Author: David Rutman

The final elected choice for mayor of New York is months away, but the reverberations of the recent Democratic primary victory of Zohran Mamdani for the position spread far and wide. As Mamdani is a pro-Islamist Muslim Brotherhood sympathizer, it is urgent to examine what the possibilities are not just for New York, but for […]

When you’re under attack, the very first thing on your mind is to defend yourself. What’s the second thing? There is no second thing. There is only the urgency of swinging your fists and fighting off your attackers. The Jewish community has every reason these days to swing its fists. The attacks just keep coming: […]

“Eilu v’Eilu Divrei Elokim Chayim” — “These and those are the words of the Living G-d.”—Talmud, Eruvin 13b As a clinician, licensed social worker, Orthodox Jewish woman, and disabled professional, I live in a world where two seemingly contradictory truths must often coexist—sometimes uneasily. I can be highly educated and permanently disabled.I can be a […]

Aaron Clayton is a performance chef: a chef who prepares nutritionally focused meals for athletes. “We’re there to make sure that they’re able to perform on the field, the court, wherever it may be,” Clayton told the Journal. As most of Clayton’s athletes are not Jewish – they come from different backgrounds and cultures – […]

Rome is burning. The Titanic is sinking. And Jews, once again, are fiddling beside Nero while an orchestra goes down with the ship. For a preternaturally nervous people, Jews sometimes have great difficulty in taking a hint. A certain amount of Jewish nonchalance is understandable, I guess. The Jewish state seems to be out of […]

It’s a big mistake to compare Donald Trump to other presidents. A more apt reference point is Trump as the longtime star of “The Apprentice,” a highly successful reality show where Trump “played” the role of a business tycoon and learned the fine art of grabbing and holding people’s attention. If Trump is about anything, […]

History has shown us that there can be deadly and destabilizing consequences when acts of antisemitism are ignored or left addressed inadequately. That’s why it was so disturbing when demonstrators in our communities fanned the flames of hate in the wake of the October 7th attacks on Israel – starting the very next day. What […]

Real change in Iran cannot be imposed from the outside—it must come from within. In recent months, Iran has stood at the center of a crisis with consequences that extended far beyond its borders. Although the 12-day war has ended, its message is unmistakable: While precision airstrikes may have delayed Iran’s nuclear program for a […]

Michelle Missaghieh, Temple Israel of Hollywood’s associate rabbi, is likely the busiest rabbi in Los Angeles. She teaches children and adults, learning, pastoral duties, in-person and online classes, involvement with numerous boards, every program — large and small — at TIOH. On top of all this, the slender Rabbi Missaghieh goes for a brisk 60-75 […]