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Comments (0)According to the Masorti Olami, the Masorti synagogue in Concepcion was destroyed in the earthquake that rocked Chile this weekend.
The head of the international Masorti organization, Rabbi Tzvi Graetz, has been circulating an e-mail stating that the walls were cracked and the roof caved in.
“’In Concepcion, close to the epicenter of the earthquake, Rabbi Angel Kreiman told us that he went to the Synagogue, and ‘it was like the hurban habayit (destruction of the temple), the walls were all cracked and the roof had fallen down. I couldn’t stay there, so I got the sifrei Torah and left,’” Graetz wrote.
Initial reports from international Jewish organizations including the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee and World ORT indicated little damage to the Jewish infrastructure in Chile. News of the synagogue’s destruction started to emerge late Tuesday and was confirmed Wednesday.
For more information visit http://tiny.cc/masortiolami.
Hamas Will Hold British Journalist Longer
Hamas says it will hold a British freelance journalist for another 15 days.
Paul Martin was arrested Feb. 14 when he arrived at a Gaza City courthouse to testify on behalf of a Hamas operative accused of collaborating with Israel.
Martin was arrested and accused of breaking Palestinian law and violating Gaza security. He has not been charged; Hamas says it will continue to investigate the charges.
Martin has filed freelance reports for the BBC, Al Jazeera International, CNN and Britain’s Channel 4 News.
British authorities have not been permitted to meet with Martin. He reportedly is being held without access to newspapers, radio or writing materials.
Jewish Athletes Take Silver, Gold
Two Jewish athletes took home medals at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
Steve Meisler won a gold medal for the United States in the four-man bobsled, pushing his team to a combined time of 3:24:46 in the four-heat race.
Jewish ice dancer Charlie White claimed a silver medal in ice dancing along with partner Meryl Davis.
White’s victory edged a fellow ice dancer and American Jew, Ben Agosto, off the medal podium. Agosto and his partner, Tanith Belbin, finished fourth. The pair won a silver medal at the 2006 games.
Other Jewish competitors in ice dancing, the Israeli brother-sister duo Roman and Alexandra Zaretsky, finished 10th. Their routines included music from “Schindler’s List” and “Hava Nagila,” and in one performance, Roman wore a yarmulke.
Israel’s third Olympic athlete, skier Mikail Renzhin, finished 35th in the slalom and 55th in the giant slalom.
Laura Spector, a Jewish biathlete from Massachusetts, finished 65th and 77th in the two races in which she competed.