Good piece by Jonathan S. Tobin: what are Obama’s Jewish supporters to do? In other articles on the Iran deal and its effects (particularly on Israel), see this by William Jacobson. In contrast to many previous foreign policy initiatives (or … Continue reading →
It occurs to me from a recent exchange in the comments section that it might be a good idea to visit the topic of the reaction of the Jews of Germany to Hitler. First I’d like to clear up one … Continue reading →
…but sometimes we forget how nit-picky crazy they were [the following excerpt is from The House of Wittgenstein: A Family at War]: To enjoy full civil rights under the new regime [in Austria after Germany’s takeover] each person required a … Continue reading →
“Teaching critical thinking” can sometimes be a cover for “teaching kids to question traditional values, and to accept our point of view instead” (i.e. leftism). But there’s no question that if it is used to refer to helping students get … Continue reading →
[NOTE: The following article actually appeared in the NY Times. But since the Times is behind a firewall, I’m linking instead to this copy of the piece. Note also that it is about Rabbi Herschel Schacter, whose last name has … Continue reading →
In the Heidi Klum thread, commenter “JuliB” asks: Any comment on the uproar over Joan Rivers saying that the last time a German looked so hot, they were pushing Jews into the oven? Well, yes. When I read the Joan … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a repeat of a previous post.] I’m currently reading Francine Prose’s Anne Frank: the book, the life, the afterlife. It’s about the process by which Anne Frank wrote and then rewrote her diary, with an eye to … Continue reading →
…is going the way of the dodo: Increasing apathy, particularly from younger patrons, has driven traditional Jewish delicatessens from their mid-century pinnacle. The decline seems to be accelerating partly because of health concerns over the schmaltz-spread fare and partly because … Continue reading →
…and former NY Mayor Ed Koch is dead of heart failure at 88. He was mayor from ’78 to ’89. The adjectives that quickly come to my mind—and probably to everybody’s mind—when thinking of him are colorful, flamboyant, outspoken. He … Continue reading →
Scene at the Western Wall in Jerusalem: But don’t despair–maybe the snow’s a good sign: YNetNews spoke to “prominent kabbalist” Rabbi David Batzri who said the snow was an indicator of forgiveness from God. “The kabbalists torment themselves and pray … Continue reading →
…Hagel’s best friends are Jews. The Sun doesn’t care. Neither do I. The Sun’s editorial staff writes: His private views are not what we care about. What we care about is the policy line to which Mr. Hagel would hew … Continue reading →
…of Seraphic Secret tells the tale of how he become a gun owner. [Hat tip: commenter “IGotBupkis.” And by the way, as a public service to those of you who don’t know the meaning of the word bupkis, it means—well, … Continue reading →