Giffords: ‘Shame’ on senators who voted down gun checks

Published on April 18, 2013

The U.S. senators who defeated a bill that would toughen background checks for gun purchasers "brought shame on themselves," former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords said.

Gabby Giffords returns home to Tucson

Published on August 13, 2012

Former Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has moved home to Tucson.

US Rep. Giffords says she feels “pretty good”

Published on November 15, 2011

Speaking on camera for the first time since she was shot in the head in January, U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords said she feels "pretty good," in an excerpt of an ABC interview shown on Thursday.

Giffords’ doctor OKs her run

Published on August 4, 2011

Gabrielle Giffords' neurosurgeon says that the Arizona congresswoman could run for re-election.

Gabrielle Giffords returns to House, votes for debt limit deal [VIDEO]

Published on August 1, 2011

Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona made a surprise return to Washington Monday to vote in favor of an agreement to raise the debt limit.

Gabby Giffords makes first public appearance

Published on June 28, 2011

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) made her first public appearance since being wounded in a tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona earlier this year in which numerous victims were hurt or had their lives taken, ABC News reports.

Photos of Gabrielle Giffords released five months after shooting

Published on June 12, 2011

Photos of a smiling Gabrielle Giffords, the Arizona congresswoman who was shot in the head in January, were released on her Facebook page.

Suspected Giffords shooter declared unfit for trial—for now

Published on May 25, 2011

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Gifford's alleged assailant, Jared Loughner, has been ruled unfit for trial but will be reassessed in four months. U.S. District Court Judge Larry Burns, ruling Wednesday in Tucson that Loughner does not "have a rational understanding of the proceedings" at this time, sent him to a psychiatric facility and ordered a new hearing for Sept. 21 to reassess his fitness to stand trial.

Reform cites Giffords shooting in urging clip ban

Published on April 28, 2011

The Reform movement cited the attack that seriously wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killed six others in urging Congress to ban high-capacity ammunition clips. "The clips can hold 30, 50 or even 100 rounds, enabling shooters to cause serious casualties before needing to reload," read the letter that Rabbi David Saperstein, the director of the movement's Religious Action Center, sent to all members of Congress.

Rep. Giffords to attend husband’s shuttle launch

Published on April 26, 2011

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot in the head in January, will attend the space shuttle launch captained by her husband. Giffords (D-Ariz.) was given the go-ahead by her doctors to attend the launch, her husband Mark Kelly said in a CBS interview broadcast Monday.

Alleged Tucson gunman Jared Lee Loughner indicted on 49 counts

By JewishJournal.com
Published on March 4, 2011

Eight weeks after the tragic shooting in Arizona Jared Lee Loughner was indicted on 49 counts including murder and attempted murder Friday.

Rabbi talks about Gabrielle Giffords’ status, connection to faith [VIDEO]

Published on March 4, 2011

Gabrielle Giffords continues her recovery in Houston.

UPDATE: Gabrielle Giffords continues her recovery in Houston

By JewishJournal.com
Published on March 4, 2011

Eight weeks after the tragedy that struck Arizona, Gabrielle Giffords continues to recover in Houston.

Moshe Tendler thinks you’re wrong, and he isn’t afraid to say so

Published on February 15, 2011

After the January shootings in Arizona and the resultant calls for greater civility and moderation in the national discourse; after an acrimonious back-and-forth over the Jewish legal approach to death and organ donation; and after still more calls for a gentler, more civil public discourse, Rabbi Moshe Tendler stood up in a Jerusalem synagogue and accused his fellow Orthodox rabbis of perpetrating one of the worst desecrations of God's name in American Jewish history.

Giffords speaks for first time since shooting

Published on February 9, 2011

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords spoke for the first time since she was shot. C.J. Karamargin, a spokesman for Giffords (D-Ariz.), told CNN on Wednesday that she had asked for toast.

Giffords upgraded to ‘good,’ begins rehab

Published on January 27, 2011

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords has been moved from a hospital to a rehabilitation center. Giffords (D-Ariz.) , who was shot in the head on Jan. 8 while meeting constituents in Tucson, was moved Wednesday from a Houston hospital to the city's Institute for Rehabilitation and Research. Doctors said her condition was now "good."

Loughner pleads not guilty in Tucson shooting

By JewishJournal.com
Published on January 24, 2011

Jared L. Loughner, who the police said was responsible for the shooting rampage outside a Tucson supermarket on Jan. 8, pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges that he tried to murder Representative Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides. Appearing in Federal District Court alongside his defense lawyer, Judy Clarke, Mr. Loughner entered a written plea to Judge Larry A. Burns of San Diego without uttering a word.

