The Reading List: ADL double whammy

By Ben Sales October 15, 2010

Our fear-mongering friends at the Anti-Defamation League gave us two unfortunate treats yesterday. First, they gave an award and a platform to Rupert Murdoch, the man who is trying to transform the world of honest journalism into a world of demagoguery, pandering, sensationalism, fluff and–sometimes–lies. [ADL] Then they came out with a list of the…

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A bad comparison

By Ben Sales October 14, 2010

As I said in the post I wrote about a half-hour ago, I support the right of American Jews to critique and comment on events in Israel. I do not, however, support exaggerated, disrespectful and trivializing statements like this one, which appeared in a recent column by Julie Weiner in the Jewish Week: With the…

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When the Middle Line Falls

By Ben Sales October 14, 2010

I plan to move to Israel sometime during the next two years because I’m tired of doing what I’m about to do: criticize Israeli policy while sitting in America. I support the right of every Jew to critique and analyze the actions of the Jewish state–regardless of where they live, but I feel the need…

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The Limits of Acceptable Democratic Legislation

By bbarer October 14, 2010

Browsing New Voices today, I see that I am not the only one that is seriously concerned by the legislation that passed the Knesset on Sunday. Since BrandonSpringer delved into the issue already (and it’s worth a read), I will skirt the politics as much as I can, and will instead focus on a more…

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The Reading List: That hard, hard kosher salami

By Ben Sales October 14, 2010

This has been all over the internet during the past twelve or so hours, but here’s the priceless quote from Haredi Rabbi Yehuda Levin, who ended his support of New York Republican nut case/candidate for governor Carl Paladino after Paladino apologized for his homophobic remarks: “I was in the middle of eating a kosher pastrami…

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Loyal to the Game: Israel and the Oath

By bspringer October 14, 2010

“I swear to respect the laws of the United States as a white and democratic state.” Or, how about: “I swear to respect the laws of the United States as a Christian and democratic state.” Maybe this one? “I swear to respect the laws of the United States as a male and democratic state.” Or…

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The Reading List: Wise words on the Jewish Standard controversy

By Ben Sales October 13, 2010

It seems the debate over same-sex wedding announcements in the Jewish press will go on, but Gary Rosenblatt offers some wise final words on the Jewish Standard issue in his weekly column. [JW] Some cool Jewish philanthropy: a wealthy Jeiwsh Chilean is donating money to help the rescued miners. [JTA] Thought the “rabba” controversy was…

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Shalom: Welcome to the Gator Nation!

By akinman October 13, 2010

Let the gator growl. These are the words students at my university, the University of Florida, will be screaming Friday night. This weekend, most of Gainesville will shut down and celebrate Gator football homecoming with a lineup of events like Gator Growl, a.k.a UF’s pep rally, the homecoming parade and the homecoming game. But what…

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Gay Rights: An Unorthodox View

By jcohen October 12, 2010

Last night, I was looking for inspiration for my next New Voices post, and it took all of 10 seconds to find it. Upon opening Internet Explorer, I was confronted with an article about the Republican candidate for Governor of New York, Carl Paladino.  Smack dab in the middle of the New York Times (online…

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Because college students LOVE to read The Jewish Week…

By David A.M. Wilensky October 12, 2010

Why do I read The New York Jewish Week? Is it their exciting coverage of relevant issues? Is it their scintillating design sensibility? Actually, it’s because I work for New Voices and it’s good to read the rest of the Jewish press so that I know what’s going on. Given that most Jewish college students don’t have…

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The Reading List: Jewish political fun!

By Ben Sales October 12, 2010

As Republicans prepare to paint the town red on Election Day in a few weeks, Jewblogs gear up to cover the Hebrew side of the races. JTA’s political blog, Capital J, introduces a feature called “Political Points,” with relevant Jewish tidbits about the elections. [JTA Capital J] While Tablet has an amusing rundown of the…

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We did not pressure Jewish Standard, NJ rabbis say

By Ben Sales October 12, 2010

Following the controversy over the Jewish Standard’s same-sex wedding announcement last week, Jewish publications (irresponsibly, in my view) published unproven allegations that the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County, one of northern New Jersey’s largest Orthodox rabbinical authorities, pressured the New Jersey Jewish standard in a variety of inappropriate ways. In particular, Tablet Magazine reported that:…

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A Walk to Remember…

By bzalcman October 12, 2010

While Bibi and Lieberman were busy battling it out in the Knesset last week, I took refuge up north. I guess “taking refuge” isn’t the correct term to use in this instance; I went up north because I wanted to and because my job required me too, regardless of what was going on in the…

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The perils of sarcasm

By mmoncaster October 11, 2010

Sarcasm comes naturally to me. In fact, as a Jew, I feel that sarcasm is ingrained in every single fiber of my body. For years, the Jewish people have used their wit to break the ice, diffuse tension, and in Elena Kagan’s case, get confirmed by the Senate. However, when I first arrived in Canada…

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What does your DNA look like?

By ckessler October 11, 2010

Now, normally this would not be my ideal dinner-table conversation, as my DNA knowledge is limited to 9th grade biology (and that is light years in the past). But, with the Victor Center’s testing for Jewish Genetic Diseases coming up this Wednesday, this topic is certainly on my mind. I hate to plagiarize, and since…

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