Help Wanted

By Beit T'shuvah
Published on February 26, 2013

Morsi’s decree leaves U.S. in hot seat

Published on November 29, 2012

As a staunch advocate of democracy, the American administration’s position was brought into question when Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi awarded himself sweeping powers in a game-changing constitutional declaration announced last week.

Jewish community bears impact of Hurricane Sandy

Published on October 30, 2012

Less than a year into her job at North Shore Synagogue in Syosset, N.Y., Rabbi Debbie Bravo sounded remarkably poised as she and her community faced one of their most powerful challenges together: Hurricane Sandy.

Palestian power issues: The night that the lights went out?

Published on August 14, 2012

The Palestinian Authority (PA) owes more than $170 million to the Israel Electric Company, and Israel is threatening to cut off the flow unless the debt is paid. Palestinian officials say that could cause widespread blackouts throughout the West Bank.

Iran plans nuclear-powered submarine, report says

Published on June 12, 2012

Iran said on Tuesday it planned to build its first nuclear-powered submarine, a news agency reported, an announcement that came days before talks with world powers and may add to Western concerns over its atomic activities.

Minister’s idea to cut electricity to Gaza before Israel is ignored

Published on May 14, 2012

Israel's Cabinet ignored a suggestion by the environmental protection minister to cut the electricity supply to Gaza rather than have rolling blackouts in Israel.

Israel to phase out civilian atomic reactor by 2018

Published on March 20, 2012

Israel is phasing out a civilian nuclear reactor to which it has admitted foreign inspectors while keeping a second reactor, widely believed to have produced atom bombs, off-limits, officials said on Tuesday.

Wicked weather causing damage in Israel

Published on March 1, 2012

Severe weather in Israel has caused damage and blackouts. Heavy rain and high winds disrupted air traffic at Ben Gurion Airport. Some wind gusts reached 62 miles per hour, according to reports.

Saving on Utilities

By Annie Korzen
Published on September 19, 2011

Jewish Men Don’t Cheat! Ha! And Ashley Madison is a Dating Site!

By Julia Bendis
Published on May 17, 2011

Where are the great American Jewish leaders?

Published on May 4, 2011

We are living in a troubling and dangerous time, a time when we need courageous and insightful leaders more than at any point since the Holocaust. We are facing a potentially existential crisis for Israel and ultimately, I believe, for Jewish people worldwide. Yet our leaders for the most part have not responded in a forceful way. Those among us who understand what is at stake must immediately light a fire under our current leaders. At the same time, we need to rethink the process of how we select our leaders and what we expect of them.

Report: Iran to build new nuclear research reactors

Published on April 11, 2011

Iran plans to build "four to five" nuclear research reactors and will continue to enrich uranium to provide their fuel, a nuclear official said on Monday despite Western pressure on Tehran to curb atomic work.

News Nincompoops Narrate Nuclear Nonsense

By Albert Fuchs, M.D.
Published on March 17, 2011

Israel reconsidering nuclear power plans in light of Japan crisis

Published on March 17, 2011

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN that Israel is reconsidering its plans for a nuclear energy facility in light of what happened in Japan. The interview is set to be aired later on Thursday.

Jewish groups congratulate Egypt, hope for continued peace

Published on February 11, 2011

In initial statements, Jewish groups congratulated Egyptians on ousting Hosni Mubarak and expressed hope for continued peace with Israel.

Shooting Sarah Palin

By David Suissa
Published on September 17, 2008

Earlier this year, he called the office of the governor of Alaska to ask permission to shoot Sarah Palin for his new film, a documentary about powerful women of the world. Because he had spent a lot of time in Alaska, he'd heard about the feisty Palin and thought she'd be a natural.

Israel invests in clean tech as energy crunch looms

By Dina Kraft
Published on July 2, 2008

Industry observers say more aggressive government policies, such as underwriting renewable energy initiatives and granting more land for power plants, are needed to bolster the development of alternative energy.

Elegy for a Dream

By Gina Nahai
Published on September 8, 2007

The Shah of Iran symbolized, with his youth and his seemingly limitless future, the power and grandeur that, we believed, would one day be his -- he symbolized for us a life of possibilities, such as we hadn't known for centuries.

Documentary shows ‘Blood and Tears’ of Israeli-Palestinian conflict

By Tom Tugend
Published on August 23, 2007

Iran pulling strings to create Mideast turmoil

By Ehud Danoch
Published on July 5, 2007

What do all the current threats facing the Middle East -- the Hamas takeover in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah's bid for power in Lebanon, political turmoil in Iraq and imminent nu- clear weapons in the hands of a radical dictatorship -- all have in common? Answer: Iran.

Ugly ties bind genocide past and present

By Amy Klein
Published on March 15, 2007

The "Genocide and Religion: Victims, Perpetrators, Bystanders and Resisters" Synoposium went deeper than many such conferences by examining as many as possible of the various groups involved in a genocide -- the perpetrators, the victims, the bystanders and resisters -- all of whom can be found in every such conflict, past and present.

Unmasking Purim’s vital meaning

By Rabbi Sharon Brous
Published on March 1, 2007

On Purim we are forced to confront the possibility that nothing we do really matters, because history is ultimately arbitrary, and life is therefore unalterably unpredictable. No wonder they tell us to have a couple of drinks ... But the power of Purim is not that it leaves us in a drunken stupor, vulnerable, uncertain and hungover.

Fated to Meddle

By Rob Eshman
Published on January 18, 2007

In other words, if your take on our role in the Middle East is limited to just oil, or just freedom and democracy, or just imperialism -- Oren's meticulously researched and grippingly narrated book will school you.

Getting kicked out of shul

By Amy Klein
Published on December 7, 2006

Biston's public airing of his story and his threat to file suit have brought to light a number of complaints from others who also have been asked to leave Beth Jacob. They claim the rabbi is autocratic and mercurial and bars people who don't fit his image of an appropriate congregant.

Holy Doubt

By Rabbi Debra Orenstein
Published on December 7, 2006

This week's Torah portion contains a story that most of us skipped in Hebrew school -- the story of Dina.

Two-state solution ASAP only chance for peace

By Steve Masters
Published on October 19, 2006

Gaza's economy, health care and social services are near collapse, and there are growing signs of malnutrition. Sixty percent of the population is without electricity, due to Israel's bombing of Gaza's only power station.

What’s your Jewish I.Q.?

Published on October 19, 2006

What's your Jewish I.Q.?

Book Review: Tools to fight terror: big dreams, good friends

By Robert David Jaffee
Published on October 12, 2006

Goldberg recently won the Anti-Defamation League's Daniel Pearl Award and goes so far as to suggest that being Jewish has benefited him in his dealings with terrorists.

Power of the Prez; In the wake of war; Children work for a cure

By Norma Zager
Published on October 5, 2006

Community briefs.

Israel, U.S. Act on Request for Renewable Energy

Published on August 31, 2006

Under the proposed U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act, scientists and engineers from both countries would focus on research, development and commercial use of renewable energy from solar, wind, hydrogen and biofuel sources.

Lebanon War: Mission Accomplished

By Dan Gordon
Published on August 31, 2006

From a military perspective, there can be absolutely no doubt as to the results of Hezbollah and Iran's offensive against Israel. It was a defeat. Every part of their war plan, except the manipulation of the media, failed.

Kaplan’s Collage

By Tom Teicholz
Published on August 17, 2006

Marty Kaplan is often referred to as a "public intellectual." His current title is dean of the Annenberg School at USC and chairman of the Norman Lear Center. But Kaplan has led many lives -- molecular biologist, comedy writer, White House speechwriter, Disney exec, radio host. As Kaplan recently wrote me in an e-mail when I asked, "Which of those is you ?"

Painful Lessons Emerge From War in Lebanon

By Michael Berenbaum
Published on August 10, 2006

We could have been in the fifth year of an independent Palestinian state if Yasser Arafat had been willing to make a deal with Bill Clinton and Ehud Barak; instead we are we where we are.

Mr. President, Thank You for Standing by Israel

By Rabbi Steven Z. Leder
Published on August 10, 2006

A Letter to President Bush

Mideast Fighting Strains Fragile Interfaith Ties

By Marc Ballon
Published on August 3, 2006

Overall, though, Jewish-Muslim relations are strained, and tensions will likely worsen before getting better, predicts Rabbi John Rosove, senior rabbi at Temple Israel of Hollywood.

Letters 06-30-2006

Published on June 29, 2006

Letters

Nation-World Briefs

Published on June 8, 2006

Abbas’ Move Challenges Olmert

By Leslie Susser
Published on June 1, 2006

The key to whether the Saudi plan becomes a serious option -- even if adopted by the Palestinians -- lies in Washington. The American goal remains a negotiated two-state solution based on Bush's "vision" that he outlined in June 2002.

We Must Treat Others With Kindness

By Rabbi David Wolpe
Published on May 18, 2006

The Haggadah tells us "you were strangers in the land of Egypt." Here is the interesting thing -- because we were strangers, we are supposed to learn not how the Israelites should have acted, but -- how the Egyptians should have acted. We are supposed to learn how not to oppress others. Don't treat others the way we were treated.

I’m Going to Jail Over Darfur Genocide

By Rabbi Steve Gutow
Published on April 27, 2006

The situation is extraordinarily complicated. Human rights groups say the rebels are also responsible for abuses, including looting humanitarian aid convoys. Chadian bandits encouraged by Sudan's actions also prey on the tribal population. Still, if the Sudanese government could be taken to task and forced to stop the abuses, most would stop.

Three Madelehs of the Written Word

By Sandee Brawarsky
Published on April 27, 2006

The author, who also graduated from Harvard Law School, keenly portrays the life of well-to-do professionals who strive for the best for their children, unable to see the downside of their single-minded pursuits.

Competing Moments of Truth on Schools

By Howard Blume
Published on April 9, 2006

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's first state-of-the-city speech is likely to put bone and muscle on his school takeover pitch which, up till now, nearly a year into his term, has been theoretical and short on specifics. If Villaraigosa delivers what people all over town have been waiting for, a slew of interest groups will know where they stand and will begin to respond accordingly.

