Opinions

IsraelandPalestine

Should American Jews Get Involved In Peace Talks?

Despite the very many attempts on the pro-Israel right to undermine John Kerry’s initiative for peace in the middle east, there seems to be a growing number of American Jews willing to embrace peace. For instance, even the notoriously hawkish AIPAC has come to Kerry’s defense, in a message they published supporting the reopening of [...]

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Egypt

A Jewish Call For Egyptian Democracy

When the Egyptian people stormed Tahrir Square back in 2011, many of us looked on with hope as an Arab country appeared to call for democracy. The farcical election in Iran a little bit earlier had demonstrated just how difficult such an event was in the Middle East, and many people looked at the action [...]

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pollard

What Pollard Means To Younger Jews

As a precondition for reopening peace talks with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unsuccessfully called on the U.S. to release Jonathan Pollard, the American convicted of spying on behalf of Israel in the 80’s. The fight to free Pollard from a life long prison sentence has gone on for decades, with many well [...]

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Ron Dermer speaks at convention for Jewish bloggers

Are Only Republicans Pro-Israel?

Is Israel advocacy a partisan issue? Well, after the appointment of Ron Dermer, a neo conservative former supporter of Mitt Romney, as the new ambassador of Israel to America, many of us might think so. When we look at the voting records of Republicans and Democrats in this country, being pro-Israel wouldn’t seem to be [...]

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yeshiva

Sexual Abuse And A 380 Million Dollar Scandal

Right after the news of Rabbi Norman Lamm’s resignation hit the media, there soon came an even more eye opening story out of Yeshiva University. A group of 19 alumni who claim to have been sexually abused by Yeshiva faculty in high school filed a 380 million dollar lawsuit against the institution, and they’re being [...]

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lag

Looking Back To Lag Ba’omer

My mother was the daughter of the Chotiner rebbe, who died at the hands of the Nazis in 1941 with his oldest son at his side. My mother lost her mother as well to the Nazis. She later came to America and started a whole new chapter with her surviving five siblings. She was introduced [...]

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Rabbi-Shmuley-Boteach

What Can We Learn From Shmuley Boteach?

When it comes to naming one of the loudest Orthodox rabbis in the non-Jewish world, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach certainly comes to mind. And despite his inconsequential impact on the Orthodox community, the self-declared human rights activist has been named by Newsweek as one of America’s 50 most influential rabbis, been featured on Oprah, and even [...]

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Straight No More

Homosexuality is the new Black. Take up the causes and show off to the world just how progressive you are with your pink attire and lambda tattoos. Everyone will think you’re swimming against the tide of homophobia that’s so rampant in a corrupt government. You’ll be just like the news, a champion of justice, a [...]

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Modern Orthodox Text Study

Lasting Jewish achievement is reached only through the serious study of text. Jewish history has witnessed the advent and decline of many schools, philosophies, and sects. All are grounded in particular readings of Jewish text: the Sadducees in a literalist reading of the Torah, the Tosafists in a harmonized reading of the Talmud, and Maimonides [...]

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Nowhere but Here, There, and Everywhere

In many ways, Yeshiva University has been having a banner year: the largest incoming class, a new curriculum, a newly accredited business school. All this and more is in the works at YU, and this is truly an exciting time, both for those who are connected to YU and for those who wish to be. [...]

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