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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

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By Barbara Geiger, , Seattle Those of us who truly care about Israel know President Barack Obama is right to confront Israel over its approval of a new settlement construction plan in East Jerusalem. Settlement expansion undermines the prospects of peace. And Israel’s future is dependent on reaching a two-stateContinue Reading

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By David May, , Dearest Rabbi Bernie Fox: Somehow I have faith this note will find you, though I am sending it to the wrong address. I read with pride the news about the game that did not get played (“Ya gotta love ’em!” March 12).  So rarely does theContinue Reading

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By Ronda Stark, , Seattle Morris Malakoff’s article (“On boycotts, divestiture and sanctions,” Feb. 26) certainly gives a free pass to Gad Barzilai — would that his comments have been half as innocuous as the article suggests. While Gordon castigated Israel as an apartheid regime, Barzilai refused to counter suchContinue Reading

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By Randy Kessler , , Mercer Island I’m grateful to the JTNews for highlighting the wonderful work that StandWithUs is doing, training our college students to effectively counter the rhetoric of anti-Israel voices on our college campuses (“Fighting back,” Feb. 26). While vigorous political debate has always been expected onContinue Reading

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By Josh Basson, , Seattle Re: Jack Greenberg’s letter about Israel and a two-state solution (“Not for Steal,” Feb. 26). Greenberg makes some valid points on this issue. Unfortunately, “the peace process” has not led to peace, but to more violence and killing of innocents. The problem is that ArabContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Harry Zeitlin, Congregation Beth Ha’Ari We exist to be loved because the dominant “flavor” of God is love — it must be dynamic and flow in order to flower. And while there is almost nothing our finite minds can truly grasp of His infinite nature, we do knowContinue Reading

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By R. David Frum, , Seattle I was very disappointed to open my JTNews last week and see no mention of the J Street kickoff event that took place on February 4. The event had about 100 supporters, who came together (via video) with others from around the country, toContinue Reading

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By Jack Greenberg, , Seattle Re: Josh Basson’s recent letter about Israel and a two-state solution (“No conditions, no compromise,” Jan. 29). His basic premise is that if only Moslems would make nice, we would give them our land. We must stop such foolishness, for the “peace process” is aContinue Reading

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By David Rosenblum, , Seattle February is the anniversary of my partner’s passing. For the last six years I asked the rabbi of a large temple to say kaddish for her, and he did. This year, however, I called and again spoke to the rabbi’s secretary. She told me asContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Beth J. Singer, Temple Beth Am Some days while driving to a downtown meeting or hospital, I listen to KTTH-AM 770, “The Truth” “˜— Seattle radio’s offering of conservative talk show hosts such as Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura Schlesinger, and Michael Medved. Other days I tune into Seattle’sContinue Reading

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By Shmuel Hain , JTA World News Service NEW YORK (JTA) — Another month, another round of recriminations in the Modern Orthodox community. Two months ago it was a breakaway rabbinic organization established, in part, to promote decentralized conversion standards. Last month it was a public forum on homosexuality inContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Jaron B. Matlow, Shalom Aleichem. I am the “New guy in town,” so I want to introduce myself. I am a retired Navy officer and disabled veteran. After I retired from the Navy in January 2001, I attended Gratz College near Philadelphia to study Jewish Studies and JewishContinue Reading

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By Mordecai Goldstein, , Everett I read what Rivy Poupko Kletenik wrote about how “our tradition urges us to innovate in prayer and create a blessing unique to our own experiences” (What’s Your JQ?, Jan. 29). I suppose doing so is a good way to “sing unto the Lord aContinue Reading