The Riverdale Bombers: Should we worry?

By joshnathankazis May 27, 2009

The arrest last Wednesday of four would-be terrorists at the scene of an attempted synagogue bombing in Riverdale shook some communal nerves. Briefly, the as-yet unrealized nightmare of a full-fledged American synagogue bombing seemed real, and the countermeasures employed by major New York synagogues seemed insubstantial. The story changed quickly, however. The bombs that the…

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Meet Rebecca.

By elizabethalpern May 22, 2009

In the Fall 2007 Issue of New Voices, Chloe Safier asked a question that raised debate among readers and attracted tons of traffic to our website.  The question? “Why Is There No Jewish American Girl Doll?” Today our question is finally answered, and not just by a clueless Mattel PR rep.  It appears that after…

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Chabad rabbi to Moment: “Destroy [Muslim] holy sites”

By joshnathankazis May 21, 2009

In the latest issue of Moment magazine (which features a cover story by New Voices contributor Jeremy Gillick), a group of American rabbis respond to the question, “How Should Jews Treat Their Arab Neighbors?” Most of the responses emphasize equality, morality, and restraint. Then a Chabad rabbi wheels out the crazy: I don’t believe in…

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Photo Essay: Anarchy in the NJ

By Josh Spiro May 19, 2009

What do you do when your drama teacher makes you wear a tree costume that is really uncomfortable? If you’re an elementary school student at the anarchist Stelton Colony in New Jersey, you go on strike.

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The Most Extravagant Bar Mitzvah You Ever Saw

By admin May 19, 2009

You always remember your first. Mine was on a boat in the Hudson River. It was dark, and the wind across the top deck was cold. Some of the savvier kids were drinking a bottle of something expensive that they had grabbed from the bar while the bartender was looking the other way. Downstairs, everyone danced to “I’m a Barbie Girl.” I took a deep breath. Yes, it was my first absurdly extravagant Bar Mitzvah.

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The Money Issue

By Josh Nathan-Kazis May 19, 2009

“The two leading lusts of the Jew’s life are lechery and money.” So wrote the improbably named Telemachus Thomas Timayenis in his 1883 anti-Semitic opus The American Jew: An Expos\xc3\xa9 of His Career. As Forward editorial director J.J. Goldberg says in his interview in this issue, stereotypes are frequently unfair, but very rarely unfounded. It seems improper, then, that seventeen years on this magazine has dedicated at least two of its covers to sex and none to money.

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Schumer to appear at one-state rally

By joshnathankazis May 18, 2009

Jewschool has the story: According to a full-page advertisement in The Forward, available as a pdf here, New York Senator Charles Schumer will be making a “Special Appearance” at an event in Central Park that apparently opposes a two-state solution, is opposed to negotiations over Jerusalem, refers to settlers as “heroic pioneer families,” insists “No!…

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The Financial Advice Column of Venice

By David Litt May 18, 2009

Sage Advice for Troubled Times

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The (Self-Proclaimed) J.A.P.

By Danny Nathan May 18, 2009

You know the type. They drank Mocha Lattes at the Starbucks after high school, wore shoes at 16 that would have looked extravagant on a 30-year-old, and drank martinis when you were still working on your rum and Coke. Now, with a Blackberry in one hand and Pinkberry in the other, they rule the Quad, the sorority, and the local dive. We got a real live Jewish American Princess to answer some questions about the culture. Her name is withheld, but she’s for real.

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Why It Matters That Madoff Is Jewish

By Josh Nathan-Kazis May 18, 2009

In the aftermath of the revelation that Bernard Madoff’s investment fund was a tremendous Ponzi scheme, the Jewish community adopted a customarily defensive pose. Afraid that Madoff’s religious affiliation would encourage anti-Semites, community spokesmen worked to disassociate him from the Tribe. David Harris, the executive director of the American Jewish Committee, complained to the New York Times in a December 13th letter that their coverage of Madoff had placed “a striking emphasis on his being Jewish,” and pointed out that no one was talking about the religion of Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, who had been accused of corruption the same week.

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Jews Without Money

By Josh Nathan-Kazis May 18, 2009

A thought experiment. Imagine that it turns out that Glenn Beck is right, and that President Obama is a closet socialist. Further, imagine that upon reelection in 2012, Obama announces a series of reforms – call it a Four Year Plan – to narrow the gap between rich and poor, and that the keystone of the plan is a marginal tax rate of 99% on income over $100,000. A few machers and their lawyers would figure out how to game the system, but the broader communal affluence that sets us apart from nearly every other American ethnic group would disappear. Given such a scenario, what would it mean to be an American Jew in 2030?

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Why Mine That Bird should lose the Preakness

By joshnathankazis May 15, 2009

Horseracing is a disorienting sport for the unschooled spectator. We’re used to experiencing sporting events within one of a few of dramatic frameworks: the underdog perseveres, an indomitable spirit spurs forgotten athlete to greatness, teamwork lifts mediocre players to victory, etc. Each May, NBC tries to convince us that these sorts of narratives apply to…

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A Jewish Student Magazine Summit

By joshnathankazis May 15, 2009

The third and final audio recording from the 38th Annual National Jewish Student Journalism Conference is posted below. In this segment, editors of five Jewish campus publications talk about their trade. Speakers included representatives from The Shpiel, Schmooze Magazine, the Commentator, Avanim, and Hakesher. Download their conversation by clicking on the following link: Jewish Student…

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Nation Magazine Student Writing Contest

By joshnathankazis May 15, 2009

This just in from the good folks at the Nation. Not a particularly imaginative question, but definitely a great opportunity. I wish we had $5000 to give away in a contest. 2009 Nation Student Writing Contest How has the recession affected you, your family or someone you know? Essays should not exceed 800 words and…

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Covering Israel in the Jewish Community

By joshnathankazis May 14, 2009

Live from the 38th Annual National Jewish Student Journalism Conference, a conversation between J.J. Goldberg of the Forward, Eyal Press of the Nation, and Michael Weiss of Nextbook about covering Israel as Jewish journalists. Download their conversation by clicking on the following link: Covering Israel in the Jewish Community While you listen, gaze at this…

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