RJ Blog

More than 50 days after Israelis went to the polls, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has finally formed a coalition. Despite maintaining his title as Prime Minister, he is emerging significantly weakened from the negotiations. The final coalition will include the Prime Minister’s Likud-Beiteinu, Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid (“There is a Future”), Naftali Bennet’s Habayit Hayehudi (“Jewish Home”), and Tzipi Livni’s Hatnuah (“The Movement”). With a 68 seat majority coalition in the 120 seat Knesset, Israel’s new government will remain on thin ice, as any defection would result in political impasse.

by Rabbi Steven A. Fox I was honored today to represent the CCAR at the inauguration of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America, as he was sworn in for his second term.  Words cannot really describe the experience of viewing the ceremony with my own eyes–and the experience was at certain times surprisingly emotional. It was quite moving to watch Mr. Obama, his family, and the representatives of the American government walk through this ritual with all of the pageantry that has developed since the inauguration was moved to January back in 1933.  But even [...]

After a hard-fought few months of political campaigning, Israelis will go to the polls on Tuesday to vote for the future makeup of the Knesset. It is widely expected that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will win reelection. With a less-than-productive Knesset, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced in October that Israel would hold early elections. The announcement sent Israeli politics into frenzy, around the same time that we were suffering the same fate in the U.S., and resulted in a fast changing Israeli political landscape. The Prime Minister’s governing party, Likud, joined forces with Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, becoming a center-right force [...]

by Rabbi Dow Marmur Despite the clouds formed by the sharpening election campaign, a new star can be clearly discerned on Israel’s political firmament. His name is Naftali Bennett, the new leader of the nationalist (modern) Orthodox party, Habayit Hayehudi (the Jewish home) that can trace its origins to the once moderate National Religious Party. The 40-year old Bennett had been part of the entourage of Prime Minister Netanyahu until he resigned soon thereafter to become, first, the leader of the settler movement, and now in charge of a political party. Not long ago he sold the high-tech company he [...]

Jews in Israel are given the opportunity to bring economic, social and political issues into the center of their religious consciousness. The moral quality of the army, social and economic disparities and deprivations, the exercise of power moderated by moral sensitivities, attitudes toward minorities, foreign workers, the stranger, tolerance and freedom of conscience – all these are areas that challenge our sense of covenantal responsibility. -Rabbi David Hartman My electoral activity has generally been limited to modest contributions, and voting. But a year or so ago I was convinced by the “Pluralism Lobby” to join one of the major parties, on [...]

When we stepped into the election booths on Tuesday (or mailed in our ballots anti-climactically two weeks ago), we were finally alone—there was blissful silence from the seemingly never-ending campaign commercials, a lack of fliers and posters and bumper stickers, no friends telling us which way to vote, and no camera phones posting our opinions to Facebook. But we did bring in one thing: our values. Let’s look at some ways in which religion and religious values played an appropriate role in this election cycle. Houses of worship have emphasized the importance of voting, regardless of the candidate. 52% of [...]

After a months-long political campaign, we wake up this morning, take a look around at the new additions to the political landscape, and get ready to “think big” about our goals over the next few years. Whatever your political views, liberal or conservative, Republican or Democratic, our responsibility for shaping the world includes choosing who will lead us politically in the forefront of the fight for social justice. Each of your votes counted and played a defining role in setting policy agendas. Exercising your constitutional rights as voters and activists not only strengthens American democracy but our work for social [...]

by Rabbi Adam Morris Enough already! Like so many of you, I am fighting election fatigue. I have wondered how it is possible for there to actually be undecided voters after the weeks and months of campaigning. I am amazed how polls can seem to change on the hour. (Are they asking different people the same question or the same people different questions?) Is this election really the most important election of our lifetime or in the history of the United States, or is each of these rallying points merely one tool in the motivational get-out-the-vote toolbox?

by Alden Solovy The citizens of the United States are about to elect a president. Two months later, the citizens of Israel will also go to the polls. And so, I’ll be voting in two national elections. Let us select well. This prayer can be used for any of the world’s democratic nations. Specific selections to customize the prayer for specific nations are shown in brackets.

Words matter. As kids we learn that sticks and stones can break our bones but words can never hurt us, but we soon realize that this isn’t entirely true. Bruises fade after a few days, but words linger in our minds for much longer. And, in this week’s “Ten Minutes of Torah,” Rabbi Bruce Kadden and Barbara Binder Kadden write specifically about the power of a lack of words. A lack of words is exactly what we’ve seen when it comes to the current political campaigns on the topic of poverty. Our candidates are talking about the economy, but not [...]

The holidays are over and Israel is open for business. The relative quiet that characterizes the chaggim has been replaced by the type of chaos that only politics can create. Israel is going to have early elections on January 22, 2013. The Knesset will be dissolved and Israelis will have a chance to vote for a new government. Will the next government be ready to make the hard choices necessary to push forward the changes we need in so many areas of our civil life?

As a D.C. resident who lives in the Virginia media market, it seems as though the only ads on TV right now are political – and understandably so. Presidential, Senatorial and Congressional elections (along with local elections and proposed amendments) are among our most obvious and consistent opportunities to make our voices heard. This election season, the Reform Movement has been vocal on key issues: voter suppression and mobilization. And, after the debates are over and the pundits have had their say, on November 6 millions of American Jews will join their fellow citizens in heading to the polls to [...]

I support outsourcing and offshoring. I applaud globalization and free trade. And I do so because of my moral convictions and religious beliefs, and my deep commitment to American exceptionalism. As the election season heats up, I am troubled by the moral confusion of those who discuss these policies. The Democrats, sensing advantage, generally attack them, while the Republicans respond by twisting in the wind, showing little if any conviction.

This fall, Minnesotans will have the opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment that would ask: “Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to provide that only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as marriage in Minnesota?” If this amendment succeeds, Minnesota would join the 30 states that have constitutional bans on marriage equality, effectively writing discrimination into its state constitution.