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By Ilyse Wagner, , Bellevue Growing up Jewish on Mercer Island, I often heard from others that it was a center of Jewish life in the Puget Sound area (“How I-90 tolls would affect the entire Jewish community,” March 8). I didn’t necessarily believe them, but when I moved backContinue Reading

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By Simcha Shtull, , Seattle This week President Obama will take the first overseas trip of his second term; it will be the first time since taking office he has visited Israel. Many of us maintain that only the United States has the power to break the Israeli-Palestinian stalemate. WeContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Simon Benzaquen, Rabbi Emeritus, Sephardic Bikur Holim To my delight, I have noticed an encouraging trend of people who might not be religiously observant nevertheless observing the commandment of wearing tefillin. Why is it important for every male Jew, no matter what level of observance, to consider donningContinue Reading

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By Wendy Rosen , Special to JTNews This past July, a bomb went off in Burgas, Bulgaria, murdering five Israeli tourists and their Bulgarian bus driver, and wounding dozens more. After a six-month investigation, the Bulgarian minister of the interior recently announced the findings: The atrocity was carried out andContinue Reading

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By Ben Cohen , JNS.org WASHINGTON, DC—The razzmatazz at this year’s AIPAC policy conference couldn’t quite mute the background murmurs about the organization’s declining influence. There was Chuck Hagel’s confirmation as defense secretary, and there is the ongoing debate about the impact of sequestration on Israel’s defensive capabilities. When Sen.Continue Reading

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By Belinda Timpke”¨, , Tacoma Eitan Isaacson and Wendy Elisheva Somerson’s op-ed (“Solidarity with Palestinian non-violent resistance,” Feb. 8) is interesting in its focus on Palestinian non-violent resistance. Unfortunately, Palestinians are using it against the wrong side. Instead of blaming Israel for all their misery, Palestinians would benefit by weeklyContinue Reading

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By Iris Langman, , Mercer Island Hen Mazzig’s account (“A sixth broken camera,” Feb. 6) of the fracas at the talk by Iyad Burnat on the documentary “5 Broken Cameras” provoked a defensive response by Eitan Isaacson and Wendy Elisheva Somerson of Jewish Voice for Peace. In his riveting report,Continue Reading

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By David Shayne, , Seattle The tile of the Jewish Voice for Peace article “Palestinian non-violent resistance” is an oxymoron. The authors want the readers to think there is a Palestinian non-violent “resistance” movement (exactly what is being “resisted” is never explained). But, in fact, there is no such thingContinue Reading

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By Philip R. Scheier, , Shoreline Re: your half-page, mind-numbing rationale by Eitan Isaacson and Wendy Elisheva Somerson of the Seattle chapter of so-called Jewish Voice for Peace (“Solidarity with Palestinian non-violent resistance,” Feb. 8) defending never-ending Palestinian rocket, bomb, and mortar attacks against Israel: It’s all Israel’s fault forContinue Reading

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By Hen Mazzig , Special to JTNews I had been in Seattle and the U.S. only a few days when I heard that Palestinian Iyad Burnat, brother of the filmmaker of the Oscar-nominated feature documentary, “5 Broken Cameras,” would be speaking about the “non-violent” nature of Palestinian demonstrations. I knewContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Harry Zeitlin , Congregation Beth Ha’Ari Judaism has contributed a great deal to world civilization. We introduced the concept of ethical monotheism and were among the first peoples to encourage universal literacy. Our tradition speaks of freedom and liberty for all — not just for an elite —Continue Reading

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By Rabbi Beth Singer, Temple Beth Am The Pacific Northwest was greatly honored this past month by a visit from the new president of the Union for Reform Judaism, Rabbi Richard Jacobs. Rabbi Jacobs has quickly distinguished himself as a powerful visionary in an evolving contemporary Judaism, a leader whoContinue Reading

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By Jorge Velez, , Seattle I pick up JTNews at Einstein’s Bagel shop on Queen Anne Blvd. and enjoy the editorials. Regarding Rabbi Jaron Matlow’s editorial (Rabbi’s Turn, “Gun violence in our country,” January 11, 2013). I certainly agree with the rabbi’s thesis that “guns are the tool but notContinue Reading

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By Kenneth Jacobson , JTA World News Service NEW YORK (JTA) — For those of us who closely follow the progress in America in the battles against racism and anti-Semitism, the observance of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this year has particular relevance. First, the King holiday, whichContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Jaron Matlow , Special to JTNews Many cultures observe a festival of lights in the darkest days of winter. For us it is Hanukkah, for others Christmas; as well there are Pagan festivals of light in the winter. For Jews and Christians, the winter festival also represents salvation.Continue Reading

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By David Plotnik, , Shoreline Seventeen years after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, we find ourselves debating the settlement of “E1.” Rabin, of course, was the man who ushered in the Oslo era and the two-state solution as we know it. Settling E1 has been characterized by many on theContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, The Friendship Circle, Bronnie Ware, a registered nurse in Australia, did a fascinating study a couple of years ago. She spent several years working in palliative care, caring for patients in the last few months of their lives. She recorded their dying epiphanies and put herContinue Reading