Author Page: Matthew E. Berger

Matthew E. Berger

Putting a question mark on Jewish earmarks

Published on January 25, 2007

The new Democratic majority in Congress, backed by some conservative Republicans, is considering reforms that would curtail lawmakers' ability to anonymously insert funding for local projects into spending bills.

9/11 Museum Head Uses Shoah Lessons

Published on April 27, 2006

For more than two decades, Alice Greenwald has been helping to give people a palpable understanding of the Holocaust through her work with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington.

AF Academy’s New Religion Rules Hit

Published on February 16, 2006

A number of Jewish leaders say their efforts to change the Air Force Academy's position on Christian proselytizing were overmatched by the evangelical community, which fought any move to restrict religious discussion on campus.

Abramoff Linked to Jewish Ventures

Published on January 12, 2006

Specifically, Abramoff allegedly using money from a Washington charity he oversaw to fund military-style programs in the West Bank. Indian tribes donated money to tax-exempt charities, believing they were supporting anti-gambling foundations, but the money was redirected to help a "sniper school" in the West Bank, operated by a friend of Abramoff.

Battle Lines Emerge on Marking Holiday

Published on December 22, 2005

The sound of angry Christians railing against the marginalization of Christmas has become the new tune of this holiday season. Across the country, from department stores to town halls, battle lines have been drawn over how to mark the winter holidays.

JDate Welcomes Gays

Published on December 8, 2005

For all the nice Jewish boys looking for other nice Jewish boys, JDate.com has come to the rescue.

Rabbi Quits After Reported Sex Sting

Published on November 10, 2005

An official with an educational program for Jewish high school students has resigned after allegedly searching the Internet for liaisons with underage boys and sending naked pictures of himself.

Rabbi David Kaye resigned from Panim on Oct. 31, several days before being featured on "Dateline NBC" seeking a sexual encounter with an underage boy in a chat room.

Air Force Flies New Tolerance Guidelines

Published on September 22, 2005

Just in time for the High Holidays, U.S. Air Force officials are disseminating new guidelines for religious tolerance, in hopes of improving an atmosphere that some airmen say is unwelcoming to religious minorities.

However, while some are calling the new regulations a good first step, others remain concerned that little will change at the Air Force Academy and bases around the country.

Rehnquist’s Legacy: Church-State Rulings

Published on September 8, 2005

Chief Justice William Rehnquist, 80, died Saturday, after a long battle with thyroid cancer.

Specter Trademark: Taking on Big Fights

Published on September 1, 2005

Soon after the late ABC News anchor Peter Jennings was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), himself fighting Hodgkin's disease, wrote to the journalist.

Pollard Appeal Fails; Few Options Left

Published on July 28, 2005

There appear to be few legal options left for Jonathan Pollard, after a U.S. federal appeals court last Friday rejected the former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst's claim that he had inadequate counsel when he was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for spying for Israel.

Roberts Draws Little Jewish Opposition

Published on July 28, 2005

So far, the nomination of Judge John Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court has ruffled few feathers in the American Jewish community.

O’Connor Played Key Church-State Role

Published on July 7, 2005

The modern-day legal guidelines on how religion fits into the American public square have largely been the creation of one woman: Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

The U.S. Supreme Court has been fiercely divided for a quarter-century, with four justices opposing religious images in the public square and all federal money to religious organizations, and with four allowing for both.

At the center has been O'Connor, the first woman on the high court, who announced her resignation last week.

Ten Commandments’ Future Unclear

Published on June 30, 2005

The U.S. Supreme Court's split rulings this week on the public display of the Ten Commandments is likely to lead to further confusion on what's permissible and what's not, analysts say.

The high court determined that some monuments cast a religious message and therefore violate the separation of church and state.

But taken together, the rulings on two separate but related cases are likely to be viewed as an endorsement of public displays of the Ten Commandments, as long as they are erected with a secular objective.

That means many of the current displays across the country will be allowed to stay, analysts say, and it's unclear whether more will be constructed.

Orthodox Lobbyist in Eye of Ethics Storm

Published on May 12, 2005

Missions to Israel are a staple of Jewish organizations, but when Pepe Barreto leads a group tour there in August, it'll represent something new.

New Study Breaks Down 2004 Election

Published on April 14, 2005

"There's been some small movement in the Jewish community toward the Republicans, but nothing really dramatic," said Stuart Rothenberg, an independent political analyst.

