shorts: u.s.

Judge rejects Pollard's appeal

washington (ap) | A federal judge turned down convicted spy Jonathan Pollard's latest attempt to reduce the life sentence he received for selling military secrets to Israel while working as an intelligence analyst for the Navy.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan said Pollard waited too long to try to contest the 1987 sentence and did not make a convincing case that he got poor legal help from the high-powered stable of lawyers who have worked for him over the years.

Hogan also refused a request from Pollard's latest legal team to see secret documents the Reagan administration submitted to the judge who imposed the sentence 16 years ago.

UJC vows to continue

overseas funding

new york (jta) | The North American Jewish federation system pledged to continue funding its overseas beneficiaries.

Amid widespread concern that the United Jewish Communities has decreased funding to the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and the Jewish Agency for Israel, the UJC's delegates assembly resolved Monday, Nov. 17 to "increase its efforts in the advocacy for allocations in support of overseas needs" and "project a strong and clear message of funding goals" in this area.

Among several resolutions passed by the delegates assembly, the group also pledged to "provide material support" to local and national efforts to bring teens and young adults to Israel.

That resolution comes amid concern over future funding of Birthright Israel, the free trip for 18- to 26-year-olds who have never been on a peer tour to Israel.

The UJC, which funds a large portion of Birthright, has fallen short of its funding goals to the program over the years.