November 1, 2012 | 3:41 am

This week in power: Sandy aftermath, Election forecast, Government merger, Mindy walkout

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Hurricane Sandy
The Eastern seaboard got walloped by Sandy early this week resulting in tremendous amounts of damage, and some reports of synagogues being decimated by the powerful storm. "The greater New York area, home to the largest population of Jews in North America, took a harsh hit as severe winds and flooding toppled trees, triggered electrical fires and flooded public transportation systems. The result: mass evacuations of apartments and dormitories, widespread school closings and damaged homes and community institutions," reported JTA. Through it all, though, there were also some stories of hope and courageand brotherhood. Others took the opportunity to consider what impact Sandy would have on the upcoming election...

VOTE!
The long road to the White House will reach its due ending on Tuesday with the arrival of the presidential election. "When I was filling out my absentee ballot, with every circle I filled in I was not actively thinking about my Jewish identity but I know that my politics and my Judaism do go hand in hand, consciously or subconsciously," said Sarah Brammer-Shlay at MinnPost. "Let each of us make sure to vote his or her conscience and may we all feel passionately about the privilege that we have to vote in a democratic country and about the views we hold on the candidates running for election, but let us remain united as people who love each other and respect each other regardless of our differences," added Rabbi Haskel Lookstein in The Jewish Week. Which way will you go?

Unexpected merger
"Last week’s surprise announcement that Netanyahu’s Likud Party and Avigdor Lieberman’s nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party would merge their candidate slates — but not their parties — in the upcoming election offers some signs that the smart money is on the right-wingers," reported JTA. What's it mean, asked Karl Vick at Time Magazine: "Even if Likud and Israel Beiteinu gather fewer total votes as a single list than they might have separately, the amount will surely be more than the Likud would have gained alone, and hence all but assures Netanyahu will emerge from the election atop the faction with the largest number of seats in the Knesset, likely assuring he will return as prime minister." Others looked more into the future when making their assessments. "The fusion of Bibi and Lieberman may promise Netanyahu another term, but it does not solve the problems that afflict Israeli society," said Yacov Ben Efrat in +972Mag.

A poll and a correction
The AP released a poll this week that seemed to suggest that 18 percent of Americans believed President Obama is Jewish. But they later corrected that to say that the results got mixed up, and that less than 1 percent of Jews believed that to be true. "Although the poll was in error, it is not unreasonable that some might assume Obama is Jewish. He does, after all, share a name with Israel’s Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak. And he did celebrate Hanukkah at the White House last December," said Howard Portnoy at The Examiner.

Mindy's empty seat
Brooklyn's favorite young candidate, Mindy Meyer, made local headlines this week when she was a no-show to face off with her opponent on The Jewish Channel. Meyer said she was busy with midterms. "The Jewish Channel gave the Meyer campaign every opportunity to try to schedule the debate to accommodate the candidate, but never received any communication from the Meyer campaign indicating a time at which she could or would appear," said anchor Steven I. Weiss. Democrat incumbent Kevin Parker did participate, "alongside an empty chair, Clint Eastwood-style," according to reports. "There was also a reality-television film crew, but not for Meyer, exactly — the show focuses on the catering company working the event," said New York Magazine's Joe Coscarelli. When will Mindy defend herself? Stay tuned.

October 25, 2012 | 3:55 am

This week in power: Final debate, Iran talks, Racist tweets, Jewish Mum

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Debate summary
"As anyone could have predicted, Israel was mentioned a lot," said Gal Beckerman at The Jewish Daily Forward. And why shouldn't it: Israel is a central issue for many Jewish voters across the country. But the question remains as to which candidate will better serve the Jewish people with his presidency. None of the theatrics will ultimately matter, warned Shibley Teihami at Brookings. "All of this adds up to a show that is particularly hard to take seriously for many voters, and which is puzzling to audiences around the world, especially in the Middle East. But most have come to expect that there is in the end little correlation between what is said in the heat of political campaigns, and what presidents in fact do when elected." Not so, argued Efraim Halevy in The New York Times. In the past, the "Republican White House acted in a cold and determined manner, with no regard for Israel’s national pride, strategic interests or sensitivities. That’s food for thought in October 2012."

