By Akiva Kenny Segan , , Seattle While it is excellent that Pastor John Hagee is seeking “redemption” from Jews in return for his Christian communities support of Israel (and many Jewish supporters of Israel hope Hagee and his Christian followers are supportive of Palestine as well, for there canContinue Reading
By Randy Kessler, , Mercer Island Thanks to Janis Siegel and the JTNews for the excellent coverage of the recent Night to Honor Israel event put on by Christians United for Israel. I found out about the event in the spring, and like many Jews, initially had doubts about theContinue Reading
By Rabbi Bernie Fox, Northwest Yeshiva High School Every year I have the honor and pleasure to deliver a charge to the Northwest Yeshiva High School graduating class. I appreciate the opportunity to share this year’s message with the JTNews readership. The message deals with both the challenges our youngContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Lysa Adams is determined to raise money to fight the auto-immune disease lupus and set a record at the same time. On August 17, 18 and 19, Lysa and more than 70 other skydivers will jump out of four planes over the skies of WesternContinue Reading
By Gidi Grinstein , JTA News & Features TEL AVIV (JTA) — The Hamas coup in Gaza may seem like a victory for Iran and its followers, who now have a foothold on Israel’s doorstep. But if Israel plays its cards wisely, it may turn things around. Since the 1979Continue Reading
By Daniel Pipes , Special to JTNews The Hamas victory over Fatah in Gaza on June 14 has great importance for Palestinians, for the Islamist movement, and for the United States. It has rather less significance for Israel. Tensions between Fatah and Hamas are likely to endure and with them,Continue Reading
By Josh Basson, , Seattle Daniel Levisohn’s insightful column was quite informative (“Forty years later,” June 8). Levisohn points out that revisionist accounts of the war have come under heavy criticism from scholars. Not surprising, with the 40th anniversary of Israel’s astonishing victory in the Six Day War has comeContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Jewish Day School faculty member Nance Adler has been awarded a Legacy Heritage Jewish Communal Scholarship for summer study at the Conservative Yeshiva of United Synagogue in Israel. The Conservative yeshiva summer program in Jerusalem provides an opportunity to study the classic texts of Judaism,Continue Reading
By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, I am pretty new to Judaism, taking a few classes here and there, and often find that it’s all about thinking and intellectual arguing. I’m not such a left-brain person and I struggle with the Torah’s emphasis on intellectual pursuits. My trulyContinue Reading
By Murray Meld, , Seattle Thank you for the June 8th issue’s balanced account of the planned “Occupation Game” weekend sponsored, among others, by the Palestinian Solidarity Committee and the Jewish Voice for Peace. I assume the scheduled events took place but must have missed any media coverage. Be thatContinue Reading
By Elad Moisseiev, M.D., Captain, “Egoz” unit, Israel My tour with the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces and the ensemble is over, and I am back home, in Israel and to my unit. It has been a long tour, filled with many experiences, seeing new places and meeting veryContinue Reading
By Dave Kaplan, , Seattle This new group that bring together people who were expelled from Middle Eastern countries (“Seeking redress,” May 25) is interesting, but for one thing. I like that people who lived in countries from across Africa and the Middle East can get together and swap storiesContinue Reading
By Rabbi Cindy Enger, Congregation Beth Israel, Bellingham Regarding Torah, the Mishna reminds us, “Turn it and turn it again; everything is in it.” As Jews, we are invited into relationship with Torah — to receive it, engage with it, be impacted and opened by its richness and complexity. WeContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist I interviewed Rachel Berry by e-mail while she was en route to China to begin a round-the-world trip. “This is a dream trip that my best friend from college and I have been planning for a number of years. We started off visiting my familyContinue Reading
By Rivy Poupko Kletenik, JTNews Columnist Dear Rivy, After seeing the movie The Secret I purchased the book and have become very drawn to this approach to life. Friends have suggested that the whole Secret phenomenon is not only ridiculous, but a not very Jewish attitude to life. What doContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist Miriam Bensky and I have something unusual in common. When I asked her recently where she grew up, she answered “Asia.” Much to her surprise, I answered, “Me, too!” It turns out Bensky and I are both Foreign Service “brats.” Her dad is still workingContinue Reading
By Wendy Graff, Director, Kadima Women’s Torah Project, Seattle We would like to thank you for the extensive article about the Women’s Torah Project in your current issue. We are thrilled with the project’s recent expansion and momentum. I would like to correct some critical misstatements, however, which are notContinue Reading
By Rabbi Sholom Ber Levitin, Congregation Shaarei Tefilah-Lubavitch Recently in a class discussing the concept of “Mishloach manot ish l’rayayhu,” the exchanging of food gifts, part of the tradition of Purim, the topic of what exactly is “l’rayayhu,” loosely translated as “friend,” was discussed. What is friendship? Jewish tradition andContinue Reading
By Josh Basson, , Seattle I commend Daniel Levisohn’s insightful front page article (“Council votes against Olympia-Rafah sister city partnership,” April 27). Glad to hear the motion was defeated by a vote of 4-2. Mayor Mark Foutch had it right when he stated Olympia would be viewed as taking sidesContinue Reading
By Diana Brement, JTNews Columnist If you watch the National Geographic channel’s “Is It Real?” series, you may have seen Steven Blum in the segment on feral children. You probably wouldn’t have recognized him, however. He was wearing a long black wig, a loincloth over shorts and was covered withContinue Reading
