah
Hundreds of people participated Thursday in the Brit Milah (circumcision) ceremony for the grandson born to the Salomon family last week. The baby’s name is “Ari Yosef.” His parents, Shmuel and Chen Salomon, said that they invited all of Israel to participate in their joy “so that the Salomon family will be remembered as happy and joyous and not sad and hurt.” Shmuel said that his son was named “Ari” after his wife’s late grandfather, and that the middle name “Yosef” was added in memory of his father, murdered in a brutal terrorist attack last Friday night.

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