Families Belong Together

Dear Friends, America’s moral crisis over immigration continues to unfold. Whatever wise and fair immigration policy you favor, I know we can all agree that mass child abuse, executed by the federal government, is a historic disgrace. Families belong together. The UN Convention on the Rights of Children affirms the central importance of family integrity: “The… Read more »

Any Love Unaccompanied by Criticism is Not Love at All: America, the UN, and the Future of Israel

As the Obamas exit and the Trumps enter, America’s and American Jews’ relationship to Israel are frazzling. Several AC members expressed dismay about America’s abstention from a UN resolution critical of Israel and Sec. Kerry’s extremely blunt speech about whether the two-state solution has any future. Others are panicked that David Friedman will be America’s… Read more »

Seeking the Good Amidst a Rise in Hate

Every politician’s favorite feel-good line – oft-attributed to de Tocqueville, wrongly – is that “America is great because America is good.” Hillary Clinton cited it often during the campaign, to tell us a story about ourselves, to make voters attend to some aspiration supposedly growing native in our national character to prize liberty, justice, fairness,… Read more »

The Election is Over….So What Now?

The election is over. And every one of the problems and pressures that beset civil society remain before us. Public reflections over the last week, as well as semi-public and private conversations – like those we shared with the members of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church on Shabbat and Sunday – persuade me that we in… Read more »