Iran. Minister of Justice of Iran Husseina-Ali Amiri has informed all Jews, citizens of Iran, condemned three and a half years ago on the accusation of "espionage in favour of Israel and USA" were released. It follows from the statement the release is early and suspended. Minister has underlined all convicts "may enjoy freedom if they have drawn a proper lesson from the punishment".

We will remind 13 Jews were arrested and convicted after the "espionage" case.

Turkey. Country's Jewish community has elected a new Chief Rabbi - Isaac Khalev, aged 62. He is to be the head of a 25-thousand community during the next 7 years. Previous Chief Rabbi, David Assi, had been occupying this position during 41 years. He passed away being 88. Isaac Khalev was born in Istanbul in 1940. He finished a Jewish school, graduated from the "Porat Josef" academy in Jerusalem. After the military service he lectured Hebrew and religious disciplines at Jewish and Turkish educational establishments.

Greece. The Jewish community of Thessalonica reburied the remnants of a World War II hero, colonel Mordekhai Fritsiz. His family has been trying to obtain the permission to transfer the ashes from Albania for 50 years. The colonel Fritsiz died in December 1940 in the struggle against Italian troops in the south of Albania. Nearly 1100 people - the greater part of Jewish community - participated in the funeral ceremony.

Brazil. 150 thousand of Brazilian Jews have a very suspicious attitude to the victory at the presidential elections of Louis Ignasio (Lula) da Silva. The matter is the extreme leftists, members of Lula party, supported Yassir Arafat during his siege in Ramallah. A closest da Silva's assistant in the elections declared the Near East conflict can be solved only after Israelis leave Palestinians alone. The latest information shows: Lula received 60% of votes, his nearest opponent - 35%.

USA. New Madonna's video clip caused resentment among American Jews. Madonna has on her hand tattoos depicting Jewish letters, puts on belts similar to Tfilin, and in the concluding scene she accepts death on the electric chair bearing signs in Hebrew!

The head of Anti-Defamation League Kennet Yakobson stated that, though the clip contains no anti-Semitic elements, lots of Jews would be insulted by Madonna's attitude to Tfilin. They should be put on by men only during a morning pray.

Poland. A museum of a 1000-year-old Polish Jewish history is under creation in Warsaw. It is to be situated on the territory of a former ghetto. Computer images, films, databases, dioramas, models and interactive technologies instead of traditional exhibitions and showcases are to be used in the museum. One of museum sections will present a life size model of a typical noisy street of a pre-war Warsaw Jewish quarter, Holocaust section - a place enclosed by wall.

Poland was a cradle of Jewish academic, secular and religious intellectual life. The biggest Jewish community in Europe before the Holocaust was in Poland. Today it counts 5-20 thousand people.

The museum complex is to be placed on a plot of land allotted by the Warsaw city administration. It is situated next to the Memorial to ghetto heroes established in 1948. The museum design is developed by a well-known architecture Frank Jehri. His parents are natives from Lodz. The organizers hope the museum will be opened in 2006, if the financial problems are solved.