Orthodox Union condemns attack on mosque

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Friday December 11, 2009 · 10:21 AM PST

2009/12/11 · 10:21

In the Israel/Palestine conflict there has been far too much violence. And recently there was an attack on a mosque in the West Bank Palestinian town of Yasuf, in which extremist Jews have been implicated. It is incumbent on persons identified with a community that carries out attacks of terrorism to condemn such acts. Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations in America, the largest organization of Orthodox Jews outside of Israel, did just that.

charliehall

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Wednesday November 18, 2009 · 7:38 PM PST

2009/11/18 · 19:38

There have been several diaries already regarding the US Preventive Services Task Force report that withdraws its previous recommendation in favor of annual mammography exams. I'd like to present the real data that support this decision.

Poll

104 votes Show Results

Has the USPSTF recommendation changed your opinion regarding the usefulness of mammography screening in the general population?

104 votes Vote Now!

Has the USPSTF recommendation changed your opinion regarding the usefulness of mammography screening in the general population?

No, I was already familiar with the data so this is no real surprise

44 votes

Yes, this was a real eye-opener

30 votes

No, I don't believe the data and think the USPSTF was wrong

9 votes

Yes, I wasn't sure before and now am certain that the data are lies

3 votes

It is all an attempt to create death panels

5 votes

I never trusted science in the first place

1 vote

If the Republicans can have their junk science, so can we!

6 votes

3.14159...

6 votes

Orthodox Jews Oppose anti-Gay Violence

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday August 11, 2009 · 12:00 PM PDT

2009/08/11 · 12:00

It is a sad fact that the Orthodox Jewish community has within it much hatred towards Gays and Lesbians. While it is indeed true that certain sexual activity between same sex partners is indeed forbidden by Jewish religious law, the level of vitriol and hate that I have heard within my community goes far beyond that accorded any other violation of religious law, such as driving to the mall on Shabat, eating lobster, or engaging in business fraud. I am very happy to report that in the aftermath of the tragic attack on the Gay community center in Tel Aviv, a part of the Orthodox community of which I am a part has now spoken out against this hatred.

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday May 31, 2009 · 7:20 AM PDT

2009/05/31 · 07:20

This proposed law that has been the subject of other diaries was dealt a serious setback:

An Israeli government committee has rejected a draft bill that would have required Israelis to take an oath of loyalty.

http://www.haaretz.com/...

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday May 26, 2009 · 6:28 PM PDT

2009/05/26 · 18:28

Twenty years ago next month I set out to apply to graduate school in an attempt to have a career in academia as a professor. Last week I was informed, first by telephone calls from the department heads from each of my two departments, and then by a letter from my dean, that I am going to be promoted from Associate Professor to full Professor effective July 1. These events stimulated me to reflect on some of my successes and failures since then and to reflect on the state of academia in the United States today. Unlike almost everything else I've published, I'm not going to present hard statistics, but will keep things general.

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday March 03, 2009 · 9:35 AM PST

2009/03/03 · 09:35

Many Americans are looking wistfully back at the Bush years as having been good economic times. In this diary I hope to prove that the apparent Bush prosperity was a complete fraud.

Poll

63 votes Show Results

How much has your net worth dropped since the beginning of the Bush depression last summer?

63 votes Vote Now!

How much has your net worth dropped since the beginning of the Bush depression last summer?

I'm one of the lucky few who have benefited from the crash; my net worth has increased

3 votes

No change

5 votes

Less than 5% loss

3 votes

5-10% loss

4 votes

10%-15% loss

6 votes

15%-20% loss

7 votes

more than 20% loss

35 votes

Revolution in New York State Senate

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Thursday January 15, 2009 · 5:56 PM PST

2009/01/15 · 17:56

And I don't just mean a Democratic takeover. That is significant enough, given that the New York State Senate has been controlled by Democrats for only one year out of the last 70. One should not think that this will result in substantial increases in government funding for programs of interest to progressives; the state is broke and the New York Senate Republican majority were never fiscal conservatives. And one should not expect that having control of congressional redistricting will make much difference; Republicans have been doing so badly in recent years that there isn't much more opportunity to optimize districts.

The real story here is how the body will operate under Democratic control. But first, a little history:

Poll

86 votes Show Results

What should be the first priority of New York legislators?

86 votes Vote Now!

What should be the first priority of New York legislators?

Passing same-sex marriage

14 votes

Importing prescription drugs from Canada

3 votes

Revising the state's draconian drug laws

23 votes

Redrawing district lines to protect the new Democratic Senate majority

1 vote

Cutting spending to solve the state's fiscal crisis

10 votes

Raising taxes to solve the state's fiscal crisis

9 votes

Cutting spending AND raising taxes to solve the state's fiscal crisis

26 votes

NY Governor Paterson on the Gaza war

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday December 31, 2008 · 11:24 AM PST

2008/12/31 · 11:24

I suspect we will hear more US politicians weighing in on the war in Gaza. New York Governor David Paterson issued a press release today.

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday November 19, 2008 · 6:14 PM PST

2008/11/19 · 18:14

The Jewish Press is a weekly newspaper based in the New York Area that has a large circulation among Orthodox Jews. I think that it would be fair to call it "right wing"; it is outspokenly pro-Israel, generally supports the right in that country, and endorsed George W. Bush twice. (More often than not, it endorses Democrats in local elections, so it would be unfair to call it a partisan rag.)

This week it ran an editorial that called for less of a push by the US government in the Middle East peace process. It used the term "benign neglect" which may be an unfortunately charged term, but I think that the essential point, that the US should not be as aggressive in forcing its will internationally on less-than-willing parties, is very well taken and quite consistent with the direction that Obama supporters want.

Poll

153 votes Show Results

Should the United States under President Obama be more or less forceful in pursuing a final status agreement between Israel and its Arab enemies

153 votes Vote Now!

Should the United States under President Obama be more or less forceful in pursuing a final status agreement between Israel and its Arab enemies

impose a solution whether the parties like it or not

24 votes

more forceful, but not impose a solution

68 votes

about the same is the past 8 years

7 votes

less forceful, but still engaged

25 votes

get OUT of the middle east altogether

29 votes

The Greatness of America

charliehall

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday November 15, 2008 · 7:59 PM PST

2008/11/15 · 19:59

This is my first ever Dailykos diary, and for it I include something directed primarily towards my fellow Orthodox Jews. While close to 80% of American Jews voted for Obama, that was not true for Orthodox Jews. And unfortunately some of that opposition was particularly vile.

This was originally written for a web site that features news for the Orthodox Jewish community, with comments by readers (often including myself). The owners of that site asked me to write an article that would say why Jews should support Obama and bag the racism. If there are any other Orthodox Jews on dailykos, you would be doing a great mitzvah by monitoring that site and also this one, and occasionally contributing sane and respectful comments. I know that most of my fellow Orthodox Jews are not racists and will give President-elect Obama the benefit of the doubt, and I'd like to make that really clear through as many vehicles as possible.

For those unfamiliar, at the end of the essay I offer a few loose translations of some Hebrew I used.

RSS

Orthodox Union condemns attack on mosque

Mammography screening in the general population has been proven not to save lives

Orthodox Jews Oppose anti-Gay Violence

Proposed loyalty oath for Israelis defeated

A successful academic career

The non-existent Bush prosperity

Revolution in New York State Senate

NY Governor Paterson on the Gaza war

The Jewish Press gets it right

The Greatness of America