June 23, 2011 | 4:32 am

This week in power: Obama, Kentucky, Yale resolution, Dog sentencing

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Obama reassures Jewish donors
President Obama met with Jewish donors on Monday night, hoping he can win back their support after a rough patch with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The president reportedly spoke candidly with the 80 attendees who made donations of at least $25,000 apiece to be there. Of course they walked away feeling reassured, said Jennifer Rubin in The Washington Post, because “they are paying him to be reassured. When you plunk down that kind of cash you don’t want to be told you’ve put your money on the wrong horse.” Still, the president has a long way to climb, said Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary. “As one person who attended the Obama fundraiser told Politico, the number of ovations the president received was not as many as Netanyahu got from Congress.” And organizers were reportedly “scrambling” in recent weeks just to fill those seats at all at the fundraiser.

Kentucky gubernatorial race and religion
While the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor all agreed to leave religion out of the campaign, they haven’t been able to stick to the agreed upon rules, and things are growing a bit hostile in Kentucky. One Republican backer said that Jerry Abramson was only picked as a running mate “to attract New York and Hollywood Jewish money” for the campaign.” But some are striking back against these vicious comments. Kentucky politician Jonathan Miller wrote at The Huffington Post, “During my 14 years in state politics and public service, I never encountered serious anti-Semitism. Just the opposite: When I spoke to rural crowds about the Talmud or my own spirituality, I was consistently met with warm feedback.” But Abramson might have some other accusations to deal with, too.

Yale replaces YIISA
Yale University announced on Monday it would start a new initiative to study anti-Semitism after massive outrage erupted when the school said it would close its Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anti-Semitism (YIISA). The new initiative will be called the Yale Program for the Study of Anti-Semitism. It will reportedly cover “‘new’ antisemitism, Muslim antisemitism,” said Abby W. Schachter in the New York Post. It makes you wonder “why did they have to close YIISA in the first place?” While it’s a step forward, said Fred Messner at FrumForum, we can’t just forget this saga. “The new initiative marks a victory for opponents of anti-Semitism, but the experience of the past few weeks has given Jews reason to doubt the steadfastness of Yale’s commitment to the program.”

No ‘rabbi’ on Argentina’s ballot
An Argentine court ruled last weekend that candidates on local elections may not have the title, “rabbi,” appear with their names on the ballot, according to reports. Rabbi Sergio Bergman argued that he’s better known by “Rabbi Bergman” than by his birth name, and wanted to appear as such for the election. But the court found that the title of rabbi carries a “positive connotation” that could influence voters. “Using that logic, the court would bar elected leaders from using their elected office title in re-elections—President Obama couldn’t use ‘president’ on the ballot for his 2012 re-election,” said Fef at Sodahead.com. “I hope the court wrote its decision with sincerity and not anti-Semitism.” Voters will also have the chance to vote for neo-Nazi: Alejandro Biondini of the Social Alternative party, who Jewish groups unsuccessfully lobbied to get banned from running.

Did an Israeli dog get stoned?
In one of the more bizarre stories of the week, Israeli newspaper Maariv reported that a stray dog had wandered into a neighborhood where witnesses believed that it was “a reincarnation of a secular lawyer who insulted the court’s judges 20 years ago,” according to reports. And it was thus sentenced to death via stoning. But later reports indicated that the story wasn’t true, had been inflated, and all that happened was the canine was caught by a dog catcher. Even before the truth came out, some were skeptical about the whole thing. “Does something smell iffy about this story? Or am I being too skeptical?” asked Mollie at GetReligion. Others, on the other hand, used this case to push for more humane treatment of all dogs. “While this case is justifiably drawing international attention, dogs all over the world are also facing ‘death sentences’ in laboratories, on fur farms, and in backyards,” said PETA’s Jennifer O’Connor at Opposing Views.

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June 16, 2011 | 4:57 am

This week in power: GOP race, Beck rally, Russell Crowe, Yale

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Israel and the GOP race
“Israel was absent as a topic during the first Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire” on Monday night, reported JTA. The absence of Israel from the conversation may have surprised some, especially because Newt Gingrich spoke to the Republican Jewish Coalition on Sunday night about foreign policy, specifically about Israel. Texas Gov. Rick Perry came under fire this week for a proposal for a Day of Prayer this summer that appeared at least to be Christian-themed, though Perry says all are invited to participate. Why anyone would want to run for president is beyond me, said Douglas Bloomfield at the Jewish Journal. “Prerequisites for running for president: a huge ego wrapped in a layer of thick skin.”

