Jews Cancel Events

TEHRAN — The Jewish community in Tehran cancelled social and educational programs out of safety concerns during ongoing unrest. Sources close to Iran’s Jewish community told JTA via e-mail that there have been no injuries or threats to Jews or Jewish property, but the measures were precautions after protests following President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent re-election.

‘Kosher’ Web Search

JERUSALEM — A new “kosher” Internet search engine omits material not acceptable to haredi Jews. Koogle, a play on a traditional Jewish food and the search engine Google, was launched recently in Hebrew with an English mirror site. Koogle.co.il links to news and shopping sites that filter out items prohibited by haredi rabbis, including TV sets. It doesn’t operate on Shabbat.

A Mini Madoff ?

SYDNEY — A South African-born Jewish businessman accused of defrauding hundreds of investors is rejecting comparisons with U.S. pyramid schemer Bernie Madoff. Barry Tannenbaum, 43, who now lives in Sydney, Australia, says he rejects as “conjecture and speculation” the “wild allegations” that he swindled more than 300 local and foreign investors out of $1.2 billion (US) in what’s being called South Africa’s biggest corporate fraud. His alleged Ponzi scheme offered up to 200 per cent annual returns. He said an audit will prove his innocence.

Group Defends Pius

ROME — A New York-based foundation says it has documents showing controversial wartime Pope Pius XII worked to aid Jews during the Shoah. Pave the Way Foundation president Gary Krupp, who is Jewish, said June 16 that 2,300 pages of documents, dating from 1940 to 1945, were found through the foundation’s private research and give “strong support to the argument that Pope Pius XII… worked diligently to save Jews from Nazi tyranny.” Many of the documents were found in an Italian monastery.

Flu Hits U.S. Camps

NEW YORK —  Swine flu has hit at least three Jewish camps in the United States. The Reform movement’s Camp Newman-Swig in California delayed its opening several days after 14 of 160 staff members tested positive for Influenza A. The California health department told camp officials the counsellors most likely have swine flu. The sick staff are under a seven-day quarantine at the camp. At the Conservative Camp Ramah Darom in Georgia, several campers have come down with flu, and at least two tested positive for swine flu. And at Reform’s Camp Coleman in Georgia, at least 15 staff became ill, delaying that camp’s opening.