By Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — August 28 will mark the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s unforgettable ‘I Have A Dream’ preachment—the culmination of the 1963 March on Washington. Ironically, the date will also mark the 58th anniversary of the brutal murder of Emmett Till, on August 28, 1955—an appalling vigilante […]
Emmett Till’s 1955 murder helped spur Civil Rights Movement Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The media did its best to portray George Zimmerman as a racist in its efforts to influence the public and the jury to convict him for the crime of manslaughter. Eric Holder, as of today, is still investigating whether Zimmerman might be prosecuted for civil rights
Zimmerman, no racist, has African-American ancestors Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USANEW YORK (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has issued an informational advisory to law enforcement and Jewish communal groups concerning the display of swastikas in parks and other public areas this weekend by a fringe religious sect known as Raelian. The ADL advisory makes clear that the sect poses no known security threat, and has
ADL: Raelian swastikas not motivated by hate Read More »
USA
WASHINGTON (Press Release)– Hillel: The Foundation for Jewish Campus Life today announced that Eric Fingerhut will serve as its president and CEO. The appointment was approved unanimously on Sunday by the Hillel Board of Directors, who met in New York. “Eric is an ideal fit for Hillel at this important time in our history,” said
Eric Fingerhut is Hillel’s new national president Read More »
USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California–The problem is not what we know; it’s what we feel. We do not really know what happened: for the vast majority of us, it happened somewhere else (in the previously unknown town of Sanford, Fla.), we have relied entirely on the cloying media with its pundits and professional oracles,
Trayvon Martin case forces us to grapple with our racism Read More »
USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — The list of famous people President Obama has invited to the White House is something most of us would find surprising, amusing, and even outrageous. He has on occasions invited Gangsta Rappers like the rap artist named Common, whose poetical lyrics extols the virtues of cannibalism,
Obama’s Middle Eastern guest list raises questions Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The similarities and differences between Barack Obama and Benyamin Netanyahu tell us something about politics. For cynics, they are two peas in a pod who happen to coincide, and deserve one another. Both are attractive physically and know how to speak. Those are the makings of good actors, and that is the
Bibi and Barack: two political peas in a pod Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, 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
God may watch over us; the government shouldn’t Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American people often prove to be more sophisticated about themselves, their rights, and their government than they get credit for. Even if they can’t enumerate the clauses, most people know the Bill of Rights is designed to restrict the government’s ability to curb their speech or religious practice;
Poll shows support for government spying Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA
SAN DIEGO (Press Release)– San Diego Jewish Academy students and staff have deployed to the tornado-devastated community of Moore, Oklahoma to do volunteer work. “Several students came to me asking what they could do to make a real and meaningful difference,” said Alan Rusonik, SDJA’s Director of Judaic Studies. “The practice of Tikkun Olam
SDJA contingent providing tornado relief in Oklahoma Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– America, i.e., the United States, is a different land. It is a world leader in science, technology, medicine and several varieties of music, art, and theater, along with a military capacity that can overwhelm most others and a great deal of wealth. It is also different from virtually every other country
An Israeli’s critique of America Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Abraham H. Foxman and Christopher Wolf NEW YORK — Several women’s advocates recently put the spotlight on misogynistic postings to Facebook promoting and celebrating violent attacks on women. As a result of their pressure on advertisers and others, Facebook eventually responded — admitting it could do better in policing online hate and outlining a
Time to fight the online hate epidemic Read More »
USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California–Robert F. Kennedy, 42, was shot several times in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel just before midnight on June 4, 1968. He had just won California Democratic presidential primary and seemed destined for the nomination. He lingered through the next day but wounds proved fatal and he died early
The tortured soul of Bobby Kennedy Read More »
USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Parties on various sides of the immigration debate in the United State have focused mainly on issues surrounding Hispanic immigrants because there are a lot of them and numbers get attention. Human Rights Watch, for example, created a handy-dandy checklist for the Senate version of the immigration bill, including
Immigrants must be better vetted for terrorist links Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA