Three wars made blips on Israel’s radar screen this week, and then disappeared. Israel has been conducting two out of the three wars against its will. One is the war against Iran’s nuclear plans, which played on the imaginations of many observers Oct. 6 when reports emerged about a tremendous and mysterious explosion at the secretive

INSS Insight No. 627, reprinted with permission

The sweeping Republican victory in the Congressional elections indicates virtually nothing about the 2016 presidential elections. On November 4, 2014, the US cast a vote of criticism and protest against an incumbent president, and not necessarily a vote in

U.S. President Barack Obama has come under intense criticism for his foreign policy, along with many other things. This is not unprecedented. Former President George W. Bush was similarly attacked. Stratfor has always maintained that the behavior of nations has much to do with the impersonal forces driving it, and little to do with the

We know a few things about the personalities of Avraham, Sara, Hagar and Yishamel, as well as Avraham’s relationship with Hashem long before the akeda story. We know Yitzhak was a late baby, to say the least; that there was rivalry between Sara and Hagar that didn’t end nicely because she was extremely protective of Yitzhak.

On Sunday, Nov. 16, at 8:00 p.m., Rinat Yisrael presents Dr. Michal Tikochinsky, Director, Women’s Beit Midrash, Beit Morasha, Jerusalem, speaking about “Rabbinical Courts and Female Conversion Candidates.” The lecture will be in conversational Hebrew. Dr. Tikochinsky is one of the leading women Talmud scholars and educators in the

When in 1942 American General Douglas MacArthur took command of the defense of Australia against imminent Japanese invasion, one of the plans he rejected was to withdraw and fight behind the Brisbane line, a move that would have given large swathes of territory to the Japanese.

Instead, he adopted a

I remember it like it was yesterday. November 7, 2000. Gore versus Bush. Our Vice President, with a strong history of support for Israel, versus the son of a former President with a controversial U.S.-Israel record.

When “W” was eventually declared the 43rd President of United States, I was deeply

People often ask me how the values I learned as a Jewish woman affect my everyday life and my public service responsibilities. And then they often ask why I am such a passionate Democrat.

When we speak of standing by Israel, we Democrats cherish Harry Truman, our President who recognized Israel; our late

On Monday night I went to the Metropolitan Opera. I went for two reasons: to see and hear John Adams’ controversial opera, The Death of Klinghoffer; and to see and hear what those protesting the Met’s judgment in presenting the opera had to say. Peter Gelb, the head of the Met Opera, had advised people to see it for themselves and then

In the 40 years I have spoken out about agunah, child abuse, sexual abuse and domestic violence issues, the male leadership dismissed me as a feminist with an agenda, and the women were too intimidated to act. Some rabbis did pay attention: Rabbis like Emanuel Rackman, Shaul Berman, Shmuel Goldin, Yossi Adler and Shlomo Riskin…all of them

At a Chanukah play at one of my grandchildren’s schools, an assistant principal attempted to light a menorah on stage. As she fumbled with the matches, a second assistant principal bounded up to the stage to lend moral support. Finally, as the candle was about to be lit, the head of school also came on stage to assist and stand next to

I love my family. That includes my extended family, too. Even when there is substantial disagreement between us. As is the case with is my cousin, Elana Maryles Sztokman.

For those unfamiliar with the name, Elana is an unapologetic Orthodox Jewish Feminist. While I too consider myself to be a feminist,