According to every liberal editorial page in America (and virtually every editorial page abroad), according to President Obama, the United Nations and every other liberal institution, and according to Jews on the left, the major impediment to peace in the Middle East is Israel’s continuing construction of settlements in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
You have to say at least one thing on behalf of those on the left: They are consistent. In conflicts between a decent society and an indecent society, you can almost always count on the left to blame the decent society. The U.S. was wrong in overthrowing the mass murderer Saddam Hussein. The U.S. was wrong in fighting North Vietnam’s Stalinist tyrant, Ho Chi Minh. The U.S. was wrong in backing the Nicaraguan opposition to the Communist Sandinistas. Israel was wrong in its war against the murderous, Israel-denying, Jew-hating, Islamist totalitarian Hamas. And Israel is wrong today in its conflict with the Palestinians.
Actually, you can say one more thing: The left regularly confuses wishful thinking with reality. You see, I, too, wish that Israeli settlement construction — usually no more than apartment construction within existing Jewish communities within or right outside of Jerusalem — were the obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians. But not being on the left, I am cursed with not assuming that what I would like to believe is reality.
If only these apartments were the problem. What a great day it would be for all of us who yearn to see the Jewish state accepted by its Palestinian and other Arab neighbors.
But, alas, this is make-believe. As Charles Krauthammer asked in a column he wrote a year ago, “Is the peace process moribund because a teacher in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem is making an addition to her house to accommodate new grandchildren?”
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Radio Show
H1: Medal of Honor
Prager H1: The Medal of Honor was awarded to staff sergeant, Salvatore A. Giunta, now 25, of Hiawatha, Iowa. His actions are inspiring; the death of his comrades, a tragic loss… Republican have agreed to ban all earmarks. Democrats, who want to keep them, are squirming… The controversy over the TSA body scanners continues to grow. Dennis defends the new scanners. His callers aren’t so sure.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Radio Show
H2: Male/Female Hour: Reading a Woman’s Mind
Prager H2: Is it possible? Should men be able to do it? But can women read men’s minds any better men read theirs? Dennis offers his theories; callers weigh in. A Best of Prager Hour. Originally broadcast on July 16, 2008.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 Radio Show
H3: George Gilder
Prager H3: Dennis talks to one of the most original thinkers in the country, best selling author and co-founder of The Discovery Institute, George Gilder. His latest piece in the Wall Street Journal concerns the coming “Green Economy” calamity in California.. Callers weigh in…
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Radio Show
H1: Poor Salesmanship
Prager H1: Bob Herbert of the New York Times writes that blacks have to take responsibility for the deterioration of the black family. Coming from a liberal like Herbert, this is quite an admission… Dennis talks to Mark Steyn, nationally syndicated columnist. His latest book (2009) is Lights Out: Islam, Free Speech and The Twilight Of The West.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Radio Show
H2: Happiness Hour: Nature versus Nurture
Prager H2: Dennis talks to Michael Fumento, renowned science writer, on the latest scare: full body scans at airports. Callers weigh in with their fears.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 Radio Show
H3: Open Lines
Prager H3: Dennis deconstructs comments made by evolutionary biologist and leading atheist, Richard Dawkins, on the Bill Maher Show last month.
Monday, November 15, 2010 Radio Show
H1: Speaking Truth to Youth
Prager H1: Dennis talked to students at El Camino College in Southern California yesterday. He received a standing “O” at the end of his remarks. Dennis explains why… 1300 people have already joined Dennis’s Facebook page “Urge Sears to Honor Thanksgiving.”…If world opinion is so important to the Left, why aren’t they concerned that the world has rejected Obamanomics?
Monday, November 15, 2010 Radio Show
H2: Misplaced Compassion
Prager H2: Western governments have given billions of dollars in aid to African governments. Most of it has been wasted, looted or worse. Of course, Dennis has known this to be true for a long time, but coming from a very liberal Canadian paper, The Toronto Globe-Mail, means that maybe even the Left is getting it. Naw, they’ll never get it… Dennis talks to June Carbone, Professor of Law at University of Missouri at Kansas City. Her new book is Red Families v. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of Culture.
