Campus Report
by Diane Joy Schmidt Following the attack by Hamas terrorists on Israel on October 7th, week after week protests have grown across college campuses against Israel's response. Protesters' activities escalated nationally and at both the University of New Mexico and at New Mexico State University. While individual
Food
by Claudette Sutton photos by Charles Brunn On a rainy day in September, on the steps of the federal courthouse in downtown Santa Fe, our son Ariel married the woman of his dreams. Mind you, this is the same boy who announced one night at three years old when I
Lists
by Rabbi Min Kantrowitz When I first heard of the Israeli/Arab organization “Standing Together”, I was skeptical. “Oh, no” I thought, “another bunch of overly optimistic dreamers saying nice things about coexistence and doing nothing”. I was wrong. Standing Together is the largest Jewish/Palestinian grass roots movement in
Arts Feature
By Norma Libman It all started a year ago when, on a trip to England, Santa Fe artist Gloria Abella Ballen visited the Wren Library at the University of Cambridge. The library is named for the renowned eighteenth-century British architect and physicist Christopher Wren, and is one of the most
Traveling while Jewish
by Carl Montoya As a native-born New Mexican, my family history took an unexpected turn when I decided to study Spanish, my parents’ first language. Fueled by a lifelong desire to learn the language my parents did not speak at home, the pandemic presented me with the perfect opportunity. I
Traveling while Jewish
by Neala McCarten photos by Neala McCarten Last year I was in Israel for the first time, seeing the Israeli flag flying over a building in Tel Aviv was the most inspiring sight the Jewish side of my identity had ever seen…until I walked into the Great Synagogue of
Las Cruces
by Marla Cohen, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Las Cruces and El Paso During Passover, the Jewish Federation of El Paso and Las Cruces learned that an antisemitic resolution was being considered by the Las Cruces City Council. This was a surprising turnaround from December 2023 when the
Issue 2
Mayor Tim Keller has honored Albuquerque's first mayor, Henry Nathan Jaffa, with a plaque prominently positioned at City Hall. Jaffa also founded Congregation Albert, the reform synagogue in Albuquerque. Along with the unveiling of the plaque, Mayor Keller presented Rabbi Surget with the annual Executive Order proclaiming May,
Issue 2
by NMJJ staff A series of bomb threats from one individual were directed at synagogues in late May and early June. Two of the synagogues are in Las Cruces and in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and one is in Denver, Colorado. Jeremy Shaver, Senior Associate Regional Director of the ADL
Lists
by Ron Duncan Hart The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, located in the Negev, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for its “groundbreaking work in the fields of dialogue and diplomacy, climate engagement, education, and research.” The Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Tareq Abu Hamed, an Arab
Diane Joy Schmidt
by Diane Joy Schmidt The great disruptor mocks perfection and introduces disorder into creation. When I swung open the back door to let the dogs out late at night, cold rushed in around my ankles. Bright stars glittered through the cottonwoods. The quarter-moon was up, dancing its way across the
Traveling while Jewish
By Michael Wald photos by Michael Wald Are there Jews in Panama? Let’s take a first-hand look. I served two years as a Peace Corps volunteer with my wife, Jackie, in Panama from 2008 to 2010. We were stationed in the remote city of Santiago about four hours by