Editorial & Opinion | Opinion

Israelis And U.S. Jews: How Much Criticism Is Fair?

06/18/2013 | Gil Troy | Special To The Jewish Week | Opinion

Many American Jews have insisted that a healthy, mutual friendship with Israel entails criticizing Israel. Many Israelis, especially those who work with Jews from the center and the left, have accepted those marching orders, creating paradigms about “hugging and wrestling.” And they share reassuring philosophical insights like Harvard’s Michael Sandel’s teaching that embarrassment reflects belonging — Syrian brutality does not embarrass us: Israel’s milder mistakes do.

Tel Aviv Youth Center Shooting Was a Hate Crime

06/12/2013 | Rabbi Ayelet S. Cohen | Special To The Jewish Week | Opinion

Nearly four years ago, on August 1, 2009, a horrific shooting at the Bar Noar LGBTQ youth center in Tel Aviv injured dozens of teens and killed 27 year old youth counselor Nir Katz and 16-year-old Liz Trubishi. The tragic event struck fear in the LGBT community and deeply shook LGBT people and straight allies worldwide.

Israel’s Resiliency Through A Teen’s Eyes

06/11/2013 | Francine Klagsbrun | Special To The Jewish Week | Opinion

This past April, my granddaughter, Eliana, and her eighth-grade class at the Solomon Schechter School in Manhattan spent two weeks in Israel. This is something Schechter graduating classes throughout the country do, and it is a wonderful trip.

Rising Jewish Poverty Redoubles Obligation To Help

06/11/2013 | Jeffrey A. Schoenfeld and Alex Roth-Kahn | Special To The Jewish Week | Opinion

Like people in other faiths and traditions, Jews feel an obligation to help the poor. When we lived in an ancient agricultural society, people left the corners of their fields untouched, anyone could eat from your land in a year of shmita and there were offerings at the Temple that the poor could partake in freely.

Rosh Chodesh Tammuz: I Didn't Show Up, And I Regret It

06/09/2013 | Rachel Frank | Special To The Jewish Week | Opinion

Maybe I could oversleep. Does public transportation even run at 6 a.m.? Or maybe I could convince my friend that she didn’t want to go and use the excuse that I couldn’t go alone. Am I too old to blame my mom for not letting me go? All valid (kind of) reasons why I could theoretically miss this morning’s Rosh Chodesh Tammuz prayers with Women of the Wall.

Rosh Chodesh Tammuz: Showing Up For Women Of The Wall

06/09/2013 | Marc Hendel | Special To The Jewish Week | Opinion

I woke up this morning at 5:35 a.m., hopped on my bicycle, and pedaled toward downtown Jerusalem. I quickly locked up my bike and boarded a police-escorted miniature bus headed toward the Kotel.