High Court Hears Prison Religion Case

Published on March 24, 2005

Though Jews make up a small proportion of the prison population, they often are discriminated against and denied religious materials, such as kosher meals and tefillin, advocates for Jewish prisoners say.

B’nai B’rith Radio Launches on Web

Published on February 17, 2005

Headphones on, face pressed against the microphone in a cramped cubicle, the leader of one of the best-known Jewish organizations in the country is reliving his youth.

Well, sort of.

"This is B'nai B'rith Radio, and I'm your host, Dan Mariaschin."

Mariaschin is far from the 50,000-watt radio station where he used to be a disc jockey in Keene, N.H., from the time he was in high school. But he also is far from his current day job as executive vice president of B'nai B'rith International.

Throughout the workweek, Mariaschin leaves his spacious Washington office for the makeshift radio studio down the hall, and spends several hours recording promotions and other messages for the first Internet radio station devoted to world Jewish music.

Bill Cracks Down on Killers of Americans

Published on December 16, 2004

A Jewish community initiative to bring to justice those who kill Americans overseas has become law.

Provisions of a bill spearheaded by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), dubbed the Koby Mandell Act, were incorporated into the omnibus spending bill President Bush signed last week.

Condi vs. Holbrooke on Foreign Policy

Published on October 28, 2004

Just days before the U.S. elections, the presidential candidates are sending the same broad messages about their approaches to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the greater Middle East, but they differ sharply on the details.

Key Congress Races Hold Great Import

Published on October 21, 2004

Perhaps it makes sense that Allyson Schwartz's campaign headquarters sits above a Russian Jewish market on a small strip mall -- after all, Schwartz is considered to have the best chance of any candidate to join the Jewish caucus in Congress.

Court May Tackle

Published on September 30, 2004

The U.S. Supreme Court may tackle questions regarding the legal rights of religious prisoners this session, as well as whether the public display of the Ten Commandments violates the separation of church and state.

Is FBI Watching Other Groups?

Published on September 9, 2004

New twists and turns in the case of alleged wrongdoing by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) have left many in the Jewish community baffled.

Bush Says Magic Word: Israel

Published on September 9, 2004

President Bush one-upped John Kerry by uttering the word "Israel" in his speech Sept. 2 accepting the Republican presidential nomination, but it's unclear whether the simple mention of the Jewish state will have any effect on Jewish voters.

Sept. 11 Report: Israel Was a Target

Published on July 29, 2004

The report shows that American intelligence agencies received signals that Al Qaeda was looking to attack Israel or U.S. Jewish sites in the months before the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

It also shows that several of the hijackers, as well as Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, were motivated in part by hatred of Israel and anger over the support it receives from the United States.

Dems Finalize New Pro-Israel Platform

Published on July 29, 2004

The Democratic Party wants to send the right message to the American Jewish community about its priorities in the Middle East, but its platform fails to include several positions Jewish groups recommended.

Edwards Garners Jewish Praise

Published on July 8, 2004

U.S. Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) doesn't need to represent a state with a lot of Jews to understand the needs of the Jewish community, supporters say.

"In a lot of ways, John Edwards transcends North Carolina," said Lonnie Kaplan, a former president of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), who backed Edwards when he sought the Democratic nomination for president earlier this year.

U.S. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who defeated Edwards to become the presumptive Democratic nominee for president earlier this year, named the trial lawyer-turned-legislator as his running mate Tuesday.

AIPAC Gives Bush Standing Ovations

Published on May 20, 2004

President Bush knew what he was doing when he took his case for staying the course in Iraq to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

Jews Note Role in Historic School Case

Published on May 13, 2004

Esther Swirk Brown wasn't the Brown for whom the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case desegregating schools is named -- but she is the Jewish woman who helped find Oliver Brown, no relation, to be the lead plaintiff in the historic case.

As a young woman in Kansas, Esther Brown was horrified by the conditions of the school that black children, including the children of her housekeeper, were forced to attend. The one-room schoolhouse in South Park had dilapidated walls and missing light bulbs.

Bush Slaps Several Sanctions on Syria

Published on May 13, 2004

President Bush has imposed sanctions on Syria, heeding the call of lawmakers and American Jews who wanted the Bush administration to get tougher on Syrian President Bashar Assad.

What Went

Published on February 5, 2004

Four years ago, he was the toast of the Jewish world, the favorite son who became a symbol of opportunity for American Jews in the United States.

