This week in power: Marathom bombing, French rabbi, Class assignment, Independence Day

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Boston bombings
After Monday's bombings in Boston, everyone is looking for hope and answers. For some, that's come in the heroism that followed. “This is what first responders do. Without calling attention to themselves or congratulating themselves, they run towards human suffering instead of running away from it. To walk in God’s ways is to walk in their ways, too—towards people in pain and not away from them,” ” target=”_blank”>among others, on edge. Some overseas in Israel have ” target=”_blank”>stepped down last week after it was revealed that he inadvertently committed plagiarism in two of his books and in an essay against gay marriage. Originally, Rabbi Bernheim defended himself, claiming that he wasn't the author of all the chapters in his book, but an assistant had made the error. Still, he eventually came forward, amid pressure, and accepted responsibility for it. His original intention to keep his position angered some: “It’s overwhelming, all this humility. And it’s reassuring to know that an Orthodox rabbi is as well versed with Orwellian Newspeak as any other politician,” ” target=”_blank”>reports say. “Now we need to wait and see how Emory responds. What’s the proper punishment for a professor sock-puppeting his own scholarship? Something tells me that it should be something more than 'embarrassment,' but this shouldn’t be a career ending transgression,” ” target=”_blank”>asked Mark Silk at Religion News Service.

Controversial assignment
A teacher at a New York high school has been placed on leave after she ” target=”_blank”>said Ashley Lauren Samsa at Care2. Still, there were some defenders, like ” target=”_blank”>wrote Isi Leibler in The Jerusalem Post. “When Palestine really exists, on maps and in all offices of the U.N., when Israel has made a just peace with its neighbors and attempted to address the tremendous, nearly incalculable damage it has caused the Palestinian people over the years—then I will be able to genuinely celebrate,”