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...
NEW YORK (JTA) — Though deep in the winter of North America, we American Jews allow our hearts to warm slightly as we mark Tu b’Shevat — the “New Year of Trees,” when the earliest fruits in the Land of Israel begin to form on the trees.Tu b’Shevat,...
Walls workFor all those Democrats who claim a wall does not work, I suggest they go to Israel, which constructed a wall a number of years ago to keep suicide bombers out of Israel. Since that wall was built, there have been no suicide bombings from terrorists...
In 2016, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump commented: “At the state and federal level, the United States spends more than $620 billion dollars on K-12 education each year. That’s an average of about $12,296 for every student enrolled...
(JTA) — Barring injury, Ryan Braun should surpass Hank Greenberg this season as baseball’s all-time Jewish home run hitter. The 35-year-old outfielder and longtime Milwaukee Brewer needs just 10 homers to break the late Detroit Tiger icon’s total...
By Rabbi Ariel Picard
• Published January 10, 2019
JERUSALEM — Israeli politics looks like a big mess right now. In the past few weeks, three new parties have been launched and one party has kicked out a former partner. More changes are likely, too. It probably will get messier still if Prime Minister...