Rumored Beck Israel rally participants
On Wednesday, YNet reported that Glenn Beck’s rally in Jerusalem on August 24 will feature big-name guests such as Sarah Palin, Joe Lieberman, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, and Michelle Bachman. “Beck’s big D.C. rally ended up being a fairly forgettable pep rally for faith; this might be more interesting,” said Slate’s Dave Weigel. What should we expect? “The rally in Israel will likely be even less political and more faith-oriented. Foreign policy is not the focus,” said Rachel Weiner at The Washington Post. However, the list of speakers may have been released in haste. The report “was quickly debunked, as several of the 2012 candidates and GOP counterparts released statements denying they would be there, and the Beck camp denying they were ever asked,” reported Yahoo! News.

Russell Crowe’s controversial tweets
Late last week, the actor took to Twitter to express support for a San Francisco proposal to ban circumcision. “Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect,” Crowe said. Eventually, Crowe apologized and clarified his position on the issue. Crowe’s friend and fellow actor, Eli Roth, came to his defense, claiming the entire rant was just a joke at the expense of the media. But the whole thing rubbed some people the wrong way. “Crowe flaunts breathtaking asininity,” said Chuck Roger at American Thinker. “Dear Mr. Crowe, clear thinking and sound morals are always good choices.” Next time think before you tweet.

Yale closes YIISA
Yale University closed the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism, the nation’s only academically “anti-Semitism research shop,” according to the New York Post. “If Yale doesn’t want it, Washington should grab the institute before it goes anywhere else,” said Walter Reich in The Washington Post. It will take a different approach to keep this program alive, said Caroline B. Glick in The Jerusalem Post. “Yale’s decision to close YIISA indicates that the piecemeal approach is not effective. One institute cannot impact the virulent faculty hostility to Jewish related issues on campuses like Yale.” Yes, this was a mistake, but it’s not too late to turn back now, said Alan Dershowitz at Hudson New York. “Even better, it should reconsider its decision, solicit input from outsiders who have participated in the program and figure out a constructive way of keeping the important work of the initiative going.”

David Mamet vs. British antisemitism
In an interview with the Financial Times, the renowned playwright discussed the “ineradicable taint of antisemitism” in British society. “Mamet’s second act has just begun. We’ll have to see how the drama plays out to the end,” said Renee Ghert-Zand at the Jewish Daily Forward. But Mamet’s claims are too “simplistic,” said one blogger. “Anti-Semitism has certainly been a key part of the literary tradition in Britain and elsewhere for many centuries.” However, that is a separate issues from what’s happening in the Middle East; Mamet wants you to believe they’re tied together. In truth, “Anti-Semitism remains a major part of the world today, and it is damaging and degrading. But it does not remotely explain what is happening in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

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June 9, 2011 | 5:01 am

This week in power: Weiner, Obama, Lederman, Palin

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Weiner’s apology
After a week of guessing about whether it was in fact Weiner in the Twitpic, the congressman fessed up on Monday to sending the now infamous photo. Since Weiner is Jewish - and so was at least one of the women he reportedly corresponded with - bloggers discussed what it all meant. “I’m not going near the question of what Jewish women do or don’t do in bed, but suffice it to say that Jewish women are terribly, and contradictorily, stereotyped by society, and, often, by Jewish men themselves,” said Jeffrey Goldberg in The Atlantic, regarding a particularly racy Weiner chat. But his political career has been helped by Jewish support, reported Steve Kornacki at Salon. Now that changes a bit, said James Besser in The Jewish Week. “I wonder if Jewish constituents are as willing to forgive and forget; maybe for them, the issue in the next election will be stupidity, not sin. We’ll get the answer to that next November.”

Is Obama good for the Jews or not?
There’s a fight going on between Democratic and Republican groups over whether the president is a friend of Israel, reported JTA. As we get closer to the 2012 election, this is turning “into a very loud argument indeed,” reported Hilary Leila Krieger in The Jerusalem Post. As right-wingers are challenging Obama’s commitment to Israel, at least one Jewish leader is standing up for him. “Obama’s heartfelt connection to the Jewish community and his bold and unwavering support for Israel’s military might make him an outstanding addition to the long line of U.S. presidents who, since Harry Truman, have rightly stood with Israel,” said Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. But when high-profile people come out and write op-eds, said Besser in The Jewish Week, you have to wonder if “maybe the White House is a little more worried about the Jewish vote” than they’d lead you to believe.

