Assisted Suicide: A Retreat To The 1967 Borders

Posted on: August 3rd, 2011

As reported last week in the Jerusalem Post, "Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel and the U.S. were working on a document saying the parameters for returning to negotiations with the Palestinians would be based on the speech U.S. President Barack Obama gave at AIPAC in May, and spelling out in greater detail what Obama meant by a return to the 1967 lines, with mutual agreed swaps."

Experiencing Evangelical Love For Israel

Posted on: July 27th, 2011

Five thousand evangelical Christian supporters of Israel from throughout the U.S. and Canada filled the halls of the Washington, D.C. Convention Center July 18-20 for the sixth annual Washington Summit of Christians United for Israel.

Israel’s Supreme Court Rewards Another Enemy Of The State

Posted on: July 27th, 2011

The decision by the Israeli Supreme Court in the matter of Mustafa Dirani (sometimes spelled Durani) has once again shown the world that Israel's judicial system is a clear and present danger to the country.

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From Half To Full

Posted on: July 27th, 2011

A recent article in The Jewish Week brought to light something that has been afflicting the Orthodox community for some time now: teenage texting on Shabbos. The practice is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially but in no way exclusively, among Modern Orthodox teens.

Our 9/11: What Will We Learn From The Leiby Kletzky Tragedy?

Posted on: July 20th, 2011

A surefire way to gauge the generation in which a person was raised is to have him or her fill in the following sentence: Where were you when ?" Baby Boomers would ask, "When President Kennedy was shot?" Thirtysomethings would respond, "When the space shuttle exploded?" Today's teenagers would reply, "On 9/11?"

Seeking The Divine Presence

Posted on: July 20th, 2011

We are now in the Three Weeks, a time of national mourning for the Jewish people. Of the numerous tragedies that occurred throughout history during this period, the central one we grieve is the destruction of both Temples; they were destroyed on Tisha B'Av, the culmination of the Three Weeks.

Palestinians’ Day In The Sun Appears To Be Waning

Posted on: July 20th, 2011

It's been a bumpy road for the Palestinians lately. Recent staged spectacles that were supposed to whip up sympathy for them and put Israel in a bad light again - the Nakba Day (May 15) and Naksa Day (June 4) marches on Israel's borders, the flotilla, the flytilla - have been disappointments at best, if not outright flops. And the Palestinians' long-hyped independent-statehood bid at the UN in September is meeting growing opposition from the West.

Hollywood Types Find Captain America Too American

Posted on: July 20th, 2011

In March 1941 - nine months before the attack on Pearl Harbor impelled America to enter the Second World War - one colorful American hero already had joined the battle: Captain America.

Needed: A New Narrative For Israel

Posted on: July 13th, 2011

As Israel's leadership digs in its heels in the face of escalating Palestinian demands for statehood, the Jewish state faces a new, rapidly changing dynamic. The Palestinian Authority's intent to seek United Nations recognition of a new Arab state based on pre-1967 borders, coupled with reconciliation between the PA and Hamas, further complicates the issue.

How Serious Is Obama’s Slide Among Jewish Voters?

Posted on: July 13th, 2011

There was a lot of attention given to a Gallup poll last week showing Jewish approval for President Obama has remained fairly steady at around 60 percent since the beginning of the year (though it has also dropped by 20 points since 2009).

An Apology To Turkey Would Distort History

Posted on: July 13th, 2011

The ongoing Turkish request for an Israeli apology over the killing last year of nine pro-Palestinian flotilla activists has been a major hindrance in efforts to improve Israeli-Turkish relations.

Jews On The Rise In Conservative ‘New Media’

Posted on: July 7th, 2011

Many reviews already have appeared of "The Undefeated," the soon-to-be-released documentary about Sarah Palin's tenure in Alaska. Yet none of them - even in The Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post or Politico.com - mentions that nearly all of the film's many pro-Palin media talking heads are Jews.

My God Beats Your God: The Saga Of Yehuda Bob

Posted on: July 7th, 2011

It was the first of the intermediate days of Passover 2010, and my two older sons decided to wake up really early - around 5 a.m. - and head out with me by car in the expectation of getting in a full day seeing the country around Phoenix, Arizona, specifically the Sedona and Grand Canyon areas.

What We Can Learn From Chazal About Dating

Posted on: July 7th, 2011

A recent piece posted on Matzav.com signed by "A Crying Bas Yisroel" chillingly lamented the plight of a young single woman, with fine personal qualities but without any family money or yichus, who sits forlornly waiting for her phone to ring with calls from shadchanim. Alas, the phone never rings, and for her, the shidduch system is an ongoing nightmare.

Israeli Left’s Mind-Numbing Hypocrisy On Freedom Of Speech

Posted on: July 7th, 2011

The assault on freedom of speech in Israel by the leftist establishment continues, manifested in a series of arrests of rabbis merely for expressing opinions.

The Illusion Of Privacy

Posted on: June 29th, 2011

Anthony Weiner is the latest in a long line of public figures caught by surprise at the unveiling of their own closet misdeeds. Weiner (and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the still-presumed-innocent Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and so many others before them) lived in a bubble of false security, created in part by their own hubris. Perhaps their biggest mistake, however, was believing their personal lives were somehow sacrosanct, impermeable, separate and apart from their public lives.

A Reassuring Visit To Washington With The OU

Posted on: June 29th, 2011

As a synagogue rabbi I try to keep my eyes open to see how or if I can incorporate personal experiences into my weekly Shabbos sermon. Recently, I represented my shul at the Orthodox Union's (OU) annual mission to Washington, DC (June 14-15). On my way to one of the first events, I joked with a rabbi friend from Charleston, South Carolina that I was hoping to return with some good material for that week's sermon.

Mission To Israel Inspiring – And Upsetting

Posted on: June 29th, 2011

Reflecting back on the experiences our AFSI Chizuk group shared on its 31st mission to Israel, opposing words, thoughts and images come to mind.

Bashing Of Glenn Beck Goes From Bad To Worse

Posted on: June 29th, 2011

When Glenn Beck's upcoming Jerusalem rally was first announced, he saidit would be called "Restore Courage" - modeled on his "Restoring Honor" rally last year in Washington that drew half a million. Or as Beck put it: "Last summer, we set out to restore honor in Washington, DC. This summer, it's time to restore courage. It is time for us to courageously stand with Israel."

Politicizing Our National Pastime

Posted on: June 22nd, 2011

Most critics of The New York Times are well aware of the liberal bias on its news pages that is as pronounced as the leftward slant on its opinion pages. But the Gray Lady's sports section is just as bad.