I’ve also heard from a few Baltimore Jewish agencies that they’ve been getting calls complaining about the JT’s new editorial policy, even though we are an independent entity. And, I heard that the Haredi community is all aflutter about our stance. That’s the one that I find humorous. I mean these are the same people that have protected one man who was convicted of illegal homosexual acts with minors and others who were accused of such actions. One man in particular was given a job at a local kosher butcher. There also is a local rabbi who was allegedly taken out of the classroom at a boy’s school because his homosexual contact with minors, yet is still allowed to live on that campus and interact with boys.

So who is protecting whom here from the truth? Why is it immoral for the JT to run a homosexual simcha announcement from consenting adults that is both legal and allowed by rabbis, but acceptable for some in the Haredi community to protect men performing homosexual acts on minors?

This much I know: The Jewish Times will continue to reflect the broad nature of modern Jewish identity, and we will continue to print opinions that agree and disagree with ours. Learning how to live together with all that is what makes a community. We don’t seek to exclude others. That’s a Jewish way to be.

When some Catholic priests were accused of sexual molestation of minors, we initially had denial, denial, denial from them and the Church. We now know that some of those priests sexually assaulted scores of innocent children and, instead of being criminally prosecuted, they were moved from parish to parish under the watchful eye of the Catholic Church.

Rather then confront the horrible problem, the Church chose to cover it up while thousands of boys and girls had their lives ruined.

Here in Baltimore, over the decades several rabbis molested young boys in their charge while some supervisors apparently knew about it. Just like in the Catholic Church. Even today, an alleged predator lives on campus at a Jewish boys’ school. The popular Rabbi Jacob A. Max, who died this past summer, was said to be inappropriate with dozens of women over the years as so many looked the other way, allowing these women’s lives to be destroyed forever. Of course, that began to change with his conviction a few years ago.

Sadly, it appears that Penn State University hired the same PR firm as those mentioned above: deny, don’t apologize or fix. Finally, after a tsunami of negative PR swept over the school, the president and legendary head coach were fired. I expect more is coming.

If anything good can come out of this awful Penn State experience, I hope that it’s fast and unwavering action to stop sexual predators. Coach Joe Paterno’s final words as Nittney Lions head coach was, “I wish I had done more.” That’s a sad, sad legacy to a great career – but a legacy for which he alone is responsible.

Yes, Joe, we, too, which you had done more. So do the victims and their families.

I pray that this is the spark that ignites change in our world, a change that demands, “I don’t care about the value of this church, synagogue or football program more than I do for our kids! I’m going to stand up and protect our children.”

Some of those names included “Jews are Immoral,” “Jews are Terrible” and “Jews love pennies.”
“They may have been fantasy leagues but the hate is all too real,” said Rabbi Abraham Cooper, associate dean of the center told USA Today. “This is another example of bigots leveraging Internet portals to demean their ‘enemies’ and recruit for their causes. Unfortunately, the targeted enemy in this case was a Jewish who was about to sign up his son to ESPN Fantasy Football.”

Cooper said ESPN “responded quickly and in good faith to our concerns.”

ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said: “Offensive hate speech like the examples discussed here have no place on our site. While we have systems in place to protect against inappropriate team and league names clearly with millions of users and deceptive ways around the safeguards, we can never completely eliminate it.”

I think this the right – and only decision – that was done swiftly and authoritatively. I applaud and support the removal of offensive speech in this manner.  My only question is that if they’re saying these “examples have no place here” yet they allow names like Redskins and Chiefs which are demeaning to Native Americans.

Do you think they are on the same level?

So, my question is: How does the Jewish community feel about a potential president who loves Israel, and embraces concepts in the Torah, but seems to rely more on religion than science?

Take 6 minutes to watch this, and tell me: what are your reactions?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGYxLWUKwWo&feature=player_embedded#at=107

Phil was chosen as best “Crusading Editor” under its local media section for his work to uncover sexual abuse among the rabbinate.  The awards are great recognition for a job well done, and I think we’re both more pleased that Baltimore’s Jewish organizations instituted real change after these allegations came to light. I’m thinking of TA and the rabbinical association changing it policies, or Rabbi Adler speaking from the bema, acknowledging his synagogues errors over many years.

All this brought great comfort to the hundreds of innocent victims. I’m sure Phil appreciates this Best in Baltimore award in 2011, and shares it with the brave people who came forward to tell their stories.

Phil, currently the Editor of the Washington Jewish Week, is off today to San Francisco to screen the documentary about him, “Standing Silent” at the nation’s largest Jewish film festival.

