May 14, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Snitching to the IRS The Kosher Gourmet by Jill Wendholt Silva: Spring greens with fennel and herbs JWisdom: A Righteous Gentile by Rabbi Mordechai Becher May 13, 2008 Jonathan Mark: For pro-Israel voters, Obama's middle name should be the least of their concerns Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: The Leaker Shield Act JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part II by Rabbi David Aaron May 12, 2008 Chosen Words: A newsletter for personal and spiritual growth gleaned from classic biblical and other sources that will help you enhance your day to day life. Likely the most constructive three minutes you will spend today Mark Steyn: Israel's 'doom' could also be Europe's JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When Faith Meets Fate, Part One May 9, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Reverence, Yes; Worship, No Mona Charen: Did Israel Drive Out the Arabs 60 Years Ago? JWisdom: Ultimate opportunities by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky May 8, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Israel at 3,500+ Jonathan Tobin: Still Fighting the Same War Steven Plaut: How ‘nakba’ proves the fiction of a Palestinian Nation JWisdom: Taking Israel for Granted? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher May 7, 2008 Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Israel is irrelevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Dion Nissenbaum: Latest Olmert scandal could derail efforts to force Israel's compromises JWisdom: My Inner Ventriloquist by Sara Yoheved Rigler May 6, 2008 Caroline B. Glick: Anti-Zionism at 60 The Kosher Gourmet By Ethel G. Hofman: In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary, the former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with a smorgasbord featuring the taste and essence of the Jewish homeland JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Jewish Deer in Nazi Headlights May 5, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Busy work Jonathan Mark: Remarkable half-century old Mike Wallace interview with Abba Eban puts current anti-Israel sentiment into perspective May 2, 2008 Rabbi Berel Wein: Rote religiosity Caroline B. Glick: Whitewashing Hamas JWisdom: Parent trap? May 1, 2008 David Zwiebel: Faith communities can learn from Orthodox Jews in stimulating private philanthropy for religious education George Friedman and Peter Zeihan of Stratfor: The Shift Toward an Israeli-Syrian Agreement JWisdom: It's time to wake up by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis April 30, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: Pennsylvania's Democratic slugfest may leave some Jewish votes up for grabs The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Fresh herbs, sauteed veal and tiny creamer potatoes makes a light spring dinner JWisdom: How to Build a Mentch by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 29, 2008 Daniel Pipes: Barack Obama's Muslim Childhood Joel Brinkley: On human rights, the U.N. once again strikes out JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When The Truth is Unbelievable April 28, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I'm often stuck in the doctor's waiting room for hours! Doesn't he owe me something for my wasted time? Steven Emerson: New U.S. government policy advises agencies to avoid using some of the very same words that make up terror groups' names JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part I by Rabbi David Aaron April 25, 2008 Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg: Schadenfreude isn't kosher for Passover --- or at any other time Rabbi Berel Wein: The secret of how the data bank of memory is transferred from one generation to the next JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part III April 24, 2008 Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The successful failure Fred Burton and Scott Stewart of Stratfor: Placing the terrorist threat to the food supply in perspective JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part II April 23, 2008 Connie Ogle: An intricate game of a novel Jonathan Tobin: Making Sense of the 'J Street' Jive JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen April 22, 2008 Jonathan Rosenblum: Why Israel's 'Leaven law' matters Caroline B. Glick: Obama the Savior April 18, 2008 Rabbi Harvey Belovski: Multimedia tool of antiquity Caroline B. Glick: Revealed Truths vs. revealed lies JWisdom: More than miracles by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 17, 2008 Rabbi Avi Shafran: Deconstructing Dayeinu Rabbi Elazar Meisels: Is innovation at the Seder a slap at tradition? JWisdom: Discovering Your Divine Mission, Part III by Rabbi David Aaron April 16, 2008 Jonathan Tobin: A Prayer for Sderot's Children Ethel G. Hofman: Sumptuous Seder JWisdom: The Divine is in the details by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 15, 2008 Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Let Charlton Heston Go! Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Jimma, tyranny's enabler JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part IV by Dr. Lisa Aiken April 14, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: The Snitching Supervisor Jonathan Tobin: Forget the Fun and Games! JWisdom: Sincerity is Valued Most by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. April 11, 2008 Rabbi David Gutterman: A Mystery in the Middle East Caroline B. Glick: Why Ahmadinejad smiles JWisdom: Elevated illness by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 10, 2008 Stratfor Intelligence Briefing by George Friedman: A Mystery in the Middle East The Kosher Gourmet By Steve Petusevsky: The spring elegance of asparagus JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: The Power of Rational Lies April 9, 2008 Michael Feldberg: An all but forgotten Colonial doctor who put his Jewish values before his life Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkel's "Everything's Relative" gets philosophical JWisdom: Four Rabbis in Bnei Brak by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 8, 2008 Caroline Glick: Covering for the enemy Elliot B. Gertel: 'House' goes Hasidic JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part III by Dr. Lisa Aiken April 7, 2008 The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I have a translating business. Recently someone asked me to translate some financial documents that are clearly forged. Should I agree? Jonathan Rosenblum : Israel is unwittingly helping to fuel the international campaign of delegitimization against it JWisdom: Matzah and leaven as a life philosophy by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. April 4, 2008 Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The Mystery of Suffering Caroline B. Glick: Fear of democracy JWisdom: Dirty Jews by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky April 3, 2008 Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein: Parents --- and the children who would be them The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: Tempted by restaurant dressings? Don't