Diverse trio running for mayor in troubled Jerusalem

By Dina Kraft
Published on October 23, 2008

It sounds like the beginning of a joke: A rabbi, a Russian oligarch and a high-tech millionaire are running for mayor of Jerusalem. Except there's no punch line, just each of them offering up himself as salvation for the hallowed capital's many troubles.

Divided we fall?  A once-united Jewish Los Angeles breaks apart again

By Marc Ballon
Published on February 8, 2007

Don’t Let Affirmative Action Fade

By Charlotte Hildebrand
Published on August 17, 2006

Why is the Louisville case so important? Why should we, as Jews, care about its outcome, especially if our children may not even attend public schools? Is affirmative action even relevant in 2006, in our schools, in our world? What are the benefits of diversity in education anyway?

One Summer Night

By Morrie Gelman
Published on November 10, 2005

I dream of a summer night long ago. I'm a 17-year-old usher in a neighborhood theater. We play second-run films. Most of that summer we show "Pursued," starring Teresa Wright and Robert Mitchum.

Vote Confirms Westside, Valley Split

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on March 24, 2005

The gap between Westside and Valley Jewish voters goes back at least to the busing controversy of the late 1970s.

Drama in Israel, High Stakes in the U.S.

By James D. Besser
Published on June 3, 2004

Israeli politics is always a mix of high drama and low comedy, but the current fight within Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's divided government is anything but entertaining for Jewish leaders here.

Israeli commentators have noted that it is a struggle for the soul of the Likud party. How that turns out will have consequences for the U.S.-Israel relationship and on Israel's already-low standing around the world.

Supreme Court to Rule On Vouchers

By Sharon Samber
Published on October 4, 2001

The U.S. Supreme Court's long-awaited decision on the constitutionality of school vouchers is expected this term, with the high court apparently ready to tackle one of the most significant church-state rulings in years.