Israel, Iran, Syria trade blows
Ben Sales, JTAFeb 15, 2018
JERUSALEM — Israel and Iran have been clashing for years. But on Feb. 10, their war of words briefly became an actual fight. In short succession, Iran sent a drone...
Whither Carlebach’s music?
Ben Sales, JTAFeb 08, 2018
NEW YORK — When Rabbi Angela Buchdahl announced how her synagogue would respond to the #MeToo moment, she singled out a man. But he wasn’t one of her congregants,...
Dems’ support for Israel sliding?
Ben Sales, JTAFeb 01, 2018
NEW YORK — The share of Democrats who sympathize more with Israel than the Palestinians is falling fast, while Republican sympathy for Israel over the Palestinians is...
Base Hillel is another entry point for young Jews
Ben Sales, JTAJan 25, 2018
NEW YORK — At a small stove in the kitchen, a man exploring conversion to Judaism is frying tofu with red onions. Chatting with him is a woman who works for a...
Lawsuits against Delta allege anti-Semitism
Ben Sales, JTAJan 11, 2018
NEW YORK — It wasn’t long after Nahum Amir began working for Delta Airlines as a mechanic that he says his manager started calling him “the Jewish guy.” Then...
Shoot to kill?
Ben Sales, JTAJan 11, 2018
JERUSALEM — If a Palestinian appears to be committing a terror attack, do they deserve to die on the spot? The answer is yes, says Michael Oren. The former Israeli...
Ask me anything — in Arabic
Ben Sales, JTAJan 04, 2018
JERUSALEM — Is it true that Judaism doesn’t accept converts? Is it true that Jews have to wash their hands before they pray? Is it true that Jews have historically...
Labor’s new pragmatic, centrist leader
Ben Sales, JTADec 21, 2017
NEW YORK — If Avi Gabbay becomes Israel’s next prime minister, he wants you to know he loves American Jews. Gabbay, the latest head of Israel’s Labor Party, was in...
How a JCC reaches secular Israelis
Ben Sales, JTADec 14, 2017
PALO ALTO, Calif. — With a foot in the tech world and another in Jewish culture, the JCC in Palo Alto has transformed itself into a hub for local Israeli expatriates....
Many Minnesota Jews miss Franken
Ben Sales, JTADec 14, 2017
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s a shame Al Franken has to go, Minnesota Jews say. But he has to go. That’s the feeling Minnesota Jewish leaders expressed a day after the...
