They don’t just have differing views on economic or foreign policies, they are convinced that their opponents are evil and bound to destroy America.
Some thoughts for Rosh Hashanah: If we took a vote on what trait we human beings most value, goodness would undoubtedly win. Certainly goodness is the trait that we most want everyone else to possess. But if we say we value goodness above everything else — and surely Judaism does — why aren\’t there more good people? A big reason is that it is easier to value other things — including, and especially, positive things — more than goodness. So it\’s much easier to be just about anything rather than good. It’s easier to be religious than to be good.
The Sidmans are among the lucky ones: Their Colorado Springs home is still standing, nearly untouched by the flames that left many of their neighbors\’ houses in ashes.
Eight percent of Israeli Jews define themselves as Conservative or Reform Jews, compared to just 7 percent of Israelis who define themselves as “Charedi” (ultra-Orthodox). Amazing?
The Conservative movement’s ethical kosher initiative may not have been intended as a wedge into the Orthodox monopoly over kosher supervision. But the planned rollout this summer of the Conservative-backed seal of ethical kosher production, the Magen Tzedek, coincides with an increase in the number of Conservative rabbis acting as kosher supervisors.
Up to 50 Conservative rabbis signed on to a religious responsa that says it is permissible to rent or sell homes to non-Jews in Israel. The statement, issued Monday, counters a rabbinic ruling signed by about 50 Israeli municipal rabbis that prohibits the same. Written by Schechter Institute President Rabbi David Golinkin, it examines the issue from biblical sources to modern opinions.
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