Iran takes centerstage
But the real issues at play at the debate and on people's minds is the question of whether Iran will develop a nuclear bomb in the coming years. The topic of sanctions and what each candidate proposes to do about Iran came up and drove more questions than revelations. It was particularly relevant after The New York Times reported last weekend that Obama had initiated talks with the Iranians over the issue. The newspaper stood behind its story despite pushback from the Obama administration.

Rocket attacks
Israel's Negev was under fire on Wednesday after Gazans shot over 80 rockets at them in a 24-hour period, according to reports. Meanwhile, Sudan accused Israel of launching an airstrike that caused an explosion at a factory, resulting in two deaths. As the violence escalates, people are worrying more. "I'm angry that there is someone out there who does not know me and has never met me, yet still wants to kill me -- for no other reason than being Israeli," said Arsen Ostrovsky at The Huffington Post.

Tweets too far
After some Jewish groups protested, Twitter removed last week several tweets that were "labeled with the #UnBonJuif (#AGoodJew) hashtag," and "contained anti-Semitic jokes and pictures from the Holocaust," reported Mashable. It was a popular hashtag on the site at the time. This is just the latest move that the social-networking site has made to police its site and to keep it clean from hate groups. Some, like the ADL's Abraham Foxman, are relieved: Twitter was “fast becoming the Internet’s distribution platform of choice for bigots who use it to get their messages of hate out in 140 characters or less," he said.

Controversial show
A British show called "Jewish Mum of the Year" has sparked outrage over its depictions of Jewish mothers as they prepare for their sons' Bar Mitzvahs. "Whatever its merits as television and flaws as representation, the problem for the programme’s makers might not be the reaction from Jews but the country at-large," said The Jewish Daily Forward's Liam Hoare. Still, "I remain slightly curious, the aforementioned cultural differences, to see what an American audience would make of this bizarre British reality show." If the British reviews are any indication, American audiences would hate it, too. Not everyone thinks it's worth making a fuss over this show, though. "The danger in these shows lies not in how people view British Jews but how we regard ourselves," said Natalie Samuel at The Jewish Chronicle.

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October 18, 2012 | 3:38 am

This week in power: Second debate, Fightfight averted, Silverman spat, Jewish Grindr

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Debate #2
"Jewiest debate ever," declared Gal Beckerman at The Jewish Dialy Forward, reflecting on the second presidential debate on Tuesday. "Thankfully the next debate is in Boca Raton, which is a relief, because I was worried only middle aged Jews would get a chance to make their voices heard this election cycle." How are the candidates holding up? "A president prepared to hypnotize so many Jews into promoting his campaign might have done better to invite back to the Oval Office the prime minister of the country they claim to be looking out for," said Ruth R. Wisse in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. But he still has his supporters: "our president is a man of vision and strong character, integrity and faith. His values are Jewish values. They’re American values. We need his values in the White House for four more years," said the "Rabbis for Obama" in The Jewish Week. Just a few weeks left before the election, can Romney convince them otherwise?

How's Israel factor in?
The pundits say that Romney stressed his major campaign points during the second debate, which includes his standing behind Israel. And then there's the issue of the meddling Israeli prime minister. "If Netanyahu's gamble doesn't pay off he's going to have to deal with a White House that already does not hold him in high regard and where his clumsy meddling in U.S. politics has done much damage to his influence in Washington, and that is bad for Israel," said Douglas Bloomfield at The Jewish Week. Some, like The Jewish Journal's Shmuel Rosner, are more critical. "Romney hasn’t yet done anything tangible for Israel other than make it harder for the country to remain a bipartisan cause – while Obama has a proven record of support that can’t be refuted."

