Op-eds
When Faith Goes Out of Fashion
On New Year’s Day, a law banning Jewish religious slaughter went into effect in the Flanders region of Belgium. But as far as the legislators who passed the legislation and the voters who support them, this abridgement of the religious freedom of the Jews of Antwerp is a small price to pay in exchange for a measure that they
Lost Votes Could Sink the Israeli Right
(JNS) The departure of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked from Habayit Hayehudi has left the religious Zionist party confused and reeling, but it’s not the only one. Polls published on Sunday, a day after the split was announced, seemed no less bewildered, showing Bennett and Shaked’s new party—the New Right—receiving
New York Times Ends the Year With an Epic Israel Smear
A 4,700-word story with multiple images and online videos cannot even
manage to report the nature of violence in which a Palestinian woman was entangled, nor of the murderous and implacable hatred of Israel fueling it.
The New York Times’ 4,700-word story on the
A Distinct Lack of Jewish Outrage
In recent weeks, Israel has faced rocket attacks, terror tunnels and deadly shootings. Why aren’t American Jews more upset about it?
American Jews have often been bashed for being too Israel-centric. But while there was a great deal to be said for arguments that the organized
Aliyah Assumptions: Perception or Reality?
Israelis make less money. School is free in Israel. Israeli health care is free. Real estate in Israel is expensive.
These are the assumptions often made by many who are considering aliyah. Which of these assumptions are based in reality and which are perceptions?
Responding to NY Times Criticism of the Kushners
While I usually try to stay above the fray of partisan criticism, I was personally dismayed and appalled at the New York Times piece (published November 17, titled “Are Jared and Ivanka Good for the Jews?”) that used partisan Jews to criticize Ivanka and Jared Kushner as being bad for the Jewish community because of their
When Both Sides Lost: Mahwah’s Election Results
To borrow from Shakespeare’s Mercutio: “A plague on both your houses.” That is my read on how voters in the Township of Mahwah viewed two of the candidates, incumbents Mayor William “Bill” Laforet and Council President Rob Hermansen, in last Tuesday’s election, in which both individuals lost their respective
When Both Sides Lost: Mahwah’s Election Results
To borrow from Shakespeare’s Mercutio: “A plague on both your houses.” That is my read on how voters in the Township of Mahwah viewed two of the candidates, incumbents Mayor William “Bill” Laforet and Council President Rob Hermansen, in last Tuesday’s election, in which both individuals lost their respective seats.
These two elections had nothing to
Memory
Last week, following a Jewish-heritage centered trip my mother and I took to central and eastern Europe, I kept starting – stopping – and starting again to write and organize my thoughts. I did not share them because my thoughts felt jumbled, I was not sure who would want to read them, not sure I was adding to the “conversation.” I also felt like I was
GA Brings Dialogue to Israel, Attempting to Bridge Political Divide
In a greater attempt to be heard by Israel’s ruling establishment, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) held their annual General Assembly in Tel Aviv with the theme “Israel and the Diaspora: ‘We need to talk.’”
In recent years, much of American Jewry’s primarily liberal
‘But Everyone’s Doing It’: Gaining Some Control of What Seems Uncontrollable
“But all my friends are doing it.”
Heard that one before? So many parents grapple with their children’s social and recreational use of technology.
Arguments lead to frustration and helplessness for all of us. We struggle daily, knowing we should be limiting and monitoring our children’s use of electronic devices, and yet we feel
Recalling Mahwah’s Mayor
For the first time in seven years, a New Jersey official will be forced to face the voters early due to a recall election. Thanks to petitioners handing in at least 4,150 valid signatures calling for a revote on the position, Mahwah Mayor William Laforet will be on the ballot in November. The recall appears to be focused on
