Jews back new L.A. mayor
los angeles (jta) | Jewish voters in Los Angeles did their part to help Antonio Villaraigosa become mayor of Los Angeles. Jews backed Villaraigosa by 55 percent to 45 percent over incumbent James Hahn in the May 17 vote, reversing Hahn’s victory over Villaraigosa four years ago.
Villaraigosa was a supporter of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Anti-Defamation League while serving as speaker of the state Assembly.
Overall, Villaraigosa, the son of Mexican immigrants, triumphed by 59 percent to 41 percent. Less than one-third of registered Los Angeles voters went to the polls, with Jews turning in 17 percent of the ballots.
Air Force investigation incomplete?
washington (jta) | A task force investigating religious intolerance at the U.S. Air Force Academy admitted it had not met with two critics.
Among those not interviewed by the task force, which is expected to issue its report to the acting secretary of the Air Force this week, is Mikey Weinstein, a Jewish graduate of the academy who says his son, a cadet at the Colorado school, has been called a “Christ killer” by fellow students.
Revolutionary War vets honored
new york (jta) | Pioneers of American Jewish life were memorialized in Manhattan last week.
Twenty-two Jews who defended New York in the American Revolution were remembered Sunday at America’s oldest Jewish cemetery.
The Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of New York performed a color-guard ceremony and American flags were placed at the graves of the Revolutionary War veterans at the burial ground at Chatham Square, given to the Jews by New York Gov. Peter Stuyvesant in 1656.
Many of the 35 people there were descendants of the war veterans. The ceremony was sponsored by the 1654 Society, which celebrates the first Jews in America.
Soldiers to get religious texts
new york (jta) | Jewish texts will be sent to U.S. soldiers overseas.
The Jewish Publication Society and the JWB Jewish Chaplains Council will send 2,750 copies of the Book of Psalms and the Torah to soldiers overseas in time for Shavuot.
CopyrightJ, the Jewish news weekly of Northern California