The rising stardom of Naftali Bennet

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Despite the clouds formed by the sharpening election campaign, a new star can be clearly discerned on Israel’s political firmament. His name is Naftali Bennet, the new leader of the nationalist (modern) Orthodox party, Habayit Hayehudi (the Jewish home) that can trace its origins to the once moderate National Religious Party. […]

The rising stardom of Naftali Bennet Read More »

Middle East

Doctor who treated Lincoln subject of Felder’s newest musical

By Eileen Wingard SAN DIEGO — As Hershey Felder entered the café across from the Birch North Park Theatre, I thought the slim man in sneakers was just another college student. But he immediately recognized me, thanks to the description I gave his publicist, and, finding a spot farthest from the loudspeaker’s rock music, we

Doctor who treated Lincoln subject of Felder’s newest musical Read More »

Eileen Wingard

Israel would not use Gaza strategy against Lebanon

By Yaakov Lappin     Israel’s weeklong air campaign against Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza last month helped establish a successful anti-rocket/missile combat doctrine, which was well-designed for that particular conflict, but which will not be applicable against Hezbollah. Despite the triumphalist cries and unceasing flow of belligerent threats coming out of Gaza, Hamas’ leadership is

Israel would not use Gaza strategy against Lebanon Read More »

Middle East

Mass shootings indicate USA becoming more dysfunctional

 By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — Starting with Abraham’s expulsion of Ishmael, the Torah’s patriarchal stories reflect a multi-generational family in distress. Each generation transmits its dysfunction to the next, where it continues to do damage before propagating forward. Abraham expelled his son, Ishmael, in favor of Isaac, only to end up traumatizing him

Mass shootings indicate USA becoming more dysfunctional Read More »

Jewish Religion

JNS news briefs: December 21, 2012

  Magazine names head of anti-Semitic Ukrainian political party its ‘Personality of the Year’ (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Ukrainian politician Oleh Tyahnybok—whose politics have been compared to those of the Nazi party—has been chosen as “Personality of the Year” by the Korrespondent magazine.   Korrespondent is one of the most influential weekly news magazines in

JNS news briefs: December 21, 2012 Read More »

International

If you had one piece of advice for Israel’s next P.M….

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –At the end of an all-day symposium in Jerusalem today under the cumbersome title, “Changing in Israeli Public Opinion on Critical Regional Issues on the Diplomatic Agenda,” panelists were asked to identify a single piece of advice they’d give to the next Prime Minister of Israel (who almost certainly will

If you had one piece of advice for Israel’s next P.M…. Read More »

Middle East

Columnist’s inbox the target of gun-control debate

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–According to the über-encyclopedia that teaches all of us everything,     “defense mechanisms are psychological strategies brought into play by the unconscious mind to manipulate, deny, or distort reality (through processes including, but not limited to, Repression, Identification, or Rationalization), and to maintain a socially acceptable self-image or self-schema.” Defense mechanisms abound

Columnist’s inbox the target of gun-control debate Read More »

Ira Sharkansky, USA