Orthodox mass prayer in NYC to protest Israel yeshiva call-up

Whether it’s Hollywood-inspired goodwill or a mass prayer to continue praying, we’ve once again rounded it all up for you in one nice, neat Jewish news summary – dated 10 March 2014

Guatemala

Children from a Charedi sect in Quebec have turned up in Guatemala after a Canadian judge order child protection teams to take them into care. Members of Lev Tahor spirited the children out after authorities found evidence of abuse, neglect, underage marriage and the forced ingestion of drugs.

France

France has announced the restitution of three precious paintings days ahead of the premier of a Hollywood film on Nazi-looted art. The imminent release of ‘The Monuments Men,’ starring George Clooney, prompted the ‘gesture of remembrance’ from Culture Minister Aurelie Flipetti.

United States

Up to 50,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews took to the streets of New York on Sunday to protest Israeli plans to draft young yeshiva students into the armed forces. The mass prayer was organised to show support for Israel’s ultra-Orthodox fighting a law that requireS them to share the burden from 2017.

Iraq

Iraqi Jews have supported new efforts from American politicians to stop the return to Baghdad of historical documents shedding light on Iraq’s ancient Jewish community. US soldiers found them after storming Saddam Hussein’s secret police, who seized them following a campaign against Iraq’s Jews.

Ireland

Students of the National University of Ireland have voted to boycott Israel. Two thirds of the 3,000 votes cast in the referendum endorsed the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which is non-binding on the university. Last year the Teachers’ Union of Ireland did the same.

Australia

B’nai B’rith has lodged a strong complaint with Australian authorities about the country’s ‘extreme, harsh and disturbing’ detention of asylum seekers and their children on the island of Nauru. The Jewish human rights organisation said it was ‘outraged’ at the policy of indefinite detention.