Rachel Binstock says that the 39 melachot are what create the meaning of Shabbat, but it is rare for Jews to practice the original forms of labor during the other 144 hours of the week because modern technologies have made them mostly obsolete.
The numbers aren’t the problem with Savage’s argument: It’s the paranoid spin that’s unhealthy for the communal psyche.
Former Mayor Steve Schewel may have turned Durham into a research and tech hub, but faced scrutiny from the city’s Jewish community along the way.
Should Jews be considered “Good Jews” or “Bad Jews” based on their level of observance of Jewish holidays or their feelings about Israel or their political stance? Emily Tamkin, author of the new book Bad Jews: A History of American Jewish Politics and Identities, discusses how these terms have been weaponized against members of the community, what it means to be Jewish and the ever-changing American Jewish identity. In conversation with former CBS News correspondent and Moment contributor Dan Raviv.
Albert Dabah, the writer and director of the truly wonderful drama Extra Innings, has delivered a heartrendingly personal portrayal based on his own life story.
Before 1776, each American colony had its own, uniquely phrased law about voter qualifications. Typically, white men over the age of 21 who owned 50 acres of land might vote, but the details varied by colony and were often a bit murky.
At a time when polls dominate, project founder Nadine Epstein and director Suzanne Borden review preliminary findings from Moment’s unique Jewish Political Voices Project, which has been following real people in real time in 10 swing states. We will also hear directly from participants including former Congresswoman Shelley Berkley from Nevada, Rabbi Dan Levin from Florida, Mark Goldhaber from North Carolina and Ruth Kantrowitz from Wisconsin. Also joining us is Chicago Sun Times Washington Bureau Chief Lynn Sweet.
By 1865, it seemed self-evident that American emancipation resonated with biblical emancipation in powerful ways. But it had not always been so: This new resonance of meaning captured the hearts of American Jews only during the vicissitudes of the Civil War. Before the Civil War, most American Jews did not oppose slavery. There were exceptions, but most Jews voted Democrat, and Democrats were tolerant of slavery. The anti-slavery parties were tarred with nativism, which was distasteful and threatening to a Jewish community composed largely of immigrants and first-generation Americans. And many, including such luminaries as the Reform rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise and the Orthodox rabbi Morris Raphall, considered acceptance of American slavery consonant with the Bible, which documents slavery and sets parameters for its practice within the Israelite community.
The 2018 midterm elections will test a still-fragile accord with Trump.
Reactions to the embassy move to Jerusalem show how little they understand Israelis.
The year 2017 was another rocky one in the relationship between Israel and many American Jews, punctuated by conflict over matters once considered common ground. Some controversies—including a backlash over comments about American Jews’ military service by Israeli deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely—suggest a level of misunderstanding that could end up harming both sides.
