I am ambivalent about giving any additional attention to a hate-filled, fear-driven, religious leader like Pastor Terry Jones. Once the Gainesville, Florida minister is being covered by the New York Times however, it seems that coverage is assured. The only question which remains is what shall be the response? (more…)
Eat, Pray, Love is all the rage, again. After its run on bestseller lists a few years back, it is set to be a major movie success, starring Julia Roberts. It makes one wonder why, and whether or not it tells a story which makes us feel that we need exotic travel to stimulate our spiritual journeys. But do we? (more…)
Actor Jon Voight attacked President Obama in an open letter published in the Washington Times. Telling the President that he “will be the first American president that lied to the Jewish people, and the American people as well, when (he) said that (he) would defend Israel.” The letter continues by asserting that Mr. Obama is “play(ing) a very dangerous game so (he) can look like a true martyr.” (more…)
A group called the Muslim American Society wants to build a mosque on the grounds of an old convent in Staten Island, New York. Having purchased the building from the church, they went before a packed community meeting last night to discuss their plans. It wasn’t pretty. (more…)
As usual with New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, when it comes to Israel, today’s offering, entitled “Saving Israel From Itself”,” presents a disturbing mix of reasonable conclusions (blockade is generally destructive to all, including Israel), ugly and erroneous equivalences (PLO terror of the past and the ship boarding are the same kinds of actions), and the refusal to admit that the solutions he proposes (and with which I largely agree!) forget that Hamas is committed, not to a two-state solution, but to the destruction of Israel.
Hard to know if the nuggets of truth and wisdom are worth the chunks of falseness and willful ignorance. What do you think?
Reprinted from Rabbi Brad Hirschfield’s blog Windows and Doors: Where politics and pop culture meet 3000 years of Jewish Wisdom on Beliefnet
The response to the raid on a flotilla of ships seeking to break the naval blockade around Gaza turns out to be a fascinating, if troubling Rorshach test on the entire Middle East conflict. You know Rorshcach tests – those ink blots to which viewers can attach the meaning of their choice. Well that’s what we have here. (more…)
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