USA

A non-Chelmic approach to the immigration issue

By Isaac Yetiv LA JOLLA, California — In Jewish Eastern-European folklore, the legendary mythical town of Chelm occupies a place of honor. Hachmei Chelm , the  Wise Men of Chelm, meet regularly in Council to “hear” and adjudicate difficult cases in their community. Their verdicts are invariably counter-intuitive, disarming with their pseudo-reasoning,and hopelessly comical. Books […]

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International, USA

Reform Jews decry Senate’s failure to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– In response to the Senate’s failure on Thursday, Dec. 9, to advance legislation to repeal the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement: “Today, Senators have failed to support the men and women of the U.S. Armed

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USA

Bill would extend housing access to LGBTs, others, under U.S. Civil Rights laws

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), and Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Edolphus Towns (D-NY) have introduced the Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME) Act in order to extend critical federal civil rights protections

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USA

Helen Diller Family Foundation to award five $36,000 scholarships to teens

SAN FRANCISCO (Press Release)–For the fifth consecutive year, the Helen Diller Family Foundation wants to reward California’s most philanthropically minded young Jewish teens with a significant financial recognition of their commitment to social action.  Five California teens will be named recipients of the 2011 Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award and each will receive an honorarium

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USA

NJDC calls on Republican leadership to disassociate itself from anti-Jewish rhetoric in Texas House Speaker contest

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–Marc R. Stanley of Dallas, Texas, chairman of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) and David A. Harris, President and CEO of NJDC, today jointly issued the following statement calling on national Republican leadership – including Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA) – to condemn the actions of key leaders of the Republican Party

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USA

Wikileaks expose America’s waning influence in the Midle East

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — The Washington Post’s editorial, “Mr. Mubarak vs. Mr. Obama,” has two passages especially worthy of notice. Among U.S. daily city newspapers, the Post has been the best generally at understanding the serious trouble created by the Obama Administration’s mistakes and misunderstandings. In this editorial, it urges the U.S government to

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Middle East, USA

Wikileaks indicate Obama intentionally misled world about Palestinian-Israeli linkage to Iran

From Zionist Organization of America: NEW YORK  (Press Release)– We now know that President Barack Hussein Obama apparently intentionally misled Israel when demanding that Israel must make substantial one-sided concessions to the Palestinian Authority in order to gain support from the Arab nations to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. This above stated fact is

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USA

Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism urges START ratification

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–In response to the New START treaty pending in the Senate, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, sent a letter to Senators urging ratification. The full text of the letter follows: Dear Senator: On behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose more than 900 congregations

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USA

Poole report tells of U.S. failures in screening Islamists seeking government posts or influence

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — There is a very important—one might say, life-and-death—distinction that should be made in considering U.S. counterterrorism policy. Certainly, U.S. forces have had many successes in stopping intended terrorist attacks against the United States. Yet there have also been a number of failures in the war against terrorism or al-Qaida

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Middle East, USA

American Muslim group says military should exclude ‘Islamist’ chaplains

PHOENIX (Press Release) – The American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) expressed deep concern on Thursday, Dec. 2,  with the military’s process for vetting Muslim clerics admitted to the Chaplain corps of the United State Military. Congress needs to give serious consideration to the concerns raised recently by former DoD Inspector General Joseph Schmitz to

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USA

U.S. Ambassador picks wrong mosque in London to visit

By Barry Rubin   HERZLIYA, Israel–Almost a decade after the September 11 attacks, the U.S. government seem unable to tell the differences between moderate and radical Muslims, much less understand that it should support the former against the latter group. So when the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom visits a mosque, you just know this nice

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International, Middle East, USA

Unrepentant Helen Thomas renews attack on Jews; ADL fires back

  NEW YORK (Press Release)– The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Friday called on those journalism schools and professional organizations that have recognized journalist Helen Thomas to rescind their honors after she “clearly, unequivocally revealed herself as a vulgar anti-Semite” in remarks to an Arab American group. In a speech Thursday in Dearborn, Michigan, the former White House

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USA

An S.O.S. for America

By Isaac Yetiv, Ph.D LA JOLLA, California —  “When the Athenians wanted not to give to Society but Society to give them…, when they wished freedom  FROM responsibility, then the Athenians ceased to be free.” (Edward Gibbon: The Decline and Fall of  the Roman  Empire) Two scores ago, I became, by choice, a U.S. citizen. No, it was not

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USA