Sherman vs. Berman
Rep. Brad Sherman and Rep. Howard Berman got into it at a debate last Thursday in California, but despite what some of media coverage implied no punches were actually thrown. Though it seemed possible, according to reports. "In an exceptionally heated moment near the end of a debate, Sherman placed his right arm around Berman’s shoulder and shouted at his senior colleague, 'Howard, you want to get into this?'" It centers on California’s 30th congressional race where the campaign has only grown more heated. “Howard’s kind of a small guy and Brad was right in his face grabbing him,” a Berman spokesman told the L.A. Daily News.

Letter to Silverman
Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt penned an open letter in The Jewish Week criticizing comedian Sarah Silverman for her vile comments about Mitt Romney and the election. In his letter, Rosenblatt argues that if Silverman had better values, and pursued a husband and kids, she wouldn't be as angry about her stake in life. Others have pointed out the contributions that Silverman has made to both the American people and to the Jewish community. "Just because you disagree with someone’s politics doesn’t mean you know their character, or have the right to demean it," said Rob Eshman in The Jewish Journal. Moreoever, Rosenblatt's letter sends the wrong message about Judaism and its tenets, argued a Heeb blogger. "It’s an absolutism of authenticity  in which orthodoxy is the sole model of a Jewish life. Any deviation, and you’re automatically in stark contrast to, what is in effect, Zero-Sum Judaism." That's not what we stand for.

How Jews meet Jews
Having a hard time finding a match? Look no further than a new iPhone app called Yenta. Similar to the popular app Grindr, this one brings Jews together. In its first month, 10,000 people reportedly signed up. "Considering it's free and easy to use, we'd be shocked if that number didn't go up soon—and hey, if it happens to encourage anyone to get unkosher and roll around in the proverbial bacon, that's all the better," said Ben Yakas at Gothamist. "However, seeing as how it’s been 20 minutes since I downloaded Yenta, and no one’s so much as offered me a bite of their knish, I’ll stick to striking out with the Jewesses the old-fashioned way: At synagogue," said a Heeb blogger.

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October 11, 2012 | 3:42 am

This week in power: Debate fallout, Drones, Subway ads, Shyne

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Post-debate polling
"Mitt Romney came prepared to last night’s debate. Not only in terms of the facts and figures of his own programs and agenda, but in terms of how to deal with the many different ways in which his opponent, President Barack Obama, would try to distort them," said The Jewish Press's Tori Yanover last week. Could this be the turning point for the challenger? "While the NJDC has argued that it is Romney who is out of touch with Jewish voters, the RJC has begun a campaign to convince Jewish voters that it is president Obama who is out of touch," reported Jewocity. Not so fast, warned The Philadelphia Jewish Voice publisher. "For American Jews, there is a sharp contrast between the mendacious statements made by Romney and the strongly-supported policies of the Obama Administration, and it's clearer than ever that the more Jews get to know Romney, the less they like him."

Who sent that drone?
Israeli officials are trying to determine who sent a drone into its airspace over the weekend. They shot it down. It made its way over the Mediterranean Sea and the Gaza Strip before entering Israel, according to reports. Many people speculate that it was sent by Iran, but there hasn't been any confirmation at this point. In response to the drone, Israel has deployed a missile defense battery. "Today Israel is the world leader in exporting drones and drone technology abroad," a Times of Israel blogger pointed out. Whatever the case may be, Israel will assuredly get to the bottom of it.

Controversial subway ads
As soon as new ads went up in big cities, the call for them to come down began. The anti-jihad banners were placed in subway stations on Monday by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, led by conservative blogger Pamela Geller. They proclaim, "In any way between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat jihad." Geller did have her supporters, sort of: "AFDI’s anti-jihad ad might be distasteful to some. But it is precisely when a message is controversial that true freedom of expression is tested," said a Jerusalem Post editorial. Others weren't so forgiving. "I am struck by the juxtaposition of these ad campaigns with the Jewish holiday season. Geller's ads went up just before Yom Kippur--a cruel irony, as this is the holiday of reconciliation," Rabbi Jill Jacobs told The Huffington Post.

