Senator Joseph Lieberman, in South Florida this week to stump for John McCain, says he won’t accept a position in a McCain administration — including the VP slot.
Caveat emptor: There is quite a bit of background noise and unfortunately a fair amount of cellphone interference on this interview. After the first minute or so it’s less apparent, but we apologize nonetheless.
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Senator Norm Coleman addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition Friday morning in Boca Raton. Afterwards, he spoke with reporters about why he’s supporting Rudy Giuiliani for president.
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According to Joe Lieberman, John McCain thinks heaven is filled with Jews praying. Lieberman also says Iran’s leaders are modern day Amalekites. Click below to hear Lieberman’s speech Thursday to a Chabad luncheon in Fort Lauderdale.
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Representative Adam Hasner, a Jewish Republican in the Florida House of Representatives and the Deputy Minority Leader, talks to JTA about why he’s supporting John McCain for president.
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Newsweek reports that rabbis are adopting a new strategy to prevent intermarriage: JDate.
For the first time in its 10-year history, the site is offering a bulk rate to rabbis who want to buy membership accounts for their congregants. According to Gail Laguna, JDate’s vice president of communications, singles who sign up through their congregation get a slight discount on the site’s $149 six-month subscription fee. “This is a way for us to break down the walls of the synagogue,” said Rabbi Michael Cahana, who leads the Congregation Beth Israel in Portland, Ore. “We should use all the technological tools that are available to us.”
Rabbi Kenneth Emert, of Temple Beth Rishon in Wyckoff, N.J., turned to his synagogue’s discretionary budget to purchase a dozen three-month memberships for single congregants. Only one rule: “No mothers, no grandmothers.”
Singles, in other words, have to sign up themselves. The financial aid is appreciated. If not for Emert, says 29-year-old public-interest lawyer Noah Mamber, “I would have had to choose between JDate and food.”
Clever fund-raising video from the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley. Wonder if it will work.
In between campaign stops in Florida, Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani talked with JTA about his efforts in the Sunshine State, the religious rhetoric in the GOP race, the Israeli-Palestinian peace effort, changes that he would like to see made in America’s approach to foreign aid and his popularity in the Jewish community.
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JTA Editor Lisa Hostein goes behind the scenes of President Bush’s trip to the Middle East with Ron Kampeas, who is traveling with the president.
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Keith Olberman gives his take on Peres and Bush’s Hava Nagilah moment (or, if you can’t stand the guy, some raw footage below) …