Op-eds
A Fresh Perspective on the Mahwah Eruv
As a 20-year-old Modern Orthodox Englewood resident, my life has been spent in the so-called “Jewish bubble.” My early education was spent at The Moriah School, followed by The Frisch School, and the bubble sheltered me from the realities of anti-Semitism. Sure, I had heard about anti-Semitic current events, but they never hit
Good Fences, Good Neighbors
The month of Av got off to an unpleasant start last week with a petition circulating online to “Protect the Quality of Our Community in Mahwah,” a New Jersey town, barely 15 miles from my home in Bergenfield. The petition calls on the local electric company to “remove all eruvs from our Township and revoke all permissions for
The Mahwah Eruv Controversy: A Way Forward
This is a piece that I never should have had to write.
I had hoped to deliver these at last night’s Township of Mahwah regularly scheduled public workshop session.
The issue on everyone’s mind was the controversy surrounding the issue of the eruv
The Mahwah Eruv Controversy: A Way Forward
This is a piece that I never should have had to write.
I had hoped to deliver these at last night’s Township of Mahwah regularly scheduled public workshop session.
The issue on everyone’s mind was the
Why Netanyahu Did It: The Brutal Truth About Israel and the Diaspora
Non-Orthodox Jews are angry about the Israeli government’s decision to go back on its word about a new egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his cabinet have much to answer for a move that highly damages Jewish unity and undermines support for Israel in the U.S.
Biased Textbooks Turning Young Americans Against Israel, Research Shows
Washington—Anti-Israel bias in the textbooks used by many American high schools may be to blame for the decrease in sympathy for Israel among young adults.
According to the Brand Israel Group, only 54 percent of U.S. college students lean more toward Israel than the Palestinians, down from 73
A Different Take on the Western Wall Controversy
The headlines of the Jewish press this week were filled with stories about angry American Jews arriving in Israel and denouncing the Israeli government’s decision regarding egalitarian prayer at the Western Wall.
Jerry Silverman, head of the Jewish Federations of North America, called the
Want a Path to Peace? Pound the Table at Abbas
The most important incident during President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East took place out of view of the international press. At the time, it went unreported and unremarked upon. The president not only didn’t mention it publicly, he also failed to tweet about it. But Trump’s outburst of anger at Palestinian
Israel Critics Accidentally Admit There Is No ‘Occupation’
Noted literary couple Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman have discovered a new cause: the evils of “the Israeli occupation of the Palestinians.”
Having become experts on the subject after one brief visit to a few sites in the region, Chabon and Waldman have now edited an anthology of essays
US Veterans in Israel: Memorial Day Profiles in Courage and Healing
About 20 veterans commit suicide across the U.S. each day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. An organization providing spiritual healing, suicide prevention and peer support programming for veterans believes Israel is part of the solution.
Leading up to Memorial Day (May 29), JNS.org is
Who is Natan Sharansky?
Just a few weeks ago the Simon Wiesenthal Center with great pride hosted Natan Sharansky at the 2017 Dorothy Gardner Adler State of Anti-Semitism annual lecture series endowed in perpetuity by her son Allen Adler. One after another, those both in my age group as well as the generation before us stood in awe of this figurative giant
A Communal Cheshbon HaNefesh: Taking Stock of the Orthodox Community
This week, as the year 5777 winds to a close, Yeshiva University inducted Rabbi Dr. Ari Berman as its new president. In addition to President Berman’s induction and the important speech he delivered during the ceremony, two other voices have emerged in the past week that represent key sectors of our community. Rabbi Daniel Alter, the head of The Moriah
