America's Rabbi / Shmuley Boteach

Americans are sick and tired of rancorous, scorched-earth politics, which has given Congress a nine percent approval rating. Let’s show America that politics is an honorable profession, a noble calling, filled with people who put values, country, and integrity first. Let’s start winning people back to the political theater by demonstrating that politics are inspiring rather than depressing, ennobling rather than corrupting, and harmonious rather than rancorous.

When my daughter first made aliyah she was a student at Hebrew University. After a year she called me and told me she was enlisting.

What is better, a popular Israel riddled with dead Jews or an unpopular Israel filled with living ones?

What is it about Jacob that he seemingly can’t stop the favoritism?

In Israel, it’s easy to throw a recalcitrant husband in jail for refusing to grant a get. In the United States it’s much more challenging.

What was G-d thinking when he sent Hurricane Sandy and what could have been its purpose? In truth, I don’t much care, because our role as humans is not to understand G-d’s plan in the face of horror and tragedy, but to challenge God and demand that human life always be protected and preserved. Did I say demand? Yes, humanity has rights before God. We are His children. He commanded us to preserve and promote life always. “Choose life,” Moses orders the Israelite nation in God’s name, on the last day of His life. And the Creator must abide by the same dictates He expects His creatures to.

Through the process of the ten plagues, the Jews saw the Egyptians for what they were, just another group of petrified humans.

The growing revelations that the Obama State Department watered down public statements on the attack in order to cleanse them of any mention of al Qaeda and terrorism is a travesty.

Just yesterday I was fully engaged in my campaign for the United States Congress. Winning, elections, and victory were on my mind. Boy, what a difference a day can make. Today, I just want my family and the 50 million people in the storm’s path to be safe.

I call upon President Obama to honor his campaign pledge of 2008 to recognize the Armenian slaughter of 1918 by the Ottoman Turks for what it was - a genocide. I also ask my political opponent Bill Pascrell, to join me in a press conference and call upon the U.S. to put a $25 million bounty on the head of Bashar Assad for his arrest for crimes against humanity, and for the removal of the U.S. Ambassador to Russia so long as President Putin continues to protect Assad.

Why would the Senator insist on the Biblical teachings regarding homosexuality but not those of protecting Israel?

Twenty years, countless conversations, and hundreds of Friday night Shabbat dinners later, Cory today is a much-loved honorary member of the American Jewish community, regularly lecturing at Synagogues and Jewish conferences across the country. More significant, Cory has challenged the Jewish community to live up to its Biblical calling to serve as ‘a light unto the nations.’ In many of the speeches we deliver together he asks the Jewish participants if they study the weekly Parsha, if they honor the commandments, and cherish the Sabbath. What allows an African-American Christian Mayor to challenge Jewish leaders to deepen their Jewish commitment? Because those same leaders are amazed at Cory’s knowledge of Judaism and appreciation of the Jewish contribution to civilization. (Watch video)

When Jacob is fooled into marrying Leah, he accepts her as a partner and eventually the mother of his children. But his yearning is for Rachel.

Tied as we are in Martin Luther King's 'single garment of destiny' where 'whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly,' courageous soldiers of the US military are forced to engage in war so that the rest of us might live in peace, to stain their hands so that our future might be clear. We do not gloat over the death of evil since its very existence must be mourned.

But the most painful part of an otherwise illuminating and extraordinary Forum was Iranian President Rouhani's speech.

Aren’t we the nation that rebuilt Iraq and have done tons of nation-building in Afghanistan? Can’t we put the lights and heat back on New Jersey? Is it asking too much to bring a bunch of fuel tankers here and end the 100 vehicle long lines that are growing larger by the day? Just getting from point A to point B has been like navigating an labyrinth since the gas lines have cut off so many of the streets. President Obama declared this area to be a Federal Disaster Area. But where is FEMA? Where are the troops? Where are the gas tankers?

How can anyone calling himself a Rabbi have the chutzpah to ever justify the death of innocents?

My own experiences within the shidduch system has caused me to question it considerably.

Forgetting how to hate can be just as damaging as forgetting how to love.

So long as we obsess over abortion, gay marriage, and contraception to the exclusion of any other values, we cannot fix our problems.

I have heard many Rabbis tell me that they don’t wish to dirty their hands by getting involved in political matters.

When in 1948 President Harry Truman recognized the new Jewish State of Israel, Einstein declared it 'the fulfillment of our dream.'

If only my city were to treat me with the same courtesy they accorded Kaddafi.

Those who use either chemical, or even conventional weapons to slaughter innocent people must be held accountable.

Being forced to pay taxes does not make us more virtuous people. If it did, our founding fathers would have thanked George III for his coercion.

The communities of Gush Katif were miraculous.

Perhaps our President should focus less on construction of apartments and homes and do something instead about the bombs and rockets that are killings tens of thousands of innocent Arabs.

By now it’s known that I have strongly supported Samantha’s nomination.

Public relations is nearly the whole ball game and we Jews have lost the battle not just in modern times with Israel but throughout a long and tragic history

None of this is a criticism of Reform Jews who are my brothers in every way.