Articles

Tisha b’Av is a frame of reference, recalling moments of Jewish destruction and despair. There are rhythms to those seasons in which we mourn our collective as well as personal losses. The feeling tones of how we confront life and death were introduced in both our liturgy and Jewish texts. Our rabbis provided us with a language to mourn as well as to reflect. Just as these days set aside in the Jewish calendar allow us to mourn, they also remind us of the possibilities for creativity and reinvention. While civilizations need to account for those dark chapters, societies also must extract creative moments that have redefined their stories from their historical journeys. During these hours of fasting, a minority community can ill afford to exclusively focus on its vulnerabilities, as it must constantly address its present and future state, and its ability to rise above its fears and losses to again become actors in history.

On August 10, 1999, an avowed white supremacist walked into the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills and began a shooting spree he wanted to serve as “a wakeup call to America to kill Jews.” Choosing the location for its light security, he injured five people at the center and murdered a postal service worker of Filipino origin. The horrific episode sent shivers coursing through Los Angeles’ Jewish communities — and prompted them to bolster their security systems. Soon thereafter, most San Fernando Valley synagogues had security checks at their entrance. Some hired armed guards.

In connection with President Trump’s recent tweets referencing the four Democratic Congressional members, one could identify a wide array of reactions on the part Jewish organizations and prominent Jewish Americans from both political parties. What is propelling such diversity of responses? The striving to be “American” drives both Jewish Democrats and Republicans to fully embrace their parties’ labels and expectations. The assimilation of Jews into this society can be best demonstrated by their intense engagement with politics that today defines our community. This “full inclusion” is reflected in the desire of Jews to be seen as...

As we observe July 4th and pay tribute to our nation on its 233rd anniversary, this moment affords us an opportunity to identify those sustaining and unique values that define our country. From its founding, Jewish Americans have had a unique connection with this republic, as it has been a welcoming, creative and sustaining home for our community. What beliefs underlie the thriving relationship that Jews have with the American story? A year ago, in connection with this national holiday, this writer laid out twelve principles that provided a framework for understanding the uniqueness of this experiment with democracy.[1] The ten themes introduced here build off of those values.

In connection with the blog introduced by my colleague and friend, Rabbi Mark Diamond, referencing the dialogue between Latter-day Saints (a.k.a. Mormons) and Jewish scholars, recently completed in Israel, such conversations serve to identify our commonalities of interests as well as note the areas of our differences. In this second reflection in connection with our gathering, I want to give specific emphasis to the place of anti-Semitism in the Jewish historical consciousness and its contemporary meaning for both Latter-day Saints and Jews. In planning any discussions around faith and community, by necessity Jews need to reference the history of anti-Semitism as well as its contemporary impact. While the Church of Latter-day Saints is a relatively new American faith tradition...

As citizens Jews have a profound interest in and connection with the welfare of this society. More directly, Jewish policy makers will need to pay attention to the emerging data that is now coming online as demographic trends and social and political realities are fundamentally reshaping this nation and its character. What are the important markers that the Jewish community should be actively monitoring, and what role can the Jewish community play in educating and preparing its constituencies as well as the larger society for these fundamental cultural and economic shifts?

It’s no secret that significant demographic, economic and social changes are taking place in California. These include: an “out migration” as more middle-class Californians are leaving the state; the aging of the state’s population and the corresponding expected decline in the number of school-age children; and overpriced housing as well as a high tax structure, both serving as disincentives for new families and new businesses to enter this market. As a result, we are likely to see an aging California Jewish community, with fewer younger families and singles to support the charitable interests of the community, its institutions and synagogues. This will create significant pressures not only on governmental bodies but also on Jewish social service institutions. Meeting these accelerated needs with fewer donors will represent a major challenge to many of our communities, our synagogues and schools.

As America awaits next year’s Presidential election, various studies are already seeking to capture the political pulse of this nation. Just last week, a new poll focusing on Jewish voters was released.[1] While this survey provided a broad range of data concerning Jewish political behavior, the following findings are introduced here: 70% disapproved of the President’s...

Jewish communities are directly affected by external trends. While all of the data introduced here is generic to the future of California, these findings will significantly and directly impact the quality and well being of Golden State Jews. Recent studies point to significant demographic, economic and social changes taking place within this state. As an outcome, we are likely to see an aging California Jewish community, with fewer younger families and singles to support the charitable interests of the community, its institutions and synagogues. Over the next quarter century, these six areas of research will be of particular importance to California and...

By Marylin E. Kingston, Ph.D. and Steven Windmueller, Ph.D. In attending community gatherings, including such activities as lectures, rallies, films, fund raising events and community dinners, we seem to see the “same folks” everywhere. Why is that the case? This assertion led us to explore group behavior patterns. Indeed, almost every study concerning how groups function, be they involving individual organizational behavior or larger social movements, social psychologists remind us that there are a series of concentric circles that define human performance and participation...