ROUNDUP Conservative Rabbis Offer 'Choosing Judaism' Class Registration is underway for the Conservative community's conversion class, "Choosing Judaism," sponsored by the Michigan Rabbinical Assembly. The 24-week course gives an introduction to Judaism, Torah and Hebrew prayer. It meets 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Mondays starting Sept.14 at Hillel Day School, 32200 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills. Tuition is $350 per person ($500 for a couple registering together), plus a $50 materials fee. Contact Rabbi Steven Rubenstein of Congregation Beth Ahm in West Bloomfield, president of the assembly: (248) 851-6880, ext. 17, or raysteven@cbahm.org . Venus Williams Lauded New York/JTA — Tennis star Venus Williams received an award from the Anti-Defamation League for oppos- ing the exclusion from play of an Israeli tennis player. Williams was presented with ADL's Americanism Award for speaking out against a move in February to exclude Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe'er from a tourna- ment in Dubai. The United Arab Emirates had refused to issue a visa to Pe'er, Israel's top female tennis player, preventing her from taking part in the Dubai Tennis Championship. Williams publicly decried the move and called for fair treatment of players. After receiving the award, Williams said she strongly believes in equality among tennis players and that she did not think UAE officials would deny Pe'er a visa next time. "I feel like I did the minimum, just to speak and to say something," Williams said. "It shows that whatever little things you can do to make a difference really will help. I want to thank Shahar for her courage, and I share this award with her." Obama Demand Dropped? Washington/JTA — The Obama administration reportedly has dropped its demand that Israel curb construction in eastern Jerusalem. Israeli officials and Western diplomats said that the Obama administration has backed away from its demand that Israel limit construction intended for Jews in the predominantly Arab east- ern part of the city, Ha'aretz reported. While the sources said the United States would not condone such con- struction — the United States does not recognize Israel's annexation of eastern Jerusalem, an area the Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state — the sources said the Americans would no longer demand Israel fully cease construction there. The sources added that a deal between Washington and Jerusalem over freezing construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank was near- ing completion following a successful Level One Bank was born and raised right here in Michigan. Just like your business. No one offers a personal bank relationship like we do... with unparalleled personal service, individual attention and exclusive banking benefits. See for yourself. Take a look at our great rates on CDs... and take your earnings to a whole new LEVEL. meeting on Aug. 26 between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell. Netanyahu denied reports that Israel has agreed to a full halt in settlement construction. Level One Bank offers CDs for many terms, Call Mary today at 2484374120 . LEVEL CM = Organ Harvesting Stockhohn/JTA — A Swedish news- paper has published a second article accusing the Israeli army of harvest- ing Palestinian organs. A Palestinian family in the West Bank told the newspaper, Aftonbladet, in an article published on Aug. 23 that the body of their 19-year-old son, killed by Israeli soldiers in 1992, was returned to them wrapped in bandages and that they found a scar running from his neck to his stomach. The newspaper published a picture that the family said is their son's body, showing the scar. The Israel Defense Forces told the family the scar was from an autopsy. The article calls on Israel to inves- tigate the issue to put a stop to the rumors or to the practice. In an edito- rial published Aug. 24, Aftonbladet Editor Jan Helin defended his decision to print the stories, saying that he is "a responsible editor who gave the green light to an article because it raises a few questions:' He added that the news- paper had no actual evidence that the allegations against the IDF are true. Meanwhile, thousands of Israelis have signed on to a boycott of the Swedish retail outlet IKEA via an online petition. The petition calls the publication of the articles "anti- Semitic" and "a Medieval-type blood libel." There is an IKEA store in Netanya and a second outlet in Israel is set to open in 2010. Citing freedom of the press, the Swedish Foreign Ministry disavowed a condemnation of the story by Sweden's ambassador to Israel. Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have called on the Swedish government to condemn the article. 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