nation / world
Volodymyr Zelensky Named Time’s ‘Person of the Year’
Volodymyr Zelensky, the Jewish president of Ukraine, was named Time’s “per-
son of the year” on Dec. 7 for galvanizing “the world in a way we haven’t seen in
decades,” in the words of the magazine’s editor-in-chief, JTA.org reported.

“From his first 40-second Instagram post on Feb. 25 — showing that his
Cabinet and civil society were intact and in place — to daily speeches delivered
remotely to the likes of houses of Parliament, the World Bank, and the Grammy
Awards, Ukraine’s President was everywhere,” Edward Felsenthal wrote in an
article explaining the choice. “His information offensive shifted the geopolitical
weather system, setting off a wave of action that swept the globe.”
Zelensky is only the third Jew to claim the honor in the magazine’s almost 100
years of awarding it. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg earned it in 2010, and
former Treasury Secretary Ben Bernanke won it in 2009.

This Chanukah,
give the gift of life.

Israel Condemns Netflix Movie About 1948 War of
Independence Israel’s government has lashed out at Netflix over a new Jordanian movie that
they say disparages the country’s military and their actions in the War of 1948
that led to Israel’s independence, JTA.org reported.

“Farha,” Jordan’s entry into the Academy Awards’ best international feature
race, is a historical drama about the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe,” the Palestinian
term for the events that led to the founding of the state of Israel. In the film, a
Palestinian teenager locked in a storage room witnesses a family being slaughtered
by the Israel Defense Forces. Two small children and a baby are among the victims.

The movie debuted on Netflix on Dec. 1, and Al Saraya Theatre, a theater
in Jaffa popular among Arab Israelis, planned to screen it. Its director, Darin
Sallam, has said she based the film off twice-removed real-life testimony from a
Palestinian refugee of 1948 who ended up in Syria.

But Israel has attacked the film and its producers over what the government
says is an unfair portrayal of the IDF.

“To me, it is ridiculous that Netflix chose to release a film whose entire pur-
pose is inciting mockery against IDF soldiers,” Israeli Finance Minister Avidgor
Lieberman said.

USDA Launches Webpage Listing Kosher Foods Available to
Communities in Need
After a year of advocating, The Jewish Federations of North America said it
welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s decision to create a webpage listing
kosher foods in The Emergency Food Assistance Program, JNS.org reported.

In September 2021, Jewish and Muslim members of Congress sent a letter to
the USDA urging the department to expand options for kosher and halal food.

The USDA subsequently invited faith institutions to discuss the dietary needs of
their communities.

Beginning in January, the USDA will increase the available kosher food prod-
ucts under its TEFAP program by 50%.

TEFAP, a federal program providing surplus food to food banks, recently
launched a new website that lists kosher items and gives guidance and informa-
tion on kashrut guidelines.

Israel’s PM, MKs, Ministers, President to Get 15% Raises
Come January, the salaries of key Israeli government officials, including the pres-
ident, prime minister, ministers and members of Knesset, are expected to rise by
up to 15%, as a wage freeze imposed during the COVID-19 outbreak expires at
the end of December, JNS.org reported.

The pay increases will also apply to judges. Supreme Court President Esther
Hayut will see her monthly salary increase from about $30,000 to about $35,000.

President Isaac Herzog’s monthly salary will rise from around $19,000 to
roughly $22,000.

Prime Minister Yair Lapid earns about $16,500 a month, while the incoming
prime minister, Likud chief Benjamin Netanyahu, will make around $19,000. JE
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afmda.org/support — Compiled by Andy Gotlieb
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