Hungary attack
A Hungarian nationalist online radio station defended the recent assault of a Jewish community leader in Budapest. Andras Kerenyi was attacked but thankfully his injuried did not require medical treatment, according to reports. Two men were apprehended. “Predictably and unfortunately, the good attackers were captured very quickly,” the radio station reported. If the attack didn't scare the local Jews enough, thise response only adds more fear.

Shyne's rant
Rick Ross's new album "The Black Bar Mitzvah" has rubbed some people the wrong way, including fellow rapper, Shyne. Shyne took to Twitter to defend the legitimacy of his Jewish faith. "First they criticize me for being a Jew, now they're favorite fake rapper is having a black bar mitzva? GTFOH," Shyne wrote. "I definitely love Rick, don't get me wrong, but this mixtape didn't capture the essence of a classic Jewish Bar Mitzvah. Maybe next time Rick should stay away from a Bar Mitzvah and try his hand at a Quinceañera, for his Mexican constituents. I heard those are WAY more turnt up anyway," said Brittany Lewis at GlobalGrind.

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October 4, 2012 | 4:08 am

This week in power: Presidential debate, Bibi at the UN, Texan prison, Sam Jackson

Posted by Danny Groner

Photo by REUTERS/Brian Snyder

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

First presidential debate
Although the first Romney vs. Obama faceoff on Wednesday dealt with domestic policy, the idea of the two men matching wits brought out some strong feelings on a raneg of topics, including their policies towward Israel. "Overall, Israel’s standing in the US today is at an all-time high. Yet, the Democratic Convention spotlighted the emergence of a hostile anti-Israeli component of the party which threatens to undermine the long-standing bi-partisan support of Israel exemplified by the standing ovations Netanyahu received during his May 2011 address to Congress," said Isi Leibler in The Jerusalem Post. And people are coming out in support of Romney. "Pure logic dictates that the proper place for American Jews is the Republican Party that is represented now by the decent man and talented entrepreneur Mitt Romney—the party of citizen’s liberty, growth of national wealth, capitalistic entrepreneurship, mighty military, moral rectitude, and strong defense of Israel," said Alexander Levkovsky in the Canadian Free Press.

Bibi takes the UN...
"When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pulled out a cartoon drawing of a bomb during his speech to the 67th United Nations General Assembly Debate on Sept. 27, the world laughed. But I didn’t," said Rob Eshman in the Jewish Journal. "What Netanyahu did achieve was to draw world attention to those dangers, and what they represent to U.S. security, as he has done, almost single-handedly, for many years now," added a Jewish Week editorial. And that's worth taking seriously, no doubt. There's more to pay attention to than just a cartoon bomb.

...but turns into a meme
Just as fast as Netanyahu showed up at the UN last week he became the face of a popular meme. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (or should I say Bib E. Coyote?) had a lot of people worldwide holding their stomachs with laughter as he held his Looney Tune ACME bomb above the UNGA podium," joked Ami Kaufman at 972Mag. "He insulted the intelligence of his audience (not just his audience in the hall, which quite frequently deserves to have its intelligence insulted, but his worldwide audience) and he turned the most serious issue facing the world today into something of a joke. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the impact of the bomb cartoon -- it is true that everyone is talking about it, after all. But not in a good way," said Jeffrey Goldberg at The Atlantic.

Texas prison
A jailed Jewish man in Texas has asked authorities to provide him with kosher meals, according to reports. Max Moussazadeh has been serving 19 years already for murder, and he's said that the prison won't accommodate his special dietary needs. "Wonder if AG Abbott will take up this case of religious persecution? He is, after all, a champion for all those who’s faith has been disenfranchised. Now if you’ll excuse us, we’ve suddenly got a hankering for some macaroons," said a Beaumont Enterprise blogger. "If Jewish prison cuisine is designed to kill the criminal as quickly as possible, one wonders how someone in an American jail could claim to have a religious need for kosher food. Can the American taxpayer really be expected — in the name of liberalism and understanding — to be more tolerant of of this so-called religious requirement than the rabbis who codified the laws would have been?" asked Menachem Wecker in the Houston Chronicle.

