Here’s how to fix the Jewish community
Today, the collective strength of the Jewish people may be greater than at any other time in our history. We have an independent Jewish state with a booming economy and one of the world’s most powerful...
View ArticleGeorg Citrom: A Life Transcending Generations
Every generation has its own unique experiences; each new generation receives memory’s inheritance in its own way. We live in an increasingly mobile and global world, where just two generations can...
View ArticleShabbat morning sermon, post-Hurricane Harvey
This sermon was delivered by Congregation Brith Shalom Rabbi Ranon Teller on Shabbat morning, Sept. 2, after Hurricane Harvey. Congregation Brith Shalom hosted members of Congregation Beth Yeshurun...
View ArticleThe lie at the heart of the DACA repeal
President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind DACA only makes sense if you remember Charlottesville. You have to recall what the white supremacists who marched in that Virginia town chanted: “You will...
View ArticleThe David Myers debacle
With disturbing regularity, Jews hate on Jews. The most recent example is the jaw-dropping case of professor David Myers. Last June, the UCLA professor of history — and Jewish Journal columnist — was...
View ArticleThe Akedah Dilemma
The binding of Isaac passage has posed a perennial problem for those affirming universal moral norms. Struggling with the dilemma of a God who commands Abraham to sacrifice his ‘chosen’ son has yielded...
View ArticleThe mensch test
Last Friday, I was rushing through a to-do list from hell. It’s High Holy Days season, which means my rabbi wife disappears into her study, and if she emerges before five sermons are finished, it’s a...
View ArticleMan, G-d and the Great Conundrum
On Wednesday evening, Sept 20th, Jews ushered in the Jewish New Year. The first day of the Semi-lunar Calendar month of Tishrei commemorates 5,778 years since the Biblical story of the creation of...
View ArticleThe last column
So this is goodbye. I walked into the offices of the Jewish Journal 23 years ago, and it’s time for me to walk out. As I announced a month ago, I’ll be stepping down as editor-in-chief and publisher as...
View ArticleHot Dogs, Knishes and Death
In my final column for the Jewish Journal today, I got the chance to thank publicly many of the people who helped, inspired and supported me over the years. Marlene Adler Marks was one of them. She was...
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