be. Here are recipes that can be made at home, healthier! JWisdom: The importance of retaining a 'slave mentality' by Rabbi Mordechai Becher April 2, 2008 Mitch Albom: Child abuse, disguised as faith Jonathan Tobin: Unreasonable Accommodations JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith with Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Eliminating Jewish Influence over Germans 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 Oct. 25, 2004 / 10 Mar-Cheshvan, 5765 In praise of inertia By Jonathan Tobin Despite election hysteria, remember the real American revolution of 1800 http://www.jewishworldreview.com | With about a week to go before the Nov. 2 presidential election, the one thought that seems to unite many Republicans and Democrats is relief at the prospect that this nasty contest will soon be over. The 2004 election will surely go down in history as one of the most bitterly fought in our country's history. I'm enough of a student of history to know that other elections have been dirty. For example, the matchup in 1800 between Federalist John Adams, and his once and future friend — Republican Thomas Jefferson — was pretty awful; it featured false accusations that Adams was a monarchist, and smears that Jefferson had fathered children by one of his slaves. (Two centuries later, we've discovered that accusation was probably true.) But of all the presidential races of my adult life, this one appears to be the most divisive, with the most apocalyptic rhetoric from both major parties. Why has this happened? Maniacal extremes On the one hand, most Democrats think the last election was stolen from them, and that the winner has launched an illegitimate war in the depths of the Middle East. On the other, many Republicans have come to view the all-out demonization of the president by the anti-war left as libelous, if not disloyal, during wartime as America struggles against Islamist foes. These issues have poisoned the debate in a way that has reduced many otherwise sane and sober citizens to ranting nincompoops prepared to wildly accuse their opponents of everything from treason to grand larceny. Democrats talk of President Bush as an idiot or a war-mongering tool of corporate interests who is about to turn America into a right-wing religious dictatorship. Republicans speak of Sen. John Kerry as a leftist appeaser who would sell out U.S. security to a corrupt United Nations. Those campaigning in the Jewish community have taken the debate over support for Israel and church-state separation to similar extremes. Some Democrats claim Bush will sell out Israel in his second term, and that Jewish rights will vanish in a Philip Roth-like right-wing religious dictatorship. At the same time, some Republicans claim Kerry will sell out Israel in his first term in order to curry favor with the anti-Semitic French. It's gotten so crazy that in reading the volumes of orchestrated e-mail from radical supporters of both sides, you can often forget that there are serious choices to be made on Nov. 2. For example, on Israel, Kerry's election will probably mean Washington will revert to the policies carried out in the Clinton administration to try and push through a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, while Bush will probably maintain the hands-off approach that has given Israel a green light to pursue its own vision of disengagement. Bush and Kerry also have different ideas about whether or not faith-based charities would be funded by the government, as well as on other church-state issues. The republic will survive But for all of this, it may be worthwhile to take into consideration the fact that no matter who wins on Nov. 2, the republic as we know it will survive. Even if Kerry tries to imitate Clinton in the Middle East, the prospect of seeing Yasser Arafat returning to his familiar stamping grounds in the White House are virtually nil. A President Kerry may have sour relations with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, but he will be hard-pressed to rehabilitate the Palestinians. And despite his Europhile tendencies, a looming conflict with Iran may ultimately leave Kerry as disillusioned with his erstwhile pals in Paris, as Bush has been. On Israel, Bush is no more likely to sell out Israel in his second term than he was in his first, which was won without much Jewish support. His convictions on this issue seem firm. And despite the alarmist talk coming from Democrats, four years of Republican control of the White House and Congress have not led to the repeal of the Bill of Rights — or even led to progress for Bush's faith-based charity initiative. The point is, the genius of the American constitution is the inertia it creates. The obstacles our system of checks and balances places in the way of radical change are frustrating at times, but in tandem with the basic moderation of the American electorate, they also serve as roadblocks to extremism. Which brings me back to Adams and Jefferson. The 1800 election bore little resemblance to anything remotely like a modern American election. Few direct votes for president were cast anywhere and after all, African-Americans and women couldn't vote, and in most states, neither could men who didn't own property. But it deserves to be remembered for reasons that have nothing to do with Sally Hemmings or Adams' predilection for suppressing dissent. The test of democracy Why? Because, the spirit of '76 notwithstanding, 1800 was the real American revolution. That's because it was the first time in American history that a peaceful handover of political power was accomplished. When Jefferson won, the incumbent Federalists left Washington. They did appoint as many judges as they could in their waning days of power. But when his term ended, John and Abigail Adams packed up their duds and their accumulated grievances, and went home to Massachusetts. Those who have followed the course of democracy elsewhere in the world know this is no small thing. Though they have been independent almost as long as their counterparts in North America, most of the republics of Latin and South America are still finding it difficult to maintain democracy. And throughout Africa and Asia in the postcolonialist period, the rule has generally been one man, one vote, one time. So, when the results are hopefully finalized in the wee hours of Nov. 3, it's important that we honor the outcome, even if we're sore about it. Attempts to delegitimize the results in advance through wild and premature charges of fraud do nothing to preserve our freedom. Nor do we advance the cause of democracy when partisans feel free to say anything and everything about their foes in the last weeks of campaigning just because they can. No election victory is worth compromising the integrity of the American system. That is the lesson of John Adams, who, disgruntled though he was, simply handed over the reins of power and gracefully accepted his foe's triumph. That is a lesson this year's loser should emulate, whether his name is Bush or Kerry. It is even more important that their supporters prepare to do the same. 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