December 27, 2012 | 3:19 am

This week in power: Israel election, Hagel nomination, Gun plan, Christmas giving

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Election coming
Israeli elections are a month away,  and "there's no shortage of hot-button issues that might dominate the campaign, including Iran's nuclear program, a call to draft religious students into the army and a growing budget deficit," reported the LA Times. What's clear is that a lot is on the line. "Barring a dramatic political earthquake, the outcome of this election is a foregone conclusion. Notwithstanding his weaknesses, in the absence of serious competition, Binyamin Netanyahu stands head and shoulders above any other candidate and will be reelected," said Isi Leibler at the Algemeiner. Satmar offers Israelis cash for not voting. But one barrier that could stand in Israelis' way is the anti-Zionist Satmar Hasidic sect's prospect that it will pay Israelis not to vote.

Hagel marches on
President Obama is reportedly considering other candidates for defense secretary after recent blowback over the possible nomination of Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel. Hagel previously has made controversial comments about Israel. "I think it is time to acknowledge, bluntly, that certain major Jewish organizations, indeed, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations—also, the ADL, AIPAC, the American Jewish Committee, political groups like the Republican Jewish Coalition, along with their various columnists, pundits, and list-serves—are among the most consistent purveyors of McCarthyite-style outrages in America today. Are there greater serial defamers of public officials in fake campaigns against defamation?" asked Bernard Avishai at The Daily Beast. "I think it would be useful to have a defense secretary who starts with that view and does not have to be bludgeoned into it," said Thomas Friedman in The New York Times.

Gun myth
The NRA's aim to arm guards in schools is built around a false parallel to how Israel stops terrorists, according to experts. "Far from the image of a heavily armed population where ordinary people have their own arsenals to repel attackers, Israel allows its people to acquire firearms only if they can prove their professions or places of residence put them in danger. The country relies on its security services, not armed citizens, to prevent terror attacks." Wayne LaPierre "is not doing anybody any favors by trying to rope other countries into this problem, though," said Adam Clark Estes at The Atlantic Wire.

Jews give back
Even though Christmas isn't their holiday to celebrate, Jews around the country took their day off and used it on charitable actions. Indianapolis: "A group of Jewish volunteers serves food every Christmas at the church’s kitchen on Pennsylvania Street. Every year for the past 10 years, volunteers from the Congregation Beth el Zedeck, serve home-cooked meals to about 200 of the city’s homeless." Denver: "They were among more than 125 mostly Jewish volunteers who fanned out at hospitals and nursing homes around the metro area on Tuesday. They were serving meals, greeting guests, pouring tea and hot chocolate and otherwise lending a hand as part of the Christmas Mitzvah Project, a yearly day of service and a tradition for more than 25 years." Detroit: "More than 60 volunteers gathered at Beth Shalom in three shifts on Christmas to make sure 31 homeless people from South Oakland Shelter had a fun-filled holiday, according to event coordinator Julie Grodin. Lisa Lanzkron-Tamarazo, the cantor's wife, even led the guests in several rounds of Christmas carols."

Nice guys calendar
Ring in the new year with some nice Jewish guys included in the annual calendars that dates back to 2010. “If this calendar can accomplish anything, it would be my hope that women give this guy a chance out at a bar. He’s funny, nice and a great listener. What’s not to like!?" the creator said. Some were critical about who was left off the list. Others stood up against the entire project: "Since we all know feminists are humorless shrews, I’m also going to mention the fact that this whole operation is hinging on a hacky, lazy, insidious stereotype (apparently, all those things can exist at the same time): the rich, boring, nerdy Jewish guy. Can we please at least feign like we’re interested in reimagining Jewish masculinity? Surely there must be a middle ground between macho men, violence-obsessed guys, and the traditionally emasculated neb," said Chanel Dubofsky at The Jewish Daily Forward.

