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By Carlyn J. Steiner, Special to the Jewish Sound Last July, close to 800 Seattle Jews convened for a “community conversation” on what was called “The Jewish Peoplehood Crisis.” The organizers defined the crisis as a loss of “identification with Jews throughout the world,” the loss of “commitment to JewsContinue Reading

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Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, Special to the Jewish Sound For better or for worse President Obama has not acted decisively with Western allies in an effort to end the horrific civil war in Syria. The tragic loss of nearly 150,000 Syrians, nine million internally displaced persons and refugees, and the massiveContinue Reading

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Rabbi Rick Harkavy, Bet Chaverim Congregation of South King County Before I was ordained, my entire rabbinical class met and discussed the Jewish influences within our lives that encouraged us to become rabbis. My colleagues spoke about the positive difference Jewish camps and Jewish youth groups and trips to IsraelContinue Reading

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Your recent article (“The Jewish Zen master to make Seattle appearance,” March 5) detailed an appearance by Bernie Glassman in Seattle. Aside from the question of why a Jewish organization would host a Jew who has chosen to be a Buddhist, there is another troublesome issue. His organization, called ZenContinue Reading

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Foreign Minister of Israel Avigdor Liberman has proposed that the State of Israel budget $365 million annually for Diaspora education, the objective of which is “to serve as an antidote to rising assimilation, intermarriage, and disengagement from the Jewish community.” A threshold question is how many additional students can beContinue Reading

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Rabbi Berry Farkash, Chabad of the Central Cascades It was a spring evening in the mid-’60s; a group of young students from NYU came for a private audience with the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. The group was mostly young boys and girls from secular homes who wantedContinue Reading

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In response to “Ariel Sharon: A depreciation,” Jan. 24. According to Alden Oreck on Jewish Virtual Library: The Israeli attack on Qibya, Jordan, came against the backdrop of repeated cross-border attacks by Jordanians on Israeli civilians in the years after Israel’s War of Independence. After the June 1949 cease-fire betweenContinue Reading

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Joel Magalnick’s interview with Andy Stern, former president of Service Employees International Union (“Where the next jobs won’t come from,” Jan. 24), was illuminating. Mr. Stern is accurate, I think, about the challenges he sees for American workers, but admits to being clueless about where we are headed. Mr. SternContinue Reading

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The opinions expressed by Rabbi Anson Laytner in JTNews (“Ariel Sharon: A depreciation,” Jan. 24) are very wrong. The actions of Ariel Sharon on behalf of the state of Israel should be applauded, not criticized. As a 14-year-old, he joined the Haganah to protect his country. As head of UnitContinue Reading

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I read that the Jews were pushing gun control (“Injured Congresswoman, Jewish leaders speak on behalf of gun control initiative”). Please remind them what Hitler and Stalin did to their population. They first restricted gun ownership, then confiscated the guns. We all know what happened afterward and if you believeContinue Reading

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By Mark Bloome , Special to JTNews Jews who love language, read this! Jews who love their families, read this! It is simple: Throughout the world Jew-hatred is spreading and those who hate us are winning the war of words, and in such a war, words count. We are saddledContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Anson Laytner , Special to JTNews It has been said in many recent articles that the late Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, who died Jan. 11 after being in a coma for many years, was either loved or loathed. I, however, am clear in my feelings: I comeContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Shmuel Brody , Ashreichem Yisrael Every once in a while, Seattle gets a visit from Old Jerusalem. An elderly fellow with a white beard, a full smile, and a strained walk, “Uncle Chaim from Yerushalayim” is how he is known. His sweetness and simplicity endears him to usContinue Reading

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By Rabbi Will Berkovitz, CEO, Jewish Family Service The tradition tells of a blind man, holding a blazing torch, walking a dark road late one night. A rabbi coming from the other direction recognizes the man as he approaches and asks, “Why do you need a torch? It isn’t goingContinue Reading

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Ed Harris (“The Parallel America,” Dec. 20) believes that the mere existence of “dozens of religious institutions within a 10-minute drive of his home” is proof that religious liberty is alive and well in America. He writes that the idea that “Christians get pushed around” is not just wrong, butContinue Reading

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In response to Keith Dvorchik and Rabbi Aaron Meyer‘s discussion on “For the Sake of Birthright” (Dec. 13 and 20), I think both are right. As a young Jewish adult, I know friends that have gone. Some have had amazing experiences that made them more committed to their Hebrew heritage,Continue Reading