Jewish News of the Week — 8/8/12

The Raismans: Just another pair of involved Jewish parents?

Welcome to Sara Abis, who will be taking over Jewish News of the Week!

With the Olympics in full swing, it’s been an interesting week in the news, with everything ranging from inspirational to depressing to unbelievable.

• Say hello to some of our Jewish American Athletes: Aly Raisman and Sue Bird, as well as several others . (DCJCC, JUF News)

• In case you missed it, Aly Raisman won her second gold, and a bronze, during the last events of women’s gymnastics in this Olympics. (NBC Olympics… and pretty much all other major news outlets.) After winning, Raisman, who tumbled to the music of ‘Hava Nagila,’ does what the International Olympics Committee failed to do — honors the Munich 11. (Huffington Post)

• Aly’s loud, supportive Jewish parents have been making the news a lot in recent days with their enthusiastic cheering. Yesterday, a spectator yelled at them to stop cheering and sit down. (Huffington Post, San Francisco Chronicle)

• However, it doesn’t look like all good news. Israel won’t be medaling in the 2012 games with Kortiz finishing in ninth place. (Ha’aretz)

• Ever felt left out during those tacky Christmas sweater parties? No more, with festival sweaters for the rest of us. (Jewcy)

•  Israel’s Blind Golf Star (yes, you read that correctly, and apparently it’s a big deal) won the national championship in Canada. (Tablet)

• Meanwhile, in the political world, people are examining Romney’s recent controversial statements, and comparing them with similar statements by other famous individuals in the past:  Romney and Einstein: Racists? (Tablet)

• In the Middle East, a high ranking Iranian official visited Egypt to invite newly elected Egyptian President  Morsi to summit. It’s the first diplomatic contact between the countries since 1979.  (Ha’aretz)

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