December 20, 2012 | 3:50 am

This week in power: Newtown shootings, Hagel, Mirvis, Yeshiva abuse

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Newtown aftermath
It's hard for anyone to process and make sense of the tragic deaths of 20 children plus six others last Friday. As the smalltown of Newtown tries to begin to move on, some are highlighting the personal stories of the victims, including one Jewish child. Others, however, felt that the Jewishness of the young victim is irrelevant. "Although I don't feel much connection to the religious beliefs, I am deeply connected to my Jewish roots and its heritage. But I feel just as deeply that this is a time to leave our differences aside and simply love each other," read a letter to the editor of JTA. Others have focused on cutting back on the the traditional gun culture of the United States. "If the United States, itself awash with weapons, wishes to benefit from Israel’s experience, it must make sure it learns the right lessons. The first and most universal one is that ever more stringent gun control is bad policy: As is the case with drugs, as was the case with liquor during Prohibition, the strict banning of anything does little but push the market underground into the hands of criminals and thugs," said Liel Leibovitz at Tablet. And then there were the fringe conpiracists...

Hagel opposition
President Obama may pick former senator Chuck Hagel to replace Defense Secretary Leon Panetta when he steps down, but the main knock coming out about Hagel this week is that he won't act in srael's interest. "Defeating a Hagel nomination, however, will be more difficult than mounting a vocal opposition, in large part due to the Senate’s tradition of collegiality. Tradition indicates the Senate would extend a former senator — one whose Senate colleagues would be directly involved in his confirmation — considerable latitude," reported National Review. "I and others have documented Hagel’s objection to sanctions against Iran and his particularly anti-Israel voting record. But these remarks are something different — the expression of rank prejudice against American Jews. Hagel has never apologized for, retracted or even sought to explain his remarks," said Jennifer Rubin in The Washington Post. It's time to speak up, said The Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephens. "Jewish Democrats like to fancy their voice carries weight in their party. The prospect of this nomination is their chance to prove it."

Mirvis in
Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis was chosen as the next British chief rabbi, according to reports. He's served at the Finchley United Synagogue, one of London’s modern Orthodox shuls, since 1996, and was previously chief rabbi of Ireland. Lord Sacks wil retire next fall. "Highly respected among his rabbinic colleagues, Mirvis is a good speaker and has a reputation for warmth, though he is not considered a bold thinker," said the Times of Israel. How important this role is in modern times is unclear, said Jeremy Rosen at the Algemeiner: "The model of a centralized Chief Rabbinate looks to have failed as a paradigm for effective, dynamic Judaism. The more open flexible American model of much freer association is now seen as a far more creative model. Increasingly people make their own decisions as to where they choose to place themselves on the Jewish spectrum and in many communities there is increasing choice and variety."

Abuse coverup
A Jewish Daily Forward investigation found that two staff members at Yeshiva University High School for Boys’ had sexually abused students during the late 1970s and early ’80s but they weren't dealt with appropriately. Norman Lamm, who was president of Y.U. from 1976 to 2003, said that he rememebered dealing with the allegations privately to minimize the embarrassment and attention. "Joe Paterno turned a blind eye and was rightfully fired from his position – is Rabbi Lamm’s turning a blind eye to these issues any different? YU needs to begin the healing process by firing Lamm and launching a proper investigation," said Ronn Torossian at the Algemeiner. "YU's house needs to be cleaned immediately, and the generations of students who venerated Lamm and so many other deeply flawed YU figures need to realize that their heroes are not only flawed – they are deeply, offensively, duplicitous and awful people," wrote another blogger.

What would we do to Jesus?
Outrage over the official Facebook page of Israel’s embassy to Ireland sparked up this week after a message was posted saying “hostile Palestinians” would “lynch” Jesus Christ and his mother, Mary, if they could today. It was live for about two hours before being removed. A spokesman for the embassy told BuzzFeed that the post was a "total misunderstanding." "It is a good thing that someone in Israel’s Irish embassy caught the folly of whoever’s running their Facebook page (though they might want to take a look at the Twitter account, too), and I suppose that the apology, while rather anemic, is nice," said Emily L. Hauser at The Daily Beast. "The conflict between Israel and Palestine isn’t at bottom about religion—or, I should say, it shouldn’t be. Some on both sides try to pitch it that way, and considering the territory that is right now fought over, it’s not surprising religion plays that role and is made a justification for actions and policies and aspirations. It’s just surprising when the most basic elements of religious belief are so gravely misunderstood, or so deliberately flouted," added Haroon Moghul at Religion Dispatches.

