Rabbi Dov Fischer, Author at Jewish Journal

Time to Survive

August 23, 2001

Either the authoritarians of Yasser Arafat\’s Palestinian Authority have the power to direct, control, intercept and stymie Arab terrorist attacks against Israel, or they do not. If this year\’s proliferation of Arab mass murder has been within the Palestinian Authority\’s power to control, then those events confirm that the Palestinian Authority has no right to exist as a polity. On the other hand, if the Palestinian Authority cannot control the anti-Israel terror emanating from within its borders, then it also has no right to exist as a polity.

That Run-Down Feeling

July 5, 2001

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) plans to construct a grotesquely invasive \”Bus Rapid Transit\” corridor (the term is MTA\’s) along Chandler Boulevard in the East San Fernando Valley, and MTA\’s 300-page-plus environmental impact report (EIR) deceives the public in its effort to whitewash the plan. As one salient example of deceit, the EIR disingenuously tries to hide the rapid- transit\’s impact on community safety, conceding the possibility of increased \”pedestrian/bus conflicts.\”

The Price of Freedom

February 1, 2001

To facilitate pidyon shvuyim (redeeming captive Jews from secular prisons) we are commanded to go so far as to sell a community\’s Torah scroll. Yet it is hard to rejoice that Bill Clinton pardoned four chassidim from the village of New Square, N.Y., along with an alleged tax evader who donated megabucks to Israel. In contrast to the complex moral and ethical questions that grated pro-and-con during discussions over the possible pardons of Michael Milken and Jonathan Jay Pollard, there is something unequivocally outrageous in Clinton\’s decisions to pardon the four Squarer chassidim and the international oil merchant whose dealings prompted the Justice Department to allege, among other things, tax evasion and trading illegally with Iran.

Choosing to See the Forest

December 14, 2000

Santa Clauses and tannenbaums and songs of a virgin mother and her infant. The songs are ubiquitous and cannot be escaped, whether at the malls or in the movie theaters or at the supermarket. The television programs all have special Christmas episodes. It really is quite everywhere.

No Big Deal

November 30, 2000

How could I consider marrying a non-Jewish woman? Couldn\’t.

Tight Races

November 16, 2000

Initially, one cannot help but think that the surge of retired, elderly Jews to Florida, augmented by this year\’s Lieberman Factor, has redefined Florida politics into an Israel-style method of governance. While the rest of America was voting and deciding on Tues., Nov. 7, Florida was telling us – just as Israel runs under Barak – \”Wait 48 hours, and then we\’ll decide.\” Two days later, as the last recount came in from Seminole County with Bush a nose ahead, Florida essentially told us, \”Well, wait 48 more hours, and then we\’ll really decide.\” Even today, Nov. 17, with all the incoming mail ballots from those Floridian voters stationed out-of-state in the military and on campuses tallied, we still have the proverbial 48 hours and more. Recounts. Manual recounts. Just like Barak\’s Israel.

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Jewish Journal

Rabbi Dov Fischer

Time to Survive

That Run-Down Feeling

The Price of Freedom

Choosing to See the Forest

No Big Deal

Tight Races

A Time to Mull

A Killer Walks

Thoughts on the Lieberman Selection.

It Would Be Nice if We Did Something

Jewish Journal

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