Religion and Religious Issues

Jews must speak out against Islamophobia: Standing with our Muslim brothers and sisters is critical

Sep 14, 2016 | Jewish Experiences, mic, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues

Published: Salon (September 14, 2016) When news first broke earlier this week that a mosque in Orlando had been set on fire, presumably because it had been attended by Omar Mateen, the man who in June shot 49 people to death at the nightclub Pulse, I immediately thought of Alaa Basatneh. Three weeks earlier I’d interviewed the Syrian-American journalist and activist and had been struck by her...

“It’s Always Sunny” gang goes to hell: The long-running “Seinfeld” heir skewers rape culture, homophobia and religious hypocrisy in two-part finale

Mar 8, 2016 | Arts and Entertainment, Gay Rights and Other LGBTQIA Issues, Gender and Sexism, mic, Religion and Religious Issues

Published: Salon (March 8, 2016) If we live in the golden age of television, the FXX comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is one of the underappreciated gems. Often billed as “Seinfeld on crack,” the show has a distinct comic sensibility of its own, cynically reveling in the monstrosities of its five main characters, who have been described in-series as “the most horrible people alive.”...

Why Bernie Sanders’ Judaism is so important

Feb 11, 2016 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Jewish Experiences, Liberalism, mic, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues

Published: Salon (February 11, 2016) With his New Hampshire primary victory now in the books, Bernie Sanders has done more than simply guarantee that Hillary Clinton won’t have a free ride to the Democratic nomination. Indeed, even if Clinton ultimately bests Sanders in the upcoming primaries, the Vermont senator has still achieved something of lasting significance: He is the first Jewish...

Why do Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas?

Dec 24, 2015 | Holiday Season, Jewish Experiences, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues, Satirical Essays

Published: The Good Men Project (December 24, 2015) Much to my horror, I discovered earlier today that my favorite local Chinese restaurant isn't open on Christmas Eve. This may not seem like a big deal - heck, you could even say that I'm a bit of a scrooge for faulting the establishment - but it's important to remember that, as an American Jew, being denied Chinese food on this holiday is a bit...

How America’s fears are letting the terrorists win

Dec 22, 2015 | Civil Liberties, mic, Religion and Religious Issues, Terrorism

Published: The Daily Dot (December 22, 2015) Forget about the terrorists. At his rate it seems like we’re determined through our own fear to allow the terrorists to win. Allow me to explain. Let’s start with the rash of school closings that have occurred over terrorist threats. The first (and without question most patently absurd) was the “clock boy” incident from earlier this year, when a...

Democratic candidates blast Trump’s Muslim ban at debate

Dec 20, 2015 | Democrats, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Immigration, mic, Political Parties, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues

Published: MSNBC (December 20, 2015) Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley were unified on one topic during the last Democratic presidential debate of the year Saturday night: The toxicity of Donald Trump’s proposed temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States. Each candidate seized on the opportunity to decry racial and religious bigotry — and encouraged the rest of America...

The problem with comparing Trump to Hitler

Nov 30, 2015 | Conservativism, Elections, Elections - Presidential (2016), Extremism, Political Ideologies, Political Parties, Religion and Religious Issues, Republicans

Published: MSNBC (November 30, 2015) Pundits and candidates alike are now accusing Donald Trump of being a fascist or neo-Nazi. Some are even comparing him to Adolf Hitler. This is a serious problem – not for Trump, mind you, but for our collective intelligence as Americans. When we imply that the sinister Trump phenomenon represents something new on the American scene, we gloss over the ugliest...

An aggressive military response is precisely what ISIS wants

Nov 20, 2015 | Foreign Policy, Immigration, mic, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues, Terrorism, World Affairs

Published: Salon (November 20, 2015), The Daily Dot (November 18, 2015) As the world reels from the last Friday's terrorist attack in Paris, millions of people have taken to Twitter to share their grief and outrage... and many echoed Donald Trump's call to "bomb the shit" out of them. The desire to immediately strike back at ISIS with overwhelming force is understandable. It took under 48 hours...

Is God One of Us?

Oct 24, 2015 | mic, Religion and Religious Issues

Published: The Good Men Project (October 24, 2015) It's somewhat amazing that, despite having written more than 400 articles in the past four years, I've never really touched on my religious beliefs. My Asperger's Syndrome and depression, romantic relationships and childhood traumas, even my Jewish background (from a heritage standpoint)... All these sensitive and personal matters have been...

The anti-Semitism against Bernie Sanders

Sep 22, 2015 | Elections - Presidential (2016), Jewish Experiences, mic, Original Source Salon.com, Race and Racism, Religion and Religious Issues

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