The Kiddush Club, a euphemism for a group of (traditionally) elderly men who sneak out of Orthodox Shabbos services during the haftorah to eat herring and drink schnapps, has been a tradition of American observant communities for decades. But even in Orthodoxy, writes Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, some traditions need to end. [The Jewish Week]
In a final note on the ADL, former New Voices editor and current Jewish Funds for Social Justice Chief Strategy Officer Mik Moore writes that Abe Foxman’s unwise condemnation of the Islamic Center near Ground Zero has led other Jewish groups to rise to the center’s defense, meaning some good came out of the ADL’s big mistake. [JSpot]
Prospects for peace may be dim on the political front in the Middle East, but that doesn’t mean ordinary Jews and Arabs can’t get along on the ground, as some unlikely friendships at the Givat Haviva Institute show. [The Jewish Week]
As Jeff Goldberg’s take on the probability of Israel’s bombing Iran hits the newsstands, the New Yorker’s John Lee Anderson takes a different look at the Islamic Republic–through a direct, one-on-one interview with its infamous president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. [The New Yorker]
And to sum up, you may not be proud of your Jewish nose, but this “Glee” star of Italian descent loves hers–and she gets to work with Britney Spears! [JTA]
Shabbat shalom!
