Dist. 10 race demands community’s attention
CRC forum to feature four candidates vying for Rep. Payne’s seat
May 16, 2012
On June 5, primary day, District 10 in New Jersey will be having two parallel elections. The first primary is for the late U.S. Rep. Donald Payne’s unexpired term (November 2012-January 2013); the other is for the Democratic congressional candidate (January 2012-January 2015) for the new Legislative District 10. Voters will be asked to select a candidate to fill Payne’s unexpired term, and then also to select a candidate for the full, two-year congressional term. Read More
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The 2012 election: ‘A pox on both your houses!’
May 16, 2012
This year’s political election cycle is still in its pre-convention stage and the one recurring thought is “can it possibly get even uglier?” The personal attacks, the disdain for collegiality, and the unwillingness to engage in civil dialogue make it clear why one of the critical questions for this fall’s election is whether or not segments of the electorate — from Christian evangelicals to previously invigorated young people — will even participate. Read More
In Israel, gay rights is ‘a vision that unites us’
May 16, 2012
Today, Israel’s LGBT community is part of the fabric of Israel’s diverse and vibrant society. Together we are soldiers, professors, legislators, jurists, factory workers, health-care providers, and educators. Together, we are not gay or straight or bi or transgender, but merely, proudly, Israelis. And together we want peace. Read More
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Why the Jews — and the world — need Israel
May 9, 2012
Last month we celebrated Israel’s 64th birthday. Sixty-four is not a round number, but it’s still a milestone birthday, thanks to the Beatles who famously asked, “Will you still need me / Will you still feed me / When I’m 64?” Well, maybe we don’t need to feed Israel any more. Not literally. Israel is an incredibly productive member of the world community. Read More
For the U.S., is it ‘Do as I say, not as I do’?
May 9, 2012
Almost everyone has heard the expression “Do as I say, not as I do.” It is used to rationalize an action by the speaker which the speaker has told the listener is inappropriate. It is used to justify a double standard by which the speaker is exempted from the standard imposed on the listener. The United States is beginning to find itself in the position of the speaker in this expression. Read More
Finding vision and action among Israeli Arabs
May 9, 2012
Gerhard Richter, considered by some the world’s greatest living painter, has said, “Art is the highest form of hope.” On a recent three-day trip to Israel organized by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arab Issues and the Jewish Federations of North America Social Venture Fund, 25 North American Jews witnessed this hope first-hand in Umm El-Fahem, Israel’s largest all-Muslim city. Read More
Anti-Israel criticism often masks anti-Semitism
May 7, 2012
Having just celebrated Israel’s 64th Independence Day, those who care about Israel are confronted by some very troubling statistics just released about anti-Semitism in Europe. A recent study undertaken by the German-based Friedrich Ebert Foundation found that anti-Semitic criticism of Israel comes close to majority support in most European countries. I fear that these concerns could ultimately be valid in America as well. Read More
Out of order? A defense chief’s dissent on Iran
May 2, 2012
It went public when Chief of Staff Lt. General Benny Gantz gave an interview to Ha’aretz for Yom Ha’atzmaut. In it, Gantz challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak on their Iran policy. Read More
Teaching the Shoa as unique and universal
May 2, 2012
Thirty years ago, then Gov. Tom Kean saw the need for Holocaust education and proposed through executive order the creation for New Jersey of a Holocaust education council, the first in the nation. In 1994, when the Holocaust/genocide curriculum was mandated, many educators believed that an inclusive approach to teaching about the Holocaust would succeed by conveying the horrific impact of the Holocaust on the Jews of Europe as a tragic experience from which all should learn. Read More
The other side of the door
May 2, 2012
As part of my position as the shliha, Israel emissary, working for the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey, I speak with a lot of people of various ages about Israel. One topic that holds a great deal of interest is service in the army. This is especially true for kids. At first, when they hear that I am an officer, a captain, they pay a bit more attention, but when I tell them that I am trained in weapons, like any other soldier who goes through boot camp in the Israel Defense Forces, I can see the shock on their faces; I am, after all, a “girl.” But after the initial excitement, their curiosity leads them to ask the more complicated questions. So what did I do during my mandatory service? they ask, and I explain. Read More
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