July 24, 2008 Rabbi Berel Wein: On the road again --- and again and again Richard Z. Chesnoff: Mideast Refugees --- Failure vs. Success JWisdom:: Word power is about more than vocabulary by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky July 23, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: The Mufti of Jerusalem's Nazi ideology lives on among contemporary Islamists The Kosher Gourmet by Joe Gray: Smoked paprika turkey meatballs simmered in red wine and tomato sauce JWisdom:: 'Routine' doesn't need to mean ‘rote’ By Rabbi David Aaron July 22, 2008 Yossi Klein Halevi: Dear Barack Obama Elliot B. Gertel: Eli Stone: Self-indulgent, arrogant corporate attorney as modern-day prophet JWisdom:: Three Weeks - Nine Days - One Purpose by Rabbi Mordechai Becher July 21, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Spending your kids' money Mitch Albom: A grim exchange illustrates a key difference JWisdom:: The Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith: Hammered on the Anvil --- Severed by the Sickle by Rabbi Nosson Scherman July 18, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The Sanctification and Importance of Time Caroline B. Glick: US wants it absolutely clear it has no intention of attacking Iran's nuclear installations Mona Charen: What can you say about a people who welcome a child murderer as a hero? JWisdom:: Living a dog's life, dawg? by Rabbi Dovid Gross July 17, 2008 Steven Emerson: Deals with devils Libby Lazewnik: One Step at a Time JWisdom:: Leader the follower? by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky July 16, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Poaching humans The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Meaty pasta salad with summer berries perfect for warm evenings JWisdom:: Keeping A Secret by Rabbi Mordechai Becher July 15, 2008 Dennis Prager: False Equation: Opposing Same-Sex Marriage and Opposing Interracial Marriage Joel Greenberg: Researchers look to Israeli circumcision program to help combat AIDS 'Alternatives' to Logic Won't Work JWisdom:: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part V: Why Judaism ISN'T Spiritual by Rabbi David Aaron July 14, 2008 Jonathan Rosenblum: A warning from Canada to those who value life Jonathan Tobin: 'Alternatives' to Logic Won't Work JWisdom:: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Poland's Unique Antisemitism, Part II July 11, 2008 Rabbi Francis Nataf: It's hard to be humble when you're great Caroline B. Glick: A tale of two hostages JWisdom:: Profane for Prophet by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky July 8, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. Duty to save gullible from themselves? Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Islamists have the West just where they want us JWisdom:: Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality, Part 3: The Fully Loaded Human Being by Rabbi Dovid Gross July 3, 2008 Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget (TOUCHING!) Jeff Jacoby: Israel still paying for its defeat JWisdom:: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part IV by Rabbi David Aaron JWisdom:: The Moses Method by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky July 2, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: Appeasers Make Poor Patriots The Kosher Gourmet By Kathleen Purvis: Slaw, y'all: For BBQs or Sabbath dinner, these southern recipes are something else! JWisdom:: Rabbi Mordechai Becher: Jewish Rx for A Simpler Life July 1, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. I think it's important to leave a legacy to my children. How much should I save towards this end? Paul Greenberg:A President who is history deficient? JWisdom:: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Poland's Unique Antisemitism June 30, 2008 Jonathan Rosenblum: Remembering the architect of Torah Judaism for the modern world Abe Novick: Hulk: Still a Jew? JWisdom: : Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality, Part 2: The Abandoned Child June 26, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Quantum leap to evil Caroline B. Glick: Victimized families must not be allowed to dictate policy June 25, 2008 Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Today in Biblical History: King Jeroboam of Israel prevents pilgrimage to Jerusalem Jonathan Tobin: Real Friends and Real Enemies JWisdom: Raping of reason By Rabbi Sroy Levitansky June 25, 2008 Steven Emerson: Kristof: Never Mind the Terrorists Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: Mediterranean Flyover: Telegraphing an Israeli Punch? JWisdom: Rabbi David Aaron: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part III June 24, 2008 Caroline B. Glick: What were they thinking!? Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Guilty knowledge JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Warping Innocence June 23, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Diploma dilemma Jeff Jacoby: A world without children JWisdom: Rabbi Dovid Gross: Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality --- Introduction June 20, 2008 Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Man: The Crowning Glory of Creation Caroline B. Glick: Israel's darkest week JWisdom: We aren't worthy? by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky June 19, 2008 Rabbi Elazar Meisels: The saints who don't come marchin' in Chris Christoff: Muslim woman demands an apology from Obama after camera snub June 18, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: Still Dancing Around Jerusalem The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky: Chilled fruit and vegetable soups JWisdom: Souls Need A Check Up? