By Isaac Yetiv , Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — Let me say at the outset that I am one of the 71% who are strongly opposed to a military action against Syria, and that I have expressed my opinion to the White House and to my elected representatives in the Congress (House and Senate). The president’s handling […]
Putin saved face for the amateur Obama Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Obama and supporters of an American strike on Syria have characterized negative American public opinion as “war-weariness.” They are trying to overcome it with exhortations about America’s special responsibility, or America’s credibility, or the president’s credibility, or the terribleness of the fighting there. The public isn’t buying it,
Americans not war-weary, but are ‘war-wary’ Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy Isaac Yetiv , Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — The Jewish immigrants to the United States at the turn of the previous century, fleeing the pogroms and persecutions in Eastern Europe, chanted their hope to reach “the goldeneh medineh,” the golden country. And so did the masses of new immigrants from other parts of the
AWFul government: Abuse, Waste Fraud Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — A friend of mine in Israel told me the following story: Shortly after the Yom Kippur War in 1973 a young man went to enroll in a basic Judaism class in Israel. My friend asked him why he wanted to study the Torah. The young man, whose name was
Let’s not sacrifice our Isaacs Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Morton A. Klein and Susan B. Tuchman NEW YORK — With the start of a new school year, there’s reason to be concerned: Anti-Semitism is a serious problem on some college campuses, causing Jewish students to feel threatened and even fear for their safety. Yet the U.S. government is not enforcing the law to protect
Office of Civil Rights abandons Jewish college students Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — It was a wonderful passage through the 50th anniversary of The Dream, replete with truly credentialed achievements, a variety of historical revelations, and a share of significant embellishments. The latter grouping included the beatification of Martin Luther King Jr.—a real person who had only some relationship with the
MLK would not be happy with his legendary status Read More »
USA
By Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO– Russia has approached the United States about transferring Chelsea (Bradley) Manning to Russian custody. It urged the United States to drop the 35 year sentence against him for leaking classified documents in return for Russia imposing a hefty fine and jailing him for a year for promoting a transgender lifestyle.
Humoring the Headlines: August 27, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Nancy K. Kaufman There’s a funny thing about anniversaries — just as we look back with nostalgia on the way things were, too, do we inevitably reflect on how things have changed in the intervening years. So it is as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Voting rights: Is the U.S. going backwards? Read More »
USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO– In a poll of likely Republican primary voters in Louisiana, 29 percent blamed President Obama for the poor federal response to Hurricane Katrina; whereas 28 % blamed Bush even though Bush was the president back in 2005 and Obama was only a senator. As Winston Churchill once said, “The best
Humoring the Headlines: August 22, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California –Most rabbinical students attribute omnipresence and omniscience as qualities befitting a Creator. Only God is called, The Knower of Thoughts, and The Searcher of the human heart. Rabbinical wisdom has long taught, “Always keep in mind these three things, and you will never come to the brink
God, not government, should know our every thought Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Berk SAN DIEGO — The lurid allegations of politicians acting badly overcame the usual summer lull in news this season. Mayor Bob Filner and Anthony Weiner spent much of the summer trying to survive politically. But what about spiritual survival? What does their common faith, Judaism, teach about sin, atonement and forgiveness?
Time for Filner, Weiner and us to do teshuvah Read More »
Jewish Religion, San Diego County, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — After enacting its ban on the promotion of homosexuality, Russia is defying demands to change its policy or face a boycott of the upcoming Winter Olympics there. Putin has dug his heels in and renamed St. Petersburg St. Burg because the mere mention of peters is too homosexually
Humoring the headlines: August 20, 2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Laurie Baron SAN DIEGO — President Obama denounced the violent repression of Muslim Brotherhood protestors in Egypt by the military government. Fearing that new democratic elections might bring the Muslim Brotherhood back to power, he suggested that new elections be monitored by the North Carolina Electoral Board to guarantee that a wealthy white Christian
Humoring the headlines: August 15,2013 Read More »
Lawrence Baron, USABy Jeffrey F. Barken and Jacob Kamaras/JNS.org HAIFA—Jay Ruderman has observed for years that when American Jewish leaders visit Israel or when Israeli leaders visit the United States, the conversation is “always about Israel” and how the Jewish state relates to Iran, Syria, the Palestinians, and others. “What’s happening in the American Jewish community?” and
Haifa University to offer American Jewish Studies Read More »
Jacob Kamaras, USA