Ground Zero Mosque

The Year Of Fear

What Park51 and the Clinton-Mezvinsky wedding say about the Jewish community.

Rabbi Brad Hirschfield
Special To The Jewish Week
01/14/2011
Groom Marc Mezvinsky and bride Chelsea Clinton’s with the bride’s parents. getty images

 While I would not necessarily have labeled it as such, when the religion writers of America declared that Park51, the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque,” was the biggest religion story of the year, it’s hard to ignore — especially given that we are in New York and the fact that this story certainly got the attention of lots of Jews from across the ideological and theological spectrum. And yet, the building itself is not a big deal.

Read more »
Read more:

You Want A Kosher Roommate? You're Under Arrest

Submitted by Jonathan Mark on Mon, 12/20/2010 - 10:48

One of the great urban legends among Jews is that we, as a minority, will benefit from the civil rights of others and therefore Jews should be trusting of a liberal government with expanded powers, punishing disrimination with a merciless vigor. But what if those rights only protect the racial and sexual and not the religious?

Some say that Zionists and religious Christians may have support for Israel in common but we must part ways on domestic issues within the United States. 

Read more »
Read more:

Now Gordis Joins Fight Against Mosque! (Are leftist extremists the only ones left supporting the mosque?)

Submitted by Jonathan Mark on Sun, 09/05/2010 - 20:32

Check out Gordis in the Jerusalem Post.

Daniel Gordis says: "... America is at war and its enemies are Muslims. Politically correct hairsplitting runs the risk of Americans blinding themselves to that simple but critical fact. It makes no difference what percentage of the world’s Muslims wants to destroy America. There are enough of them that US air travel is now abominably unpleasant and, more importantly, enough of them that more strikes on America appear inevitable.

Read more »
Read more:

Rabbi Haskel Lookstein (and Casablanca's Victor Laszlo) Join Fight Against Mosque -- And what if Rauf's name was Hagee?

Submitted by Jonathan Mark on Thu, 09/02/2010 - 01:13

With Rabbi Haskel Lookstein coming out agaInst the location of mosque at Ground Zero (see his sermon below), I'm reminded of nothing less than Victor Laszlo telling Bogart at the Casablanca airport, "Thanks. And welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win."

Read more »
Read more:

Rabbi Haskel Lookstein (and Casablanca's Vctor Laszlo) Join Fight Against Mosque

Submitted by Jonathan Mark on Wed, 09/01/2010 - 16:00

With Rabbi Haskel Lookstein coming out agaInst the location of mosque at Ground Zero (see his sermon below), I'm reminded of nothing less than Victor Laszlo telling Bogart at the Casablanca airport, "Thanks. And welcome back to the fight. This time I know our side will win."

Read more »
Read more:

ADL Defends Stance On Islamic Center

08/31/2010
Abraham H. Foxman
Special To The Jewish Week

 There have been many mischaracterizations of the position of the Anti-Defamation League with regard to the proposed Islamic center/mosque in the shadow of Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. In fact, we believe that our position is completely consistent with ADL’s historic posture on a number of themes.

Read more »
Read more:

The Palestinian Mandelas

Submitted by Eric Herschthal on Fri, 08/27/2010 - 11:08

Reading this Economist review of "Budrus," a new documentary about a nascent Palestinian non-violent movement, which premiers in New York this October, reminded of Tom Friedman.  I'm usually a fan of Friedman's Middle East commentary; he's one of the few voices who's spent years reporting from region and gets both Israeli and Arab viewpoints pretty much right.  

Read more »
Read more:

RLUIPA, religious freedom and the New York Islamic center

Submitted by James Besser on Sun, 08/22/2010 - 12:25

It's pretty interesting how some of the Jewish groups that have been so hot over the years to prevent local governments from impinging on the right of Jews to build synagogues without government interference are now silent in the face of the effort to block the “ground zero” mosque in lower Manhattan.

Read more »
Read more:

Yes, Obama Is A Muslim (by non-halachic standards and Lenny Bruce)

Submitted by Jonathan Mark on Fri, 08/20/2010 - 14:13

As an Orthodox Jew, I believe that membership in a religion is not casual but legal, something like American citizenship (if you support the good people of Arizona). You can't just cross the Rio Grande and vote in Phoenix. There is a rigerous citizenship process, a conversion process, or there is Judaism's singular qualification -- being born to a Jewish mother.

Read more »
Read more:

Pelosi Calls For Transparency From Both Sides in Mosque Dispute

08/18/2010
Ron Kampeas
JTA

WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Nancy Pelosi agreed with an ADL call for transparency in the funding of the mosque and interfaith center near Ground Zero, but said its opponents should also make their funding transparent.

The speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives weighed in Wednesday on the controversy, and echoed statements from President Obama that freedom of religion is paramount, but that the decision about the planned mosque is a local matter.

Read more »
Read more:
Syndicate content