Meet Dan Lederman
“Could Dan Lederman, an energetic and peripatetic 38-year-old Republican state senator in South Dakota, set a new template for Jewish politicians?” asked The Jerusalem Post. “He’s somebody who clearly could be governor, congressman, senator,” Matt Brooks, the executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, told the Post. He recently attended the AIPAC conference in Washington, D.C., according to the Sioux City Journal, where he “was particularly enthused to hear from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhayu.” But lately Lederman may have to focus on life in South Dakota where flooding from the Missouri River threatens his home.

Palin’s Star of David necklace
On a stop in New York, Sarah Palin visited the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island with her daughter, Piper. But it was what she wore that day that caught people’s eyes - Palin donned a Star of David necklace in honor of Jerusalem Day. “Some analysts wondered if the possible Republican candidate for president was actually wearing the necklace to play to the hometown audience,” said The Yeshiva World blog. “Very cool,” remarked one blogger. Others, however, wondered if Palin’s gesture was a bit misguided. “But is it offensive for a Christian to wear a symbol of Judaism? Palin and others can support Israel without wearing the Star of David, just as Jewish politicians support Christians without wearing a cross. Or is this just a blatant attempt by Palin to curry favor with a small but influential group of people?” asked Mark Berman at Opposing Views.

“Foreskin Man”
A comic featuring a blond hero named Foreskin Man battling the evil Monster Mohel has led to calls of anti-Semitism. It comes on the heels of a ballot measure to ban circumcision in San Francisco, and its creator was reportedly hoping to be provocative. “It is one story to fight against circumcision, and another to portray Jews in a false antisemitic stereotype. The Jewish depictions look like they came right out of Nazi Germany propaganda in the 1930’s and 1940’s,” said a writer at Digital Journal. Agreed, said Ken Garcia in the San Francisco Examiner. This “is distasteful even by our limbo-low standards.” And it’s stupid for other reasons, too, said David Shear at ShalomLife. “The level of ignorance, both by the creator and supporters of this measure, is incredible. By attacking the Jewish religious practice of circumcision they are ignoring the over 90% of the American male population who aren’t Jewish and still get circumcised.”

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June 2, 2011 | 5:06 am

This week in power: Netanyahu, Medicare, Obama, Tiki Barber

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Netanyahu fallout
“As the dust settles in the wake of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s dramatic altercation with President Barack Obama, one is now able to evaluate the repercussions,” said Isi Leibler in The Jerusalem Post. “Obama’s ambush of Netanyahu was utterly counterproductive.” It’s the United States that must figure out its stance now, said Aaron David Miller at Foreign Policy. “The Obama administration—with the best of motives (Arab-Israeli peace is really important to U.S. interests) but lacking a real strategy—made this situation worse, at least for America.” Netanyahu’s visit gave us some insight into President Obama’s feelings on the issue, said Jeff Jacoby in The Boston Globe. “For better or for worse, presidential attitudes shape US foreign policy, and it is clear that the current president, unlike his two predecessors, feels little instinctive warmth for Israel.” It was only when Netanyahu spoke before Congress and got applauded that we recognized America as a true friend to Israel.

Jews and Medicare
Adam Hasner, a Jewish Florida politician, is a strong backer of Gov. Paul Ryan’s Medicare plan, and could run for Senate next year. This leaves Jewish voters in a bit of a spot, said James Besser in The Jewish Week. “History is with the Democrats on this one, but 2012 promises to be an unusually volatile election year. Stay tuned; Florida could once again be the epicenter of Jewish politics as the campaigns get underway.” There are no tough choices here, said a St. Louis Jewish Light editorial. “As Jews, we help each other, and we do so through various forms of tzedakah. We fairly discuss whether and how to build safety nets, both within and outside our Jewish community.” And Ryan’s plan shows “an alarming lack of empathy and respect for seniors,” so he won’t get our support. That could be devastating for Republicans in 2012, as the Jewish community “is considered to have the largest percentage of members older than 75 of any religious group in America.”

