By Rabbi Rick Harkavy, Congregation Bet Chaverim “My father was a wandering Aramean….” It is with these words that our Passover Haggadah reminds us each year of the wanderings of our people throughout the ages. As we read the familiar passages, sing the well-known melodies and eat the traditional PesachContinue Reading

By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Just a few months into her first year at Whitman College, Talia Rudee started a chapter of Challah for Hunger. Every Friday afternoon you can find her and another volunteer selling fresh-baked challah at Reid Hall — challah that volunteers have made over the previousContinue Reading

By Josh Basson, , Seattle The recent outrageous massacre of innocents in Itamar, an Israeli settlement in the Samarian Hills, when terrorists infiltrated the home of Udi and Ruth Fogel raises serious questions. This horrific act illustrates that “settlements” are not the obstacle to peace as some would have usContinue Reading

By Pat Griffith, AFS GPS Volunteer, Seattle Thank you for your heartwarming article about AFS exchange student Mohammed’s ecumenical experience in Seattle (M.O.T., “Saudi student enjoys kosher food,” Feb. 25). Now more than ever we need people-to-people relationships to dispel stereotypical images that are so prevalent. This year AFS ofContinue Reading

By Rabbi Rachel Nussbaum, The Kavana Cooperative At a conference earlier this year, I heard a denominational leader now close to retirement ask whether the young leaders who are going outside of traditional institutional frameworks understand “who published the siddurim that they are using, and who gave them their trainingContinue Reading

By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, As we deliberate over summer plans for our family, the idea of sending the kids to a Jewish camp keeps popping up. I never went to camp, let alone a Jewish camp. The whole camping thing seems so strange. I look forwardContinue Reading

By Akiva Kenny Segan, , Seattle Josh Basson’s latest letter deserves congrats (“In need of democracy,” Feb. 25): He has made the strongest case possible against dozens of letters he authored over the past decade. He wrote forcefully and unceasingly in support of a rejectionist stance to negotiations with PalestiniansContinue Reading

By Eric Soll, , Edmonds The governor of the state of Wisconsin is addressing his state’s budget deficit by attempting to limit the collective bargaining rights of both state employees and teachers. Furthermore, he is also attempting to have those employees contribute a small percentage of their wages to theirContinue Reading

By Rabbi David Fredman, West Seattle Torah Learning Center A few weeks ago I was at an event in town and a friend of mine came over. We began to discuss different goings-on in the Seattle community. My friend, let’s call him Jack, told me about a certain Jewish eventContinue Reading

By Josh Basson, , Seattle Ellis Goldberg’s column (“On Jews and Egypt: Dispatches from the front lines,” Feb. 11) was informative. It is important that the new government that eventually emerges in Egypt be truly democratic and honors the peace treaty it signed with Israel in 1977. Also that thereContinue Reading

By Robert Wilkes, , Bellevue My column, “Jewish Delusions and the Threat to the Jewish People,” (Jan. 28) evoked Casablanca-like shock from Seattle blogger Richard Silverstein in the JTNews. Silverstein pieced together, ransom-note style, segments from my article separated by dots to assert that I had quoted him unfairly. IContinue Reading

By Philip R. Scheier, , Shoreline How much more courageous can one be than the self-proclaimed journalist/blogger Richard Silverstein, a Seattle resident? In his meandering rant in the JTNews (“The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not occupy,” Feb. 11) Mr. Silverstein acknowledges that if Israel did adopt the Silverstein plan forContinue Reading

By Rabbi Jaron Matlow, , Olympia I am very concerned about the comments Mr. Silverstein makes regarding Israel (“The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not occupy,” Feb. 11). I am concerned about Jews who so strongly support the Palestinians against Israel. Mr. Silverstein claims to be a Zionist, yet his statementsContinue Reading

By Michelle Kaufman, , Seattle Mr. Silverstein, who do you propose will make this peace with Israel that you talk about (“The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not occupy,” Feb. 11)? The two-state solution was first proposed back in 1937, again in 1948, at Camp David, at Oslo, and continues toContinue Reading

By Jeffrey Weiser, , Redmond Whenever I read an article like Richard Silverstein’s “The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not occupy“ (Feb. 11) I am reminded of the Yiddish proverb “A father who does not steal to feed his starving children is not a father.” Yes, Mr. Silverstein, the Israeli occupationContinue Reading