Monthly Archives: November 2016

The Rabbi and the Court

Some years ago I was in New York for my brother’s wedding. On Shabbat we went to a convenient synagogue (a Chabad shul), and the rabbi held a little study session before the service. The subject was parashat ki tetse, … Continue reading

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Film Review: “Hate Spaces: The Politics of Intolerance on Campus”

“Hate Spaces” is a documentary film (view the trailer here) produced by Ralph Avi Goldwasser and Americans for Peace and Tolerance, who also gave us “The J Street Challenge,” and as the full title suggests, it describes the recent surge … Continue reading

Posted in Academia, American Jews, American society, Jew Hatred | 1 Comment

Trump, be a mentsh

I spent almost all of Tuesday in Jerusalem. It was a lovely day, the bus and light rail connections were quick and convenient, and – thanks to getting off the light rail at the wrong stop – we walked through … Continue reading

Posted in Israel and Palestinian Arabs, US-Israel Relations | 3 Comments

The Tribe of Barack

News item: On Monday, the American Jewish Committee and the Islamic Society of North America launched the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council, a group of religious and business leaders from both communities who will help draft domestic policy legislation and advocate on … Continue reading

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President Trump

It’s Wednesday morning, and the American presidential election has just been decided. Honestly, I didn’t expect this result. I didn’t underestimate Trump’s appeal, but I failed to realize just how much the voters disliked Clinton. Of course working-class people overwhelmingly … Continue reading

Posted in American politics, US-Israel Relations | 2 Comments

The Reform Movement vs. Bibi Netanyahu

Last week saw a protest by Reform and Conservative Jews, both American and Israeli, in support of the Women of the Wall, at the Kotel (Western Wall).  The demonstrators were protesting the fact that an agreement that the government, the … Continue reading

Posted in American Jews, Israeli Politics, Israeli Society | 1 Comment

Bringing Israel’s Supreme Court into the 21st Century

The latest battle in Israel’s ongoing struggle to define itself is being fought over the way Supreme Court justices are selected. The 15 justices are appointed by a judicial selection committee of 9 members: The Minister of Justice, who chairs … Continue reading

Posted in Israeli Politics | 1 Comment