Is Obama really losing the Jews?
The Republican Jewish Coalition reportedly made 20,000 calls recently recruiting new members. The initiative was launched while Jewish support for Obama was low in the wake of Netanyahu’s visit. It seemed like the perfect time. However, “conversations with nearly a dozen of the top Jewish fund-raisers in New York reveal a much different reality, as rainmakers say they continue to back the president they overwhelmingly supported three years ago,” said David Freedlander in The New York Observer. Well, duh, said Greg Sargent at The Washington Post. We hear about this all the time, how “Jews are on the verge of breaking with Obama,” which is now a “frequent refrain” that pipes up whenever it’s convenient. “But I doubt that it will meaningfully erode Obama’s support among Jewish voters, and it’s certainly not driving away big Jewish donors, despite the right’s confident predictions to the contrary,” Sargent added.

Obama’s Poland trip
At the end of his recent Europe trip, President Obama met with Poland’s Jewish leaders and laid a wreath at the Monument to the Ghetto Heroes. “Despite being such an important and meaningful political figure, President Obama found time to stop for a moment and consider the lessons of history,” said Piotr Kadlcik, president of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities. “He seemed clearly moved by the memorial, lingering to talk to a line of people and posing for a group photo,” said Mark Landler in The New York Times. But with the American Memorial Day holiday just days later, and Obama a no-show, some wondered where the president’s priorities are. “It is good and right for the American President to pay homage to these important sites, but it does make one wonder what ‘his people’ are doing?” asks Martha M. Boltz in the Washington Examiner.

Tiki’s Anne Frank gaffe
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) denounced Tiki Barber’s recent comparison of his experience of hiding from his wife to Anne Frank’s plight, calling his comments “outrageous and perverse,” reported Haaretz. “I am no scholar on Anne Frank, but I do know one thing. A professional football player who hides out in his own home so the pesky media can’t interview him is no Anne Frank,” said Rabbi Jason Miller at The Huffington Post. The quote appeared inside a Sports Illustrated profile about the former NFL player’s comeback attempt. “Lost in all of this is that the article was actually relatively positive. How quickly one Anne Frank reference can change things,” said Ryan Rudnansky at Bleacher Report. He doesn’t need any more bad press either, said thesportsbank at ChicagoNow. “I never underestimate the ability of egocentric and clueless celebrities to play the victim card, even when they have all the money, fame and sexy babes in the world, but this still shocks me. Barber is really effing stupid, immature and oblivious.”

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May 26, 2011 | 4:44 am

This week in power: Netanyahu’s visit, DSK, Von Trier, Bear Jew

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Netanyahu vs. Obama
The prime minister’s U.S. visit was highlighted by an ongoing tension between him and President Obama as they repeatedly squared off on the ever-contentious subject of Middle East peace. “t was Netanyahu, not Obama, who electrified Washington,” said John Podhoretz in the New York Post. Maybe that’s true, said Robert Dreyfuss at The Nation, but “Netanyahu didn’t help his case by displaying a stunning set of bad manners. He was rude, boorish and recklessly arrogant.” Netanyahu left in good favor with his supporters for refusing to back down, while at the same time Obama showed he’d like to get the “peace process moving again,” said The Jewish Week’s James Besser. “But actually, it seems to me, everybody emerged as a loser.”

DSK and the Jewish factor
As the former director of the IMF has faced tremendous scrutiny in the wake of his arrest earlier this month, “there is one response that we have not seen: anti-Semitism,” reported The Jewish Daily Forward. Why’s it matter so much? Well, a majority of French citizens believe that Strauss-Kahn was brought down by a plot because he “was well on track not just to become France’s president but its first Jewish president,” said Patricia J. Williams at The Nation. That this religious angle hasn’t been played up more is to the great relief of Jews around the world. “We are connected by a mysterious bond called peoplehood, a psychic sense that we are part of an extended family with deep historical roots and a moral and spiritual vision,” said Erica Brown in the Jewish Journal. Even before this scandal arose, Strauss-Kahn’s Jewishness mattered. “Reporters and editors were talking about his very good chances to defeat President Nicolas Sarkozy in next year’s presidential election, when he said there were three hurdles in his way: women, money and Jewishness.,” said Richard Reeves at Truthdig.