Santa Monica Shabbat service advocates for gun control

By Ryan Torok
Published on January 19, 2011

Politics and religion were intermingled during Friday night Shabbat services in Santa Monica on Jan. 14. In the wake of the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson, Ariz., which also left six dead and 13 others wounded, clergy and congregants at the Reform synagogue Beth Shir Shalom addressed the need for gun control. The service also commemorated Martin Luther King Jr. Day and mourned performer and composer Debbie Friedman, who died on Jan. 9 at the age of 59. Yet the Tucson shooting remained the focus of the Santa Monica service, which approximately 200 people attended. Rabbi Neil Comess-Daniels spoke fervently, saying, “I can’t tolerate a country that doesn’t take weaponry off the street.”

Debate rages on over Palin’s ‘blood libel’ claim

Published on January 18, 2011

The post-shooting debate over political civility is cooling down, but passions are still raging over Sarah Palin’s claim that critics were guilty of perpetuating a “blood libel” against her. Palin’s initial use of the term, in a Jan. 12 video message, drew sharp rebukes from liberal, Jewish groups and even some conservatives. Since then, however, several Jewish notables, including Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and former New York Mayor Ed Koch have defended Palin’s use of the term. Palin weighed in again Monday during an interview on Fox News -- her first since the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) that also left six dead and another 12 wounded. Palin defended her use of the term “blood libel” and said she understands its meaning.

Is Gabby Giffords Jewish enough?

Published on January 18, 2011

As a Conservative rabbi and a member of the movement's Rabbinical Assembly, I cannot officially consider Jewish descent to be determined patrilineally -- from the father. In fact, in its Code of Professional Conduct, the section detailing the responsibilities for membership in the Rabbinical Assembly currently lists four standards of religious practice. The first: "Matrilineality determines Jewish status." Yet like many Jews who regard Jewish status to require a Jewish mother or proper conversion, I admit to feeling pride when a Jewish athlete or celebrity is successful, even if their "Jewishness" isn't technically defined by halachic standards. After all, when Major League Baseball player Ryan Braun won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 2007, should the Jewish community have refused to claim the "Hebrew Hammer" as one of our own since only his father is a member of the Tribe? Braun considers himself to be Jewish, and his Israeli-born father lost most of his family in the Holocaust.

Debate rages on over Palin’s ‘blood libel’ claim

Published on January 18, 2011

The post-shooting debate over political civility is cooling down, but passions are still raging over Sarah Palin’s claim that critics were guilty of perpetuating a “blood libel” against her.

Palin defends 'blood libel' accusation

Published on January 18, 2011

In her first interview since the Arizona shooting, Sarah Palin defended her use of the term "blood libel" and said she understands its meaning.

Giffords’ husband urges volunteer service

Published on January 17, 2011

The husband of Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is urging Americans to volunteer in their communities on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. "Many of you have asked how you can help and how you can honor the memory of those who were wounded or lost their lives. What united the victims of the tragedy on Saturday was service – they volunteered in church or at soup kitchens, worked in government, and tended to their communities. On behalf of Gabby and our family, I ask that you consider honoring their commitment to service by dedicating a few hours on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, this Monday, January 17th, to volunteer in your community," Mark Kelly said in a statement distributed by the Giffords for Congress campaign.

A Prayer for Tucson

Published on January 14, 2011

On this Shabbat Shira, the Sabbath of Song, We sing to God a song of grief For innocent victims Cut down too soon. May their memories be a blessing, May their lights shine brightly upon us.

Obama speech: ‘Our children’s expectations’ [VIDEO]

By Susan Freudenheim
Published on January 13, 2011

As I was driving to one speech last night, I was listening to another in my car. “Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame,” President Obama said in the aftermath of the violence in Tucson, “let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.” Uplifting words, and good advice for those of us hurting on the sidelines – those of us hoping for news of the next uptick in Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s condition, or wishing we could just stop thinking about the guns, hatred and accusations of “blood libel” -- images that keep hitting us like the aftershocks of a emotional earthquake. Good advice, particularly if you’re sitting on the sidelines, feeling the pain and sharing the experience vicariously, through news reports, and wondering what you can do to help.

