Film on The New Yorker writer’s coverage of the Eichmann trial lacks some passion.
New theater troupe, a division of the Folksbiene, mounts second production digging into Russians’ complex background.
Learn the "Top 18" Kosher white, red and Israeli Wines, Read about the American kosher wine scene, Israeli wines and much more
Tourism booming in the Negev, that first teen roots journey, driving in Israel (really!), and more.
Julie,
Always a pleasure to read your informed and sprightly prose.
As for Hebrew school, I trust you will have a better experience than mine: academic chaos and teachers pummeling helpless twelve year olds. I"m still not sure why they did not end up in front of a judge in criminal court.
If Rauf and Khan are so sensitive and "tolerant",| they should immediately abort this ill conceived project. Frankly, I think they are loving the publicity, the momentum and have no desire to consider any position but their own.
This is a PR bonanza for them, beyond all expectations, I'm certain. These crocodile tears of dismay are laughable.
Notice how "Cordoba House" morphs into Park51. Americans are not totally ignorant and jumped on the implications of Cordoba, the site of Muslim conquest.As quickly as you can say, "Kumbaya", a more palatable name appears.
It saddens me that reasonable concern and protest is so quickly delegitimized, especially by sanctimonious members of my Jewish faith.
Since the publication of our letter, we've been asked the question that our NYC parents have been asking four years: Why isn’t there “a SINAI” in every Jewish community? Historically, we have readily consulted with other communities who have wanted to model schools after us, and we have started schools in new communities in response to serious community initiatives. But until there is “a SINAI” in every Jewish community, our doors will remain wide open to any Jewish child we can help.
Sam Fishman, Managing Director, SINAI Schools
Sorry Mr. Rosenblatt, but while this piece expresses a good point I don't think The Jewish Week is the one to make the criticism. The paper's own piece on the cold-blooded murders of those four innocent civilians didn't reflect the individual and national pain. Instead, it was only about the effect the incident may have on the outcomes of the peace talks. And even that was relegated to the back of your paper! How can four innocent Jews shot at point-blank range on the way home from work not make front page in a Jewish paper?
Why should secular media be more sympathetic then The Jewish Week?
We cannot speak of Jews in an all-encompassing word. Many of our Jews (J Street, Americans for Peace Now) have become Stalin's idiots. They are anti-Zionist; they loved the ghettoized, brutalized, pogrom-attacked, homeless Jews. They are against Jews in their own homeland; I've met them and spoken to them, and they are a danger to Israel.
Jews are also among the degreed elite and, because of exceedingly generous Saudi funding of $70 billion worldwide, the professors and, therefore, students are becoming increasingly anti-Western, anti-American, and anti-Semitic/Israel. the Muslim Student Associations in the US are dominated by pro-Islamic and anti-American agendae, and they're on the increase in our Universities.
The money gives them the power to influence the curriculum to teach hatred and intolerance for America and Israel; they are a breeding ground for terrorism.
Some schools include: Harvard, Georgetown, Cornell, MIT, Texas A&M, Princeton, Rutgers, Columbia; other lesser recipients are: Pennsylvania, UC Santa Barbara, Johns Hopkins, Rice, American, Chicago, USC, UCLA, Duke, Syracuse, Howard, Carnegie Mellon - get the horrible picture. All this is substantiated; and we are in trouble.
Islam is a replacement theocracy; they destroy, kill and replace. They replaced Solomon's Temple (Al Aqsa), Visigoth Church (Cordoba Mosque), Hagia Sofia Basilica (Hagia Sofia mosque), hundreds of Hindu temples with Mosques...and more. It is their symbol of conquest; the mosque on Ground Zero would be the same. Moreover, Cordoba was Islam's Golden Age (711-1492), when they ruled Christians and Jews, commanded, taxed, and killed. This imam is a member of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood; he is not moderate. He has blamed 9/11 on Jews and Christians. He has vowed to kill apostates. He would like to see Israel destroyed. How much more proof do we need? We have not prevented the construction of mosques (100 in NYC; 2,000 in the US), but this one does not deserve to be built on this plot of earth by this Imam. He cares little about the 9/11 families, and he has subtly threatened attack if he doesn't get his way. We've been attacked already; we must now stand up for our right to exist our way. Tolerance of intolerance is not tolerance, but cultural suicide.
Dear Rabbi,
I enjoyed your column about Jonah, especially because I am Assyrian American and Jonah continues to be an important figure in our tradition as well. In fact, many of our last names are Jonah (or Yonan or Younan, etc). We exist today because of the words of Jonah and because of God's forgiveness. We celebrate Jonah, hold observances and appreciate him. Thank you again for sharing a wonderful story that carries so much meaning to so many.
Beliak is speaking words of Torah.
So he is actually speaking for at least 73.
Himself, me, Moshe Rabbeinu, and the 70 membres of the Sanhedrin.
JW always goes to the usual liberal Jewish groups for comment, ignoring Orthodox groups.
"A liberal is someone who is too open-minded to take his own side in an argument"
Absolute rubbish. Your comment is the standard charedi fare: the authorities can't deal with it, and the rabbis can.
