Blog
Purim reminds us of need for self-defense — and hasbara
March 20, 2011
Ancient Persia, scene of the story of Purim, corresponds geographically to present-day Iran. Amid the fallout from Japan’s disastrous earthquake and the continued uprising in Libya, let’s not forget that Iran remains public enemy...
Interfaith teens to discuss their identity: Leaders plan to listen, not lecture
March 13, 2011
Felicia Sparozic gets presents for both Chanukah and Christmas. While she says “I make out pretty well,” at times she wishes she could talk with other teenagers about being between worlds.
“My mom’s Jewish and my dad...
Rutgers Event Links Israel, Apartheid: Hillel Fires Back With Facts, Testimonials From Ethiopian, Arab, and Gay Israelis
March 13, 2011
An event last week comparing Israel’s treatment of its Arab citizens to South Africa’s treatment of blacks under apartheid marked the latest in a series of anti-Israel programs at Rutgers University that some local Jewish leaders...
Yachad Conference Draws 200 Attendees: Experts and Parents Help Special-Needs kids — And Each Other
March 8, 2011
Laurie Minchenberg of Passaic wanted advice and information about how her eldest son, Tuvia, 11, who has special needs, could become a bar mitzvah. But she wasn’t sure how to broach the subject with her synagogue leadership.
Anne Rand of...
Down With Dictators: Mideast Protests Through Sharansky’s Prism
March 8, 2011
This week, as rebels rage against the dictator Moammar Gaddafi in Libya, hundreds of thousands rally to oppose Yemen’s autocracy, and others risk their lives to oppose Iran’s mullahs, the Middle East’s future remains...
Iraqis Take to Street in Protest: “It Will Start Again Next Friday,” Obama Took “Great Action” in Snubbing Maliki, Says Alusi
February 28, 2011
Former Iraqi Parliamentarian Mithal al-Alusi contacted...
Pols Support Renewal of Lautenberg Amendment
February 26, 2011
Numerous Jewish organizations including the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society joined Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in calling for the U.S. House of Representatives to renew a provision that fast-tracks asylum for religious...
Scholarships v. Camp or Israel Trip?: Schools Alert Parents That Aid May Be Endangered
February 26, 2011
Scholarship committees of two modern Orthodox day schools in Teaneck wrote to parents earlier this month that if their children attend on scholarship and the family can afford to send them to a summer program — including an Israel program...
Let This Be Obama’s JFK Moment
February 26, 2011
As pro-democracy demonstrators, autocratic rulers, and hard-line Islamist forces jockey for position across the Middle East, the region is up for grabs. No one knows how things will look when the dust settles. President Obama has a...
A New Middle East?
February 12, 2011
A wise man once told me, “People get the government they deserve.” At the time, I thought this assessment was overly harsh. After all, what can unarmed civilians do when they are under the control of a dictator? I still believe...