Doing carpool today, taking my kids home from school, we passed by the local public high school. Kids were streaming out of the public school, many of them carrying big heart-shaped helium baloons for...

In ruling last week that MK Azmi Bishara’s parliamentary immunity is broad enough to shield him from prosecution for speeches effusively praising Hizbullah (one of them delivered in Damascus), the Israeli Supreme Court reaffirmed...

This post follows up on my last one re Ortho-bashing. A recent JTA report, discussed below, illustrates why, in part, this sort of negative reportage is a chronic problem: because the bias is oftentimes...

In a recent post of mine, titled “Disclaimer” I wrote about the violence of Jewish police against peaceful Jewish protesters in Amona. The gravamen of my post was that Israeli police should not treat...

Rabbi Avi Shafran Am Echad Resources Nearly as enlightening as watching people protest their portrayal as mindless, violent fanatics by engaging in mindless, violent fanaticism is watching them respond to tasteless insults with even...

After more than a week in Los Angeles, the Skvere Rebbe’s entourage left town today, having bested Hollywood on its home turf. A well-made movie can make imagination come alive. The Rebbe, on his...

Thanks to everyone who voted in the Jewish & Israeli Blog Awards. With your help, we won Best Group Blog and Best Designed blog, and placed second to Gil in the Best Jewish Religion....

First, the OU has issued an open letter to PM Ehud Olmert concerning the police brutality at Amona (Hat Tip: Hayom). It’s a worthwhile letter, but it merely makes what seems to me a...

Not long ago, a well-respected yeshiva launched a “Chinese auction” to raise money. In order to innovate beyond the typical Trip-to-Israel prize, the auction featured home furnishings instead. But the auction came under criticism,...

Had to put that disclaimer up there to forestall what will otherwise be the inevitable wrong-headed deduction some people will make after they read this post. OK, now that I got that out of...