Editorial & Opinion | Gary Rosenblatt

Romney vs. Obama: Who Loves Israel More?

07/31/2012 | Gary Rosenblatt | Editor And Publisher | Gary Rosenblatt

Isn’t it nice to see Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama fighting it out over who is Israel’s greater friend and ally?

My advice: sit back and enjoy it while it lasts, but don’t take it too seriously.

The Man Behind The ‘Jewish Nobel Prize’

07/24/2012 | Gary Rosenblatt | Editor and Publisher | Gary Rosenblatt

In mid-May 2013, just before Shavuot, the first winner of the annual $1 million Genesis Prize, described as the “Jewish Nobel Prize,” is scheduled to be announced in Jerusalem amidst much media hoopla.

On Haredi Service, Half A Great Idea

07/17/2012 | Gary Rosenblatt | Editor And Publisher | Gary Rosenblatt

A yeshiva rebbe in Bnei Brak, the largest haredi city in Israel, has come up with a great plan for making army duty more equitable in the Jewish state.

Well, make that half a great plan and half a potential disaster.

Rabbi Simcha Avraham Halevi says that for the sake of fairness, with the government pushing to end army exemptions for haredi young men who are full-time yeshiva students, all secular young Israelis should be required to study Torah.

What Does Bibi Want?

07/11/2012 | Gary Rosenblatt | Editor and Publisher | Gary Rosenblatt

Israelis call him by his affectionate nickname, Bibi, but few speak of him with warmth.

There is no alternative political leader on the horizon, but that doesn’t mean he’s popular at home.

Even though he is not known for his integrity, he is widely trusted with protecting the fate of his people as Israel faces the threat of extinction from a nuclear Iran.

Why ‘Jewish Community’ Is Harder To Define, And Serve

07/03/2012 | Gary Rosenblatt | Editor And Publisher | Gary Rosenblatt

Only about 2 percent of the respondents to the New York Jewish Population Study are “Jewish by conversion.” Twice as many people — 5 percent of the study — describe themselves as “Jewish by personal choice.”

Looking To Future, Peres Draws A Crowd

06/26/2012 | Gary Rosenblatt | Editor and Publisher | Gary Rosenblatt

Jerusalem — “Tomorrow” was the theme of this year’s Israeli Presidential Conference, a three-day program that attracted more than 4,000 guests from around the world here this past week. But there was an air of nostalgia on the opening evening when host Shimon Peres, the 88-year-old president of Israel, bestowed the Presidential Award of Distinction on Henry Kissinger, 89, praising the former U.S. secretary of state as “a great statesman and a great Jew” for statecraft performed in the 1970s.