Dear Editor, In the beginning, there was actually decent dialogue regarding the JCC or J. Any good discussion will have points with different views and that is healthy. A reply editorial meant to explain something is also appreciated. Unfortunately, there have been some editorials that seem to be nothing but senseless ramblings. These attempts to [ Read More...]

By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist Were the New Israel Fund a newly landed Martian’s only source of information about Israel, he’d likely imagine the country as a cross between Saudi Arabia and North Korea. In the extraterrestrial’s mind it would be a place where women are forced to sit in the backs of buses [ Read More...]

By Rabbi Avi Shafran Contributing Columnist Having recounted the story in talks and in writing, I apologize if any readers are encountering it here not for the first time. It’s actually my father’s story; in fact, I only heard it from him when I was an adult (and not a particularly young one, at that). [ Read More...]

Dear Editor, I want to thank Howie Brecher for “filling the gaps” in my knowledge of the site selection for the new ”J”. I need to keep this letter short because I am headed to Saks. They are running a special on suits. 80% off! The suit is 5 sizes to small , however I [ Read More...]

Dear Editor, After I had my gangrene gallbladder removed I had home nurse visits for two weeks and was asked if I had guns in the house. I responded that if I did, I would not tell her. The nurse just kinda slipped it in along with all the other regular questions. I told her I [ Read More...]

By Rabbi A. James Rudin (RNS) — Mainline Protestant churches—Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians and others — were once the church of the establishment but are now rapidly losing both members and influence in a downward spiral with no end in sight. For decades, mainline churches partnered with Jews on a host of social justice issues, but [ Read More...]

Dear Editor, It was about this time last year, I had the pleasure of meeting Kelly and her Girl Scouts Troop from St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, located on the West Side of Cincinnati. Kelly had called the Golf Manor Synagogue office to ask if she and her girls could visit and learn about a [ Read More...]

By Rabbi Avi Shafran Ami Magazine The lady on the Staten Island ferry the other day was clearly grunting for my ears. With my unfashionable beard, dark suit and black hat, tagging me as an Orthodox Jew is pretty much a slam-dunk. And, having commuted, along with my beard and hat, on those huge orange [ Read More...]

Dear Editor, When I read the first paragraph of Rabbi Avi Shafran’s article, “Meat and Murder”(March 22) I burst out laughing. Many years ago my son, Barnea, was a student at Kerem Yeshiva in Santa Clara Calif.,where Rabbi Shafran taught. I flew out to visit him and was offered hospitality by the Shafrans who were [ Read More...]

Dear Editor, Tougher Action on Iran is Needed. There’s a war going on around the world. It’s not a traditional war, but make no mistake about it: The Iranian regime is waging a covert war against us and our friends and allies. In the past decade, the Iranian regime has made clear its intent toward [ Read More...]