PROVIDENCE –Members of the greater Rhode Island Jewish community will soon receive an email inviting them to join GrapeVine. The free resource that “matches the individual to the right Jewish opportunity at the right point in time,” said Wendy Joering, the Alliance community concierge, GrapeVine employs 21st century technologies to connect Jewish individuals with Jewish communal organizations and programs.

JointMedia News Service

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – During a recent visit to the U.S. Naval Academy, Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren stressed both privately and publicly that his country remains committed to working toward the possibility of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.

PATRICIA FINNEY, left, Rabbi Joel Seltzer and Risa Schulman, with members of the wedding party, at Temple Emanu-El /Gumula PhotographyPROVIDENCE ­ – Weddings may be “old hat” for seasoned rabbis, but Nov. 12, 2011 was a milestone at Temple Emanu-El, the Conservative synagogue in Providence: Rabbi Joel Seltzer officiated at the marriage of Patricia Finney (now Patricia Finney Schulman) and Risa Schulman that evening. It was the first same-sex wedding performed there.

Triplets Madison, left, Jacob and Victoria Berman attend Temple Sinai in Cranston. Jacob, who has cerebral palsy and some learning challenges, participates in the religious school inclusion program at Temple Sinai. /Jamie Berman

PROVIDENCE – Learning Hebrew can be challenging for any student, yet it often presents additional challenges for individuals with learning disabilities. With approximately 20 percent of Americans having a disability (according to national Census data), it’s little wonder that some Hebrew school students need extra support to prepare for their bar or bat mitzvah.

NEW YORK (JTA) – As Jews in some northern New Jersey communities made their way to synagogue last Shabbat, the scene was slightly different from the typical day of rest.

Extra police cars were on patrol near synagogues. At Bnei Yeshurun in Teaneck, a new buzzer system had been installed. And at Ahavath Torah in Englewood, security guards stood sentry.

Jeffrey K. Savit, president and chief executive officer of the Alliance, announces that an anonymous family, passionate about the value of a Jewish day school education, has generously established a matching grant of up to $100,000 for the Jewish Community Day School of Rhode Island.

This grant will be used to help balance the impact the difficult economy has had on the local community and ease the burden of the cost of a Jewish day school education for first-time families.

More information will follow in upcoming issues of The Jewish Voice & Herald.

WASHINGTON (JTA) – The Obama administration is engaged in a full-court press to persuade Israel that Iran’s nuclear threat can be contained short of war.

The U.S. lobbying has received a mixed reception from Israel, where the Netanyahu government has not ruled out a unilateral strike on Iran. Iran, meanwhile, is taking an aggressive stance in response to mounting sanctions.