Archive
Soul Khan, an up-and-coming secular Jewish hip-hop artist, infuses his rhymes with Jewish values and–when necessary–becomes a defender of the faith. Here, Max Elstein Keisler talks with him about Jewish music, the rap scene and the difference between slavery and the Holocaust.
Representative Howard Berman of California called his bipartisan, multi-ethnic-supported bill “very unusual” considering the alliance sponsoring, but it really is not. His allies are of Lebanese descent, and include Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Nick Rahall (D-W. Va.). The four congressman, two Democrats and two Republicans, who are also one Jew and […]
I saw the following status in my Facebook news feed today, regarding the resignation of Anthony Weiner: “I hate this country. I. HATE. This. Country. Take your moralism and shove it up your ass.” I too have been vexed over the past couple of days by Weiner’s resignation, and in general by the media circus […]
Since you are reading this it means that you probably fall into one of two categories: -people that like to read -or people that write, as writers often tend to be a case of overall word addiction But as you probably know, the job prospects for aspiring writers is in some nasty shape. Journalism is […]
I could write a whole article just listing Deborah Kaufman and Alan Snitow’s achievements. Kaufman is the founder and former director of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, the first, largest, and possibly the most prestigious Jewish film festival in the world. She has been on the boards of the California Council for the Humanities, […]
Turkey’s foreign policy has been a priority for its government the last several years, leading to internationally popular positions in the countries it aims to gain influence, plus the expansion of Turkish export and international business opportunities. But that policy is based on political stunts that were based more on public relations rather than real […]
It was almost two years ago now that I first saw Dida Pelled strumming her guitar as part of a jazz trio in a Jerusalem café. Her eyes squeezed shut as her fingers danced across the instrument. Her sound was understated but unapologetically passionate. Pelled has been playing guitar since she was 11 years old […]
Israelis and Israel’s supporters often think of the region as collectively against the Jewish State. Absolute reviling by the region’s Arabs constitutes the general Israeli mentality. Lebanon once had Christian allies – a fantasy of the past. Iraq once had the forsaken Kurds – too busy with their own affairs. But that way of looking […]
Analysis from the relatively objective Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star estimates Lebanon’s new cabinet is entirely made up of pro-Syrian politicians. Hizbullah has control over the coalition that leads the cabinet, and thus sway over the cabinet’s orientation. The new Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, is one of the richest men in Lebanon. But whether or […]
Lebanon finally has a government, though the months of sectarian politics that preceded it have not gone away. This government is going to have a very difficult time unifying Lebanon, and it will likely fail. There is an awkward balance. While Hizbullah (and its Shiite ally Amal) are the dominant played in the political coalition […]