Blog: Reverend Discusses Trip to Galilee, near Syria and Lebanon

See photos and blog posts from the Rev. Adrien Dawson's trip she is taking through Israel.

The Rev. Adrien Dawson discusses her current trip to Israel in her blog "Sweet Sweet Spirit, Reflections on the Intersection of Peoples Lives, Faith and Building an Intercultural Community." At the church of Feeding the 5000 near Galilee, she wrote Friday: "Somewhere around here, under centuries of dirt and the shifting of sands, Jesus stood. So, all the emphasis on the "right" location (of where it actually occurred) misses the point for me."   Read more, including her visit to the northern border near Syria and Lebanon.

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US Official Lays Wreath at Holocaust Memorial

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visits Israel Sunday.

LETTER: Day School Seniors Do a Mitzvah of Love

Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School visits Poland and Israel.

Editor's Note: Following is a Letter to the Editor submitted by Rabbi Ellen Greenspan. The Beth Tfiloh seniors are in the middle of their month long trip to Poland and Israel. After a week in Poland, the students arrived in Israel, and one of the stops on their mitzvah-oriented agenda was a visit to ALYN Hospital. ALYN is Israel’s premier rehabilitation center for children with physical disabilities. Children from all over Israel come seeking ALYN’s cutting-edge, multi-disciplinary treatment for a wide range of disabilities including neuromuscular conditions, birth defects and issues that result from cancer surgeries, car accidents, acts of terror and other life happenstances. ALYN welcomes all children regardless of ethnicity or religion …

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PHOTOS: Israel Independence Day Celebration

Check out some great photos from Sunday's 64th anniversary celebration at Towson University.

The Baltimore Israel Coalition drew a crowd of about 1,000 people to its Baltimore-wide celebration of Israel's 64th birthday. The event was held Sunday at Towson University. Coalition organizations participating in the event included the Baltimore Zionist District, The Associated, Baltimore Jewish Council and Macks Center for Jewish Education. View photos of the event on BaltimoreJewishLife.com.

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POLL: How Do You React to Holocaust Denial, Minimization?

A column in "The Daily Beast" explores some possible misconceptions about the Holocaust and its importance to the existence of Israel.

Holocaust Remembrance Day is Thursday in the United States. To commemorate the same day celebrated earlier this week in Israel, a column in The Daily Beast discusses how some people believe that the Holocaust is the reason there's an independent state of Israel. On the flip side, they then deny the Holocaust happened, minimize its importance, or use similar tactics to conclude that Israel should not exist, the column by Dr. Einat Wilf states. But Wilf gives her opinion on why Israel does exist. And it isn't about the Holocaust. Rather, her explanation includes the following statements and more: "Israel exists because the Jews willed it into existence," she states. "The modern state of Israel exists because the Jews who created it believed …

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Celebrate Israel's Independence Day on April 29

Baltimore Israel Coalition has put together a celebration for the entire Baltimore community.

  Choirs, family activities, music and a showing of the documentary "Israel Inside" are planned for April 29—Baltimore Israel Coalition's Israel Independence Day Celebration. The event will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at Towson University's West Village Commons. It's being held to celebrate Israel's 64th birthday, according to The Associated's website. For more information on the event, read a report on BaltimoreJewishLife.com. Editor's Note: The Associated's Baltimore Israel Coalition is coordinating the event.

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Blog: Soldier, Pikesvillian, Celebrates in Tel Aviv

Alex Simone, 23, of Pikesville is serving in the Israel Defense Forces, and writes about his experiences.

In his latest blog post, Alex Simone writes about celebrating a milestone in Tel Aviv, visiting a combat engineering base near Israel's border with Lebanon, and preparing for his first Purim celebration in Israel. Following is an excerpt from Simone's March 7 blog Shalom Yaakov in Israel: A Repository of My New Life in the Holy Land: "My last week at Michveh Alon did not go as smoothly as I anticipated. I started the week a little sick and only got worse as we drilled our ceremonial marching over and over again through the rain. "I managed to score half a day of bed rest—while my friends marched in the rain—when I finally secured an appointment with a merciful doctor. "On Wednesday, after a few miserable hours of marching in pouring rain, …

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Blog: Pro-Israel Begins with a 'Deep Understanding'

Roey Tshuva, shaliach for the Baltimore Zionist District, says it's about understanding that Israel is " ... Trying to be the only democracy in the region and the only Jewish State in the world."

U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman: 'We're a Generation That's Literally Blessed'

The independent Connecticut senator was the keynote speaker during the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Midatlantic Chapter benefit held Sunday in Pikesville.

The United States must work to preserve Israel’s future by preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, said U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman during a Sunday benefit in Pikesville. The Democrat-turned-independent senator from Connecticut was the keynote speaker at a fundraiser for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Midatlantic Chapter, based in the Baltimore area. Lieberman was introduced at the event by Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin. "We're a generation that is literally blessed to live to see the re-creation of the state as the result of the service and effort and heroism of the people who fought for it," Lieberman said during a benefit held at the Beth Tfiloh Congregation. "But it will only be preserved if we continue to support it and if …

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The Associated Seeks Phone-A-Thon Volunteers

The fundraiser helps Jews in Baltimore, Israel and worldwide.

A Jewish community organization could use more volunteers to work the phones during its Super Sunday fundraiser. The Associated will lead hundreds of volunteers in making thousands of phone calls Sunday during the annual phone-a-thon at the Weinberg Park Heights Jewish Community Center, at 5700 Park Heights Ave. The group hopes to raise money to support "Jews in Baltimore, Israel and struggling communities throughout the world," according to a news release from The Associated. The group supports 14 local human services agencies and three overseas partners. Volunteers can work the entire day—from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.—or one of two sessions, 9 a.m. to noon or noon to 3 p.m. To volunteer, register on The Associated's website. Super Sunday will …

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