Recent Opinions

Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from Rabbi Grussgott’s sermon at Kehilath Israel Synagogue on May 29th.

Irrational hatred of, and violence toward, Jewish Americans has been occurring with alarming frequency, and, as President Biden has said, “This must stop.”

I was shocked and deeply saddened by the recent article in the Chronicle titled “Dozens of U.S. Rabbinical sign letter calling for American Jews to hold Israel accountable for alleged human rights abuses.”

Jews are being attacked on the streets, while dining in restaurants and while on the way to synagogue. Synagogues are being vandalized and fire bombed. Jews are afraid to wear signs of their religion and some are removing mezuzahs from their homes out of fear.

Nature’s crisis entwines with social violence

Standing at the seashore, I looked to where the deep water met the hazy afternoon sky. A jellyfish, bobbing along on waves washing the beach, caught my attention. Looking more closely, I realized that it wasn’t a living being but a swollen, blue-tinted plastic bag.

Yahsher Koach to Rabbi Rudnick for an article he wrote (“Take time to focus on loving healthy relationships,” March 11) honoring Rabbi Dr. Twersky’s work regarding domestic abuse in the Jewish community. When I worked at Safehome, he and I talked about its presence in our community along with discussions I had with Rabbi Harris, Rabbi Glickman, Rabbi Steigman, and Rabbi Nemitoff.

We recently celebrated Shavous, which commemorates God’s gift to the world of the 10 Commandments/Torah, thus creating a foundation of values for mankind and in a direction of harmony and peace.

(JNS) The Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Police announced on Monday the arrest of an Arab Israeli man in his 20s on suspicion of hurling a firebomb that seriously injured an Arab Israeli child in Jaffa last Friday.

Editor’s note: This is republished from a message that Tilove shared with the HBHA community on May 14.

Situation in Israel prompts sadness, protests in Kansas City area

As the violence continued between Israel and the Palestinians, local organizations and commentators lamented the casualties and tried to make sense of this latest round of fighting.