As candidates spar over Israel, Jewish L.A. watches on

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on October 23, 2012

Egyptian military’s anti-democratic moves may benefit Israel

Published on June 18, 2012

Egypt's military coup is now nearly complete. That may be distressing for Egyptian democracy, but it could help the Israel-Egypt relationship.

Democratic hopefuls talk Israel in bid for Harman’s seat

By Jonah Lowenfeld
Published on April 21, 2011

For politicians today, making it to Washington often requires them to explain their views about what should happen to Jerusalem. That was the case at the Hermosa Beach Community Center on April 20 when four of the 16 Democratic candidates running in a May 17 special election for the open seat in California’s 36th Congressional District met in a debate on U.S.-Israel and Middle East policy organized by Democrats for Israel (DFI).

Kennedy seen as giant on domestic issues, Soviet Jewry

Published on August 26, 2009

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) is being remembered in the Jewish community for his huge impact on domestic issues such as education and health care, but also as a giant in the Soviet Jewry movement.

With the Republican base on the ropes, all eyes are on Florida —again

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on October 8, 2008

It is already ugly out on the campaign trail, and reporters in the field are feeling the heat of the rising anger of a Republican base on the ropes.

Democratic platform sticks close to Jewish positions

By Ron Kampeas
Published on August 27, 2008

When it comes to the Middle East and Sen. Barack Obama's Democratic Party platform, things are staying pretty much the same -- which, in this case, is the kind of change pro-Israel activists can believe in.

The L.A. Times ‘frames’ the Presidential race

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on July 16, 2008

This assertion, which is totally irrelevant to the campaign of 2008, leads to a source saying that McCain would definitely not represent the third Bush term.

Handicapping the 2008 Presidential Race

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on November 15, 2007

Brief descriptions of Republican and Democratic presidential candidates and their likely appeal amongst Jewish voters.

New approaches in Iraq could <I>help</I> Israel

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on December 21, 2006

Israel is now stuck between Iraq and a hard place; those in the administration who most uncritically support Israel don't know what they're doing, and those who have better ideas are more critical of Israel.

Letters to the Editor

Published on September 14, 2006

Letters to the Editor.

Rabbi David Baron vs Mad Mel in Yom Kippur Pulpit Match

Published on September 7, 2006

Letters to the Editor.

10 Ideas For Creating Meaningful Volunteer Assignments

By Susan J. Ellis
Published on July 27, 2006

Any organization's program and operational decisions should stem from the philosophy, beliefs and vision that are its reasons for being in the first place. These basic values, however, are often assumed, yet rarely articulated.

Worst Fears Come to Pass for Foes of Gaza Pullout

By Marc Ballon
Published on July 6, 2006

Leaving Gaza also made sense morally, said Daniel Sokatch, executive director of the Progressive Jewish Alliance.

"For Israel to remain a democratic and Jewish state, it cannot occupy and control millions of Palestinians indefinitely," he said.

Jewish Voters to Play Key Primary Role

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on June 1, 2006

Democratic districts on Los Angeles' Westside and in the Valley, next week's primary will not only determine the Democratic winner but also the person who will almost certainly win in the fall's general election. And Jewish voters, who are overwhelmingly Democratic, will play a key role in the outcome.

Trouble Mars Pope’s Trip to Auschwitz

By Dinah Spritzer
Published on June 1, 2006

At last Sunday's visit by Pope Benedict XVI, not only was Kaddish recited, but a whole new Catholic sensitivity to Jews was on display -- even as Poland struggles to battle xenophobia and anti-Semitism, sometimes from Catholic sources.

Federation Support of Civic Group Wanes

By Marc Ballon
Published on May 25, 2006

Critics say that starting in the mid-1990s, the JCRC slowly began losing its voice and shirked a core mission: to be as visible and forthrightly active as possible.

The Second American Jewish Revolution

By Steven Windmueller
Published on April 20, 2006

Wars, the Holocaust, the creation of the State of Israel and the movement of Jews to countries of freedom and security shaped the first revolution in Jewish communal life. Now, individuals are able to re-invent the idea of "community" on their own terms.

Pupils Vote Yes on Democratic School

By Dina Kraft
Published on February 23, 2006

The Hadera Democratic School, which receives funding from both public and private sources, was the first of its kind in Israel. Since its founding in 1987 in this city about 60 kilometers north of Tel Aviv, 23 other schools have opened around the country based on its model of democratic education, in which student participation and choice is emphasized.

Lieberman War View Triggers Backlash

By James D. Besser
Published on January 19, 2006

Lieberman's defense of the war stands in sharp contrast to the Jewish majority. A recent American Jewish Committee poll indicated that 70 percent of Jews now oppose the administration's Iraq policies, although that number was considerably lower in Lieberman's Orthodox community.

Letters

Published on November 10, 2005

Letters to the Editor.

Democrats’ Plans Must Factor in Israel

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on October 20, 2005

As public support for the war in Iraq continues to deteriorate and as the Bush administration's political situation trembles on the precipice, Democrats are beginning to stir. Pushed by a party base that has long detested what it sees as timorous accommodation to Bush, national Democrats are trying out themes and approaches that they hope will bring them back to a share of national power.

School Bond Measure Gets Failing Grade

By Bob Hertzberg
Published on September 15, 2005

I have a picture on the wall of my office. It was taken at about 4 a.m. in 1998. I'm in the picture with a group of Democratic and Republican legislators. We look tired; we've been up late for a number of nights. But there's also a glint of celebration.

That was a happy and proud moment. We had just negotiated Proposition 1A, which put $9.2 billion of school bonds on the ballot. This bipartisan breakthrough opened the way for three successful state school bonds that raised $34 billion for school construction.

