The relationship between Israel and American Jews is a complicated mix of good news and bad news, and this week’s government compromise on the Western Wall, or Kotel, is a case in point: It’s a step forward in providing access for non-Orthodox Jews,...
True confessions: I honestly have never set foot in a Men’s Locker Room — I promise! However, what I have been told is that after a hard workout, guys like to swap stories while getting out of gym clothes and donning professional attire for the...
The armed seizure of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon began Jan. 2 with the arrival of a small, sad band of would-be insurrectionists, most from outside of Oregon. They hauled in an assortment of firearms and some camouflage get-ups...
By Robert A. Cohn, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus
• Published February 3, 2016
Will there ever be a Jewish president? The question for most of American history has been answered with an emphatic no. There continues to be too much anti-Semitism in America. A Jewish president would be accused of “dual loyalty” if there was...
The New Year began with two train stations in Munich evacuated, nine people shot outside a Tel Aviv pub, and a fire roaring through a luxury hotel in Dubai, near the Burj Tower, the world’s tallest building – all connected to suspected terrorism.Following...
-Taglit-Birthright Israel participants visiting the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Aug. 18, 2014. (Flash 90)(JTA) — The relationship between Israel and American Jews is a complicated mix of good news and bad news, and this week’s government compromise...
I recently finished reading Dennis Ross’ book “Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama.” Ross, a career diplomat, painstakingly exposes the fallacy of two ongoing assumptions that are prevalent among many members of...
CHICAGO — The central prayer of our people, the Shema, is often interpreted as a message of unity and the interconnectedness of all things. This can be a powerful force for bringing people together, for helping us to see the common humanity and the...
Compassion and creativity beats funding cutsI read the Dec. 30 article, “Reduced county funding leads to cuts at JF&CS.” I don’t get it: A person shows up for the group to find out that the program is cut? Surely there is/was a plan for funding...
As a writer, I enjoy playing with words. As a fitness professional, I enjoy exercise. As a scientist, I often ponder what is going on deep within our bodies, at the cellular level. I like to think that, at least during part of each day, I have an...
Protesters at an LGBTQ conference in Chicago accused Israel of obscuring its treatment of Palestinians by touting its record on gay rights. (Courtesy of A Wider Bridge)CHICAGO (JTA) — The central prayer of our people, the Shema, is often interpreted...
In times of joy and despair, my family and I cling to the Yiddish language. It kvetches and it kvells in a way no other language can. In my family, Yiddish is not just a series of words from a dying language that we throw into conversation. It transforms...