Monday, November 15, 2010 Radio Show
H3: Who Pays Income Tax
Prager H3: 1% of the earners pay 37% of all income taxes, but for Bill Maher, Michael Moore and Nora Ephron, it’s not enough… States have trillions of dollars in public sector union pension obligations… The President’s trip to Asia was a dud, or worse… Earmarks have to go. Republicans can’t be perceived as being for them… Are young people leaving churches because they’re too conservative? Or is this just a liberal fantasy?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 | Posted by: Allen Estrin at 2:10 PM
Dennis talks to George Gilder. Nobody understands technology or capitalism better than this man, one of the most original thinkers in the world today. His latest piece in the Wall Street Journal about the future of California should give us all pause. Joel Kotkin writes a supporting piece in Forbes today. Gilder’s latest book, a must read and the best non-fiction book I read in 2009 is The Israel Test.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 | Posted by: Allen Estrin at 12:24 PM
All too rare. Here’s more detail of what happened on the battlefield from the Wall Street Journal. We weep for the brave men lost and for the great lives not led.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010 | Posted by: Allen Estrin at 12:47 PM
The liberal NY Times columnist blames the breakdown of the black family, as he should and to his credit, on black culture. He even acknowledges that the government can’t fix the problem. But he can’t begin to assess why it took place. If he did, he couldn’t stay on the Left.
Monday, November 15, 2010 | Posted by: Allen Estrin at 2:37 PM
What did he accomplish? Answer seems to be nothing… or worse. If world opinion means so much to the Left, are they worried that world opinion doesn’t support Obamanomics?
Monday, November 15, 2010 | Posted by: Allen Estrin at 12:57 PM
Of course, we’ve known this to be true for a long time, but coming from a very liberal Canadian paper means that maybe even the Left is getting it… Naw, they’ll never get it.
Monday, November 15, 2010 | Posted by: Allen Estrin at 12:35 PM
Dennis talks to June Carbone, Professor of Law at University of Missouri at Kansas City. Her new book is Red Families v. Blue Families: Legal Polarization and the Creation of Culture <
I do a lot of work for seminary students. I like seminary students. They seem so blissfully unaware of the inherent contradiction in paying somebody to help them cheat in courses that are largely about walking in the light of God and providing an ethical model for others to follow. I have been commissioned to write many a passionate condemnation of America’s moral decay as exemplified by abortion, gay marriage, or the teaching of evolution. All in all, we may presume that clerical authorities see these as a greater threat than the plagiarism committed by the future frocked.
With respect to America’s nurses, fear not. Our lives are in capable hands—just hands that can’t write a lick. Nursing students account for one of my company’s biggest customer bases. I’ve written case-management plans, reports on nursing ethics, and essays on why nurse practitioners are lighting the way to the future of medicine. I’ve even written pharmaceutical-treatment courses, for patients who I hope were hypothetical.
I got curious about Aleinu in LA because Debbie Fox is becoming an important figure for the Ultra-Orthodox response to sex abuse. I spent a lot of time on your blog looking up the rabbis on her halakhic advisory board. Most of them are black hat. Why, with so many modern orthodox in Los Angeles, not one YU graduate on their committee?
Are YU rabbis that rare in LA? Are other halachic committees that are supposed to span the orthodox community in Los Angeles so skewed?
Debbie says she can convene a bet din for abuse allegations within an hour of calling. But why the hell have a bet din. There is plenty of halachic grounds for proceeding to protective services reporting and police reporting without that.
“Debbie has written a great protocol for yeshiva policy in this area and she says it is implemented in every single ortho school in LA.”
Do you know if that in fact is the reality on the ground? Also, are schools really implementing these protocols?
There should be a story there. True success would be major. But if there are shenanigans, then it is very relevant because Debbie will be speaking at the Nefesh conference for orthodox mental health professionals together with the folks from Ohel who are the largest player on mental health services regarding sex abuse to the ortho community in Brooklyn. The event happens at the end of Dec.
Chaim Amalek emails: “I think the way to make money in California these days is to sell medicinal marijuana. It’s legal, and I’ll bet AT types (students) occasionally find themselves in need of some medicinal marijuana. What does it take to become a licensed seller of medical marijuana? I’ll bet there are people in all of the circles Luke has moved in who would appreciate purchasing this legal substance from a man who pines to be their moral leader, and who has gotten into the trade with a Torah outlook.”
Khunrum emails: “Perhaps Luke could peddle ganja from a pushcart like the Jewish peddlers of yore. Instead of ringing a bell he could get customers attention with some Grateful Dead tunes (no Air Supply please). And who wouldn’t want to smoke a good splif before getting down to some Alexander? The idea has merit.”
Bob emails: “Perhaps you should smoke the peace pipe with some of your former rabbis.
“You all thought that Luke’s beard was part of this Orthodox malarkey. I know why now…”
Greg Leake emails: Hi Luke,
you know, cashing in on medical marijuana could have a bright and promising future.
