By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler According to data based on precincts "with High-Concentration Of Orthodox Jewish Voters," Orthodox Jews were not only unafraid of Barack Obama, some communities voted for him in larger numbers than they did for John Kerry in 2004. Shmuel Rosner blogs (and has a nice...
By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1wse5_MeT8] In the aftermath of the election and an entirely new incoming administration, the Republican and Democratic parties have shuffled their rosters to prepare for the next Congress. As a result, some Jewish members have been promoted and now hold top positions. This week, representatives...
By Jeremy Gillick There is an interesting drama developing around one of the West Bank’s most radical and controversial Jewish settlements. Home to the Ma’arat HaMachpelah—the Tomb of the Patriarchs—Hebron is a sacred cow for Israel’s religious right (read Glenn Frankel's January story about Hebron in...
[caption id="attachment_1542" align="alignright" width="252" caption="Mayoral also-ran Gaydamak"][/caption] By Mandy Katz Jerusalem voters may have told Arcadi Gaydamak, "You're fired" last week, as Nir Barkat edged him for the Jerusalem mayoralty. But don't imagine the oligarch just sitting at home counting his shekels, or making prank phone calls to...
By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler Nir Barkat, the newly elected mayor of Jerusalem, gave the UJC a tender statement on what could be seen as the very essence of Zionism: "Every Jew in the world is a 'shareholder' of Jerusalem," he said. Besides the serious concept of "global Jewish...
By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler Well, it's been a few weeks now since Barack Obama was elected, and preliminary indications do not point to a massive restructuring of the fundamental American traditions (besides the ones that said only white people should be president). No, Obama has not nominated...
By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler Over at the Islam's Advance blog, writer Wajahat Ali has a post about how Barack Obama and the various foreign policy decisions he will inherit from the current administration are viewed across the Muslim world. Although the post goes into the Wars in...
By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler The New York Times runs a piece today on settlers who don't believe in the settlements. Yes, that's right: While the vast majority of settlers vow never to abandon the heart of the historic Jewish homeland — these ancient and starkly beautiful hills whose...
By Jeremy Gillick The Forward has published its annual list of America’s 50 most important Jews: the Forward 50. Winners include Rahm Emanuel, Obama's newly appointed Chief of Staff, about whom you can read here. There's also Morris Allen, a Conservative Rabbi from Minnesota who helped re-invent kashrut...
By Benjamin Schuman-Stoler The jokes are good, but let's hope Obama's plan for solving the fiscal crisis is better than his comic timing. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMTm_hYOS3Y&feature=related] ...