Jewish groups join faith call for civility

Published on January 13, 2011

Jewish faith leaders joined a call for soul searching in the wake of the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. "This tragedy has spurred a sorely needed time of soul searching and national public dialogue about violent and vitriolic political rhetoric," said the open letter to Congress signed by 50 Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders appearing Thursday in Roll Call, a newspaper that covers Congress. "We strongly support this reflection, as we are deeply troubled that rancor, threats and incivility have become commonplace in our public debates."

Blame real inciters, not Palin and Tea Parties

Published on January 13, 2011

Extreme rhetoric can inspire extreme behavior, even violence. But there isn't a shred of evidence that anything that anyone on the political right -- or left -- said or wrote inspired Jared Lee Loughner to launch his deadly rampage in Arizona. Within hours of the shooting, before the blood had been washed off the Tucson sidewalk, New York Times Op-Ed columnist Paul Krugman was claiming that "McCain-Palin rallies" in 2008 and unspecified comments made by "the likes of Glenn Beck and Bill O'Reilly" incited the massacre. Former Florida congressman Alan Grayson claimed that a map on Sarah Palin's website, with target symbols over various election districts, was what caused the bloodshed in Arizona. He and other blame-meisters on the left also have pointed accusing fingers at the Tea Parties, Fox News, and a laundry list of people and parties to the right.

Palin’s ‘blood libel’ remark overwhelms message

Published on January 13, 2011

It was a well-crafted message preaching unity -- and mined with a “blood libel” that blew it all apart. Sarah Palin’s video message Wednesday, her first substantial commentary since Saturday’s shooting in Tucson that critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and killed six others, at first appeared to succeed in reconciling two American precepts that have seemed irreconcilable in recent days: a common purpose and a rough-and-tumble political culture. “Vigorous and spirited public debates during elections are among our most cherished traditions,” said the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate. “And after the election, we shake hands and get back to work, and often both sides find common ground back in D.C. and elsewhere.”

It’s time to reject rhetorical violence

Published on January 12, 2011

Sarah Palin did not shoot Rep. Gabriella Giffords. Neither did Glenn Beck. Or Rush Limbaugh. Or even Giffords' opponent in the 2010 campaign, Jesse Kelly. Giffords was shot by a mentally unstable terrorist, who after attempting to assassinate Giffords, kept shooting into the crowd that had gathered outside a supermarket in Tuscon, Ariz. Americans reacted with shock and horror, which should tell us something about our expectations. In a world rife with political carnage, in a country whose history is laden with ideological bloodshed, it matters greatly that in 21st century America, political violence is rejected wholesale. Now we have to start rejecting rhetorical violence.

Palin slammed for using ‘blood libel’ term [VIDEO]

Published on January 12, 2011

Sarah Palin's use of the term "blood libel" to decry blaming conservatives for the Arizona shooting has raised the ire of the Jewish community. In a video statement released Wednesday, Palin said that “Acts of monstrous criminality stand on their own. They begin and end with the criminals who commit them. Especially within hours of a tragedy unfolding, journalists and pundits should not manufacture a blood libel that serves only to incite the very hatred and violence they purport to condemn. That is reprehensible.” The blood libel refers to accusations that began in the Middle Ages that Jews used the blood of murdered Christian children to make matzah for Passover.

Heschel, King and a Prayer for Peace

By Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater
Published on January 11, 2011

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel famously said, “In a free society, some are guilty but all are responsible.” I have been mulling that quote over in my mind since I learned of the horrible assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and the cold-blooded murder of the other innocent Arizonans in Tucson. Certainly, the main person guilty is the man who pulled the trigger, and he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But, in Heschel’s formulation, all of us are somewhat responsible for what happened, for allowing our society to sink to such a level that our media spews violent rhetoric from prominent politicians and pundits without consequence; all of us are responsible for allowing the debate about guns and gun control, something that should be so sensible, to devolve into angry, violent reactions and prevent us from making laws that can protect people from the monstrous nature of daily firearm deaths in our country; all of us are responsible for supporting violent films and video games, glorifying violence on the screen that only serves to affect our children and our psyches. If we think it doesn’t have an effect, we are sorely deluding ourselves.

The Precious Center

By Rob Eshman
Published on January 11, 2011

Jared Lee Loughner is crazy. That, more than any other single fact, is to blame for why he walked up to a gathering outside a Tucson Safeway last Saturday and tried to kill Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, murdering six other people in the rampage.

