Editor, I wonder if someone could answer my following question. Growing up in Israel, and being exposed to significant information about its security challenges etc., I am totally amazed at the American Jewish political attitudes. Donald Trump, not a personal favorite of mine, but humongous in his support of Israel, is clearly an enemy of the Jewish political establishment. Even though, […]

By Rabbi Benjamin Resnick NEW YORK CITY JTA – It could be easy to lose sense of time during the coronavirus pandemic. Jewish tradition has an antidote for that. Among the most enduring comforts of Jewish life are its endless patterns and repetitions — the seven-day rhythm of work and rest, the cycle of holidays, the endless carousel of Torah […]

By Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative” March 22, 2020, https://bit.ly/2UuISEO Is the vision of the Palestinian Authority limited to the establishment of a state in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank)?  Is the vision of the Palestinian Authority amenable to alteration through financial inducements? Shouldn’t the pursuit of peace be based on a realization of the […]

By Politico Magazine For many Americans right now, the scale of the coronavirus crisis calls to mind 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisis—events that reshaped society in lasting ways, from how we travel and buy homes, to the level of security and surveillance we’re accustomed to, and even to the language we use. Politico Magazine surveyed more than 30 smart, macro […]

By Edwin Black “Seeking favorable publicity or offering it to a candidate or public official simply cannot be a crime in a democratic nation that reveres a free press.” This was the clear warning in the well-documented conclusion of the “Legal Memorandum,” submitted in October 2019 to Israel’s Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, opposing the prosecution of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu […]

ALBANY–If the Hebrew Bible is the word of God, why are there inconsistencies and repetitions?  A course at B’nai Sholom Reform Congregation in Albany may provide many of the answers. “Who Wrote the Hebrew Bible? (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Documentary Hypothesis)” will be taught eight Wednesday mornings beginning April 22, 10-11:45 a.m. at B’nai […]

By SHEILA KATZ WASHINGTON (JTA) – As we approached the Purim holiday, we also approached the one-year anniversary of my going public about being sexually harassed by mega-philanthropist Michael Steinhardt. Over the past year, as the Jewish community has reckoned with the #MeToo movement, I’ve reflected on the people and systems who create the conditions that allow abuse to take place. […]

Editor: Is this what we’ve come to, which side hates Jews more, the right or the left? In Ameer Benno’s article “The left is to blame for anti-Semitic violence” (Feb. 6, 2020), he claims the problem is with the left. I think we have to admit that both sides are the problem. They may use different language, but at the […]

By Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative” March 6, 2020, https://bit.ly/3cAwLhW The Early Pilgrims The roots of the unique ties between the United States and Israel precede the 1776 US Declaration of Independence and the 1948 founding of Israel.  They eclipse the political beltway of Washington, DC, transcend the pertinent role of the Jewish community, are deeper […]

By Prof. Moshe Benovitz On Feb/2015 @ 11:14 am In History,Purim,Symbols and Rituals,Theology,Thought and Philosophy | No Comments On Purim we are bidden to get so thoroughly drunk on wine or other intoxicants that we are unable to distinguish between good and evil: Rava said: one is obligated to become inebriated on Purim until he does not know (ad delo […]