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In: Letters, Viewpoints

By Henry Friedman, Founder and President Emeritus, Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center, Seattle The article which appeared in the April 9 edition of JTNews (“Opting out”) was offensive to me as a Holocaust survivor. Other survivors who read this article shared some of the same feelings with me thatContinue Reading

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By Edna Oberman , , Seattle So the South African Zionist Federation has arranged to prevent Judge Richard Goldstone from attending his grandson’s Bar Mitzvah next month. Thus continues the vilification and rejection of Goldstone since the Goldstone Report on Israel’s 2008-9 campaign in Gaza. A blogger wants to “spitContinue Reading

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By Josh Basson, , Seattle Your front page article “Senate letter urging tensions tamp-down gets 76 signatures,” (April 16), was quite informative. I hope the Obama administration heeds the words of more than three quarters of U.S. Senators urging them not to allow tensions with Israel to harm Israeli-Palestinian talks.Continue Reading

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In: Columnists, What's Your JQ?

By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, Knowing that your father has just passed away I thought it would be timely to ask about the mirrors in a house of mourning. I recall the practice of covering all the mirrors in the house from my childhood, when my parentsContinue Reading

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In: Rabbi's Turn, Viewpoints

By Rabbi Rob Toren, Samis Foundation I received in my e-mail inbox a link to a fascinating YouTube video: A violinist playing at a subway station in a Washington, D.C. Metro stop. What was interesting was that this was somewhat of an experiment or, more accurately, a “gentleman’s wager” (anContinue Reading

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By Rainer Waldman Adkins and Teri Citterman , Special to JTNews I looked up, and I saw a man holding a measuring line. “Where are you going?” I asked. “To measure Jerusalem,” he replied, “to see how long and wide it is to be. — Zechariah 2:1-2 Let’s be clear:Continue Reading

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In: Letters, Viewpoints

By Simcha Shtull, , Seattle As an American Jew and an Israeli who cares deeply for Israel’s well being, I support President Obama in formulating a bold new approach to guaranteeing a secure and democratic Israel. I reject Nevet Basker’s contention that Israeli construction in East Jerusalem represents no problemContinue Reading

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By Ron K. Feinberg, , Mercer Island I was dismayed by the lack of compassionate understanding for the Palestinian point of view regarding East Jerusalem in the JTNews article by Nevet Basker (“Myths and misperceptions,” April 9). Perhaps someday soon the pro-Israel viewpoint will also respect the validity of ourContinue Reading

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By Mordecai Goldstein, , Everett In response to the piece that challenged Obama’s commitment to Israel because of the settlement issue (“Myths and misperceptions,” April 9), I would say that we should cut the president some slack. And let’s not confuse tactics with strategy. I think Obama is a veryContinue Reading

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By Stephen Adler, , Seattle I was shocked to read Leyna Krow’s piece about the Holocaust (“Opting out,” April 9), although I am assured that her opinion represents those of many others in her generation. That shock stems from my own view of Holocaust education based on my being aContinue Reading

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By Philip R. Scheier, , Shoreline of JTNews seeks to explain why Holocaust Remembrance Day “doesn’t touch me.” Aside from this bizarre approach to the deaths of 6 million Jews, I flinched at the hurt it inflicts on the local vanishing survivors and their families. In this same issue isContinue Reading

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In: Rabbi's Turn, Viewpoints

By Rabbi Anson Laytner, Congregation Kol HaNeshamah I’ve heard it now from three different congregations: “Rabbi, how can we talk about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in our community? Everyone has such strong opinions that we fear a conversation on this topic would be too divisive. Yet it seems to us thatContinue Reading

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By David Harris , JTA World News Service carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife, and dozens of other officials crashed in the Katyn Forest near Smolensk, Russia on April 10, this immense disaster was also a personal tragedy. I lost friends in the crash that killed key leaders fromContinue Reading

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By Leyna Krow , Assistant Editor, JTNews I’m about to make a controversial statement. It’s a personal matter, but I think it still might ruffle a few feathers. Because this statement I’m about to make, it’s not something Jews are supposed to say, especially not this week. It’s uncouth, andContinue Reading

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By Ilana Cone Kennedy , Special to JTNews I work at a Holocaust Center. My daily language consists of the most obscene of numbers, concentration camps, death, suffering, and incredible personal miracles. I am just about to complete my seventh year as the director of education. When I tell peopleContinue Reading

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By Nevet Basker , Special to JTNews Much has been written in recent weeks about the announcement of new construction permits in Jerusalem. The timing of the announcement was unfortunate and embarrassing, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized for it. But lost in the noise were some basicContinue Reading

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By Professor Gad Barzilai, Pruzan Chair of Jewish Studies; Chair of Samuel and Althea Stroum Jewish Studies Program, University of Washington Morris Malakoff’s article on the event organized by Kadima, whether Israel should be boycotted, has competently described some of the controversy between Prof. Neve Gordon and me. Unfortunately, oneContinue Reading