Several months ago, a new local Jewish website launched: BaltimoreJewishLife.com. As with all local Jewish media—radio, Eruv List, websites and others—we welcome any attempts to help strengthen our community.

Examiner.com writer, Maayan Jaffee (one of our former colleagues), wrote that the new site would be a “Kosher Jewish Times” and that its owner, Jeff Cohn, would ensure the site will meet the highest standards of religiosity.

But it didn’t take long before BaltimoreJewishLife.com started putting up BALTIMORE JEWISH TIMES content – protected by U.S. copyright law—without even asking our permission. Despite repeated attempts to contact the anonymous “staff,” it happened a few times.

Here’s but the latest example. This week, JEWISH TIMES editor Phil Jacobs broke the news story on http://www.jewishtimes.com  that Judge Karen “Chaya” Friedman was appointed the Baltimore City Circuit Court. Despite being on vacation, Phil even secured comments late Sunday evening from Gov. Martin O’Malley who had just made the appointment.

The next day, the same story with the sentences re-arranged appeared on the BaltimoreJewishLife.com site under its typical anonymous post “Reporter #6.”

I read and hear the snide comments about the JT and allowing crab ads or non-kosher restaurants being called “Not Jewish Times.” But why is it that a website which promises to be more kosher than we are, and meets the “highest standards of religiosity,” can violate the Commandment “Thou Shalt Not Steal”? Their standards are higher than ours? Their mitzvot are superior to ours?

Funny religion, eh?

After all, for more than 91 years, we’ve provide millions of dollars in free advertising for our community. We’ve donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Associated, which benefits Orthodox day schools and indeed the entire community. And we pay decent wages to many employees and freelancers. Yet, we’re not kosher enough for some. 

This “religious” (their words not mine) website doesn’t have to hire people by stealing our content and selling ads around it to make money. There’s more than something a little unkosher about that.

In yesterday’s much anticipated, debated, over -analyzed, and much talked about meeting between the Israeli and U.S. leaders, my favorite moment was when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gently pressed the American President Barak Obama.

Netanyahu didn’t ask for permission for his country to bomb Iran, or for more financial support, or even for the White House to ease up on promoting the peace process.

Said Netanyahu: “You know, I’ve been coming here a lot. It’s about time you and the First Lady came to Israel, sir.”

Obama, who hasn’t been to the Jewish state since he was running for president, quickly replied, “I’m ready. We look forward to it. Thank you.”

“Any time,” Netanyahu said.

That made me think. How many Americans – either those on the right or the left – who often put their two cents in about what America should do about Israel or what Israel should do about Israel – have never set foot in the Jewish state?

I always welcome healthy debate, but I also know that seeing is believing. I respect people who say Israel should treat the Palestinians better, but I hope they all have seen the Dome of the Rock atop the Western Wall. The same goes for those who say Israel should be tougher on the Palestinians, but have never stared into West Bank Arab communities.

American Christians are still visiting, and so are some Jews. But, not nearly enough of the armchair commentators have first hand knowledge of the real situation.

If it’s good for Obama to visit, it’s good for the rest of us as well.