American Jews

Peter Beinart Is Wrong About American Jews

Aitan Goelman | Posted 05.18.2012

Read More: Support for Israel, Crisis of Zionism, Israel America, Israel, American Jews, Peter Beinart, America Israel, The Crisis of Zionism, World News

Contrary to Peter Beinart's thesis in The Crisis of Zionism, American Jews need not -- and most have not -- checked their liberalism at the door in order to maintain unwavering support for the Jewish State.

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Semana Latina: How Far Have Judeo-Latino Relations Progressed?

Gabriel Lerner | Posted 04.21.2012

Read More: Latinos, Jewish Identity, Jews, Survey, Latino Culture, American Jews, Latino Identity, Latino Voices News

For us Latinos, the organized Jewish community has been an important ally in the quest for an immigration reform. And for us Jews, the alliance with the Latino community and support of its advancement keeps us in the right side of history.

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Enough of the Jewish Stereotypes

Howard Meyer | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Anti-Semitism, Stereotypes, Jewish Humor, Jewish Comedy, American Jews, Seinfeld, Judaism, Religion News

Nasally voices, anxiety and austerity are not representative of the Jewish community at large. It's not so much that these stereotypes make Jews look meek and cheap; nobody I know even sounds like that.

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What Was So Wrong With What Ozzie Guillen Said?

Ethan Casey | Posted 04.16.2012

Read More: Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Palestine, Jews, Baseball, Cuban-Americans, Major League Baseball, Cuban Americans, Florida Marlins, Miami Marlins, Israel, Florida, Cubans in Florida, Miami, American Jews, Cuba, Ozzie Guillen, Miami News

In the United States of America, do we enjoy the right to free speech? Notwithstanding whether Ozzie Guillen was unwise or tactless to open his trap in the first place, this has gone well beyond both the state line and the foul lines.

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Celebrating Diversity In Public Schools

Sayu Bhojwani | Posted 04.13.2012

Read More: Immigrants, American Jews, New York City, Diversity, American Muslims, Public Schools, Hinduism, Interfaith, Religious Diversity, Religion News

Our students definitely need more, rather than fewer, days in school, so more holidays may not be the answer. But, different holidays could be.

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My Jewish Grandfather

Rev. Malcolm Boyd | Posted 04.28.2012

Read More: Anti-Semitism, Nonviolence, Christianity, American Jews, Civil Rights, Interfaith, Judaism, Religion News

I grew up in the America of the '30s and '40s that often was as anti-Semitic as it was racist. The cultural and political climate of my youth was a shadowy and often sinister terrain.

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American Jews Need to See Israel's Footnote -- Oscar or No

Bradley Burston | Posted 04.24.2012

Read More: Jews, Footnote, Israel, The Oscars, Hollywood, Idf, Zohan, Footnote Oscars, Footnote Academy Awards, American Jews, Joseph Cedar, Culture News

In a stark variation on the concept of two countries divided by a common language, American Jews and Israelis are two peoples unified by their lack of that shared tongue.

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Jews Should Stand With Catholics In Contraception Battle

Dovid Efune | Posted 04.22.2012

Read More: Catholics Contraception, Catholics Abortion, Catholic Bishops, Obama Catholics, American Jews, Catholic Church, Contraception, Judaism, Religion News

As "strangers in the land of Egypt" Jews know well the pitfalls posed in opening the door of this legislation. It is thus our duty to fight for the preservation of its purist principles as we have done for so many of history's most just causes.

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Why Jews Should Not Vote on Israel

Brent E. Sasley | Posted 04.02.2012

Read More: Zionism, Israel, American Jews, US Elections, Syria, Politics News

Let's remember our history, and avoid the trap of over-heated rhetoric. American Jews should not expect any of the Republican nominees to be any more pro-Israel than conditions allow.

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Keeping Score On Jewish Assimilation

Kevin Bermeister | Posted 02.27.2012

Read More: Jerusalem, Judaism, Jewish, Jews in America, American Judaism, Jewish Assimilation, Jewish Christmas, Assimilation, American Jews, Religion News

I overheard a florist comment that he'd sold more Christmas trees this year to Jewish families than non-Jewish families, and it got me thinking that the state of play for Team-Jewish is at a critical point of the game.

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I'm a Jew Who Celebrates Christmas. So What?

Meredith Fineman | Posted 02.21.2012

Read More: Jewish Holidays, Jews, Religion, Hanukkah, Theffjd, Judaism, Jewish, Meredith-Fineman, Christmas, Religious Freedom, American Jews, Religion News

I received what can only be described as a disturbing message today -- an acquaintance of mine sent me two articles on why Jews shouldn't celebrate Christmas.

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How I Learned To Love The Latke

Dan Zevin | Posted 02.20.2012

Read More: Hanukkah 2011, Potato Latkes, Hanukkah, Hanukkah Reflection, Latkes, Hanukkah Recipes, Latke Recipes, American Jews, Judaism, Religion News

It became very clear, very early on, that my friends had a way better gig going, holiday-wise, than the Zevin boys did. But now that I've evolved into a mature adult, I am pleased to report that December is no longer the cruelest month.

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Are Christian Zionists Replacing Mainstream US Jews?

Brent E. Sasley | Posted 02.18.2012

Read More: Christian Zionism, Zionism, Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, US Politics, American Jews, Christianity, Religion News

However, as a political force Christian Zionism's power is facilitated by Israel and by American Jewry itself; on its own, it cannot survive. It needs Jewish Zionism, because without it, Christian Zionism can't make a sufficiently strong political case.