Jackson lends a voice
Samuel L. Jackson first provided theatrics for a reading of the popular kids' book "Go the F-- to Sleep." Now, he's helping the Jewish Council for Education and Research with "Wake the F-- Up" to rouse Obama supporters to the polls. "It screens like a political ad, but Jackson’s (and ultimately Little Suzie’s) profane interventions just might jolt voters/viewers out of their apathy and their nonplussed malaise – unfortunate results of the political fatigue that the current election cycle has been so adept at producing," said James Braxton Peterson at The Grio. Not everyone is laughing, though: "We don’t need profanity from Samuel L. Jackson to wake up the Jewish community on Jewish issues. Shame," said Ronn Torossian at The Algemeiner.

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September 27, 2012 | 3:01 am

This week in power: Iran question, Florida race, Silverman ad, YK message

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Is Netanyahu serious?
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad challenged Benjamin Netanyahu's threats that Israel would strike Iran. "While we are fully ready to defend ourselves, we do not take these threats seriously," Ahmadinejad said. Later in the week, Netanyahu left an "unusual letter" to the Israeli public reaffirming his stand. "Benjamin Netanyahu is clever but not wise. No Israeli prime minister should publicly challenge an American president. But for decades of American economic and military aid plus countless vetoes in the Security Council, Israel could not have got away with its illegal and brutal occupation of Palestinian lands for as long as it has, 45 years and counting," said Haroon Siddiqui in the Toronto Star. Others support Netanyahu's methods. "Most of all, Israel can preserve its relationship with the United States and with American Jews in particular by defending the shared values described by the prime minister," said JTA's Daniel Sokatch.

Romney's reach
The Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects have some centrist Jewish groups wondering about Romney, according to reports. “To let it fester is not in the best interests of Israel,” said Abraham Foxman of the ADL. There's still time for Romney to turn things around, with the debates on the horizon. "Maybe the debates really will educate Americans about the great issues of the day and provide clear contrasts that enable thoughtful, open-minded voters to make up their minds.  Or maybe Romney’s free fall will have acquired so much velocity that even the media’s best efforts to keep audiences in suspense about the outcome will prove hopeless," said Marty Kaplan in the Jewish Journal. But some have had enough: "Both parties need to spend all that time raising money so they can pay for all those annoying ads. Obama once again is bringing in smaller donations from larger numbers of contributors, while Romney is relying on very rich contributors to write very big checks," said Douglas Bloomfield in The Jewish Week.

Where Florida rests
A recent poll revealed that 70 percent of registered Jewish voters plan to vote for Obama. That's up from 64 percent in other polls. Florida is a key battleground state where Obama is dedicated time last week. "Romney didn’t make that attack because he thinks Barack Obama is threatening Israel. He made it because he thinks Barack Obama is threatening Florida. "Florida has a Jewish population of about 640,000, or approximately 3.4 per cent of the electorate. But when you consider George Bush won the state by 537 votes in 2000, and Obama by 2.8 percent, it’s enough. Obviously, there are other states that have larger Jewish populations, such as New Jersey, New York and California. But they’re not in play electorally," said Dan Hodges in The Telegraph. Is it too late to make up that ground?

Silverman's back
Remember Sarah Silverman's 2008 ad, the “Great Schlep”? Now the comedian has returned with another video that has brought in over a million views in under a week. It's more raunchy and laced with a specific message -- making sure voters have the proper identification to vote. "Using humor to tackle politics, the Let My People Vote project tries to direct attention to a topic that most people don't understand. It's an example of advocacy groups trying to use social media in new ways to cut through the clutter of the media landscape," said Sree Sreenivasan at CNET. "This video is NOT safe for work or pretty much anywhere except the company of friends and select family. It's definitely worth a look though!" said a Hollywire blogger.