San Francisco’s circumcision ban
“It wouldn’t be a San Francisco election without at least one wacky measure on the ballot. For this November, the threshold has already been met: Voters will be asked to ban male circumcision,” said a San Francisco Chronicle editorial. The measure has obviously upset Jews in the area. The American Jewish Committee has called it a “direct assault on Jewish religious practice in the United States…unprecedented in American Jewish life.’’ “Talk about blatant violations of the First Amendment,” said a Jewish Week editorial. Yet, some are calling it an inhumane practice that should be outlawed. “I’m flatly anti-circumcision — boys or girls,” said Lissa Rankin at Care2. “I don’t believe we should be imposing our own plastic surgery notions on young boys without their consent.” Now, opponents are rallying Californians to stop the bill from passing. “When San Franciscans vote this fall, the disgraceful anti-circumcision initiative deserves a decisive defeat,” said Jeff Jacoby in The Boston Globe.

Von Trier’s apology
Danish director Lars von Trier joked during the Cannes Film Festival about being a Nazi and understanding Hitler, which got him expelled from the festival. On Tuesday, he issued an apology saying he was “unintelligent, ambiguous and needlessly hurtful.” But some are slow to forgive the director. “It is often assumed that comments like those made by Von Trier are perfectly normal among many European intellectuals. Anti-Semitism, we are told, has made a strong comeback among them,” said Eric Herschthal at The Jewish Week. But let’s cut him some slack here - we don’t really believe he’s anti-Semitic, said Danielle Berrin in the Jewish Journal. “But unlike his anti-Semitic-spewing brethren, von Trier’s prattle was not hostile; he used no slang nor slurs, nor threatening language.” Yeah, let’s move on and forgive Von Trier for saying he understands Nazis, said Judy Berman at Flavorwire, “because he’s spent nearly a week proving to us that he isn’t and he doesn’t.”

The “Bear Jew”
Chicago Bears rookie tackle Gabe Carimi has locals excited about potentially “the best Jewish Bears player since quarterback Sid Luckman,” reported the Chicago Tribune. “My Judaism is important to me — I make it work. I fasted on Israeli time, so I could begin my fast earlier, from noon to noon the next day. That way, I was able to be true to my religion and play the best for my team,” Carimi told The Jewish Daily Forward. People are impressed by the man’s ability to balance religion and football. “We as Jews should celebrate this first round draft pick. Not just Bears fans, but Jews everywhere,” said Jeremy Fine at Jewish World News. “I respect a man who stands for something,” said Boomer at BeerGogglesOn.com. “While it’s true that Yom Kippur doesn’t fall on a Sunday for the next 5 seasons, let’s hope that Carimi is still a relevant cog in the Bears puzzle beyond that.”

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May 19, 2011 | 5:00 am

This Week in power: Nakba Day, Glenn Beck, Strauss-Kahn, Dan Adler

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Nakba Day violence
Nakba Day protests left at least 15 demonstrators dead on Sunday, including four who were shot after they breached Syria’s border. President Obama is slotted to address the Mideast conflict later this week, beginning with a highly-anticipated speech on Thursday morning. Obama “should stress that, by killing protesters, Netanyahu’s government is taking Israel farther and farther from the security it needs,” said a Boston Globe editorial. No, the president should make it clear to the Palestnians and everyone else that they need to “stop demonizing others and learn to preserve their own national stories,” said Gil Troy in The Jerusalem Post.Violence and deaths don’t convey that, said Bradley Burston at Haaretz. Let’s look to the future instead of the past, said an editorial in The National. “2011 is not years past - the Arab Spring, the futility of recent negotiations with Israel and, most importantly, renewed resolve among Palestinians offer a chance to break with history.”

Glenn Beck’s Israel rally
Glenn Beck will once again host a rally this summer, but instead of Washington, D.C. this year he has chosen to hold the event in Jerusalem. Hew details are out about the August “Restoring Courage” rally, but many are already excited about it. Beck “has been a singular voice of late in the defense of Israel,” said Pamela Geller at American Thinker. “I am very happy to see someone with a huge voice taking a stand and speaking out for the good and for righteousness.” What makes this event “so important,” said Michael Freund at The Jerusalem Post, is that it “promises to be an expression of faith, a call to defy the prevailing notion that Good and Evil are purely subjective terms.” It has the power to unite. Still, not everyone is as excited. The Atlantic‘s Conor Friedersdorf said that the commentator is in this for himself and his brand, not for the promise of peace. “Beck shouldn’t be followed to Jerusalem. Or anywhere else.”

Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s arrest
“Just weeks ago, Dominique Strauss-Kahn worried aloud that his Jewish identity would be exploited during France’s upcoming presidential campaign,” reported The Jewish Daily Forward. Strauss-Kahn, who was arrested this week in New York on charges of rape, has strong ties to the Jewish community in France. “It is very painful for us,” said the vice president of the Sarcelles Jewish community, as quoted in The Jerusalem Post. “I know him well. I’ve even seen him seduce a woman, but it was always with gentleness.” As for the rest of us, “We feel something when one of us is elevated, or implicated. We can’t help it,” said Rob Eshman in the Jewish Journal. Some had more of a sense of humor about the entire thing. Scott at PowerLine joked, “Dominique Strauss-Kahn—not Jewish. Hey, his name is Dominique.”

Dan Adler’s campaign ad
Dan Adler, an entertainment executive who hired Sean Astin as his campaign manager, ran ads late last week saying “send a Mensch to Congress.” Well, he didn’t quite make it, bringing in just 285 votes, or 0.5 percent, in the primary election. “It might seem gimmicky, but Adler’s operation is pure Hollywood – an industry that flourishes by blending art and smart business,” said Tim Stanley in The Telegraph. Adler even got Charlie Sheen to tweet a last-minute endorsement.

Reform Jews are rich
Of all the major religions, Reform Judaism has the wealthiest members, according to The New York Times. Pew data reveals that 67 percent of Reform Jewish households made more than $75,000 a year. Conservative Jews finished third, behind Hindus. Not enough people were polled to find any real statistics, said Ira Stoll at The Future of Capitalism - “the margin of sampling error for the income questions (which usually get a higher number of non-responses anyway) is probably so high that the distinctions between ‘most affluent,’ ‘second,’ and ‘third’ are statistically meaningless.” What’s interesting, said Jason Diamond at Jewcy, is that “Orthodox Jews are nowhere to be found” on this list. But that, it turns out, is because the sample size was too small.

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May 12, 2011 | 5:16 am

This week in power: Hillary Clinton, Tony Kushner, 2012 race, bin Laden

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Hillary Clinton cropped
Hasidic newspaper Di Tzeitung removed Hillary Clinton and Audrey Tomason from an iconic photo of the Situation Room, prompting intense outrage that resulted in the paper’s editor apologizing for the editing. “It is disgraceful that they were cut out of this photo,” said Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld at FrumForum. Furthermore, “manipulation” like this, said Brad Hirschfield in The Washington Post, is against White House rules and “suggests some real problems with the paper and it’s readership which presumably supports such manipulation.” And it changes the way we record history, pointed out Rebecca Price at The Huffington Post. We should all “strive to present and teach an accurate depiction of historical moments, despite our personal beliefs.” The New Yorker’s Amy Davidson said it’s time for the paper to get real: “Di Tzeitung is based in Brooklyn. Women are pretty visible there, like it or not.”

Kushner gets his prize
City University of New York trustees on Monday reversed a decision and decided to grant an honorary degree for Tony Kushner. Kushner had previously had the honor taken away after concerns emerged over the playwright’s views on Israel. “It’s hard to argue the episode has been anything other than a public-relations defeat for the right-wing pro-Israel crowd,” said Justin Elliott at Salon. But some say this was the wrong decision. Would we “apply the same procedures to racists, homophobes, misogynists and all other bigots”? asked Isi Leibler in the Jerusalem Post. Let’s hope in the future, said a Jewish Week editorial, that Zionism’s advocates will “shed more light than heat in making their case.” But does Kushner really need another award anyway? joked Vanity Fair’s James Wolcott: “I mean, it’s not as if Tony Kushner has gone un-awarded in his career, a victim of cold neglect. The last thing we should be doing is giving him an opportunity to make another speech.”

Eying the 2012 election
Jewish Republicans are turning a cold shoulder to Donald Trump and Sarah Palin, according to the JTA. The topic of Israel remains a central campaigning issue, and it came up in last week’s first GOP debate. With Newt Gingrich’s entry into campaign waters on Wednesday, some expect the former Hosue Speaker to appeal to Jewish swing voters, reported The Jewish Week. Who will get the Jewish vote this season?