We certainly have enough hard evidence that the rabbinical leadership has spent decades being part of the problem, and not part of the solution. The rabbis have no training in interviewing children; no training in surveillance techniques; no training in child abuse symptomology or psychology; and little to no knowledge of civil law and law enforcement.
Given these realities, the real hurdle is trying to reach adults like yourself who still believe that it's the rabbis who should, in your words, "take care of " these problems. Nothing could be further from the truth.
When a parent or guardian becomes aware of an abuse allegation, there is but one response: call the police. We live in a society of laws, and crimes against children should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of those laws.
God protect us from liberal Jews. Most Muslims would gladly cut our throats but we support them.
Please intermarry and change your names.
How does Beilak become a Jewish leader when he is head of of an organization of of just one, and a website. If Besser wants to find ultra lefties at least let him find some with an real organization and someone behind them. Beilak represents no one except h himself.
I'm glad to hear abt this and to start reading your blog. Proud mom
I agree with Jane, this has nothing to do with freedom of religion, just investigate the name Cordoba, and the man behind it. One of the worst mosques is the Dome of Rock, which no Jew or non-Muslim is allowed near, sitting on top of the Temple Mount. The people who are pro-Cordoba are just ignorant of what they are defending. They seem to have forgotten there are few or no synagogues or houses of worship of other religions in any of the Islam dominated countries. I am tolerant of Muslims, I am not tolerant of allowing their belief that Mohammad was the perfect man, to emulate, thus to destroy us.
Emotions must fit into the equation; they must be considered an important factor in the discussion of a mosque at Ground Zero, and not dismissed as rantings of the ignorant or manipulation by political opportunists. The fear and anger of many who oppose the construction of this mosque stem from an understanding of Islam's more negative teachings as they are stated in the Koran, teachings which are acted-out in global terrorist attacks, and which, contrary to what President Obama would like us to believe, are not the acts of misguided individuals or of one enemy - Al Qaida. In arguing for the mosque's construction, our Jewish organization leaders, particularly rabbis, cloak their own fears in intellectual justifications. They know all about Jewish suffering over the centuries, and their fear that it can happen again here in America blinds them to the Koran's negative teachings.
Instead of ignoring the fear factor, everyone should be facing it openly and honestly. The argument should be: yes, we fear terrorism as it is fomented by Koranic teachings; ease our fears you moderate Muslems; stand up everywhere and loudly proclaim your rejection of those teachings; condemn the acts of barbarism that result from them; hold your hate-ranting Imams accountable for the spreading of fear and anger; recognize and accept the root of the Islamaphobia that is growing around the world.
If the world hears such strong Muslem unity, it will recognize the good that is in Islam, and the present fear and anger directed against Islam will dissipate and ultimately disappear.
See our article on this outburst of anti-Muslim bigotry at http://www.theshalomcenter.org
The anti-Islam diatribe just above would be funny if it weren't tragic. Substitute "Christian" for "Muslim" in every sentence above, and it would be far more true -- and in regard to Jews, Islam has been far more open and dialogic than has Christianity. For example, these "centuries of persecution" included the period after newly Christian Spain expelled both Jews & Muslims in 1492.
Where did the Jews go? Many many to the Turkish Empire (i.e., Muslim rulers). Salonika, and -- Safed, or Tzfat! -- where under Muslim rule one of the most creative centuries in Jewish history followed. The Shulchan Aruch, L'cha Dodi and the entire kabbalat shabbat service, the Tu B'Shvat Seder, Lurianic Kabbalah -- al under Muslim rule!!!
Must I recite the history of Christianity? So that means no churches anywhere, right?
Shuyot! Chazerei!
-- Rabbi Arthur Waskow
All this talk of peace and not one word of the coninuing attacks on Israel by Hamas in the South. Shame on you.
I hate to say it, but this is a band-aid that won't fix the problem - so it's unlikely to work. First, very telling that the article says that "with a few exceptions, like Chabad," the Jewish community is missing opportunities, etc. How many thousands of Chabad houses, camps, Hebrew schools, events, classes, etc. take place across the country? And then there are plenty of other organizations (many of which are Orthodox) that are doing the same thing. In articles like these, efforts like Chabad are often marginalized even though they make up a pretty big slice of the pie. Perhaps instead of marginalizing Chabad, etc., the rest of the Jewish community should be trying to learn why they are successful. And although they have an excellent web site, I guarantee you that creating new web sites is not why they are successful.
Second, the woman at the end of the article who talks about her experience in synagogue and church is, sadly, right on the money. There are many synagogues where people just don't think to reach out to the new face, whereas reaching out is the norm in churches (I know - I've experienced both). But the kind of warm welcome she describes is exactly what Chabad tries to do. Getting invited to people's homes as she describes is exactly what families in most Orthodox shuls do.