The View From L.A.: Hoping for the Best

By Tom Tugend
Published on April 6, 2006

As a new party, Kadima has not yet organized an American support group, but Handelsman predicted the establishment of such an organization in the next two years.

The New Face of the Israeli Right

By Dina Kraft
Published on March 30, 2006

Avigdor Lieberman's party, Yisrael Beiteinu, became the fourth-largest party in Israeli politics Tuesday, winning seats in the next Knesset from a strong base of Russian-speaking voters as well as tens of thousands of veteran Israelis.

Olmert Moves Israel to Center

By Leslie Susser
Published on March 30, 2006

The elections, the first since Ariel Sharon's abrupt departure from the Israeli political scene, were seen in large part as a referendum on the withdrawal proposal.

As is often the case in Israeli politics, there were surprises.

Palestinians Unimpressed With Kadima Win

By Uriel Heilman
Published on March 30, 2006

Ehud Olmert, Kadima Party head and prime minister-elect, has proposed an Israeli withdrawal from almost all of the West Bank -- facilitating, he says, the creation of a Palestinian state. He also called on Palestinians to compromise on their dreams in order to live next to Israel in peace.

Remember Sinai?

By Rabbi Haim Ovadia
Published on February 16, 2006

Immediately following the Ten Commandments, we read a series of instructions that seem a little out of place: You shall not make gods of silver alongside me, nor shall you make yourselves gods of gold. You need make for me only an earthen altar and bring your sacrifices there, and I shall come and bless you wherever my name is mentioned.

Wendy Chronicles—A Personal Memoir

By Caroline Aaron
Published on February 9, 2006

I became one of Wendy's regular I-should-be-writing-but-let's-meet-for-coffee-instead dates. It was a blast to help Wendy procrastinate. We shopped, gossiped and swore to get thin together. We went to each other's openings. I was her date for award ceremonies and multiple engagements where, in her words, "I'm speaking to the Jews."

The Hebrascope: Signs of the Jewdiac

By Jew Girl
Published on February 2, 2006

Hebrascope

Suicide Voters

By Rob Eshman
Published on February 2, 2006

All those people who say "Munich" reaffirms the universal truth that "violence begets violence" should think hard about the

Palestinian elections, where violence begat an electoral sweep.

So much for universal truths.

Gandhi said, "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind," and in the long run, who knows, he may be proven right.

But in the near term, Hamas, an organization whose existence is rooted in hatred and terror, has proven one of my personal universal truths: The craziest guy in the room usually gets his way.

Clear Ideological Focus Marks Olmert

By Leslie Susser
Published on January 12, 2006

Olmert was one of the chief architects of Sharon's main foreign policy achievement -- last summer's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and northern West Bank. When Sharon broke away last November from his ruling Likud Party to form a new centrist party, Kadima, Olmert was one of the first to follow him.

Our Faux Democracy

By Jill Stewart
Published on November 3, 2005

This is not democracy. The California legislature stole our democracy while we slept. All districts in California are now rigged this way. That's why, in California in the fall of 2004, not a single state legislative or Congressional seat changed party hands.

What’s So Special About the Special Election?

By Raphael J. Sonenshein
Published on November 3, 2005

On Nov. 8, the voters of California will have the chance to vote in a special election most of them did not want. That's no reason to stay home. After all, whether we like it or not, the election will take place, and all of California residents will have to live with the consequences.

Globalization of Hope

By Rabbi Ed Feinstein
Published on November 3, 2005

The Building of the Tower of Babel Today

Mental Workouts Keep Your Brain Fit

By Sophia Dembling
Published on November 3, 2005

Teaching your brain new tricks is like a workout for the mind. It's never too early to start, and you don't have to ante up tuition to start your brain fitness program

Foul Mouths

By Rob Eshman
Published on November 3, 2005

Iran-Contra could make one believe that in Washington, D.C., it's not what you did, it's who you know. There was even an element of self-dealing on the part of the first President Bush, who set free insiders who would, as a result, never be tempted to disclose anything damaging about Bush's own record as vice president under Reagan.

Shake-Up!

By Bobbi Murray
Published on November 3, 2005

Proposition 77, the redistricting measure on next week's special elections ballot, is likely to shift considerably more Latino voters into Berman's district -- and perhaps give rise to a viable Latino challenger.

Messages of Meaning on Rosh Hashanah

By David Finnigan
Published on October 6, 2005

Southern California rabbis used their Rosh Hashanah pulpits to speak on globalization, Africa's drought-ridden refugees and America's hurricane-drenched evacuees as well as Israel's Gaza pullout.

Saving Zionism

By Leonard Fein
Published on August 11, 2005

Where Jewish terrorist Eden Natan-Zada lived -- first in Rishon L'Tzion, then evidently in Tapuach -- there is ostensibly an ideology that encourages the murders he committed last week in Shfaram.

Write of Passage

By Colette Freedman
Published on June 2, 2005

One week, I would ambitiously attempt to devour the entire "Box Car Children" series; another I would host a Judy Blume marathon and vigilantly try to sneak the purportedly trashy "Deenie" home in between my "Sheila the Great" and "Blubber."