But when he went out on his own this time around, Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) failed to catch on as a top-tier candidate.

Where Will Backers of Lieberman Go?

Published on February 5, 2004

The withdrawal of Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.) has left many Jewish fundraisers and donors without a candidate and has sparked a new round of fundraising calls and solicitations.

Life After New Hampshire

Published on January 29, 2004

Now that the race for the Democratic nomination for president is moving south and west, Jewish scrutiny of the candidates is likely to intensify.

When It’s Federal Aid, Pork Isn’t Treif

Published on January 15, 2004

Getting funding for a project takes massive time, energy and, often, money. Many Jewish communities send representatives to Washington to make the pitch directly to their lawmakers, as well as members of congressional appropriations committees. Some hire Washington lobbyists to make the necessary introductions for them.

Dean’s Judaism Ties Span Decades

Published on January 1, 2004

In the middle of a rowdy rendition of "I Have a Little Dreidel" at the Sobelson family Chanukah party in Concord, N.H., Howard Dean walked in and declared himself the cantor.

The Democratic presidential candidate recited the blessings over the candles in near-perfect Hebrew in a dining room crowded with campaign staffers.

"It's another Jewish miracle," Carol Sobelson exclaimed

Jewish Elderly May Pay More for Drugs

Published on December 11, 2003

A law that was supposed to ease the burden of prescription drug costs for the elderly may force some Jewish seniors to pay more than they do now.

Survivors Sue Claims Commission

Published on October 2, 2003

Survivors are suing the commission on Nazi-era insurance claims, a commissioner has called for the resignation of its chief and Jewish officials handling the claims acknowledge serious problems.

But they also say there probably isn't a better way to dole out the claims.

The anger and frustration some lawmakers and survivors feel toward the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims peaked last week when several survivors filed suit, claiming the organization was delaying payments.

California's insurance commissioner, John Garamendi, a member of the commission, later joined the suit and called for the resignation of the commission's chairman, former U.S. Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger.

Raising Concerns About Patriot Act

Published on October 2, 2003

Two years after the USA Patriot Act became law, Jewish groups are still searching for the balance between law enforcement and civil liberties.

The passage of the legislation in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks divided Jewish groups who were ambivalent about the legislation from allies in the civil-rights community that immediately sought to have the law revoked.

The central reason for the Jewish groups' hesitancy to defend civil liberties -- one of the causes Jews generally champion -- is that the act's provisions were designed to target groups viewed as hostile to Jews.

Bush Expands Mideast Agenda

Published on September 25, 2003

The United States has been keeping an eye on Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia for years, but attention on them has increased in the wake of U.S. military action against Iraq.

Arab Groups Assail Bush Appointment

Published on September 4, 2003

Jewish and Arab leaders say President Bush's appointment of Middle East scholar Daniel Pipes to a federal think tank -- despite the objections of Arab groups and some congressional Democrats -- offers a window into White House thinking on Middle East issues.

Will U.S. Jews Keep Pace With Israel?

Published on June 5, 2003

There is much skepticism about what will transpire in the coming weeks and months, with fears that Israel will be forced to make too many concessions or that Palestinians will get a state without first cracking down on terrorism.

‘Map’ OK Opens Way for Forceful U.S. Role

Published on May 29, 2003

In the end, the message from the White House to the Jewish world could have been this: When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the vision that President Bush set forth last June is like the Torah.

New Chance to Build Israel-Iraq Ties

Published on April 24, 2003

As the United States begins rebuilding Iraq, pro-Israel activists are watching closely, seeing an opportunity for the Jewish state to improve ties with another Arab neighbor.

Note to AIPAC: ‘Road Map’ Is Alive

Published on April 3, 2003

The Bush administration is calling out the heavy hitters to convince the American Jewish community that it won't ignore Israel's concerns as it mounts a renewed push for Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Five Bush administration officials addressed the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's (AIPAC) annual policy conference this week, including Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice.

Will He or Won’t He?

Published on March 27, 2003

As the Palestinians move forward with the confirmation of a new prime minister, many are looking to the White House to see when President Bush will unveil the "road map" toward Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Bracing for War

Published on March 20, 2003

Jewish organizations are engaged in intense planning for everything from security measures to policy statements to how to talk to children about war. In part, they are relying on how they handled the 1991 war and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as guides for what they will do and say -- and not say -- in the weeks and months ahead.