Shmuley Boteach wants to be the first rabbi elected to the U.S. Congress. The onetime Chabad emissary is perhaps best known for his books about sex and for his celebrity ties. But now he is taking his message about Jewish values to New Jersey’s electorate, in the process raising questions about how the outspoken public…
Kosher Jesus By Rabbi Shmuley Boteach Gefen Publishing House, 263 pages, $26 Despite Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s best efforts in “Kosher Jesus,” some Jewish teachers and their messages are not worth reclaiming. Whether because of their fanciful interpretations of the Bible or their odd religious agendas, they are best ignored. I have in mind not Jesus…
In this week’s podcast, host Josh Nathan-Kazis is joined by Forward fellows Ezra Glinter and Naomi Zeveloff to discuss our list of the best in Jewish arts and culture in 2011. Then Naomi explains a bizarre discussion between the celebrity-minded orthodox lawyer Shmuley Boteach and shamed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who is trying to rehabilitate his…
When lobbyist Jack Abramoff appeared in federal court, where he was eventually convicted of mail fraud and conspiracy, he faced a sartorial dilemma. Abramoff, an Orthodox Jew, wondered whether he wear his kippah and risk smearing the Jewish people with his transgressions? Or should he cover his silver mop with a fedora, which would diminish…
A journalist friend of mine emailed me at 1 am Friday morning to tell me that Christopher Hitchens had died. The news brought with it a deep sadness and I instantly recited the Jewish prayer upon hearing of the passing of a friend, “Blessed is the true Judge.” That instinctive religious action captured the paradox…
After Nancy Pelosi asked the House Ethics Committee to look into the Anthony Weiner sex scandal, The Washington Post talked to the former staff director of both the House and Senate ethics committees, Robert Walker. He made the sensible point that there’s nothing to investigate unless somebody shows some evidence that a law or congressional…
Always hyperactive, the Twitterverse went into overdrive with the news of Osama bin Laden’s death — and Jewish celebs and notables were among the most active broadcasters. Not surprisingly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, via the Israeli Consulate’s feed, called it “a victory for justice, freedom and common values of all democracies.” Director Albert Brooks,…
Christians have many. We Jews have a few. Muslims and Buddhists do, too, and the Hindus and Wiccans may soon get theirs. But despite the fact that 3,000 chaplains minister to the needs of active-duty service people in the military, none serve atheists. That may soon change. “Groups representing atheists and secular humanists are pushing…
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