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Why We Start With ‘Bereishit’
On a recent morning, we arrived a few minutes early to my 2-year-old daughter’s pre-school, and I explained to her that she couldn’t go into the classroom just yet. “Why, Mommy?” she asked. “Your teachers are cleaning up and getting the class ready for you,” I replied. “Why?” “Because they want the class to be…
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Serious Yiddishisms
THERE’S SERIOUS YIDDISH IN THE COEN BROTHERS’ “A SERIOUS MAN” In retrospect, had I known in November 2002 of Joel and Ethan Coen’s Minnesota Jewish roots, oy! The questions I would have asked! Back then, we were at the French Embassy in New York, and France’s outgoing ambassador to the United States, François Bujon de…
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Faith-Based Reform Veers Into Israeli Policy
A task force charged with improving the White House’s faith-based initiative program has waded into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, raising eyebrows and concern among Jewish leaders. Most of the attention around the controversial Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, begun by President George W. Bush and continued by President Obama, has centered on church-state separation issues….
The Latest
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Jewish Leaders, Israel at Odds Over Ties With Muslim Group
The Muslim World League, an organization emerging as a ubiquitous presence on the interfaith conference circuit, boasts close ties to the Saudi monarchy and produces a magazine that has published antisemitic screeds. That dual identity has put Jewish groups in a bind in deciding how to relate to the group and the widely attended, high-profile…
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With Prayers and Support, Rubashkin Goes on Trial After Plea Bargain Fails
The trial of former kosher slaughterhouse executive Sholom Rubashkin began in South Dakota on October 12, though only after a failed effort to reach a plea bargain, according to a close confidant of the defendant. Rubashkin, the former CEO of the Agriprocessors slaughterhouse, was arrested last year, five months after his company was the subject…
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Rabbis Still Want Role in Abuse Cases
Despite a New York judge’s recent condemnation of the practice, several national rabbinic leaders said they thought Orthodox rabbinic courts should continue to screen allegations of sexual abuse and decide whether they should be forwarded to law enforcement for prosecution. “Sometimes, unfortunately, people make allegations which have no substance because they have an agenda,” said…
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Running Rabbis Go the Distance — 26 Miles — To Raise Money for Charities
Those watching the ING New York City Marathon on November 1 should keep their eyes peeled for the Running Rabbis. A minyan’s worth — 10 rabbis, cantors and rabbinical and cantorial students — will be running through the streets as part of a social action endeavor started by two Reform rabbis who want to change…
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Wexler Leaving Congress For Middle East Job
A prominent Jewish lawmaker representing one of the nation’s most highly populated Jewish districts surprised his constituents and his colleagues by announcing that he is leaving Congress to head a think tank that focuses on promoting Middle East peace. Florida Democrat Robert Wexler, 48, announced on October 14 that he would be leaving office in…
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Grassroots Campaign: Shalit’s Freedom Should Not Be Bought With Prisoners
People campaigning for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit are facing, for the first time, grass-roots efforts against a prisoner exchange to bring him home. Until now, there has been a split between the broader Israeli public, which has generally been united behind the idea of a prisoner exchange with Hamas for Shalit, and…
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Controversial California University Refers Complaints About Muslim Campus Group to FBI
In a move seen as a landmark by Jewish activists on the right, a leading public university has referred a complaint about one of its student organizations to federal authorities, seeking an investigation of allegations of support for a terrorist group. The University of California, Irvine, asked the FBI to investigate claims that funds raised…
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Illuminated Manuscripts for the 21st Century
Although cartoonist R. Crumb generated plaudits and attention with his new book, “The Book of Genesis Illustrated” (Norton, 2009) is not the only illustrated bible being released this season. Pittsburgh illustrator Ilene Winn-Lederer’s“Between Heaven and Earth; An Illuminated Torah Commentary” (Pomegranate Communications, 2009) though given limited attention has also been received with acclaim. Although as…
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