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher June 17, 2008 Rabbi Avi Shafran: Baby Einstein Caroline B. Glick: Bush's rhetoric, Bush's policies JWisdom: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part II by Rabbi David Aaron June 16, 2008 Varda Branfman: Bob Dylan, won't you please come home? Diana West: Academic dares to question the 'religion of peace' JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Positive Backfire March 22, 2007 J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !) Oct. 29, 2003 Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Jan. 25, 2005 / 15 Shevat, 5765 Will good deeds go unpunished? By Jonathan Tobin Don't expect Tsunami relief to change the minds of those who embrace hate http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | In the aftermath of the tsunami that devastated the coasts of Southeast Asia and Indonesia, the response of the civilized world to this heart-rending story has been overwhelming. While it can be argued that other great tragedies that are not shown on television (i.e., the genocidal civil war in Sudan or last year's earthquake in Iran) are often largely ignored, the truth is, whenever the world's attention is focused on such an event, the response is immediate. And as is always the case, American Jews and Israelis are responding with contributions out of proportion to their numbers. American Jewish charities stopped what they were doing and started to divert resources to the region. Israel was quick to offer aid and expertise to the affected countries. Planeloads of supplies were sent out and, despite some initial misunderstandings with some of the recipients, have generally been welcomed. All of which has led some to wonder whether this heartfelt expression of sympathy from Americans and Israelis will alter the general image of these two countries as the big and little "Satan" of modern times. The answer is, of course, not very likely. If there is anything that history teaches us about philanthropic actions on the part of one country toward another, it is that there is nothing in life that most people resent quite as much as being helped. So why should the Israelis expect anything more than the Americans get? Indeed, the saga of U.S. foreign relations in the post World War II-era is more or less the history of European and Third World ingratitude for the sacrifices made by Americans. Let's face it, in the last 60 years, American blood and treasure rid the world of the two greatest tyrannies in human history. American aid rebuilt Europe and American power ensured that Stalin's "evil empire" did not prevail in the Cold War. But as you may have noticed, that has not engendered a great deal of love from those Europeans who are only too happy to enjoy the fruits of life on a continent free of the scourges of Nazism and Communism. Nor did decades of foreign aid to the Third World do much to make Americans liked there either. Ironically, even tiny Israel had a similar experience. In the first decades of its history, at a time when the Jewish state was itself dirt poor, it still expended a not-inconsiderable portion of its budget on aid to countries in Africa, which became the beneficiaries of Israeli expertise in agriculture. But when push came to shove in 1967 and 1973, and the Arab world attempted to extinguish Israel, did any of its African friends rush to its aid? No way. In fact, virtually every African country cut off ties with the Israelis, rather than offend the Arabs who dominated Third World politics and held a near-monopoly on precious oil. Israel's good deeds, like many of those done by the United States did not go unpunished. ARE WE PATSIES? And as indelicate as it might be to mention it, oil-rich Arab regimes are as stingy with aid to their Muslim brothers ravaged by the tsunami now as they were in the past to impoverished Third World nations that suffered more from the rise in oil prices than Americans. So are Americans dumb for giving to countries like Indonesia that have reacted ungraciously to our help? Are Israelis freiers   —  Hebrew for "patsies"   —  for sending a planeload of aid to a country like Indonesia that doesn't even recognize the Jewish state? Some of us are willing to say as much. In particular, those Jews who can remember a world standing by silently as millions of Jews were slaughtered often find it hard to get too worked up about bad things happening to countries where Jews aren't welcome. Indeed, in the last decade, Israel has made concession after concession to the Palestinian Arabs, even to the point of offering them virtually every thing short of Israel's dissolution. Yet the more Israel has given, the more it has been vilified. No matter what happens in the peace process, Israelis know that any "lack of progress" is always their fault. INGRATITUDE IS IRRELEVANT But when it comes to helping those in need, my answer, and the answer of most Americans and Israelis, is still an emphatic endorsement of aiding victims, no matter what the believe. While we would be pleased if help for Muslims caused some in that part of the world to rethink their lunatic vision of these two beacons of democracy, I don't think most of us really care whether they like us or not. That's because, despite the paranoid, neo-Marxist conspiracy theories that see everything both countries do as part of an evil plot, most of us view acts of charity as moral imperatives, not foreign policy. So forget about the tsunami broadening the coalition against terror or even creating an opening for diplomatic contacts with Israel. A planeload of food and medicine will help the sick and hungry, but it can't overcome decades of hate. In the Jewish tradition, charitable acts, which we call tzedakah, are not options but religious obligations. We're not supposed to help those in need because we think they'll be grateful. We do it because it's the right thing to do. The same spirit seems to animate the approach of most non-Jewish Americans. Critic Edward Alexander once quipped that "universalism is the parochialism of the Jews." The same can be said of most Americans. That tendency can be infuriating because some of us forget that we are also supposed to worry about our own needs, as well as those of others. But part of the greatness of our civilization lies in our willingness to help the stranger. Though there are times when we're asked to pay a high price for our philanthropic instincts, I doubt that many of us would have it any other way. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here. JWR contributor Jonathan S. Tobin is executive editor of the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent. Let him know what you think by clicking here. Jonathan Tobin Archives © 2004, Jonathan Tobin