Shorts: World

Will Jesus fight anti-Semitism?

paris (ap) | A Jewish group plans to "modify" its campaign against anti-Semitism after drawing negative reactions to its advertisements that showed an image of Jesus and Mary with the slur "Dirty Jew" scrawled across it to mimic graffiti.

"Faced with the reactions to this campaign against anti-Semitism, the Union of Jewish Students of France has decided to modify the visuals," the group said in a statement.

The advertisements were due to be published in French newspapers this week. Last week newspapers ran articles previewing the ads, which were designed to shock and draw attention to France's ongoing battle against anti-Semitism.

"We have to accept that something strong is needed today to fight against anti-Semitism," said Yonathan Arfi, the group's president. "And we thought these advertisements were good. We thought they were strong."




Putin: More synagogues needed

moscow (jta) | Vladimir Putin promised his government's assistance to help solve the problems of the country's Jewish communities.

The Russian president made the statement Monday, Oct. 25, during a Kremlin meeting with one of his country's chief rabbis, Berel Lazar.

The meeting was seen as another gesture of solidarity Putin has offered to Lazar's Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, the largest organization of Russian Jewry. The meeting took place during the group's biannual conference in Moscow. Putin told Lazar he favors the construction of new synagogues and Jewish community centers where necessary.




Russian Jews seek new peace

moscow (jta) | The era of infighting within the Russian Jewish community is over, the incoming president of the Russian Jewish Congress has said.

"The main task on today's agenda is the fight against terrorism. To succeed in this fight, it is necessary that all Jewish organizations are united," Vladimir Slutsker said Monday, Oct. 25, addressing delegates to the biannual conference of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia, a Chabad-led umbrella group and the largest Jewish organization in Russia.

Slutsker, a banker and member of the Russian Parliament's upper house, was preliminarily approved by the RJC board meeting last week to replace Yevgeny Satanovsky at the helm of one of the leading organizations of Russian Jewry.




Do you want to check those?

bucharest (jta) | An Israeli was caught reportedly trying to smuggle 230 diamonds into Romania.

Airport police in Bucharest confiscated the rough diamonds Saturday, Oct. 23, after they were discovered sewn into the suspect's pants. The suspect, identified only as Yitzhak Z., was also fined $610 for not declaring the diamonds at customs.




Unlikely pinball wizards

tokyo (jta) | Japan's patent office will not allow a company to make pinball machines named after Hitler and Moses.

The decision was made in May, but only recently publicized. The office is not allowed to grant trademarks that may disrupt public order and morals, a patent official told The Associated Press.




Ukrainian Jews inaugurate JCC

Moscow (jta) | Jews in a Ukrainian city celebrated the inauguration of a Jewish community center.

The Max Grant Jewish Community Center was inaugurated Monday, Oct. 25, in Zaporozhye. The facility was constructed with funds donated by World Jewish Relief, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Federation of Jewish Communities and local donors.

The building will house a community and welfare center running a variety of cultural, religious and charity programs for Zaporozhye's estimated 20,000 Jews.