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December 13, 2012 | 3:45 am

This week in power: New congress, Jerusalem fight, Chanukah message, Punk Jews

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Familiar faces leaving
"The Jewish religion is the third most represented denomination in Congress, trailing behind the Protestants and the Catholics, but since 2008, the numbers of Jews serving have been declining," according to reports. At 7 percent of Congress as a whole and 12 percent of the Senate, it's a sizable percentage compared to the overall population of Jews in America. ""The generation that’s leaving -- and there are ones who are leaving, like Howard [Berman] and Gary [Ackerman] -- these are guys who grew up in the formative years of Israel and understand what the struggle was,” one pundit told JTA. “They are being replaced by a post-1967 generation who know not a threatened Israel, a vulnerable Israel -- who know a muscular Israel." One representative many will surely miss is Barney Frank, who is retiring.

Barkat's memo
Mayor Nir Barkat took to the Wall Street Journal with an op-ed this week that stated: "Jerusalem has been and forever will be the heart and soul of the Jewish people. It is also the united and undivided capital of the state of Israel. The Jewish people and the Jewish state have a bumpy road ahead. We appreciate the support of our friends, and only through continued bold leadership at home—leadership willing to stand up to pressure from foreign capitals—will we get through this challenging time." It came after weeks of criticism of Israel over how it was handling settlements in East Jerusalem. Their plan "threatens to box Palestinians who live in East Jerusalem, which they hope to make their capital, into a sealed-off enclave, impeding connections to the rest of the fledgling state of Palestine and bisecting the northern and southern halves," said an Economist editorial. Stay tuned.

Rabbis' message
Three rabbis from the prominent synagogue Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Manhattan, New York, sent an e-mail to their members recently in support of "the recent vote by the United Nations to upgrade the status of Palestinians living on the West Bank to a 'non-member observer state." Once word got out, some wondered whether rabbis should be taken such a strong outward stance on this heated issue. "My rabbinic colleagues across our nation share diverse positions on the Arab-Israeli struggle.  I respect this diversity because we are nearly all unified by our profound devotion to the Jewish state, the Israel Defense Force, and all of its citizens," said Rabbi Charles A. Kroloff in the Jewish Journal. "I would need to search far and wide to find colleagues more devoted to Israel  -- in word and deed – than the rabbis of B’nai Jeshurun.  I pray that the discussion which their email provoked will lead to honest, effective conversation about how we can all become more engaged in the pursuit of a two-state solution built on justice and peace."

What we light for
Chanukah is upon us, so what are hoping for this season? "If we’re going to magnify Hanukkah, we should do so because it offers the deeper meaning and opportunity for introspection that the major Jewish holidays provide," said Hilary Leila Krieger in a New York Times editorial. "The brutality of the region has leached into Israel and is reflected in the ongoing disaster of the occupation. Israel ought to fix it, now. That, to me, is the true meaning of Hanukkah," wrote Neil Steinberg in the Chicago Sun-Times. "Too often, the holidays have become commercialized and the season can feel pressured with shopping and rushing and planning. Taking a step back can offer the opportunity to connect with the wisdom of tradition and to rekindle the spirit of today and the hope of tomorrow," said some Huffington Post bloggers.

What punks
A new documentary called "Punk Jews" is drawing some attention for its portrayal of the rougher and more unconventional members of the tribe. "My own quest has led me to a subset of devout Jewish men and women who struggle to reconcile their faith in a demanding God with their heretical embrace of creative freedom. For the Bulletproof Stockings, this marriage of faith and creativity results in them observing the rabbinical rule of kol isha, which forbids men from hearing women sing. They do not, however, attempt to restrict the larger audience that hears their music—and their work is readily made available to anyone as MP3s and in YouTube videos," said Kelsey Osgood in his New Yorker article about the filmmakers. Some have taken an inspiring message from the film. "The temple in Jerusalem had been defiled by Hellenists, who tried, as many have before and after them, to eliminate the Jewish people through dominance and assimilation. The rededication of the temple was a punk act; we were fighting for our homes, our lifestyle and our beliefs," said Saul Sudin at The Huffington Post.