Yom Kippur messages
Another Yom Kippur in the books. What's the message we should take home? And is anything off-limits? "There are many appropriate days, and many appropriate places, for Jews to discuss all the terrible things for which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad need atone. In shul this week on Yom Kippur, however, I'd rather focus on the atoning I need to do myself," said Peter Beinart  in The Daily Beast. Others felt differently. "That Beinart wishes to treat it as being morally equivalent to a liberal appeal for more social welfare spending or conservative calls for support for their issues tells us more about him and his very public angst about Israel and Jewish peoplehood than it does about what is or is not an appropriate prayer on Yom Kippur," said Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary. There's of course a middle road, with a more universal and less political approach. "We are reminded that today is what we have; tomorrow may or may not come. Over and over, we ask ourselves, are we really being the best we can be," said Rabbi Shafir Lobb at TC Palm.

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September 20, 2012 | 2:50 am

This week in power: Netanyahu comments, Romney blunder, France grenade, Dowd column

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Netanyahu speaks out
Benjamin Netanyahu hasn't hidden his opposition for Obama leading up to this election cycle, which has prompted many to wonder how far the Israeli prime minister is willing to go to attract attention for Romney. "For my part, I think Obama should indeed set a red line — warning Netanyahu to stop interfering in American elections," said Nicholas Kristof in The New York Times. But some say that Romney is the better option in the first place. Still, this really is not be his place to intervene, said Randy Schultz in The Palm Beach Post. "Some theorize that Mr. Netanyahu is playing badder cop to Mr. Obama’s bad cop in a supporting role to the sanctions effort. If so, he’s overacting. Neither President Obama nor Mr. Romney must let a foreign head of state dictate American policy."

Can Romney recover?
Embarrassing statements from leaked Mitt Romney fundraiser videos has the candidate backtracking and explaining and struggling to stay alive in the upcoming election, political experts say. "I have a very good team of extraordinarily experienced, highly successful consultants, a couple of people in particular who have done races around the world," Romney says. "I didn't realize it. These guys in the US — the Karl Rove equivalents — they do races all over the world: in Armenia, in Africa, in Israel. I mean, they worked for Bibi Netanyahu in his race. So they do these races and they see which ads work, and which processes work best, and we have ideas about what we do over the course of the campaign. I'd tell them to you, but I'd have to shoot you." What's it all mean? "Some of this might be politics as usual, but the depth of Romney’s exceptional ignorance and naïveté is unusual, so Romney will have a major problem in winning any respect for his understanding of the world, which is a serious handicap to his presidential ambitions," said a Gulf News editorial.

French Jews attacked
A kosher grocery store near Paris was hit by a grenade that damaged the store and injured one person, according to reports. The attack took place in Sarcelles as Jewish shoppers were preparing for the upcoming holidays. "I have no reason to doubt the anti-Semitic character of this action," said one local leader. Sarcelles is known as "Little Jerusalem," and is home to a large Jewish population in the area. Earlier this summer, three Jewish children and their teacher were attacked in Toulouse; the month before three Jewish men were attacked while walking near Lyon.

Dowd riles some up
New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd angered some ahead of the Jewish New Year by calling Dan Senor, a Jewish foreign policy adviser, a “neocon puppet master.” Some believed that it was anti-Semitic imagery. "In 2000, George W. Bush was a one-and-a-half term governor with no foreign policy experience. He put his advisers out front of the campaign, promising that they would run a smart FP shop. Romney's doing the same thing. How to stop people from pointing it out? Accuse them of being anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists," said Dave Weigel at Slate. "It is not good for anyone to label such arguments as 'anti-Semitic' without much stronger reason and evidence," said James Fallows at The Atlantic. "I'm not Jewish and therefore not properly sensitized and aware of the history perhaps, but it just seems to me this is more of a fuss than that adjective deserves," said Michael Tomasky at The Daily Beast.