The movie will be screening in Baltimore on August 9 at Congregation Netivot Shalom (7602 Labyrinth Road).  Is anyone planning on seeing it?

She’s gotten some negative publicity for the psychotherapy practice that she owns with her husband for accepting federal dollars. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but as a staunch Tea Partier, she says she’s vociferously opposed to non-essential federal spending. To add to the brewing controversy, it’s now alleged that the practice is using federal tax money to “convert” homosexuals to heterosexuality through Christian prayer. (Read more here: http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/07/marcus-bachmann-says-clinics-not-anti-gay.html)

What irks me is that the Tea Partiers don’t have a problem using government funds to do Christian activities because they don’t believe the first amendment separates church and state activities, only that the government shall make no national religion. Recent rulings have referred to it as a separation.

In a more comical moment, Bachmann spoke on national TV criticizing President Obama’s fiscal policies. While attempting to call him a hypocrite, she inadvertently butchered the Yiddish word “chutzpah,” pronouncing it “choot-spa.”

My FaceBook page lit up with humorous posts, comparing her to a less intellectual president numbered 43. One of my conservative friends remarked in her Yiddish-challenged defense. “Michele Bachmann is Jew-friendly. She spent a summer working on a Kibbutz. I’m not sure if Obama has spent a month working anywhere.” 

Given that President Obama has angered a large swath of the American Jewish community with his tough love on Israel, and Bachmann’s stance on the separation of church and state, and poor Yiddish, which candidate do you think is “better for the Jews?”

My dear colleague Phil Jacobs also knew it was his time to pass along the leadership of the Jewish Times to a new person.

Phil is moving on to the next challenge in his life: becoming the editor of the Washington Jewish Week. He has a lot of work to do there after accomplishing his goals here. In 1997, we needed a strong community minded editor to repair the damage left by our previous editor. Phil did that an more. He completed every goal we set for ourselves.

The JT is undergoing a major change that involves many factors—size, paper, logo, and content. Phil, a reporter from the womb, felt that we needed a magazine editor to guide us through this next phase. I applaud him for knowing when his time to serve was complete.

Personally, I’ll miss the hell out of the finest human being I’ve ever met. I will miss the hell out of the father/brother/uncle figure in my life. Personally, I’ll miss a guy who breathes Jewish journalism 24/6. I’m going to miss the guy who can walk into a Reform synagogue and interview a gay female rabbi in the morning and then pray in a very Orthodox synagogue at night. I’m going to miss the guy who delivers food to the needy every Thursday, teaches Hebrew school, and is a “big brother” to a father-less boy.

And, on top of all that, he’s a world-class father and husband.

We wish him good look in Washington as we move forward with our editorial vision.

As is the Alter way, we will adapt and change. Yet, we will all miss Phil.

Phil will be with us through much of June. He’s still got a cover story to write and steps to take on our redesign. There’s still work to be done.
 

During the past few days, President Obama addressed the world on the challenges facing the Middle East.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed a joint meeting of Congress and laid out the fundamental issues of security and peace.  As Prime Minister Netanyahu clearly stated this morning, “I will accept a Palestinian state. It is time for President Abbas to stand before his people and say: ‘I will accept a Jewish state.’”  It is apparent that it is the interest of all parties for there to be two states – the Jewish State of Israel and independent Palestinian state – living side-by-side with secure borders in peace.

President Obama’s speech to the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Sunday made clear that any discussions on final borders between Israelis and Palestinians should be – and must be – decided at the peace table between the two parties, which Prime Minister Netanyahu echoed – and I agree. To be real and sustainable, the 1967 borders must be adjusted to ensure Israel’s security needs and to reflect the situation on the ground, including population centers.

Any unilateral attempt by the United Nations to establish a Palestinian state is detrimental to a final peace agreement, and I was pleased to hear the President firmly state his intention to veto such a resolution.  A permanent settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

Unless Hamas fully renounces violence and acknowledges Israel’s right to exist, it cannot be a partner in peace and their inclusion in a Palestinian unity government is a major obstacle.

This week, the President highlighted what I have always believed – unyielding U.S. support for Israel’s security, U.S. rejection of Palestinian terrorism, and most importantly, the necessity for the parties to commit to negotiations as the means of resolving the conflict. I also met with Prime Minister Netanyahu today and after that discussion, I am similarly confident that that what bonds our countries is an unbreakable alliance. As he stated before Congress, “Israel has no better friend than America. And America has no better friend than Israel. We stand together to defend democracy. We stand together to advance peace. We stand together to fight terrorism.”