Editor’s note: The Jewish Light asked area high school students to submit an essay of 350 words or less explaining what it means to be Jewish to them. The essays were judged on creativity, originality, development of the essay’s theme, as well as...
By Andrew Silow-Carroll
• Published February 13, 2019
NEW YORK (JTA) — Rep. Ilhan Omar picked a funny week to tweet about the power of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.Last week, the Senate passed a bill that targets the boycott Israel movement. The 77-23 vote was a nice win for AIPAC, which...
(JTA) — I lived in Minnesota for five years. My wife is from there; her family still lives there.When we return to visit, we have to reckon with a frightening reality: My in-laws’ newly elected congressional representative is deeply implicated in...
“Would you accompany me, Missouri legislator whom I don’t know, to my OB-GYN’s office?” no woman in our state has ever asked.
In all of my reproductive care appointments since I was 18 years old, from contraception and family planning,...
By Rabbi Seth D. Gordon
• Published February 7, 2019
In our youth, many of us did things that, looking back as adults, we are not proud of. Perhaps we stole an inexpensive item(s) from a store, insulted someone, voiced a prejudice, or worse. We may even smile or chuckle as we reminisce; we were kids. But...
Joni Mitchell, the fiercely original, genre-defying songwriter, singer and guitarist/pianist, has been on my mind lately. Mitchell turned 75 on Nov. 7, and an all-star multitude of friends, lovers, collaborators and adoring appreciators celebrated...
The treatment of children on our southern border has many Americans asking why so many are being separated from their families, kept in detention and how 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo and 7-year-old Jakelin Caal, both from Guatemala, died in our custody...
“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” — Leo TolstoyI would like to take this opportunity to open a dialogue in regard to the intentionally (or unintentionally) leaked “sweeping plan” from Better Together...
WASHINGTON (JTA) — This week, the Israeli Cabinet unanimously approved legislation that will allow local cannabis companies to start exporting medical marijuana, making Israel the third nation in the world where it is legal to do so.According to the...
Urgent needs as the shutdown continuesWe are a newly formed group of Jewish gardeners who work to address food security issues among the most vulnerable in our communities by growing fresh produce for food pantries. We are deeply concerned about the...
Does a difference exist between secular and “holy” reasons for keeping our bodies fit?Traditional Jewish thought suggests that we must keep our bodies well for the sake of spiritual pursuits and in order to fulfill mitzvot. Sadly, in today’s modern...
NEW YORK (JTA) — Every year, extremism takes a deadly toll around the world. No region is immune — not the Middle East, not Europe, and not the United States. In 2018, there were at least 50 Americans killed by extremists from different movements.Many...
