Making Daniel Pearl’s Legacy Universal and Jewish
When Pakistani terrorists kidnapped and murdered Daniel Pearl two years ago, the Wall Street Journal reporter became one of the most famous victims of antisemitism since Anne Frank.“Among other things, he came to symbolize the post-9/11 species of antisemitism,” his father, Dr. Judea Pearl, said during a recent interview. “It’s a strange
Astir With Gracious Words: The Psalms’ Resurgence
Rabbi Paul Plotkin’s faith in God was confirmed by a single line from the Psalms, but for years nobody seemed to want to hear his story.Devastated by a painful divorce in 1994, the Conservative rabbi turned to his morning prayers for consolation; he found it in a verse from Psalm 30, “At night one goes to sleep crying; in the morning there
Taking Generosity to a Higher Level
On September 11, 2001, Julie Salamon threw her sense of altruism aside, gathered up her children and sought out a safe place to hide in her East Side apartment.For Salamon, a lifelong do-gooder, her human instinct came as a complete surprise. Her sense of shame grew even stronger as she watched her husband’s earnest, but futile, attempts to give
What They’re Hoping To Hear
Tony Davis knows exactly what he want to hear from his rabbis when he sits down in his pew this High Holy Day season, although he admits to having been disappointed in the past.“I would like them to speak specifically about how American Jews can effectively support Israel at this time,” said Davis, 33, a private-equity investor who attends
Previews From the Pulpits of America
When Rabbi Laura Geller sat down this month to write her High Holy Day sermons, she found a lot to feel gloomy about: a sour economy, a controversial war in Iraq, an enduring battle against terrorism and an increasingly hopeless situation in Israel.“It’s such a hard year because there is so much darkness in the world,” said Geller,
More Than Lip Service
For decades, most of the praying associated with Hadassah took place among patients and their families in hospital rooms in Jerusalem. The organization, America’s largest Jewish women’s organization, was better known for its Israeli medical center, women’s activism and Zionist advocacy than for spiritual growth.But that could all change with