BERKELEY, Calif. — Ronald Reagan infamously described the “nine most terrifying words in the English language” as “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”Right now, pro-Israel activists are recoiling from the unanticipated consequences...

The question that seemed to preoccupy much of the media leading up to the November midterm elections was whether the Democratic Party would achieve a major victory in regaining power in Washington from the Republicans, the anticipation being that congressional...

As 2018 comes to a close, I want to thank our readers, advertisers and donors for a year unlike any other in our history. That may sound like a very bold claim, but the culmination of many factors made it so. I’d like to begin however, with an end-of-year...

In 2013, a NBC News report on the payday loan industry included the story of Raymond, a Boise, Idaho resident, who depended on Social Security benefits to make ends meet. When his car broke down, Raymond turned to an Internet payday lender for a 14-day...

By Rabbi Jonah ZinnFinding meaning in the experiences of our biblical ancestors is an age-old struggle. With each weekly Torah reading, we seek to discern how these stories are relevant to our lives. These tales help us learn about ourselves. They provide...

By Guila Franklin SiegelWASHINGTON, D.C. — On the heels of actress and activist Alyssa Milano’s remarkable statement indicating that she plans to boycott the upcoming 2019 Women’s March because of its leaders’ persistent anti-Semitic behavior,...

Editor’s Note: Chris Koster delivered a speech at the U. City Shul Gala on Nov. 18. This commentary was drawn from that speech.By Chris KosterMany years ago, I grew up in this neighborhood [North and South Road near Delmar Boulevard], and I’d walk...

“Superman, can you fix my country?”The small, sad voice echoed through the silence. It felt like everything in the room stopped at that moment. It was Superhero Week at the Jewish Coalition for New Americans (JCNA) summer camp. The half-day four-week...

When gunman Robert Bowers fired on the Tree of Life congregation late last month, he shook the whole tree, from the roots in Pittsburgh to the branches of Jewish communities across the world. At Washington University, Bowers struck close to the root—several...

Word came from 600 miles away, but it could not have felt closer to home. The horrifying news arrived while many here were still in shul. It sounded surreal and yet all too familiar.A shooter had invaded a place of worship, on Shabbat, shouting, “All...

Nearly a century ago, on Sept. 1, 1923, a violent earthquake struck Japan, devastating Tokyo, Yokohama and the surrounding cities. One hundred thousand people lost their lives, and many had their lives turned upside down.The news reached as far as the...

Now in the second year of Donald Trump’s presidency, we are still trying to figure out what to make of his foreign policy. Clearly, he is not a “liberal internationalist” like Jimmy Carter, of the sort who strongly values international law and...