The recent publicity centering around Hamilton High School\’s Jewish parents\’ disapproval of Proposition K — the $3.35 billion school bond issue — gave the impression that the Jewish community was against the proposition.
Like America at large, the American university is a teeming marketplace of ideas. Its greatness lies in its unrestrained commitment to open debate. Conversely, its darkest moments have come when the gateways of debate were closed.
American Jews have spent a lot of time worrying about the difficulties facing college students in recent years. As a result, American Jews have put their money and ingenuity to work on behalf of programs that would combat assimilation on campus.
What\’s it like to be a citizen of a country that preempts its enemies — now that this is the official national security doctrine of the United States? Americans might look to the Israeli experience.
When people query me as to who our clients are, if the person is Jewish, I often answer, \”Half our clients are Jewish organizations. And the other half are people who treat us really nicely.\”
I picked up a copy of Cosmopolitan magazine in Dr. Rudnick\’s office the other day. Leafing through, I started to form a picture that somewhere in there — between the Bedside Astrologer and a story titled \”The Seven Dreams You Must Not Ignore\” — was the answer to the question: What do women want? The question vexed Freud into the grave. It is the subject of perhaps more analysis than any other except, \”Why are we here?\” I\’m here to find out what women want.
This past Saturday, something extraordinarily rare took place: My team, the Anaheim Angels, was positioned to win a post-season series — against the New York Yankees no less. And my friend and radio colleague Hugh Hewitt, who could not use his seats (first row, near home plate), sent them to me.
Every week I go on two walks that I absolutely treasure. Each Sunday, my husband and I walk through a different section of Los Angeles. We have no destination, but our purpose is to exercise. We could choose other forms of exercise. We could be on a treadmill, moving in place without moving in space. Yet this is not as gratifying as walking outside. The walks along the beach or in the hills around the city create another dimension of being.
It has almost risen to the level of obsession, this concern about Hollywood Jews and Israel. Why aren\’t they speaking out on Israel\’s behalf? Why aren\’t they flying to Israel to show their support? Why aren\’t they sending gobs of money to help out?
\”Shalom Y\’all: Images of Jewish Life in the American South\” photography by Bill Aron, text by Vicki Reikes Fox (Algonquin Books, $24.95).
While the idea of Southern Jews may be as improbable for some as snacking on matzah while drinking a mint julep, in fact, the American South has had a thriving Jewish community since the early 1700s.
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