International

Two plead guilty in desecration of Modesto synagogue and churches

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– Brian Lewis, 23, of Modesto, Calif., and Abel Mark Gonzalez, 23, of Morgan Hill, Calif., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neill to conspiring to violate the civil rights of congregants of Congregation Beth Shalom, a synagogue in Modesto, Calif. According to court documents, on or about Feb. […]

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USA

Remembering the Exodus and the American Civil Rights struggle

By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO–Wednesday night Judy, Margalit, and I watched The Secret Life of Bees. The movie, produced in 2008, is based on the book by the same name by Sue Monk Kidd. The story takes place in Southern Carolina in 1964 in the midst of racial turmoil. The Civil Rights Act had

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International, Jewish History, Middle East, USA

Americans United for Separation of Church and State sue Tennessee county over Ten Commandments display

MOUNTAIN CITY, Tennessee (Press Release)–A Tennessee county’s preference for Christianity in its courthouse displays violates the U.S. Constitution, according to a federal lawsuit filed Thursday by Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Americans United, a Washington, D.C.-based watchdog group, is challenging the Johnson County Commission’s decision to display the Ten Commandments and Christian

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USA

Commentary: The fact is accusations against Palin were ‘blood libels’

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Without taking any partisan position, but purely on the issue’s historical merits, nothing could have been more appropriate than Sarah Palin’s use of the term “blood libel” to describe what happened to her after the Tucson killings. I know because my direct ancestors were the target of a blood libel.

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International, USA

Thoughts on seeing a grandson sworn into the IDF at the Kotel

By Rabbi Dow Marmur  JERUSALEM –The only reason that takes me to the shrine of the Western Wall is the company of tourists and the occasional Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Unlike some Jews who profess piety, the place doesn’t move me to prayer. In fact, the ostensibly religious hustlers who exploit it for blatantly irreligious, even discriminatory,

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Middle East

The battle for Jerusalem is being fought by real estate investors

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–You don’t have to have inside information or be blessed with special analytical talents to realize that there’re currently systematic efforts in Israel to make any division of Jerusalem in a future peace deal increasingly impossible. The fact that this is happening nominally outside government control – e.g., through legal purchase

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Middle East

Obama calls for ‘words that heal’ in aftermath of Tucson rampage

TUCSON, Arizona (Press Release)– Following is the text of a speech made by President Barack Obama at the memorial service on Wednesday for the victims of the shooting rampage the previous Saturday: THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much.  Please, please be seated.  (Applause.) To the families of those we’ve lost; to all

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USA

Sarah Palin bears responsibility for political climate–and should apologize

By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO– On this very day of national mourning for the atrocity of Tucson, it is regrettable that we find ourselves having to again be distracted by the indulgent and self-serving—and now appalling—proclamations of Sarah Palin. Again blabbing from her cyber-haven of Facebook and not from anyplace in the real world, Palin

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USA

Hillary Clinton betrays a misunderstanding of Muslim audiences

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s remark about how the Arizona shooting is just like September 11 is such a superb example of everything wrong with Western policy toward the Middle East. Let’s summarize the issue by coining a phrase which sounds a bit Zen but has a very practical meaning:

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Middle East, USA

EU document calls for intervention in Jerusalem against Israelis

JERUSALEM (WJC)–A leaked report has revealed that that  the 25 European Union missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah are urging Brussels to treat East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state. The report also calls for an EU presence at the demolitions of Palestinian homes, and intervention when peaceful protesters face arrest. The confidential

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Middle East