By Rafael Medoff/JNS.org The controversy over how to define the attack on the American consulate in Libya is not the first time the U.S. government has raised eyebrows by refusing to use the word “terrorism.” A similar dispute in 1989 sparked a major row between George H. W. Bush’s administration and Israel. American officials initially […]
Tongue tied on terrorism—again Read More »
USA
By David Brin ENCINITAS, California–Banned Books Week (September 30 – October 6) celebrates the freedom to read and to express ideas…even those that others might find objectionable. Classics that have been banned or challenged over the years include The Jungle, The Great Gatsby, The Grapes of Wrath, Beloved, Lolita, Clockwork Orange, Satanic Verses, I Know
In defense of free, even outrageous, speech Read More »
USAAt Adamah Farm in Connecticut and the Pearlstone Center’s farm in Maryland, activities are more “heimish” than Amish: growing, harvesting and enjoying pickles, vegetables and cheese with other Jews in an environmental, educational and spiritual setting. By Paul Foer/JNS.org FALLS VILLAGE, CONN.—Nadav Slovin cultivates the fields of potatoes and other crops in the rural Litchfield
‘Harvesting people and pickles’: An inside look at Jewish farming Read More »
USALatino Jews weigh in on immigration, Israel leading up to election Roughly 100,000 Latino Jews reside in the U.S., including 40,000 in the swing state of Florida—which could very well decide the election. With that in mind, JNS.org spoke to Latino-Jewish immigrants from Peru, Cuba, Mexico and Argentina who are now eligible to vote in
Latino Jews weigh immigration, Israel Read More »
USABy David Brin ENCINITAS, California — It’s been said that a politician gets to be perfectly honest just once in a long career — at its end. Refreshing candor sometimes pours after an old pol has faced the last campaign. No more fund raisers or flattering voters. One chance to tell the truth. All right,
On what do Obama and Romney agree? Read More »
USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Obama administration was wrong when first it said that what happened in Cairo and Benghazi was a spontaneous gush of righteous Muslim indignation. After days of insisting that a snippet of YouTube trash was responsible — not U.S. policy and certainly not the U.S. government — and that
U.S. refuses to acknowledge Islamist war against it Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USALA JOLLA, California (Press Release)–A capacity crowd of more than 60 people filled the library at the Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center in La Jolla last Wednesday, Sept. 19, for a lively discussion of “The Truth about the Jewish Vote.” The event was the inaugural public program of J Street San Diego. J Street is
U.S. Jews favor 2-state solution for Israel, Palestine — J Street Read More »
USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Richard Nixon had many shortcomings, but compared to Barack Obama, he looks like a saint. I do not ever recall seeing Nixon attempting to subvert the 1st Amendment that guarantees freedom of speech, but recently with the release of the Innocence of Muslims film that came
U.S. must not give up 1st Amendment to please Islamists Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Nittai the Arbelite said: Keep your distance from a bad neighbor; don’t socialize with scoundrels. Mishnah—Avoth 1:7 Our parents often taught us, “A person is judged by the company he keeps.” Jewish tradition reaffirms this message, for people then to gravitate to others who
Beware the company the President keeps Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Associated Press told the story this way: “PARIS — A small package bomb exploded inside a kosher grocery store in a Paris suburb Wednesday, wounding at least one person[1]…The reason for the attack was unclear, but it rattled nerves amid global tensions surrounding a U.S.-produced film insulting to Islam.
Washington must stop providing excuses for Islamist terror Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Mitt Romney reminds us of a basic political lesson. Politicians should lie. What’s this? An academic with a career in political science at distinguished universities saying that politicians should lie? Yep. If they don’t learn it from me they’d better learn it from someone else. Even when they tell some of
Romney slapped for voicing unspeakable truth Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — From here, it looks like my American friends are facing a choice between Jimmy Carter and Sarah Palin. Barack is Jimmy, nebech in chief with respect to dealing with the important region of the Middle East. Like Jimmy, Barack has a naive hope for democracy among the countries with no
Mideast is not the American Midwest Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Carol Naiman Waldman SAN DIEGO — It has always been a dream of mine to be an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention and it turned out that 2012 was my year. I contacted friends and supporters to vote for me at the caucus on a Sunday afternoon in April and was elected
Reflections of a Democratic Convention delegate Read More »
USA
By Loren Kantor STUDIO CITY, California — Manhattan is a sweet little gem of a movie made by Woody Allen in 1979. Shot in gorgeous black & white, the film opens with a stunning montage of New York set to the strains of Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue. Unlike Scorsese’s gritty Mean Streets & Sidney
Notes from the Woodcutter: ‘Manhattan’ Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, USA