Rosh Hashana resolutions
The Jewish New Year has now come and gone. So what did we learn this year? "I’d be happy to also have more time to focus on issues that aren’t pure politics, and be able to write about issues without constantly having to consider a political angle," said Shmuel Rosner in the Jewish Journal. Others like the politics of the day. "Rosh Hashanah is precisely the right time to picket the banks and investment companies and Wall Street and their exploitative lending policies and incredible greed, and to envision a world that will catch up with this element of wisdom in our ancient Torah," said Rabbi Michael Lerner at The Huffington Post. "Whether they were thinking about work, family, or friends, everything is forgotten as we become engulfed by the cry from the shofar. Beautiful and raw, we have a moment of bliss without cell phones, computers or distractions in life," said Aaron Wolff in the Washington Jewish Week.

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September 13, 2012 | 3:57 am

This week in power: Conventions fallout, Germany future, Netanyahu snub, Estonia ad

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Election update
A recent poll shows that Romney has made "inroads" toward cutting into Obama's lead among Jewish voters. Though Romney still does have a ways to go to win in November. A lot can change between now and then, said Steven Windmueller in The Jewish Week. "We ought not to be surprised to find letters to the newspaper and the presence of campaign ads and endorsements in our mail box, focusing on our vote as Jewish Americans." At the same time, some are calling for the candidates to show exactly what they intend to do over the next four years, if elected. it's hard to make headway.

Are German Jews safe?
"Has being Jewish in Germany become harder and more complicated, if not impossible? Is the Germany of 2012 no longer a country in which Jews can feel at home?" asked German paper Der Spiegel. Some recent events make it seem like Jews aren't welcome there, some say. "Muslims in Germany walk hand in hand with Jews for the right to have their babies circumcised. But will they take to the streets for the right of other Jewish practices, elsewhere?" asked a Hurriyet Daily News editorial. At the same time, some leaers are asking people to calm their fears and to accept that a majority of people have no issue with Jews living among them.

Was Netanyahu rejected?
Reports that Netanyahu requested a meeting with Obama and was promptly turned down sent the blogosphere into a frenzy on Tuesday. But Israeli officials say that the alleged request never took place, according to reports, and that the two world leaders had spoken on the phone. Nevertheless, there was time for commentators to chime in on the perceived problem. "It's all very fluid at the moment. In any event, I suspect that, if Obama wins re-election, this tension between the two men will only increase the chances that he then moves quickly toward what may well be a gettable deal with Iran," said Robert Wright in The Atlantic. Others also worry about Iran. "The Administration's diplomatic rebukes to Israel are also telling Iran that it is that much freer to move ahead with its nuclear plans. If Israel does strike Iran, Mr. Obama's mishandling of our ally will be a major reason," said a Wall Street Journal editorial.

Estonian's controversial ad
An Estonian newspaper apologized this week after it published "a mock ad depicting emaciated prisoners at a Nazi concentration camp," reported the The Times of Israel. The ad was for weight-loss pills and was intended to be funny. "It was published on our jokes page. I think people living in other cultural environments than ours just don't understand it like we do," Sulev Vedler, deputy editor of Eesti Ekspress, said originally. While much of the world is relieved to hear the apology, some wonder whether the editors really fully understood why the ad was so offensive in the first place.

Skinny Jeans under fire
A group of Haredi rabbis' newest decree outlaws the wearing skinny Jeans...for men. The pants are deemed too tight to “uphold the sanctity of the camp,” according to an issued letter. “The clothes of a person are an indication of his character.” Bloggers joked. "This does not bode well for jeggings," said Rikki Novetsky at Jewcy. "You heard it. Can’t do what the gentiles do. If they start wearing hats to be ironically fashionable, you gotta stop wearing hats. If they start wearing underwear, you gotta stop. Everyone knows a good Jew does the opposite of those goyim. I damn you skinny jeans TO HELL," said blogger Hipster Jew.

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