NEW YORK CITY (JTA) – An Orthodox, kosher-keeping teen has won a “Chopped” championship. Rachel Goldzal, 13, of Staten Island, won the episode that aired on Sept. 4, beating two 12 year olds and a 10 year old. She was 12 when she filmed the Food Network cooking reality show in the spring. She is the first kosher champion in […]

The Shalom Food Pantry’s first  “Battle of the BBQs” competition is set for July 29. The event begins at 2 and continues until 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 29, at 393 Delaware Ave., Delmar. The proceeds from the competition will go to the Shalom Food Pantry, an organization to help those in need. Six teams representing six local Jewish organizations will compete in different categories including Ultimate […]

The 2018 B’nai B’rith Capital Area Holocaust Essay Contest Award Ceremony was held recently in Albany at the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York Golub Campus Community Room. The three winning middle school and the three high school student essayists read their essays aloud and were awarded cash prizes. They also received contest award certificates, as well as certificates of achievement from […]

Medad Lytton, son of Rachel Anisfeld and Timothy Lytton, has been selected as one of the Bronfman Fellowship 32nd cohort of 11th grade high school students, Lytton is a senior at the Atlanta Jewish Academy in Georgia and a member of Young Israel of Toco Hills, formerly attended the Hebrew Academy of the Capital District in Albany through the eighth grade. […]

NEW YORK CITY (JTA) — For the fourth time in its four decades of participating in the Eurovision song contest, Israel has won the international competition. The song “Toy” by Netta Barzilai, 24, secured Israel’s victory at the Eurovision contest this year at the Finals Saturday in Lisbon, Portugal. The victory means Israel will host the event next year. Barzilai’s song […]

The 2018 B’nai B’rith Capital Area Holocaust Essay Contest essay topic is: “What lessons can we learn from the rise of fascism in Germany and the Holocaust in Europe?  Can a similar abuse of power occur today and, if so, how might you contribute toward preventing it?” The free and non-commercial contest, supported by middle and high school administrators and teachers, is open to middle and high […]

The Albany/Schenectady delegation won 87 medals (40 gold, 31 silver, 16 bronze) during the recent Capital Region Maccabi Games. This was a record number of wins for the delegation. Local winners in the Games were: Yannai Arazi (1 Silver, Tennis; Ballston Lake), Ben Berin (1 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze, Swimming; Delmar), David Berin (2 Gold, 7 Silver, 3 Bronze, […]

Winning essayists of the 2017 B’nai B’rith Capital Area Holocaust Essay Contest are Meghan Emery of the Loudonville Christian School in the high school division and Claire Pike of the Ravenna-Coeymans Middle School. The award ceremony was held on June 7 at the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York.  Contest Chairperson Bob Michaels was emcee of the program, and students […]

Eli Gordon, son of Itche and Dini Gordon of Albany was recently announced as the Better 2 Write second place winner, a national Jewish essay contest. Eli’s “Lessons from my Zaidy” was selected in the middle school division. Fifty schools submitted essays in the national contest. Eli, 11 years old, and in the 6th grade, wrote the essay as part […]

BY BOB MICHAELS The 2017 B’nai B’rith Capital Area Holocaust Essay Contest is underway. This free and non-commercial contest is supported by high school and middle school administrators and teachers, and involves students in 12 contiguous area counties. The contest is based upon the premise that today’s students will become tomorrow’s leaders and voters and that they should be made aware […]