Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday approved 23 new charter schools for the state, including the Shalom Academy for students in Englewood and Teaneck. The school would be New Jersey’s second Hebrew immersion charter school.

The new Hebrew-language charter school is set to provide a Hebrew immersion program for up to 240 students in grades kindergarten to eight. The school, the brainchild of Englewood resident Raphael Bachrach, had been rejected by the state board of education three times in the past.

Bachrach did not immediately return calls for comment.

Early on Jan. 11, 2010, Mother Jones’ magazine posted, on-line, an interview with Bryce Tierney, a friend of Jared Loughner, the man accused of the Tucson massacre that left six dead and injured 14 others. Among those wounded was (Jewish) congress member Gabrielle Giffords.

The Mother Jones’ reporter, Nick Baumann, quoted Tierney as saying that Jared Loughner’s mom is “Jewish.”

That same day this Mother Jones story was referenced by Jewish Telegraph Agency (JTA) Washington correspondent Ron Kampeas on his JTA web blog.

Senate President Extends Invitation to Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in NY

Union, N.J. (March 18, 2011) – In a gesture of friendship and cooperation, Senate President Stephen Sweeney has invited Ido Aharoni, Consul General of Israel in NY to appear before the upper body of the legislature at the Senate Chamber on Monday March 21, 2011 at 2 p.m. Aharoni will make a formal presentation to the State Senate prior to the voting session.