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December 6, 2012 | 3:48 am

This week in power: UN vote, Gay divorce, Campus antisemitism, Promiscuity study

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Palestine state
The United Nations General Assembly last week voted to make Palestine a "non-member state" of the UN. "How can the world claim to be fighting terrorism when it has just declared that two terrorist regimes should enjoy sovereignty?" asked Morton A. Klein and Daniel Mandel in a Jewish Week editorial. On the other hand, said Williams Saletan at Slate, this is a necessary move. "Here’s how recognition works. You acknowledge the other state. You don’t tell it whether to be Jewish, Muslim, or Zoroastrian. Nor do you whine about Palestinians failing to call you a Jewish state, or failing to ensure that you’re named on every map, while you flagrantly withhold the same courtesy."  Some have questioned whether Israel's PR plan is very wise in general.

Divorce before marriage?
An Israeli court on Tuesday approved the country's first divorce to a gay couple, according to reports. What's complicated about the decision is that Israel doesn't allow for same-sex marriages. The issue comes up regarding those who conducted same sex marriages overseas and since 2006 Israel has honored those couples as legally married. "From my point of view, even if the state appeals and we have to keep going down this road, the verdict shows the beginning of the undermining of the rabbinate," one member of the couple told Haaretz. "I am very happy that we may have made a breakthrough."

Hatred on campus
Over the past week, a menorah at Northeastern University was vandalized and anti-Semitic propaganda was distributed in some Harvard College residences raising fears in Massachusetts and beyond. Northeastern caught the culprits and denied that the campus was heading toward intolerance. “Northeastern’s deep and abiding commitment to diversity in all its forms, including religious diversity, is unwavering,” the university’s president said. “This disturbing incident should be an opportunity to strengthen, rather than weaken, our dedication to this deeply important value.” Some hope that Jews will unite over these two terible incidents. "Anti-Semitism is unfortunately something that rallies Jews together, so one would expect that Jews who don’t have anything to do with Jewish organizations will suddenly come out of the woodworks to stand together," said blogger CollegeRabbi.

Are Jews easy?
A new study titled “Religion and Sexual Behaviors: Understanding the Influence of Islamic Cultures and Religious Affiliation for Explaining Sex Outside of Marriage,” has some people talking about the findings that Jewish people more than Muslims or other groups are more promiscuous. Jews reported not having sex before marriage at lower rates than Muslims, but still beat out Christians on the chastity hierarchy. "eople are confused – they do not understand why religion and society has historically forbidden a fun-filled lifestyle which doesn’t seem to carry any deleterious consequences," said one Muslim blogger.

Advice from Bubala
"Our friends Luis and Jaquaan are back, and this time they’re teaching you how to decorate your Hanukah bush. No, not that kind of bush! (But there are some cute mamacitas this time.)," said a Heeb blogger. The “Bubala Please" video series features two gangsters coming to terms with their Jewishness. Through a variety show. Or something. Not everyone is amused, though. "But the joke’s on us because Jaquann and Luis are merely mirror images of a Jewish community that infuses the celebration of Hanukkah with so much narishkeit, that the holiday, at least in America, has become the opposite of what it was supposed to be, a parody of itself. If Jaquann and Luis are ridiculous, we are doubly so. So go ahead and laugh American Jews. The joke’s on you," said a Jewlicious blogger.

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November 29, 2012 | 5:21 am

This week in power: Ceasefire aftermath, Barak retires, Hungary list, Soccer hooligans

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Peace this week
After last week's ceasefire in the Middle East, all is quiet on the Israel front after eight days of Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense against Gaza. In total, more than 1,500 rockets were sent toward Israel, and Israel said it shot back at more than 1,000 targets. "At the end of the day, a government or entity that wants to survive must meet its people’s psychological and tangible needs," said Jonathan Adelman in The Christian Science Monitor. "These confrontations only leave it more impoverished and keep it from taking the road to peace and global integration." How's it bode for the future? "The ceasefire can make us optimistic for a day but if we are realistic, we know that next week, next month or next year the peace will be broken again," said an Aurora Advertiser editorial.

Barak steps aside
Longtime politician and former prime minister Ehud Barak announced this week that he'll retire in January after the elections. "I want to dedicate more time to my family. I feel I have exhausted dealing with political life, which has never been a passion of mine, and I feel there is room to allow other people to serve in senior roles in Israel," Barak said. His legacy is mixed, said Eitan Haber at YNetNews: "From being the darling of the Israeli nation, with tens of thousands of people cheering for him at Rabin Square after he won the elections, Barak's status within Israeli politics gradually declined until it reached its current level. Politics may not miss Barak, but security will." Others were impressed with how he handled himself in recent years. "His alliance with Netanyahu over the past four years has been surprisingly strong, considering their divergent political leanings," said Dan Ephron at The Daily Beast. Barak has left the door open to be defense minister, some have noted...

