In its recent ruling in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that “religious hostility on the part of the State” is impermissible. Some have commented that this decision does not resolve the tension between First Amendment rights and anti-discrimination laws; yet its impact may be far-reaching if it deters courts from second-guessing religious practitioners’ understanding of their own faith.
Peace is not the mere cessation of hostilities. America does not have peace with New Zealand, for instance — it just doesn’t know where it is. Lack of fighting does not mean peace, either: The fact that you don’t argue with your cleaning lady does not mean you have more peace with her than your spouse.
Our instructions were to arrive at Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem. From the moment we boarded buses to the new U.S. Embassy, the collective excitement and anticipation was clear. Just being on a bus with Natan Sharansky sitting a few seats away was exhilarating. We could have stayed on the bus for hours and it would have been enough for us (dayenu!).
George Washington would be ashamed of the students at his namesake university who called Monday evening for the university’s administration to divest from Israel, the Jewish State and only true democracy in the Middle East.
A prominent Greek statesman named Pericles once said, “Just because you don’t take an interest in politics, doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.”
Being a teacher means much more than educating students. In addition to creating and implementing lessons and providing feedback on students’ work, we are responsible for maintaining detailed records, managing behavior, seeking out resources when students’ basic needs go unmet, attending data meetings, and completing ongoing professional development. The list of our official and unofficial duties is seemingly unending.
The relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14 marked the fulfillment of decades of promises by U.S. presidents and others to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. For those of us at the Orthodox Union (OU), May 14 marked a triumphant conclusion to a hard-fought quest that spanned 46 years.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s press conference, in which he revealed that Israel had snatched from under the noses of the Iranians thousands of files outlining Tehran’s secret nuclear program prior to 2015, was certainly a tour de force. Whether it will result in the complete scrapping of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known by its cumbersome title, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, is an entirely different matter.
Next month, I will join more than 150 Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) supporters from across the United States on a mission to Poland and Israel with four Holocaust survivors and 50 soldiers and officers representing all branches of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Arming teachers with guns may not be the best solution to preventing school shootings, but it certainly isn’t a bad idea. And be sure — the people who reject the idea outright are more preoccupied with banning guns than they are in addressing violence.
When I was in my early twenties, living in another city and becoming increasingly Jewishly observant, I looked to the Orthodox Jewish community for ways to participate, yet found few opportunities for women to be included in discourse on Halacha (Jewish law). I am grateful that I moved to Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah in Potomac, Maryland, 11 years ago with my husband, Rabbi Nissan Antine, and our first child, where I found a vibrant Jewish community full of diverse Jewish learning opportunities for both women and men.