ADL: Assessing hate speech angle in shooting ‘critical’

Published on January 11, 2011

The Anti-Defamation League said it is "critical" to determine whether the man alleged to have shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was influenced by hate speech.

Tucson Jewish community anguished over Giffords shooting

Published on January 11, 2011

Following the shooting Saturday that critically injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and left six dead, the Tucson Jewish community has come together to pray for Giffords and the other victims and offer their support. Giffords, who is Jewish, was among 14 wounded in the shooting rampage in front of a Tucson supermarket Saturday morning. Jared Lee Loughner was arrested for perpetrated the shooting and appeared in a Phoenix courtroom Monday. Among those killed were U.S. District Judge John M. Roll, 63; Christina-Taylor Green, 9; Giffords constituent services director Gabriel Zimmerman, 30; and Phyllis Schenk, 79; Dorothy Morris, 76; and Dorwan Stoddard, 76. Zimmerman, a native Tucsonan, was widely reported as being Jewish, although he was not.

ADL: Giffords wasn’t shot because of her Judaism

Published on January 11, 2011

An analysis of Internet musings by Jared Lee Loughner dismisses speculation that he may have targeted U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords because she is Jewish. "In the end, the writings so far revealed seem to indicate no particular leanings about race, and it is difficult to come away from the postings with such a conclusion," according to the analysis published Tuesday by the Anti-Defamation League. The ADL analysis also said that the writings do not "point to a particular ideology or belief system." Loughner's "semi-coherent" writings "are indicative of an individual who has been exposed to a number of different ideas, from across the political spectrum, and has sometimes appropriated external concepts -- often seemingly divorced from their original context," the analysis said. Loughner, 22, waived bail Monday when he appeared in a federal courtroom to face two federal charges of murder and three charges of attempted murder. He is expected to face additional state murder charges.

Gabrielle Giffords: Israel needs U.S. to push the peace process

Published on January 11, 2011

My grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, was the son of a Lithuanian rabbi. My grandfather changed his name to Giff Giffords for reasons of anti-Semitism and moved to Southern Arizona from New York more than a half century ago. In the 1940s, he founded my family's tire and automotive business, El Campo Tire, which grew into a successful and thriving business for 50 years, which I ran for several years before serving in the Arizona Legislature.

Obama calls Giffords’ rabbi

Published on January 11, 2011

President Obama spoke with the rabbi of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords during a series of calls to friends and families of victims of the weekend shooting in Tucson. A White House official said Rabbi Stephanie Aaron of Tucson's Congregation Chaverim was among the Tucson-area officials, victims and families Obama reached Monday in the wake of the Jan. 8 attack that left Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, critically injured and six dead.

Alleged Arizona shooter Jared Lee Loughner has Jewish mother, acquaintance says

Published on January 11, 2011

An acquaintance of Jared Lee Loughner, the accused gunman in the shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, says his mother is Jewish.

Giffords’ account of her trip to Israel

Published on January 11, 2011

In 2002, shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Gabrielle Giffords, then a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, visited Israel on a trip organized by AJC's Project Interchange. She wrote this insightful, moving account, which AJC is honored to republish nine years later, upon her return to the United States. It is a land of contradiction, of complexity and simplicity. Its mountains and deserts were the backdrop for the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Koran. Now journalists stand before this same landscape and transmit battle reports to viewers of BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera. It is a land where Orthodox Jews wearing clothing that was fashionable 300 years ago pose for digital pictures taken by tourists wearing the most modern fashions. And it is a place that offers the most ancient historical accounts, along with the most modern of lessons.

The vitriol vitriol

By Marty Kaplan
Published on January 9, 2011

“Clarabelle Dopenik.” That’s what one wit on the popular conservative Web site freerepublic.com called Clarence Dupnik, the Pima County, Arizona sheriff who turns 75 this week. Elected continuously since 1980, he is the public face of the investigation into the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and 19 others. He is also, according to bloggers on that site, “an incompetent unhinged sonofabitch” and “a jerk” “using this tragedy for baseless, cheap political shots.”

Did heated rhetoric play role in shooting of Giffords?

Published on January 9, 2011

The 8th District in southern Arizona represented by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords comprises liberal Tucson and its rural hinterlands, which means moderation is a must. But it also means that spirits and tensions run high.

Giffords known for her openness and Judaism

Published on January 9, 2011

The event was typical Gabrielle Giffords: no barriers, all comers -- Democrats, Republicans, independents welcome to talk about what was on their minds and in their hearts.