Merkel's backing
German Chancellor Angela Merkel renewed her pledge to stand with Jews inside her country and for Israel's right to self-defense, according to reports. During the recent attacks, Merkel stated that it was Israel's duty to protect its citizens from rocket attacks. "Germany also has that right," she added. But not everyone is on board with that sentiment. "Berlin's popular BZ newspaper published a graphic of Berlin as though it were within range of rockets from Gaza," reported Deutsche Welle.

"Lists of Jews"
A Hungarian politician pushed his government to come up with a list of Jews who pose a "national security risk" which stirred debate as it brought back uncomfortable feelings tied to the Holocaust. Marton Gyongyosi, a leader the Jobbik party, insisted that they needed the list after the way Israel infiltrated Gaza. He half-heartedly apologized for the remarks, but many remain concerned. "Rhetoric like this in a country where more than half a million Jews were killed during the Holocaust are obviously disturbing. But what makes this more interesting than just another 'European far-right politician says offensive thing' story, is that Jobbik's old-fashioned anti-Semitism puts it at odds with the direction other European far-right groups are heading," said Foreign Policy's Joshua Keating.

Soccer threats
At European soccer matches of late, instances of overt anti-Semitism in the stands are on the rise, which has many people worried. So far, security has kept these individuals at bay, tossing them or banning them in other cases. “The days of English football crowds making mass monkey noises are thankfully gone, but massed anti-Semitic chanting about Hitler and gassing was clearly heard yesterday from a loud section of West Ham fans,” a community spokesperson told JTA. “We have heard such abuse against Spurs before and it risks seriously compromising the work against racism at all levels of the game.” Authorities are continuing to monitor the situation and are poised to act when it's called for.

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November 22, 2012 | 3:39 am

This week in power: Israel intensifies, Prospect for peace, GOP future, Thanksgiving message

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Israeli operation
Israel and Hamas have engaged in rocket attacks over the past week that has some worried that the fighting could escalate into all-out war. Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system has been able to intercept a large number of the rockets, but more have been landing in Israel of late which has caused panic. Then, on Wednesday, a bomb took out a bus in Tel Aviv. "Unfortunately, Hamas is not rational. It targets Israeli civilians while hiding behind its own," said Michael Oren in The New York Times. "Israel will not allow its citizens' lives to be endangered. The international community must call on the Palestinian leadership in the Gaza Strip to take the same approach with its own people," added Danny Ayalon in The Guardian. A ceasefire announced later on Wednesday left some hopeful that the violence would end.

Is peace possible?
The bus bombing came amid talks led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton which only further damaged the possibility of the two sides hashing out a longterm resolution. "With that mindset among Hamas's backers, it's hard to be optimistic about the prospects for a sustainable truce. That is why Israel must pin Hamas down to an enforceable deal -- a genuine, durable peace grounded in reality, not the fantasy world of Hamas and its apologists," said an Australian editorial. And it's on Israel to start the process, said a Miami Herald editorial: "Israel would have to commit to genuine talks over the West Bank to provide Palestinians there the hope of a better life and offer a model that the people of Gaza can strive for. The United States can do its part by dragging both sides to the negotiating table. None of this is likely to happen unless the people of Gaza renounce the leadership of Hamas. By now they must surely realize that as long as they live under the rule of terrorists, they will never have a better future."

Murdoch tweet
Rupert Murdoch made headlines with a tweet over the weekend that adminished the "Jewish-owned press" for their coverage of the Israel situation. In an apology, Murdoch said "I should have stuck to the substance of the issue and not bring in irrelevant and incorrect ethnic matters." Was Murdoch so out of line? "He’s packed a remarkable amount of idiocy and nastiness into 140 characters. It will take a lot more space than that to dig himself out," said Peter Beinart at The Daily Beast. Some say it's expected with his personality. "Murdoch forthrightly speaks his mind and that's refreshing and unusual. It's a useful data-point to consider when consuming news produced by his employees," said Dan Murphy said in The Christian Science Monitor. "Twitter, free of his minders, offers a direct line to who he is," agreed Michael Wolff at The Guardian.