Discussing bin Laden
Religious leaders took to the pulpit last weekend to address their worshipers with peaceful prospects in the wake of bin Laden’s death. Jews around the world voiced these lessons. “The demise of no single man solves the problem of terrorism or of intolerant and radical Islamic fundamentalism,” said Shoshana Bryen at the Jewish Tribune. “In the final analysis, the greatest struggles humanity faces are not among nations, peoples or religions, but between the fanatic and the tolerant, said Rob Eshman in the Jewish Journal.  “Those two types cross all borders and religions.” Israel still has enemies of its own to deal with, said Gary Rosenblatt in The Jewish Week, and we have to re-evaluate our approach now. “Dialogue and diplomacy are in order when there is a basis for compromise. But as Hamas has made brutally clear, that is not possible in this case —unless the issue is Israel’s national suicide.”

JDate goes to the movies
The dating site is sponsoring a Jewish Film-of-the-Month Club that will offer a Jewish-themed feature film pick to subscribers. “A shidduch, however, is probably not guaranteed with a Jewish Film of the Month Club subscription,” joked Michael Kaminer at The Jewish Daily Forward. This is “great news” for those who “enjoy the convenience and ease of Netflix but are disappointed by its undefined religious affiliation! said Amos Barshad at New York.

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May 5, 2011 | 5:20 am

This week in power: Bin Laden, Hamas, Huckabee, Yaroslavsky

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Bin Laden’s death
The big news around the world this week has been the death of the al Qaeda mastermind, and Jewish and Israeli leaders welcomed the news, according to reports. “It seems reasonable to view Osama bin Laden as a manifestation of Amalek and I am among those relieved and glad his soul has been sent for cosmic cleansing and rerouting,” said Rabbi Goldie Milgram in The Philadelphia Jewish Voice. But our tradition warns that we shouldn’t celebrate others’ demise, warned Rabbi Michael Lerner at The Huffington Post. “Our cup of joy cannot be full if our own liberation requires the death of those who were part of the oppressor society.” I also struggle with the American reaction to this announcement, said Peter Gabel at AlterNet. Celebration like we witnessed on Sunday night shows disrespect for human life, and even “undermines the moral character and worthiness of those responsible for the death itself.”

Hamas deal
Some wonder about the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation struck last week and what that means for the potential for peace in the Middle East, reported JTA. This deal was “really stupid and damaging,” said Larry Derfner in The Jewish Journal. “It set back the cause of Palestinian independence, it made the occupation that much harder to dislodge, and the only people who’ll benefit from it are the rejectionists on both sides.” But this could actually work, too, said a New Zealand Herald editorial. If Hamas can temper its reputation, “a real chance exists for progress. Palestinian unity should be regarded an an opportunity, not an obstacle.”

Huckabee’s Holocaust gaffe
Both Mike Huckabee and Michele Bachmann recently used Nazi analogies to convey the severity of the mounting debt crisis, prompting an ADL response. This wasn’t Huckabee’s first run-in with the ADL’s criticism. Some of “the Republicans’ best and brightest continue to trivialize the Holocaust in the name of partisan politics,” said Avenging Angel at Daily Kos. While Huckabee does have Jewish support, said Michelle Goldberg in The Daily Beast, nobody should have “license to insinuate that higher marginal tax rates and tighter gun control are sort of like the Shoah.” And if he wants to maintain his good standing, he and others need to cut out these references, said M.J. Rosenberg at Talking Points Memo. “Will someone tell these right-wingers that professing their ‘love’ for Israel will not get them off the hook for trivializing the murder of 6,000,000 Jewish men, women and children in Europe?”

Pope beatified
Pope John Paul II, who has dedicated himself to Catholic-Jewish relations among other things, was beatified at the Vatican on Sunday. We should praise him for his “historic revision and self-criticism of the Catholic Church’s past” that has allowed for “reconciliation between Christians and Jews after two millennia of hostility,” said Daniel Shoer Roth in the Miami Herald. “To the Jews, he is a saint.” Rabbi Jack Bemporad, writing at The Huffington Post, was impressed when he had the chance to meet him. “What one was left with after meeting with Pope John Paul was his complete dedication to the next step in dialogue wherein one must be true to one’s own faith without being false to the faith of the other—and how serious and difficult this task is.”

Yaroslavsky: Next L.A. mayor?
When current Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa vacates his position in 2013, it’s anyone’s guess who will take his seat. But now some experts are saying it will be L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, according to LA Weekly. For decades, he “has been mentioned as mayoral material, and for almost as long has been uninterested in the job,” but if he changes his mind Yaroslavsky “is clearly the man to beat.” So what’s holding him back? ““It’s largely a personal decision about what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Yaroslavsky said in February, quoted in The Jewish Daily Forward. For now, he’s focused on the work at hand.

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