In examining history, one of the great challenges is compartmentalizing the ideas and actions of the inspiring, yet decidedly imperfect. We just marked the 244th anniversary of America’s founding, and remembered the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights. There is no questioning these founding documents as seminal writings on the virtues of equality….
This weekend, we celebrate July 4, on which the founders signed The Declaration of Independence and proclaimed as self-evident “that all men are created equal,” despite the fact that they themselves were slaveholders. As protests underscore the cognitive dissonance between this country’s enlightened founding principles and the fact that “Black Lives Matter” is still a…
The Shabbat before the Fourth of July. Any other year, I would be sitting on my parent’s back porch. I’d be drinking a gin and tonic and watching the kids play while the smell of grilled corn and steak filled the crisp New England air. My family has always loved the Fourth of July, which…
What you need to know about Independence Day's Jewish connotations.
On this auspicious fourth of July, Americans will eat about 150 million hotdogs. Baked into the heart of Americana, along with baseball games, a love for country music, fast food and Budweiser, is a love for hotdogs. And according to the Guardian’s definitive study, Hebrew National hotdogs were ranked a solid 7.1 out of 10…
As American foodies, we love our independence and all, but for us, the best part of the July 4 holiday weekend is the barbecue. Perfectly grilled meat (or veggies), tasty fresh sides and stone fruits roasting in our backyards are what makes our weekend. These days, July 4 barbecuing means backyard grilling, but it wasn’t…
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The president of Honduras canceled a trip to Israel and his participation in the torchlighting ceremony at the annual Independence Day ceremony amid calls for the invitation to be rescinded. Juan Orlando Hernandez withdrew on Monday following the rescission calls over accusations of gross violations of human rights in his Central American…
One day 241 years ago, John Hancock led a group of patriots in signing a document that quickly became the banner of democracy across the world. As with most holidays, the significance of this anniversary has evolved over time, and today the principles to which those 56 men ascribed their names is often lost amid…
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