The Jewish Week | Opinion

Heroic Efforts Needed To Change Special Needs Stereotype
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 | Sarina Roffé | Special To The Jewish Week

Overcoming attitudes and stereotypes that pervade the Jewish community can be an uphill battle. Just ask Jay Ruderman and others who attended the recent Jewish Special Needs Funding Conference that he helped sponsor. All of them want to get past the community-created obstacles to their vision of inclusion for Jewish individuals with special needs.

Unfortunately, the philosophy of separate but equal, similar to the platform of many pre-civil rights segregationists, is stubbornly in place throughout Jewish communal life.

Why Anti-Boycott Laws Are Democratic
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 | Lisa Levy | Special To The Jewish Week

A recent wave of alleged “anti-democratic” bills is dominating much of the political debate in Israel and recently triggered U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to express her concern about the state of the Israeli democracy. This recent “anti-democratic” wave, including bills such as the donation bill (aimed to limit donation to certain political NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and the anti-boycott law, unleashed severe criticism.

We Need More ‘Dirty Laundry’ Conversations About Israel
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 | Rebecca Neuwirth | Special To The Jewish Week

When I invite guests for dinner, I clean up my apartment, and put the dirty laundry in the closet. But it’s usually in full sight when I’m home with family.

Jews have traditionally acted similarly regarding Israel. In public discourse, support for Israel is forceful on issues related to war and peace. Within the family, though, there often is lively discussion of fears and hopes, with recognition that choices are very difficult and outcomes uncertain.

Kosher Jesus?
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 | Rabbi Shmuley Boteach | Special To The Jewish Week

The ferocious battle that has been waged in the press and blogosphere over my new book, “Kosher Jesus” (Gefen Publishing House), in the weeks leading up to its publication next week, has obscured both its message and the reason for its publication.

The Sin Of Religious Intransigence
Wednesday, January 18, 2012 | Mitch Morrison | Mitch Morrison is a journalist who has been active in the Jewish community for more than 20 years.

In a Pennsylvania town where I lived for more than eight years, a small, struggling Orthodox community fights to remain viable.

Market conditions and lack of certain amenities such as a kosher restaurant and eruv [ritual enclosure to allow carrying on Shabbat] cut into the fiber of this once tight knit stitch.

Yet, there is something else fraying at the seam.

achdut, Ramban, sinat chinam
Stop Enabling Our Jewish Fanatics
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 | David Sable | Special To The Jewish Week

A number of years ago the Agudath Ha-Rabonim, a relatively small group of right-wing Orthodox rabbis, declared that Conservative and Reform Judaism were “outside of Torah and outside of Judaism.” Much has been written to justify and rationalize their statement. I found it offensive, but for argument’s sake let’s say they are right — more importantly let’s say that in fact they are the true spokespeople for the application of halacha (Jewish law).

When Jewish Foundations Ignore Core Needs
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 | William Rapfogel | Special To The Jewish Week

Gary Rosenblatt’s column on foundations’ priorities in “Why Funders Need to Embrace Failure” (Jan. 6) will hopefully set off a discussion about basic community needs and how we can do better in the future. Most of the large Jewish foundations are caught up in funding “cutting-edge” or “funky” Jewish trends and social networking projects. While some are successful in building new models that have real impact, many duplicate existing efforts or, worse yet, miss the boat entirely.   

Hamas Concedes That Gaza Is Not Occupied, So Where Is The UN?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 | Elizabeth Samson | Special To The Jewish Week

In a stunning about-face, and after decades of violence justified by excuses of being under occupation, this week Hamas has admitted that Gaza is not occupied by Israel. And yet, the United Nations, which has long been reluctant to acknowledge Gaza's change in status, is still silent on the issue.

Gaza, Hamas, Hudson Institute, Khaled Mashaal, Mahmoud al-Zahar, UN
Forgotten Voices
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 | Isaac Steven Herschkopf | Special To The Jewish Week

San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square is a Mecca for tourists. Predictably it also attracts entrepreneurs interested in revenue sharing. You can hear every San Francisco song in creation performed on every conceivable instrument; you can have your portrait done for $15, your caricature for $10, or your silhouette cut for $5.

One aged hustler, in particular, caught my attention, in part, because he could not attract anyone else's. He was lying in a recliner. When open, his eyes were glazed, but most of the time that I observed, they were closed.

Burt Lancaster, David Brinkley, Dennis, Don Adams, Ed Sullivan, Eddie, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Jimmy Durante, John Wayne, Jose Jimenez, San Francisco, Senor Wences, Walter Winchell, Will Rogers
Let's Stop Enabling Our Jewish Fanatics
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 | JTA

 

A number of years ago the Agudath Ha-Rabonim, a relatively small group of right-wing Orthodox rabbis, declared that Conservative and Reform Judaism were "outside of Torah and outside of Judaism.” Much has been written to justify and rationalize their statement. I found it offensive, but for argument’s sake let’s say they are right – more importantly let’s say that in fact they are the true spokespeople for the application of halacha (Jewish law).

Agudas Ha-Rabanim, Anti-Zionism, Beit Shemesh, Eruv