I commend Rabbi Oren for his article in this week’s JTNews (“How much have we lost?” May 30). His argument that winning the battle against the divestment vote at UW came at a high cost of alienating many of Hillel’s students. Those who specifically were in favor of the divestmentContinue Reading
I was shocked and deeply disappointed to read Janis Siegel’s article (“Arrest made on inappropriate behavior charges,” May 30). There is no greater sin than the public humiliation of a fellow Jew. What possible purpose does this article have other than destroying this young man’s reputation and well being, beforeContinue Reading
By Margaret Hinson, Special to the Jewish Sound June 20 is World Refugee Day and a fitting time to consider our community’s ongoing commitment to refugee resettlement. Jewish Family Service was originally founded to help Jews resettling in Seattle, and more specifically to help Eastern European Jews fleeing pogroms —Continue Reading
By Paula Libes Chester, Special to The Jewish Sound The Seattle Jewish community came together Wednesday night, May 28, at a packed Temple De Hirsch Sinai to hear Ari Shavit, author of “My Promised Land,” and the Reverend Kenneth Flowers, of Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit,Continue Reading
Dear Ari Shavit: I was one of the under-30 audience members in your audience at Temple De Hirsch Sinai on May 28 — one of the “lost” youth who avoided the issue of Israel when I was in college because it was, as you said, “radioactive.” I am going toContinue Reading
I was astonished by Rivy Poupko Kletenik’s misreading of Paul Greenberg’s intent in his article, “Holocaust Day Again” (“Be quiet? Not a chance!” May 9). To my mind, what he expressed is the very opposite of Kletenik’s claim of his disrespect for remembering the Holocaust. He is telling us thatContinue Reading
Two recent articles in The Jewish Sound caught my eye regarding language and words. In “A story of Polish-Jewish reconciliation, propelled by history’s personal gaps” (Dec. 20, 2013), the wordage — however unintentionally — defeats the purpose and intent of the story re: the goals of the person the articleContinue Reading
I just spent a couple of fun-filled hours perusing the archives in the Jewish Transcript (since renamed JTNews). It was a walk down memory lane — checking in on many of my relatives who I knew as a child but who have since passed away. I also learned about relativesContinue Reading
By Rabbi Oren Hayon, Special to The Jewish Sound In his biography of Pyrrhus of Epirus, Plutarch recounts the details of the ancient Greek general’s costly victory against Rome at Asculum in 279 BCE. According to Plutarch’s account, shortly after the battle, Pyrrhus considered the devastating losses to his MacedonianContinue Reading
By Rabbi Jessica Kessler Marshall, Temple Beth Or I sat listening as a group of friends shared about their lives: One had an 85-year-old father who had just been diagnosed with cancer. My friend faced the uncertainty of his dad’s surgery and personal guilt that he lived far away, thusContinue Reading
By Rafael Medoff, JNS.org U.S. officials say it would be “too risky” to send commandos to rescue the 300 schoolgirls being held hostage by Islamist terrorists in Nigeria. If that’s the problem, they should look to the late George McGovern for the solution. Back in 1944, theContinue Reading
By Rachel Lerner, JTA World News ServiceNEW YORK (JTA) — The recent vote by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations rejecting J Street’s membership bid was not entirely surprising. J Street had been reaching out to conference members and community contacts for weeks. We knew that gainingContinue Reading
The rejection of J Street’s application for membership in the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is curious (Presidents Conference rejects J Street’s membership bid). Never mind what some may consider J Street’s controversial Mideast positions or its separately incorporated political action committee, the rejection speaks worlds aboutContinue Reading
Emily Alhadeff’s reflections (“Court’s decision highlights a bigger problem,” April 25) on the Olympia Food Co-op’s decision to cleanse its shelves of Israeli products are very acute in suggesting that nearly all BDS agitprop against Israel can fairly be labeled “Jews Against Themselves.” But she overlooks one paradox: The symbioticContinue Reading
By Richard A. Block, JTA World News Service NEW YORK (JTA) — Freedom of the pulpit is a cherished Jewish value, yet some rabbis hesitate to share their “true views” about Israeli policy from the pulpit, as a study last year from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs found. ThereContinue Reading
By Emily K. Alhadeff, Associate Editor, The Jewish Sound On April 7, the Washington State Court of Appeals struck down the 2011 lawsuit brought against the Olympia Food Co-op for its boycott of Israeli products. This is a shame, and a shame that taps into a much larger picture ofContinue Reading
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Much ink has been spilled since the release of the Pew Research Center survey on Jewish identity in the United States. Many have addressed a number of the findings of the survey, with varying degrees of concern. But as we approach Yom Hashoah, I would like toContinue Reading
By Ben Cohen, JNS.org When you look at the image of Frazier Glenn Cross, AKA Frazier Glenn Miller, the shooter who cold-bloodedly murdered three Christians in a bloody eve-of-Passover spree at two Jewish community buildings in Overland Park, Kan., what do you see? I’ll tell you what I see. TheContinue Reading
By Joel Magalnick, Editor, The Jewish Sound When we’ve written about Metro buses in recent years, it has been about the controversial ads that appear on them. This time, I’m asking you to save the vehicles that carry those ads, and a plea to vote yes on the proposition KingContinue Reading
By Rabbi Elie Estrin, Chabad at the University of Washington A schoolchild approaches his father, who is deeply engrossed in his newspaper. The kid asks, “Dad, what’s the difference between ‘ignorance’ and ‘apathy?’” Responds the visibly annoyed father: “I don’t know and I don’t care!” That joke might be oldContinue Reading
