Because of her father’s Zionist dream to convince American Jews to move to Israel, Hadassa Margolese spent her adolescent years in the Pico-Robertson area. Now it is Margolese’s own Zionist dream that has turned her and her 8-year-old daughter Na’ama into heroines of the fight against ultra-Orthodox extremism in Israel.
France, Britain, Germany and the United States on Wednesday took advantage of a closed-door meeting of the U.N. Security Council to condemn Iran\’s decision to begin enriching uranium at an underground bunker.
If Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy teaches us one thing, it’s that the fight for civil rights is not particular to a time, a place, a people or a gender. It’s still shocking to watch vintage 1960s TV footage and see moms and dads yelling at someone else’s children for simply walking up the steps of a high school.
Many years ago, one of the most respected Orthodox rabbis of our generation, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat, told me the following story — and, of course gave me permission to tell it in his name.
There is a scene at the end of Steven Spielberg’s controversial 2005 film, “Munich,” that disappointed a lot of Israel’s supporters. Spielberg’s camera caresses the dramatic Manhattan skyline, pans over the East River and ends hauntingly at the Twin Towers, which were still standing at the time of the film’s events.
The strong presence of Ron Paul, the Republican congressman from Texas, in the GOP campaign — and his respectable third-place finish in Iowa — is bringing attention to the often-ignored libertarian strain in American politics. It is an outlook that challenges the dogmas of both left and right, and taps into an essential part of the national psyche.
Harvey E. Goldberg is emeritus professor and Sarah Allen Shaine Chair in Sociology and Anthropology at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Utilizing both field research and historical documentation, he has focused on the cultural history of Jews in North Africa, ethnicity and religion in Israeli society, and, more generally, on the interface between anthropology and Jewish studies. Recently he has been involved in projects concerning Jewish life in the United States, where he was born.
Whether starring in Broadway productions like “Hairspray” or indie fare, such as “The Kvetching Continues,” Hoffman’s wit never fails. In her new solo show, “Jackie Five-Oh,” the veteran actress grieves about aging and pokes fun at the Tony Awards, Broadway hierarchy and even Holocaust films. Sat. Through Jan 22. 8 p.m. (Friday and Saturday), 7 p.m. (Sunday). $25. The Renberg Theatre, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles. (323) 860-7300.
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