To the best of my knowledge, modern Orthodox Jews are crying out for a marijuana producer who understands the vital need for a kosher product.
It is entirely possible that today’s producers are using non-kosher implements and non-kosher manufacturing processes. Frankly, this forces Orthodox Jews to violate their most precious religious precepts every time they light up. Obviously, this is an untenable situation.
How does one go about putting that U on a marijuana package? Luke (the Levy) Ford. With marijuana grown, culled, and produced entirely within the celestial realm of a higher authority. “Luke the Levy Ford’s special godly dope.”
Additionally, you need to say screw the carbon credits and start allowing people to do futures contracts on the new commodity of Luke Ford’s Godly Dope. You will need to make liquidity in the new kosher dope market, and this will require futures contracts on the Chicago commodities exchange.
Say, for example, I want to invest in Luke’s Godly Dope. How am I going to do it? I’ll simply go long on Luke’s Kosher Dope, and this will give a goy like me an opportunity to participate and contribute to a good cause. I’ll say forget those orphan kids in the the third-world country, invest in something higher. Luke the Levy’s Kogher Dope.
When Heather Miller was little, she desperately wanted to be a Jewish American Princess.
In her Los Angeles elementary school, the term was not a slur, but a moniker proudly embraced by the cool girls who wore Guess denim jackets with lace trim. But Miller’s family couldn’t keep up economically with the “princesses,” and–perhaps more damning–her father was Unitarian.
“People would always say, you’re not really a Jewish American Princess, you’re not really one of us,” Miller, now 27, recalls.
One Friday night, Miller’s grandmother came over for Shabbat dinner and discovered the little girl in tears.
“She said, ‘Let me tell you something. My father, your zeyde, was a Cohen, which means he was a priest in the old temple. Which means he was Jewish royalty. So you’re Jewish royalty, which is like being a Jewish princess.'”
“If my grandma hadn’t said that, I don’t know if I’d be Jewish today,” Miller says, adding, “I realized I was authentically Jewish, and whatever anyone else said was their problem.”
Today, Miller may not be a Jewish princess, but she’s training to be the next best thing: a rabbi. In her fourth year at the Reform movement’s Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York, she is one of a small, but hardly insignificant, cohort of rabbinical students from interfaith homes. These future Jewish leaders are uniquely positioned to deal with interfaith families, who represent a growing percentage of the total Jewish community. Sensitive to the concerns of families with only one Jewish parent, they nonetheless have no illusions about the challenges intermarried couples–and their children–face.
…Like Crossley, Miller began her formal Jewish education at 13, the age many kids cash their bar/bat mitzvah checks and bid farewell to Jewish learning. A school shooting spurred Miller’s mother to pull the future rabbi out of public school and enroll her at Stephen Wise, a pluralistic Jewish day school where she received a full scholarship.
“I loved it, I really loved it,” Miller says. “I got straight A’s in Judaica classes. I loved the intellectual search for trying to figure out the ethical thing to do in any situation.”
Like Crossley, Miller sees both sides of intermarriage.
Although at times she felt “less than fully anything,” her dual background gave her an appreciation for diversity.
“One of the great things about growing up interfaith was that every time we celebrated any tradition at all, someone was always explaining it,” she says. “I really got a sense of people articulating their own religious traditions and the meaning of religion in their lives.”
Friday, November 12, 2010 Radio Show
H1: California, Here I Go
Prager H1: Facebook, a California-based company, is building a $1B worth of data centers outside of the state. Why? Could it be that California is now a terrible place to operate a business?… Very few people have taken advantage of ObamaCare’s no pre-existing insurance. Apparently, the problem is not as severe as asserted. But Democrats wouldn’t exaggerate a social problem, would they?… Leftists are urging to the President to veer in their direction.
Friday, November 12, 2010 Radio Show
H2: Happiness Hour: Pain and Happiness
Prager H2: There’s a very big difference between pain and unhappiness. Unless you suffer from a debilitating disease, you need to learn to deal with pain in life to be happy. Pain is ubiquitous.
Friday, November 12, 2010 Radio Show
H3: Open Lines
Prager H3: Per usual, callers set the agenda. Issues raised include: can you really lose weight eating junk food and can music change your mood.
Email from [email protected]: “Join us this Shabbat morning, November 13, at 9:30 AM, as we read from the Torah from the Book of Genesis. This week’s reading is about Yaakov’s marriage to Rachel and Leah and the deception of Lavan and the first edition of wife swap!”
"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He’s an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff)