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The Jewish American Gut-Check

Rabbi Adam Jacobs | Posted 02.14.2012

Read More: Israel, Reform Judaism, American Jews, Diaspora, Judaism, Jews in America, Jewish Assimilation, Judaism in America, George Washington and the Jews, Israel Ad Campaign, Jewish Diaspora, Jewish Americans, Religion News

A fascinating thing has transpired in the 63-year-old relationship between the Israeli Jewish population and their brethren in America. The latter have just realized their days are numbered.

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When Jews in Berkeley Vote to Cut Support for Israel

Bradley Burston | Posted 02.08.2012

Read More: Jews, Boycott, Haaretz, Israel-Palestinian Conflict, Palestine. Palestinians, UC Berkeley, Hillel, Israel, United States, Bradley Burston, San Francisco, American Jews, Judaism, World News

Last week, when the Berkeley Jewish Student Union voted to bar J Street's student organization from membership, the message it sent was regrettably clear: The choice is up to you -- you can be welcomed as a Jew, or you can speak your mind on Israel.

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Bridging the Gap: What the Israeli Ad Campaign Really Tells Us About Israelis and American Jews

Rachel Olstein Kaplan | Posted 02.05.2012

Read More: The Atlantic, Israel, Jewish Culture, The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg, Ad Campaign, American Jews, Jewish Diaspora, Video, Culture News

I think a very basic truth has been lost amidst the frenzy of responses and reactions to the recent ad campaign by Israel's Ministry of Immigrant Absorption.

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Israel's Ex-Pat Ad Campaign: A Canadian Jew Reacts

Brent E. Sasley | Posted 02.05.2012

Read More: Zionism, Israel, Canadian Jews, American Jews, Diaspora, Jewish Identity, Israeli and American Jews, Israeli Identity, Jewish American Identity, Zionism and Judaism, Judaism, Religion News

Perhaps Canadian Jews accept the importance of Israel to their identity more readily than American Jews. Still, Americans should not be surprised by the campaign. It reflects a decades-old tension within Zionism.

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Some Jews Don't Eat Turkey!

S.R. Hewitt | Posted 01.23.2012

Read More: Thanksgiving, Turkey, American Jews, Patriotic, Gratitude, Jews Turkey, Jewish-Thanksgiving, Turkey Kosher, Is Turkey Kosher, Religion News

Did you know that the Hebrew word for turkey is "tar'negol hodu," literally, an "Indian Rooster." ... Using the other meaning of the word hodu--thanks, a turkey in Hebrew actually means a "rooster of thanks."

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Romancing American Jews for 2012

Michelle Kraus | Posted 01.02.2012

Read More: Anthony Weiner, Herman Cain 2012, Michele Bachmann 2012, 2012 Election, Brooklyn, John Kerry, Herman Cain, Sarah Palin 2012, Israel, Frank Luntz, American Jews, Obama Israel, Obama Jews, 2012, Politics News

The GOP is yet again manipulating the American Jewish vote for the upcoming election.

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Jews for Guns

Arthur Goldwag | Posted 12.16.2011

Read More: Anti-Semitism, Gun Rights, Flash Mobs, American Jews, Politics News

I've been to Israel: I'm well aware that there are Jews who both pack and use heat. I used to live down the street from the 76th Precinct in Brooklyn,...

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Don't Play Ball: Why Sandy Koufax Sat Out The World Series On Yom Kippur

Rabbi Shais Taub | Posted 12.06.2011

Read More: Yom Kippur, Chabad, Baseball, Minnesota Twins, Sandy Koufax, Yom Kippur Atonement, Los Angeles Dodgers, American Jews, Jewish High Holidays, Judaism, Yom Kippur Reflection, Sandy Koufax Yom Kippur, Religion and Sports, Yom Kippur and Sports, Obama Sandy Koufax, Religion News

As counterintuitive as it may seem, the power of not-doing possesses a purity and a truth that doing cannot rival. Giving is easy. Doing is easy. Movement is easy. What's difficult is stopping.

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Pakistan, Palestine, and the USA

Ethan Casey | Posted 11.23.2011

Read More: Palestine, Jews, Islam, Pakistani Intelligence, USA, Terrorism, Pakistan, United Nations, Muslim World, American Muslims, American Society, American Politics, Muslims, Israel, Muslim, American Jews, Politics News

I woke up this morning to the news that Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, had directly accused Pakistan's Inter-Se...

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Finding The Joys Of Jewish Community At Camp Ramah

Arnold M. Eisen | Posted 10.26.2011

Read More: Judaism, Jewish Summer Camp, Judaism in America, Summer Camp, Conservative Jewish Summer Camp, Post-Millennial Jews, Camp Ramah, American Jews, Religion News

Something is happening at Camp Ramah and similar camps, I can report, that bears watching by our society as a whole. It can be summed up in three words: community still matters.

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American Muslims Most Tolerant in United States

Muqtedar Khan | Posted 10.24.2011

Read More: Islam, Survey, American Jews, Religious Tolerance, Muslim Americans, Decade After 9/11 - Religion, Politics News

A large survey reveals that American Muslims -- more than members of any other community -- claim they are "thriving in America." This is remarkable for a community under so much scrutiny from the media, law enforcement and US Congress.

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The Story We Need to Tell Ourselves: Bending the Arc of History Is the Work of Ordinary People (And We Are Those People)

David Levitus | Posted 10.17.2011

Read More: Social Justice, American Jews, Jewish Voters, Rebuild the Dream, Los Angeles, California, Community Organizing, Grassroots Progressive Movements, Progressive Movements, Grassroots Organizing, Political Activism, Grassroots Campaign, Grassroots Movements, Social Activism, Impact News

Across the board, we are beginning to see progressive organizations working to scale up the size and sophistication of their efforts. Groups that have previously focused on their own particular issues and communities are banding together.

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