Three-quarters of the rabbis who responded to an unprecedented new survey on diversity said they thought their congregations already do a “good to excellent” job of welcoming gay Jews. But for the gay Jewish advocacy group that undertook the survey, that’s precisely the problem. “Synagogues are resting on the assumption that ‘tolerance’ equals ‘welcoming,’ but…
When it comes to assembling a governing coalition, the last thing Israel Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu wants to see is history repeating itself. During his previous stint as prime minister, from 1996 to 1999, the Likud party leader relied on a narrow hard-line coalition. That coalition pulled him in one direction, while America’s Democratic president…
Over more than three decades, the Simon Wiesenthal Center has cultivated a reputation for tracking down Nazi war criminals, speaking out against antisemitism and teaching tolerance. Now, its plans to move forward with two massive building projects, in Los Angeles and Jerusalem, are sparking a barrage of criticism that the center is acting insensitively —…
Responding to mounting signs of a resurgence of aggressive antisemitism in Europe and elsewhere, the British government recently hosted an unusual gathering to discuss ways of fighting the threat. Known as the London Conference on Combating Antisemitism, the mid-February gathering brought together 125 members of parliaments from 40 nations for two days of emotional calls…
A t last, tomatoes! Forward reader Herbert Hoffman’s request to know why they are called *pomedorn *in Yiddish finally gets its answer. There are actually two answers, a short and a long one. The short one is that Yiddish *pomedor *(the singular form) comes from the same word in Polish. The long one is that…
The first time I came face to face — or rather, spoon to mouth — with a bowl of cholent, at the age of 24, I had no idea what it was. While I was growing up in a nonobservant home, my family had no need for such a meal, a hearty stew that simmers…
When a 10-foot-tall woman made out of cardboard boxes continually knocks a man off the park bench the two are sitting on, causing his bowler to spin to the corner of the stage but his smile barely to waver, you know that you are either at avant-garde or children’s theater. If the props are made…
Women of countless faiths and cultures cover their hair for religious reasons. While contemporary society has often tried to assign specific meaning or intention to this act of devotion, these women are rarely asked what significance their head coverings hold for them and why they choose to observe religious laws of modesty. Graduate student and…
One month into the Obama presidency, Jewish communal leaders seeking high-level access appear to have come crashing through an open door. Within four days in mid-February, community leaders were invited to two high-level conference calls — one with senior foreign policy officials to discuss the upcoming United Nations-sponsored Durban II conference on racism, and the…
Federal prosecutors in the national security case against two former pro-Israel lobbyists suffered legal blows this week that could affect their chances of winning or even lead the government to reconsider going forward with the case. A February 24 ruling by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. turned down a government appeal…
“Local? No, no. None of this here is local,” said the sour-faced woman wrapped in blankets next to her table of produce. “But at least I’m honest. You see that guy over there? He’s selling strawberries as ‘home grown.’” The woman scoffed and shook her head. “Home grown! In February!” I knew better than to…