I've also supported local school bonds, and the state and local money that voters entrusted to the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is being used to build schools all over the city.

I don't take this progress lightly or for granted. But building for seats is not the same as building for reform. To date, L.A. Unified has done the former but only paid lip service to the latter. And I find myself moving to an uncomfortable and unfamiliar position on the question of the school district's bid to pass $3.985 billion in school bonds this November.

Iraq Election May Mark Start of Change

By Robert Kagan
Published on March 10, 2005

The day after the elections in Iraq, the London Independent commented that "in the long term, it is possible that yesterday's elections in Iraq may be seen as marking the start of a great change across the whole region."

Examining the Jewish Vote

By Gaby Wenig
Published on October 21, 2004

Like many Jews, Paul Kujawsky is a vociferous supporter of Sen. John Kerry. But at Shaarey Zedek Congregation in the Valley, he stands out as such an anomaly that his rabbi refers to him as "the one Democrat in the shul."

DNC, ‘Daily Show’ and Davening

By Janine Zacharia
Published on July 29, 2004

So an Orthodox Jew is not the Democratic vice presidential nominee this year, like in 2000. And the wife of the vice presidential nominee is not named Hadassah.

Balancing Acts of Faith and Pork

By Micah D. Halpern
Published on July 22, 2004

The question: How Jewish vs. how democratic should the Jewish State of Israel actually be?

That was really the question before Israel's Supreme Court.

More than a legal question, it led to serious and heated debate. The answer would be a defining factor in the very nature of the state itself. It came to the fore as the court was asked to decide if three cities, Jerusalem included, could ban the selling of pork.

The ruling: That cities cannot outright forbid the sale of pork and should respect communities that are predominantly religious but may sell pork in other areas of the city.

Simply Wrong

By Bill Boyarsky
Published on May 6, 2004

The Republicans are praying that President Bush's embrace of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Gaza withdrawal plan will sway the Jewish vote.

Kerry’s Lead Alters GOP Jewish Strategy

By James D. Besser
Published on February 12, 2004

The rise of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) as the Democratic front-runner, with Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) as a respectable second, will alter a lot of plans in Bush-Cheney re-election headquarters, and that includes plans for harvesting Jewish votes. Kerry's rise means an even more targeted Jewish GOP strategy, combined with an ongoing effort to pry Jewish campaign contributors loose from the Democrats.

Two Cents Plain

By Rob Eshman
Published on January 15, 2004

Have you ever sat down in restaurant, scanned both sides of the menu, then flipped to the back hoping there'd be another row of choices? That's how I've felt after watching every Democratic debate of Campaign 2004. I'm not particularly impressed with what's offered, but there's no column three.

"It would be kind of amusing," one long-time Democrat told me after the last debate, "if it weren't so damned important."

Dean’s Judaism Ties Span Decades

By Matthew E. Berger
Published on January 1, 2004

In the middle of a rowdy rendition of "I Have a Little Dreidel" at the Sobelson family Chanukah party in Concord, N.H., Howard Dean walked in and declared himself the cantor.

The Democratic presidential candidate recited the blessings over the candles in near-perfect Hebrew in a dining room crowded with campaign staffers.

"It's another Jewish miracle," Carol Sobelson exclaimed

Democratic Races Poses Hard Choices

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on November 13, 2003

Jewish voters are an important constituency in national elections, concentrated in such electoral vote-rich states as California, New York, Florida and Illinois. However, they are even more important in the struggle for the Democratic presidential nomination, comprising an important share of the vote in key Democratic primaries. For Jewish Democrats, the 2004 nomination race is providing some very difficult choices.

The Aftermath

By Rob Eshman
Published on March 20, 2003

As I write these words, with our nation just over the brink of war, it is clear that once again the country is color-coded.

Why Not Lieberman?

By Paul Kujawsky
Published on March 6, 2003

What a difference two and a half years make. When Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore selected Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman as his running mate in 2000, there was a surge of Jewish pride and support. Now that Lieberman has announced his own candidacy in the 2004 presidential race, there's a surge of Jewish doubt and ambivalence. Why?

The objections to the Lieberman candidacy reveal a nice mix of Jewish fears and neuroses. However, they don't withstand serious scrutiny.

A Jewish president would provoke anti-Semitism. Actually, one of the most heartening aspects of the 2000 election was precisely that having a Jew on a major party ticket for the first time was a big yawn among non-Jews. We braced ourselves for the backlash -- and nothing.

Lieberman’s Presidential Bid Is Already Over

By Michael Levine
Published on March 6, 2003

As an active member of the Southern California Jewish community and a celebrity media consultant who has authored 12 books on communications, it pains me to point out an unpleasant truth.

Despite the recent Gallup Poll showing Sen. Joseph Lieberman leading the field of Democrats who have declared their 2004 presidential candidacy, Lieberman isn't going to win the Democratic nomination. His campaign is over before it began.

Kerry’s Jewish Roots

By Peter Ephross
Published on February 6, 2003

First it was then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Next it was Gen. Wesley Clark, the supreme allied commander of NATO during the war in Kosovo. Now it's Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry whose Jewish roots are being reported.

Kerry? The Massachusetts senator, the quintessential WASP-y looking politician with an Irish-sounding name?

Yup.

Two of Kerry's grandparents were Jewish, it turns out.

Emanuel’s Impact

By Eli Kintisch
Published on January 9, 2003

The subject of Monday afternoon's Democratic caucus meeting was crucial: On the eve of President Bush's release of his economic stimulus package, how could House Democrats make the public case that their package was better?

The Ethnic Revolution

By James D
Published on November 26, 1998

Contrary to the ever-hopeful predictions of the Republicans, Jewish voters proved remarkably resistant to change in this month's congressional voting.