What's next for GOP?
Now that the election dust has settled, the Republican party is forced to reassess its values and mission as it looks ahead to 2016. One of the areas that pundits say they should consider is the Jewish vote, and their standing with Jews in America. "The GOP’s problem goes beyond candidate quality and can be summed up in a single question: What do they have to offer?" asked Jamelle Bouie in The American Prospect. "Clearly, the Republican party is in desperate need of realignment," said Gary Younge at GulfNews.com. "Today, six of the nine Supreme Court justices are Catholic (the other three are Jewish) and the Republican nomination was a contest between a Catholic (Rick Santorum) and a Mormon (Romney). The Catholic won the evangelicals; the Mormon won the Catholics." It's time to accept that "demography is not destiny."

Thankful for
"Thanksgiving is my least favorite meal of the year. The problem with the holiday is that it’s difficult to feel thankful when you’re slumped on the couch in a food coma after the meal," said Elana Horwich in the Jewish Journal. In fact, the Thanksgiving story and the Jewish tradition share many commonalities. Rabbi Laura Baum shared some insights in a Huffington Post article: "So, as we sit at our Thanksgiving tables this Thursday, and our Hanukkah tables in a few weeks, let us remember the celebration is not just about one snapshot in time that we seek to re-create. On Thanksgiving, we are free to replace the turkey with tofurkey, or the sugary pumpkin pie with a crust-less, Splenda concoction. We've welcomed a third football game to the holiday, not just watching the Lions' game and the Cowboys' game. There are many ways to be authentic."

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November 15, 2012 | 3:24 am

This week in power: Election aftermath, IDF tweets, Rocket attacks, Jewish jocks

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Obama's vote
How's the President wind up doing on Jewish support? Not bad. In 2008, he won 78 percent of all Jewish voters, with this year dipping a bit to 69 percent. The drop showed that Romney was able to sway some voters his way, but also demonstrated that Obama was able to keep people's fears and worries in check. "It is time to bury long-held myths around the Jewish vote and for the media and political pundits to stop hyperventilating over the tiniest movement within this 2 percent of the electorate," said Jeremy Ben Ami in The New York Times. And there's no better time for the President to reassure Jews that this is the start of a beautiful friendship, said Douglas Bloomfield in the Jewish Journal. "That starts with an early trip to Israel to reassure voters in person of his continuing 'unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security,' his determination to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions and his readiness to help Israelis and Palestinians make peace when they are ready. It should be an opportunity for him also to share his vision of the Middle East and America's role in it over the next four years."

A Twitter war?
Israel killed a military commander of Hamas in an air strike on Wednesday and stood firm behind its atatcks, according to reports. But what really got people fired up was the way the IDF announced the news -- via Twitter. And the tweets didn't seem to stop all day long. "The social media and real-life assaults are ongoing and more than a bit startling, combining the strong declarations of war with the immediacy and promotional aspects of the Internet, using lingo such as 'in case you missed it' and memelike photos designed for maximum virality," said New York Magazine's Joe Coscarelli. "This is truly war in real time. We've watched war "live" before, but not like this: There are no commercial breaks, no talking heads, no ticker tape running at the time. It is as unending and infinite and microsecond by microsecond as the speaker wants it to be, limited only by Twitter's current technical limits," added Matt Buchanan at Buzzfeed.

Days of rockets
Israeli's attack this week followed several days of rocket attacks fired in the region. "Israel is literally surrounded by enemies, armed and funded by Iran, and sworn to its destruction," as Right Side News put it. "How many more civilians must be injured or killed, how many children must die before Israel realizes that it may have to put its military in harm’s way rather than its civilians?" asked Gadi Adelman in The Jerusalem Post. There's still hope to quell the Syrian uprising, said Paul Iddon at Digital Journal. "Calculated resolve and realistic encompassing outlooks are what is needed by the states of the region to nip such a catastrophic quake in the bud and alleviate the worsening of an already bleak and dire situation."

