Commentary
Syrian-American observer predicts Assad’s ouster and voices concern for human rights
December 11, 2011
In the wake of the Arab League’s decision to impose a battery of sanctions against the Syrian regime, I sat down with Ahmad (name has been changed for security reasons), a 37-year-old restaurateur who grew up in Syria and returns...
Was Turner’s victory a referendum on Obama’s Israel policies?
September 19, 2011
Tuesday marked the first Republican victory in nearly one hundred years in New York’s 9th congressional district, a Jewish and Italian stronghold. Republican Robert Turner’s victory in winning the seat encompassing...
Wanted: A unifier for the nation
September 2, 2011
Incivility toward Tea Party embarrasses us all
Last month, during a forum for the unemployed in her home state, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, “the Tea Party can go straight to hell,” adding, “And I intend to help them get...
Tea party reflects nation’s health
September 2, 2011
During a forum for the unemployed in her home state this month, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., announced that “the ‘tea party’ can go straight to hell,” adding, “And I intend to help them get...
Signs of awakening in the Arab world?
August 7, 2011
More than 100 reportedly unarmed civilians in the Syrian city of Hama have died at the hands of Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces since the start of Ramadan on Sunday in a crackdown some in the media have labeled the “Ramadan...
Shock, sadness, and anger
July 23, 2011
In the wake of the murder of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky in Borough Park last week, the Jewish community is reeling with shock, sadness, and anger. While we would not presume to fathom the depths of grief and horror experienced by the...
Case highlights value of free speech, and its down side
July 13, 2011
In the wake of Tuesday’s verdict acquitting Florida mother Casey Anthony of murder in the death of her two-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008, Cheney Mason, one of Anthony’s attorneys, criticized TV pundits for excessive coverage of...
Blood donation is a mitzvah
July 1, 2011
Judaism has always insisted on “safety first.” Starting with such Torah-based commands to build a parapet around one’s home to prevent objects from falling off roofs and to cover holes on roadways and fields, Jewish law requires that...
Herman Cain Provides Teachable Moment
June 27, 2011
A couple thoughts on last week’s controversy in which Jon Stewart mocked Herman Cain, a black conservative candidate for the GOP nomination. The Los Angeles Times incorrectly claims in this blog post that Cain, in reaction...
Flag Day honors what is basic and beautiful
June 27, 2011
Tuesday was Flag Day. Is it our imagination, or does it seem as if fewer American flags were flying?
With controversy raging in recent decades over whether burning the flag should be legal and whether it is patriotic to wear a flag pin,...