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The Upgrade Generation

Luckily, Judaism can hold its own in this wild ride — because it already has a very big \”buffet\” that can appeal to a wide range of different tastes. We get in trouble when we focus on only one part of this buffet as if it\’s the whole thing. That smells like dogma. If we can display all the spiritual, cultural, mystical, intellectual, historical, ritual, artistic and communal courses of the great Jewish feast — and invite Jews to partake in its many delights — maybe the new generation will stop dismissing or trying to \”upgrade\” Judaism, and, instead, will explore what\’s being offered until they find something that turns them on.\n

With Friends Like These…

Write a factually sloppy, unfairly partisan polemic about a complex and sensitive issue and you get just what you\’d expect: controversy at every whistle stop, major face time with Larry King and a book that shoots up the best-seller list.

Law Committee’s gay ruling stepped outside Halacha

Despite the popular view of what we were arguing about, I believe that the subject of gays was not what we were really divided over. It happened to be the specific subject that revealed the real fault lines in the committee, and in the Conservative movement in general.

Why Are We Jews?

Wherein lies the power of the Judah personality? Is this the same Judah who initiates the sale of his brother and whose conduct in the Tamar episode raises troubling questions? Equally remarkable is the haunting silence of Judah\’s siblings. Why is it Judah alone who stands tall in the face of the hostile viceroy who wants to seize Benjamin? Are they not all certain of the consequent early demise of their father Jacob?

Iranian President’s Call Helps Israel

Jerusalem officials admitted that a U.N ouster of Iran was unlikely, given that it would require a Security Council recommendation and two-thirds majority vote in the General Assembly — traditionally a bastion of anti-Israel sentiment.

Is There a Smart Gene in Ashkenazis?

Together with Jason Hardy and Henry Harpending of the University of Utah, Gregory Cochran is publishing in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Biosocial Science a paper that not only suggests that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about.

The group in question is Ashkenazi Jews. The process is natural selection.

Freeing Barghouti Could Benefit Israel

Israel\’s long-term political interests could be best served if Barghouti is out of jail. Faced with similar choices in the past, Israel has always preferred pragmatic calculations over the subtleties of justice.

Hillel Head, Writer Clash on Campus

Having Alan Dershowitz speak on behalf of Israel at a university event was meant to be provocative, but nobody could have predicted the fracas that erupted after the prominent author and attorney spoke.

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More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.

More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.