I'm not at all saying that everyone should become Orthodox. But I am saying that the reasons for Chabad's success and the growth in many Orthodox quarters has to do with reaching out, being friendly, having a strong community that people can feel part of, etc. It's not because of web portals and the like. And it's not even about hosting pot-lucks. It's about having a certain attitude - one that welcomes people, shows genuine caring, is clear about what it stands for, and invites people to be part of that. It's not something, "except for Chabad", that the Jewish community is doing a lot of right now - but it is something that is much truer to Jewish values.
Now that Lindsey is a free (so to speak) woman, we can continue to focus on Mel Gibson, who is now wearing a disguise.
no one seems to be addressing the issue of this so-called moderate Iman based on everything i have read the money trail here needs to be addressed as to where the funding is coming for this so called center? In addition his associates and backers such as Dr Khan do not reflect a so-called moderate Muslim if such a thing in fact exists.
Furthermore close analysis of the Imans earlier statements and positions reflect a very disturbing position on support for Hamas and Iran which does not support his recent public profile. It seems he is doing what many Muslim radicals have done in the past i.e. trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the infidels as his prophet in the Koran preaches.
I say no to this mosque and let him advocate for a church or synagogue to be built in Saudia Arabia if he wants to show how liberal he is.Shame on those self delusional Rabbis who support him , we have always had Jews with a Judenrat
mentality in jewish history and today is no different.
Sharon,
I understand your hurt and frustration. However, as a member of the Church, I do not believe this was intentional.
I am an attorney in Salt Lake City; one of my closest and dearest friends in my firm is a member of the Jewish faith. Please know that my Church does not teach that it seeks to supplant Christianity or Judaism.
Our 11th Article of Faith clearly states:
“We claim the privilege of worshiping almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may.”
Aside from members of the Jewish faith and heritage, I think you will find that Mormon Christians understand tolerance and the horrors of religious persecution more than any other faith. Prophets of our Church teach tolerance, understanding and compassion for all faiths in working together to provide peace and understanding in this world. There are numerous LDS writings on this belief of tolerance and acceptance for all faiths that you can find on LDS.org. In recent years, our prophets, seers and revelators have been very active in emphasizing this belief.
If our leaders, who we deem as prophets, have entered into an Agreement with our Jewish brothers to assist in upholding the sanctity and security of your noble faith and heritage, then you can be assured that the Church members will do whatever we can to willingly honor that agreement in the spirit of love, unity and understanding.
Warmest Regards,
Jeff
All I can say about Rabbi Laurence Sebert's claim to be so all-embracing is that he must be totally unaware of the historic record of Islam over the last 14 centuries. Islam is a zenophobic theology which demands that everyone who does not agree with them must either leave, convert or die. There are no other options. Also Islam permits for lying if it is in the benefit of Islam and, of course, the liar has the right to decide what is "in the benefit of Islam". If Rabbi Sebert had any knowledge of the centuries of maruading, slaughtering and forcible conversions which Islamic zealots practiced during their invasions and slaughters of non-Muslims he might be a bit more cautious in extending the hand of friendship which Muslims have historically been only too happy to cut off once they have gained power. I suggest that Rabbi Sebert read the Koran and the Hadiths to discover for himself that what he is defending is something that would like to see him and his dead. The Christians of Bethlehem and Nazareth have also experienced the "compassion" and "mercy" of Allah and his warriors -- to the point where at one time in Bethlehem the Christian population was about 85% -- today it is less than 15%. Same goes for Nazareth. The Tomb of Joseph in the West Bank, which was occupied by the Muslims and which was supposed to be maintained for all, once the Muslims got their hands on it, immediately became a mosque. Same thing with the Church of Santa Sophia in Constantinople which, upon conquest by the Muslims became the Blue Mosque, and this is the norm for Islam. Taking over the places of sanctity or importance and slapping a mosque there. It's a victory mosque -- let's be clear on that -- and if Rabbi Sebert supports this, he's a fool.
My Jewish brothers, our relationship goes back centuries. Turks like Jews because the Jews are enlighten and sublime people that for centuries played a very important role in the rise of the Ottoman empire. But, the Mavi Marmara incident has hurt the Turks but know this, my Jewish brothers, you will have no greater friend then the Turks.
The article is very well written with great intellect & insight. As an American Muslim I feel deeply that if the mosque cant be built at Park 51 in NY, it cant be built anywhere else. The most unfortunate aspect of this phony debate over the mosque site is that now if muslims want to built a mosque anywhere in America, it is up for debate and as soon as the plans for construction go public, it is labelled as , " controversial mosque". This indeed is disturbing, disheartening & discouraging at all levels. The radicals on all sides have taken over the conversation. As Imam Rauf pointed out during the interview with CNN that we , the moderates have to take charge of the conversation. All eyes are on America to see how we deal with this issue which was a non issue to begin with. To consider that 68% oppose it a reminder that 70% of the people were for the Iraq war in 2002, now looking back after 9 years, thousands dead, many injured and Trillion dollars later, was it a good idea? so to sum it up, we dont have to do the popular thing but we have to do the right thing.
Is there a device for Electric Wheelchairs to make them Shabbat ready?
Robert.