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POPSJews Educating Arabs This is a very interesting situation. I can see both sides of the matter, and I would be very interested in hearing what y'all think about this.
5
POPSNRA Anti-Semitic? You Decide Although I am not a supporter of the NRA, I would sincerely hope that allegations of anti-Semitism within the organization are not true. That being said, however, the Octopus imagery does have an anti-Semitic history. So, we have to figure out of this was intentional or accidental. I really am not comfortable making that call either way.
7
POPSGetting Sick Over Religion First we read of dilapidated and inferior medical facilities at Walter Reed, and now and Iowa Veteran's hospital is accused of harassing an Orthodox Jewish patient over his religious beliefs. What the hell is going on with our system? When did the right wing religious nuts get so entrenched in various aspects of our government activities? Walter Reed of course, had nothing to do with religion, but the Iowa case certainly does, and there have been so many other reports about religious harassment occurring at West Point etc. Thank you Saint Ronald Reagan for introducing these people into government during your two terms in office. I fear we will be feeling their intrusion for many years to come.
1
POPSDoes Circumcision cut down on HIV?
This entire question is very controversial. Like all good Jewish boys, I was circumcised on the 8th day of my life. Most of my friends, Jewish or not were also circumcised, which is something I find interesting considering that HIV and the prevention of STDs was not really much of a question in the late 40's. It almost became a question of style. I remember some parents saying that they didn't want their sons to look "different" from the other boys. There was also the question of hygiene, but that seemed like more of an excuse to me, when I became old enough to think about it. Getting adult males in the U.S. especially, to willingly undergo this procedure is iffy at best. The recuperative pain is horrible from what I've been told by those few men I know who actually did this. It seems to me that it really is nothing more than mutilation of the male genitalia. We shrink at the thought of female circumcision and yet accept it for males. Something to think about.
5
POPSOnce Again, Religious Fundamentalists Bring Harm in the Name of God. Religious fundamentalists, this time of the Jewish faith, set off a pipe bomb in Jerusalem to protest the annual gay pride march. When will religious people begin to realize what hypocrites they are by inflicting harm on innocent people in the name of their God? Or are they just so blind to their own ignorance and intolerance that they cannot see the discrepancy?
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POPSAn Expressive Language Struggling for a Rennaisance As someone who publishes an online magazine of Jewish culture, politics and lifestyle, I am thrilled to learn of this marvelous conference. Yiddish is a beautifully expressive, vibrant and in a very real sense, universal language. So many Yiddishisms have been incorporated into everyday English. Shlep, shmuck, mazel tov are but three of hundreds of expressions that Jews and non-Jews use in their day-to-day conversations. I am glad this group is working towards keeping Yiddish alive.
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POPSAIPC Is Selling Its Soul To A Warmonger Who Wants to Use Jews as Cannon Fodder AIPAC stands and cheers John Hagee, a Christian fundamentalist who wants to uses Jews as cannon fodder for his evangelical beliefs. Why can't this conservative American/Israel lobby group see through this man's rhetoric and realize that what he preaches and proposes will bring nothing but destruction to the land they so claim to love and protect? Are they so paranoid that they believe that only their enemies can really be their friends? Just typing that sentence feels insane.
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POPSAIPAC Continues to Beat the Drums of War AIPAC is lobbying, nay, pressuring congressional representatives and senators to push Bush into bombing Iran's nuclear facilities. Their tactics are identical to those used when instigating war with Iraq. Thankfully, the vast majority of Jews living in America are vehemently against such an action and will not easily fall under AIPAC's sway as they did leading up to the Iraq war. They have learned their lesson, which hopefully will encourage congress to stand-up to AIPAC and tell them know. Their constituents are against attacking Iran, and they will no longer fall for your standard line that not supporting what Israel wants is equivalent to anti-Semitism. It is my sincere hope that congress will have the courage to do this, and to stop permitting AIPAC from essentially blackmailing them with the Jewish vote. Jewish voters will NOT support any member of congress who presses for war with Iran.
0
POPSA Cutting Question This entire article is interesting, and yet, as a Jewish male, a bit painful to think about. (Yes I know, not only Jewish men are circumcised, but let's face it, we started the trend, right?) Rubbing the residue of foreskins on one's face or other bodily location might very well be a touchy subject. Read the article and decide if Oprah's attitude is correct on this one. After all, everyone knows, what Oprah says is good, is GOOD!
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POPSHillary Tells AIPAC-Iran Is A Threat Hillary Clinton is sounding more like a hawk catering to her audience at AIPAC will not take attacking Iran off the table. She really wants things every which way. When she speaks to liberal or centrist groups she condemns the Iraq war. But when she speaks to conservative and hawkish groups such as AIPAC, she spreads her hawk wings for all to see. I really wanted to support her for president, but she is making it very difficult for me. She has still not said she regrets her decision to vote to give Bush the OK to attack Iraq. She says she wants to end politics as usual, and then goes about doing the usual politics.
0
POPSAN Excellent Article Debunking the Muth of the "New Anti-Semitism As a Jewish man who spends a great deal of his time writing about and promoting Jewish culture, lifestyle and politics on the Web, I have become particularly incensed by the attempt of AIPAC and other right-wing lobbyist of branding anyone who criticizes Israel as being anti-Semitic and anti-Israel. It is a false allegation that is doing great harm to the Jewish community.
1
POPSSinging in Der Shprits This is a lovely piece designed to offer a humourous and ethnic spin towards the problem of the environment. I found myself laughing and thinking at the same time, and also remembering aspects of my childhood being raised in a Jewish household.
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POPSTaking Mason and Wallace to Task Dov Burt Levy makes some excellent points in his criticisms of Mike Wallace and Jackie Mason. I only could fit the first part of the article dealing with Mr. Wallace, so I urge readers to please click on the top link so they can read Mr. Levy's entire piece.
7
POPSGeneral Wesley Clark Joins Democrat anti-Semitic Wing I clipped this article as an appalling example of the kind of extremist rhetoric that is being perpetuated by some right-wing political groups. Calling Carter an anti-Semite because of the title of his new book, and do not be fooled, the vitriol is based mostly on the use of the word "Apartheid" in the title, is totally dishonorable and disgusting. Now, trying to tag Wesley Clark as being anti-Semitic, and using his friendship with President Carter as a prime example of his anti-Semitism in a new low in all of this crap. As the editor of an online magazine promoting Jewish culture and lifestyle on the Web, I have no use for people who use criticism of Israel as a determining factor of a person's overall feelings about Jews. It is due to the efforts of AIPAC and other right-wing organizations that American Jews especially are being led to believe that only someone who is anti-Semitic would ever criticize Israel. I for one criticize Israel at times, and I am no anti-Semite.
2
POPSAnne Frank's Father's Letters Found Most people know of this tragic story, and the diary of a Jewish teenage girl, Anne Frank, that she composed during her 2 years of hiding with her family, from the Nazis. All of them with the exception of her father perished in the concentration camps. These letters provides additional details of their captivity as told from the heart and mind of a husband and father.
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POPSAn Honest Man Imagine a leader of Yad Vashem actually taking such a forthright and honest position on this matter. Of course, not all settlers treat their Palestinian neighbours with such cruel contempt, but enough of them do to prove his point. As a gay man who happens to be Jewish, I believe that Jews must have a special sensitivity towards our treatment of other minority or ethnic groups. We know full well how dangerous such behaviour can be. The Holocaust could never have happened if the people in the street were not encouraged to treat the Jews with this kind of contempt leading up to those dark days of history. I have been exposed to another brand of hateful conduct directed at me for being gay, which also adds to my extreme sensitivity to this subject.
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