General Assembly meets
This week the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations in North America met in Baltimore without any theatrics. Some said it was more an opportunity for networking than to settle unresolved issues within the Jewish community. Elie Wiesel and Natan Sharansky were the keynote speakers at the event, and some argued that the assembly would be better off with some younger guests. "Because we’ve grown up in the age of Uzi’s and M16’s, battles like Wiesel’s and Sharansky’s—over the bare fact of Jewish survival—don’t resonate for us the way they do for our parents," said Sigal Samuel at The Daily Beast.

New book
"What Franklin Foer and I learned in the course of editing 'Jewish Jocks' is that sports, too, is a realm in which Jewish innovations ended up influencing everyone else. The no-look passes and backdoor cuts of basketball trace their lineage to turn-of-the-century New York City, where smaller Jews devised ingenious strategems to defeat squads representing more physically endowed ethnicities," wrote editor Marc Tracy about his new book. "With so much variance in substance and style, it's hard to pick a single standout," said Sam Allard in The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Othrs agreed that the book surprises in good ways. It "becomes clear that this book isn’t just about an athletic race. It’s also about the human race," said Bloomberg's David M. Shribman.

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November 8, 2012 | 4:20 am

This week in power: Election fallout, Jews and Sandy, Iran worries, Microsoft deal

Posted by Danny Groner

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

Obama wins
Barack Obama was reelected on Tuesday night thanks in part to the Jewish vote, though it was reportedly lower than 2008 numbers. He won in spite of what The Jewish Daily Forward reported about Romney's campaign: "Jewish Republicans have conducted their largest ever mobilization of activists and of funds, arguing that Obama, now poised to enter his second term in the White House, would maintain an unfriendly attitude toward Israel." Others felt that Obama had it in the bag. "That more Jews felt comfortable with President Obama is not such a big surprise. No one really expected it to go any other way. It was also quite obvious that Obama will not win as strongly with Jewish voters as he did four years ago," said Shmuel Rosner in the Jewish Journal. How this reelection will affect the United States's relationship with Israel is anyone's guess.

Sandy sets down
After a massive hurricane rocked the Eastern seaboard last week, volunteers stepped up to help the victims get back on their feet and get basic supplies. Among those who volunteered were several Jewish groups and organizations. As people tried to get back on their feet, some rabbis took the opportunity to attach to the storm to outrageous meanings. For others, it opened up a difficult decision about where to give money and resources when there are so many causes to choose from already.

New wave of attacks
Israel has been facing rocket attacks that have some growing more concerned. "Israel has been fortunate to suffer few fatalities so far from the Gaza attacks. Some of that owes to Israel's deployment of the Iron Dome air defense system, which recently intercepted eight rockets aimed at larger Israeli cities. But no defensive system is perfect and at some point a Palestinian barrage may take a large toll in lives, forcing Israel to respond in a major way," said a Wall Street Journal editorial. What happens next, wondered Elliott Abrams at the Council on Foreign Relations. "The collapse of the PA is not in our interest—nor in Israel’s, as surely the Israelis must recognize and as Israeli security agencies do fully realize. For the Israelis to take retaliatory steps that make their own situation worse cannot be a sensible reaction to the Palestinian move."

What about Iran?
"The road could be very rocky, and war with Iran and the continued viability of a two-state solution hang in the balance," said Ali Gharib at The Daily Beast the day after Obama's win. The topic is particularly on people's minds now that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday stood by his comments that Israel would be willing to attack the Iranian nuclear program without U.S. support. "With Obama’s relection, the Likud and Netanyahu are no doubt somewhat unhappy," said Joseph Puder at Front Page Mag. Stay tuned for the next chapter of this ongoing and tumultuous affair.

Shalom, Microsoft
Silicon Valley meet Jordan River Valley. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was in Israel this week for the ThinkNext conference drawing in members of the high-tech start-up scene. At the event, 15 companies showed off their innovations, and all in attendance got some wisdom from a series of guest speakers on technology. Still, some weren't impressed by the slow pace that Microsoft took to embrace its foreign audience. "It’s unclear why it has taken so long for the Xbox 360 to appear in the Middle East, but we can only hope that Israel won’t be waiting another seven years before the next Xbox launches," said Lauren Varley at Geek.com. "Whatever the reason behind the console’s belated appearance in Israel, gamers there can finally get an officially sanctioned dose of Xbox excitement this month. For everyone else, it can probably be taken as a sign that Microsoft still sees plenty of life in its long-serving games machine yet," said Martin Bryant at The Next Web.

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