Opinion

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  News Quiz: Wonder Woman, Cannabis and a Brand New Pill

  Wonder Woman, weed and a strange new pill. It sounds like a bad trip, or even worse comic book. But actually it’s just last week’s Jewish news, all rolled into one big, fat quiz.

  By Lenore Skenazy

  < 1 min read
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  Opinion

  Another Way To Join the Jewish People?

  Almost two weeks ago, the two of us proposed that Jewish communities consider instituting an alternative pathway to joining the Jewish People. As the Jewish Community Study of New York: 2011 demonstrated, thousands of Americans – many married to Jews, many with Jewish children and grandchildren, and many with Jewish friends – have already chosen…

  By Steven M. Cohen and Kerry Olitzky Dec 9, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  How Much Is Mandela Worth To Israel? Less Than Thatcher

  The Knesset’s speaker has just confirmed that he will lead a delegation of Israeli lawmakers to Nelson Mandela’s funeral, following announcements that the Prime Minister and President will skip it. Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is saying that he has Israeli taxpayers’ interests at heart in his decision to skip the burial — it would simply be…

  By Nathan Jeffay Dec 9, 2013 | 2 min read

Columnists View All

• Alyssa Katz What I learned at a Holocaust survivors’ Purim party

  

• Rob Eshman Gavin Newsom isn’t waffling on Israel — he’s voicing sensible ideas in an era of outrage

  

• Dan Perry An abominable new Israeli law is a death warrant for democracy

  

• Emily Tamkin We must rewrite the rulebook for fighting antisemitism — or conspiracists like Joe Kent will win the narrative wars

  

• Jay Michaelson Passover’s 4 cups of meaning

  

The Latest

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  Opinion

  Don’t Believe in God? Come Aboard!

  In the latest iteration of communal thinkers puzzling over the state of American Jewry and how to counter the dwindling number of non-Orthodox Jews, the sociologist Steven M. Cohen and Rabbi Kerry Olitzky have proposed a new path to affiliation with the Jewish people. Specifically, they want to try and capture the ever elusive demographic…

  By Andy Bachman Dec 9, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  Searching for Religious Ritual in a $10 Bottle of Juice

  The East Village of New York City has long been a site of cultural defiance. It was home to massive communist rallies in the late 19th century, Boris Thomashefsky’s Yiddishe “Hamlet” in the early 20th century and then, eventually, the Beats and the punks. Walk around the neighborhood today and you will encounter, more than…

  By Elissa Strauss Dec 8, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  On Iran, Israeli Intel and Politicos Part Ways

  Tensions between Israel’s political leadership and intelligence professionals appear to have returned to the state of open warfare that prevailed before 2011, judging by the noises coming out of the two camps. The issue, once again, is Iran. Tensions have been simmering under the surface since shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in…

  By J.J. Goldberg Dec 8, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  The Fracturing of American Jewry

  The interim deal recently signed with Iran that would freeze its nuclear program in exchange for limited sanctions relief is not only a blow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It also exposes the weakness of prominent American Jewish leaders and their organizations, which lobbied the U.S. Senate to act on new sanctions against Iran…

  By Theodore Sasson Dec 7, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  ‘Bethlehem’ a Film About Israeli Agents and Their Assets

  “Bethlehem” is this year’s Israeli entry in the foreign film Oscars. Having won the Ophir award for best Israeli feature film at the Haifa International Film Festival, it went on to win the best director, best actor, best supporting actor, best editing and best casting awards as well. “Bethlehem” will not be generally available for…

  By Leonard Fein Dec 7, 2013 | 3 min read
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  Opinion

  Memories of Nelson Mandela from Zionist Childhood

  Nelson Mandela with wife Winnie Mandela and Jewish comrade-in-arms Joe Slovo, May 1990 / Getty Images When I heard on Thursday afternoon about the death of Nelson Mandela at age 95, my mind was a jumble of complicated thoughts. I thought about the day I first learned about the South African freedom struggle, in the…

  By J.J. Goldberg Dec 6, 2013 | 6 min read
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  Opinion

  What Nelson Mandela Taught the Jewish World

  Few people have had the impact on their community that Nelson Mandela had on the history of a continent. Often compared to Mohandas Gandhi or to Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., the South African leader demonstrated throughout his lifetime how compassion and forgiveness could go a long way in divided societies. Mandela’s legacy of peace…

  By Yermi Brenner Dec 6, 2013 | 4 min read
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  Opinion

  A Newtown Clarification

  Last week, the Connecticut State Attorney issued a long-awaited report on the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. The report painted a clearer picture of the events of last December 14, and also provided details of shooter Adam Lanza’s life — his untreated “Asperger’s characteristics,” his love of Dance Dance Revolution and his…

  By Naomi Zeveloff Dec 5, 2013 | 3 min read