Politics & Society

My Response to President Obama's Rosh Hashanah Greeting

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Obama’s greeting is appreciated as a nice gesture, as are his general wishes for reflection, which are wholly appropriate for the holiday. The problem is this: if there is one people President Obama, together with the larger American Jewish community, need to collectively extend an apology toward this holiday season, it is Palestinians. Unfortunately, Obama’s remarks, rather than offer such an expression, are actually an extension of our continued wronging of Palestinians, a wronging for which our government should apologize.

Christianity

Why Noah's Ark?

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Noah’s ark will be featured as a float in the upcoming People’s Climate March in New York City on September 21. Donna Schaper explains why the ark is a symbol for hope in the fight against climate change.

Culture

She shouldn't have been so flirtatious. He shouldn't have worn a hoodie. They shouldn't have voted for Hamas …

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Victim-blaming is as American as apple pie. And unfortunately, we’ve been reminded of this repeatedly over the past month via high-profile cases and global crises. Or rather, we’ve been reminded by the way in which a mostly white, mostly patriarchal middle class has responded to such events. Women have been blamed for being victims of domestic abuse and assault, black men have been blamed for being victims of police brutality and murder, and innocent Palestinian children have been blamed for being killed my missiles.
Contrary to those who dismiss victim-blaming as a liberal misinterpretation of the good old American boostrap-pulling ethic, this phenomenon has been in existence in this country for as long as there have been those in power seeking to maintain that status, buttressed by racist and sexist ideals.

Education

Sudden Calls for 'Civility' Threaten Academic Freedom After Palestinian-American Professor Fired

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The University of Illinois recently fired Steven Salaita for his severe critiques of Israel on Twitter. After his firing the administration released a statement on how they value civility, which triggered university presidents across the country to echo similar statements on civility in relation to free speech. David Harris-Gershon reflects on whether academic institutions are rapidly suppressing the principle of academic freedom.

Christianity

Pope Francis' Lesson: The Abrahamic religions need a spiritual summit meeting, not dialogue-by-press-statements

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The crisis in the Middle East is endangering the spiritual integrity of the three Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity and Islam — as six armies and armed groups claim the mantle of religion for their identities. The spiritual leaders of these three faiths must convene an emergency “spiritual summit” meeting to articulate their shared spiritual values and vision, in terms of their respective traditions, teachings and scriptures, and how to apply these to the current disastrous circumstances. If they don’t, what credibility will these religions have in the silence of the ruins after the bombs stop falling?

Education

Grieving and Mourning Israel/Palestine & Communicating Across Differences

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Join The Network of Spiritual Progressives and Tikkun on Sunday, September 14th for a four-hour workshop where you will learn techniques to deal with your distress, rage, and upset about the situation in Israel and Palestine and also have opportunities to learn and practice skills for hearing those who don’t agree with you and expressing yourself more effectively. You will leave feeling empowered to engage in healthy discourse, even with those with whom you disagree.

Healing Israel/Palestine

Israelis Living in America Who Oppose Gaza Violence Ask U.S. Jews to Reconsider 'Pro-Israel'

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Israelis For a Sustainable Future, a growing group of Israelis living in the United States who oppose Israel’s military operations in Gaza, have written a letter calling on American Jews to reexamine their support for Israel’s actions and to denounce the occupation of Palestine. The group writes, “We are reaching out to you because we want to re-examine what it means to be pro-Israel or pro-Palestine. We argue that these terms might be one and the same.”

Culture

Ferguson: This is what losing democracy looks like

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The events in Ferguson have led to a powerful uprising and surge of violence between the police and activists. How can we respond to the violent confrontations? Michael N. Nagler offers his commentary on culture, suggesting we can stop violence by never engaging with the societal influences that encourage that violence.