By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — For the last several years we have included in every daily minyan, Shabbat, and holiday service a prayer for the captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and the captured American soldier, Bowe Bergdahl. At the conclusion of this morning’s service I announced that, God willing, soon we will no […]
Misgivings abound over prisoner swap with Hamas Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO –He is ever so slight, frail-looking, and, in many ways, the physical antithesis of the perceived, muscular modern Israeli soldier. In fact, Israel Defense Forces originally labeled him almost too delicate a young man to even be inducted into its lauded Army, someone with “a low medical profile.” But
Shalit personifies adage ‘Save a single life, and you save the whole world.’ Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — I told you so. A short while after finishing my column on politics (Every day you may have to eat –), Israel’s leadership proved it was up to the task. In a dramatic announcement timed for the evening news, including an on-camera announcement by the prime minister, we heard the
Shalit exchange required both sides to compromise Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM–Very distressing to see the singing and dancing going on at the Shalit tent outside Netanyahu’s office a few blocks away from here as the announcement that Israel had agreed to release more than a thousand terrorists, including hundreds who were serving life sentences for terror attacks such as the Sbarro
Will Shalit-for-1000 trade bring more terror? Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) – The Jewish Federations of North America heralded the announcement on Tuesday of the potentially impending release of Israel Defense Forces Corporal Gilad Shalit after more than five years in Hamas captivity. According to Israeli and U.S. media reports, Shalit will be freed in a prisoner exchange that will bring his
Potential release of Gilad Shalit hailed Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — October baseball, mixing in with the autumn leaves, early football, and the Jewish holidays, is in full swing. The game, like the soul, has eternal life—it only freezes in winter, while we gather around hot stoves of nostalgia and hope. The skeptics love to prophesy the decline or
Baseball will survive its erring players Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There are several ways of describing the essence of politics. All of them mean pretty much the same thing: Go along in order to get along Compromise Recognize your limits One who demands too much may end up with nothing There is no absolute justice Justifications for one or another demand are
By overdemanding, Palestinians removed their goals from serious consideration Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Dr. Ehud Eilam WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two intertwined problems confront Egypt’s ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces: the deteriorating economy and the looming elections. The military has always been the dominant actor in Egypt since the July 1952 overthrow of King Farouk and the termination of the constitutional monarchy. After then, every president
To preserve internal power, Egyptian military may seek confrontation with Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — To quote from historian Diane McWhorter’s recent essay in The New York Times, “If you recognized the name of only one of the two greats who succumbed to cancer [last] Wednesday, that’s perhaps because the work of the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, who died at 89 in a
Jobs and Shuttlesworth each made their mark Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The New Year has begun and Yom Kippur is behind us. Two prominent issues wait for treatment: peace with the Palestinians and a response to domestic social protest. The Prime Minister says that he is working hard to achieve both goals. Optimists are asking themselves if they can expect decisive
As Yom Kippur ends, social protest and peace with Palestinians return to fore Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (JINSA)–Bellicose threats directed at Israel by the Turkish government delivered over the past two months are extremely disturbing and demand an American response. Never before in the history of the alliance has a NATO member used such strident and threatening language at a fellow democratic country. This is in addition to nine years
Turkey is not just Israel’s problem; it’s the West’s Read More »
Middle East
Second in a series By Jeanette Friedman Jeanette Friedman WARSAW, Poland –When I went to look for my grandmother’s house and her grave, I sought one friend, Isaac Kot from Boston, to help me. Isaac and I have known each other since 2002, when we both attended our first World Federation of Jewish Child
Searching for babbe in a Warsaw cemetery Read More »
InternationalBy Jeanette Friedman Jeanette Friedman NEW YORK — On the Friday night, immediately after Rosh Hashanna, my son Dan called for Shabbat dinner at Occupy Wall Street. There were about 25-30 of us who made kiddush, ate cholent (translates these days into vegetarian chili), had tuna fish instead of gefilte fish and drank lots of
A Yom Kippur fast while occupying Wall Street Read More »
USA
By Judy Lash Balint JERUSALEM — Ben Gurion Airport closed at 1 p.m today and won’t reopen until three hours after the end of Yom Kippur tomorrow night. Public transportation all over Israel grinds to a halt by 2:30 p.m. In the streets later in the day, men hurry along with towels to the nearest
Israel falls unusually quiet as Yom Kippur descends Read More »
Jewish Religion, Middle East