Is Religious School Tuition Deductible?

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on April 1, 2004

Paying taxes may be one of life's great certainties, but there's a bit more wiggle room when it comes to tax deductions.

Gay Jews Line Up to Wed

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on February 19, 2004

Rabbi Yoel Kahn originally married 13 years ago, but on Monday he tied the knot again -- to the same man.

Kahn, who leads a congregation in Sonoma, first wed his longtime partner Dan Dellm under a chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy), but on Monday they finally secured a marriage license from the City and County of San Francisco.

Gibson Film Causes ‘Passion’ to Rise

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on July 3, 2003

The ghosts of virulently anti-Semitic nuns may haunt Mel Gibson's new film about Jesus' final days, some Catholic and Jewish scholars are warning.

The growing hype concerns charges that "The Passion" blames Jews for Jesus' death. Gibson denies any anti-Semitic intent, and little attention has focused on the sources for his screenplay.

Do the Jews Need Geraldo

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on May 29, 2003

Rivera, 59, the flamboyant TV reporter, recently announced to the Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post that he is planning to marry TV producer Erica Levy, 29, in a Reform ceremony in New York this summer.

Censoring Mr. Spock

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on October 31, 2002

Naked women covered in ... tallitot and tefillin? The black-and-white photographs in "Shekhina" (Umbrage Editions, $39.95) a new book by Leonard Nimoy -- a.k.a. "Star Trek's" Mr. Spock -- have ignited a debate in the Jewish community over art and censorship.

Population Study Poses New Challenges

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on October 10, 2002

America's Jewish population declined by 5 percent during the past 10 years, according to a new survey, a trend that is likely to continue given the community's aging population and low birth rates.

Findings Reveal Demographic Shift

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on October 10, 2002

This is the American Jewish world, by the numbers, as revealed in the just-released National Jewish Population Survey 2000-2001 (NJPS):

Tragedy’s Challenge

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on September 5, 2002

Typically an outspoken political activist, Rabbi Avi Weiss struggles for the right words when it comes to talking about Ground Zero.

Poll: College Kids Back Israel

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on August 22, 2002

U.S. college students back Israel over the Palestinians by a 4-1 margin, according to a new survey.

The mid-July survey of 300 students found that 43 percent of respondents called themselves supporters of Israel, while only 11 percent backed the Palestinians. Another 29 percent did not take either side in the conflict, however, and 10 percent said the United States should stand behind both sides equally, according to the poll taken by Washington pollster Stanley Greenberg.

Sex-Abuse Conviction Closes Chapter

By Joe Berkofsky
Published on July 18, 2002

The recent sex-abuse conviction of Rabbi Baruch Lanner for groping two teenage girls closed a highly disturbing chapter for the centrist Orthodox world. But it remains to be seen how deeply the controversy will transform the community.