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July 18, 2008

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The Sanctification and Importance of Time

Caroline B. Glick: US wants it absolutely clear it has no intention of attacking Iran's nuclear installations

Mona Charen: What can you say about a people who welcome a child murderer as a hero?

JWisdom:: Living a dog's life, dawg? by Rabbi Dovid Gross

July 17, 2008

Steven Emerson: Deals with devils

Libby Lazewnik: One Step at a Time

JWisdom:: Leader the follower? by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

July 16, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Poaching humans

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Meaty pasta salad with summer berries perfect for warm evenings

JWisdom:: Keeping A Secret by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

July 15, 2008

Dennis Prager: False Equation: Opposing Same-Sex Marriage and Opposing Interracial Marriage

Joel Greenberg: Researchers look to Israeli circumcision program to help combat AIDS 'Alternatives' to Logic Won't Work

JWisdom:: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part V: Why Judaism ISN'T Spiritual by Rabbi David Aaron

July 14, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: A warning from Canada to those who value life

Jonathan Tobin: 'Alternatives' to Logic Won't Work

JWisdom:: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Poland's Unique Antisemitism, Part II

July 11, 2008

Rabbi Francis Nataf: It's hard to be humble when you're great

Caroline B. Glick: A tale of two hostages

JWisdom:: Profane for Prophet by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

July 8, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. Duty to save gullible from themselves?

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Islamists have the West just where they want us

JWisdom:: Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality, Part 3: The Fully Loaded Human Being by Rabbi Dovid Gross

July 3, 2008

Rabbi Dr. Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget (TOUCHING!)

Jeff Jacoby: Israel still paying for its defeat

JWisdom:: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part IV by Rabbi David Aaron

JWisdom:: The Moses Method by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

July 2, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: Appeasers Make Poor Patriots

The Kosher Gourmet By Kathleen Purvis: Slaw, y'all: For BBQs or Sabbath dinner, these southern recipes are something else!

JWisdom:: Rabbi Mordechai Becher: Jewish Rx for A Simpler Life

July 1, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q. I think it's important to leave a legacy to my children. How much should I save towards this end?

Paul Greenberg:A President who is history deficient?

JWisdom:: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Poland's Unique Antisemitism

June 30, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Remembering the architect of Torah Judaism for the modern world

Abe Novick: Hulk: Still a Jew?

JWisdom: : Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality, Part 2: The Abandoned Child

June 26, 2008

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Quantum leap to evil

Caroline B. Glick: Victimized families must not be allowed to dictate policy

June 25, 2008

Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Today in Biblical History: King Jeroboam of Israel prevents pilgrimage to Jerusalem

Jonathan Tobin: Real Friends and Real Enemies

JWisdom: Raping of reason By Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

June 25, 2008

Steven Emerson: Kristof: Never Mind the Terrorists

Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: Mediterranean Flyover: Telegraphing an Israeli Punch?

JWisdom: Rabbi David Aaron: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part III

June 24, 2008

Caroline B. Glick: What were they thinking!?

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Guilty knowledge

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Warping Innocence

June 23, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Diploma dilemma

Jeff Jacoby: A world without children

JWisdom: Rabbi Dovid Gross: Putting the Spirit Back into Spirituality --- Introduction

June 20, 2008

Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Man: The Crowning Glory of Creation

Caroline B. Glick: Israel's darkest week

JWisdom: We aren't worthy? by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

June 19, 2008

Rabbi Elazar Meisels: The saints who don't come marchin' in

Chris Christoff: Muslim woman demands an apology from Obama after camera snub

June 18, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: Still Dancing Around Jerusalem

The Kosher Gourmet by Steve Petusevsky: Chilled fruit and vegetable soups

JWisdom: Souls Need A Check Up? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

June 17, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Baby Einstein

Caroline B. Glick: Bush's rhetoric, Bush's policies

JWisdom: Re-Jew-venating prayer, Part II by Rabbi David Aaron

June 16, 2008

Varda Branfman: Bob Dylan, won't you please come home?

Diana West: Academic dares to question the 'religion of peace'

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Positive Backfire

March 22, 2007

J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)

Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)

Jewish World Review Feb. 27, 2007 / 10 Adar, 5767

The Reagan template

By Kathryn Lopez


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | "My hero Ronald Reagan ..." were the very first words of a recent fund-raising pitch e-mail from former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. He went on to not-at-all-subtly quote our 40th president —"The future belongs to the free" — and commented: "This statement captures what so many Americans admired about President Reagan — his optimistic leadership, his belief in building a better future, and his continued focus on freedom."


Why does every Republican presidential candidate want to be the next Reagan? And why is Ronald Reagan is exactly what conservatives seem to be craving most.


Paul Kengor, author of "The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism," says "Reagan was able to unify and uplift the party ... (largely) through three essential dynamics that George W. Bush does not possess and which all contenders for 2008 and beyond will find frustratingly elusive: communication, personality and a single winning issue he pursued with tremendous success."



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Reagan's magic was his skill for communication, the same communication George W. Bush, despite all his brave leadership on Iraq, lacks. As Kengor vents to me, he channels the frustrations of many conservative supporters of the Iraq war: "This administration seems almost afraid to respond to its harshest critics, as if fearful it will offend The New York Times. There seems to be a complete inability by the president's staff to create helpful images for their president."


Think about this one as an example: The most frequent dismissive comment directed at Bush is that he's a "cowboy." Kengor recalls: "I always expected the Bush team to play up the Texas-ranch-cowboy imagery of George W. Bush. They never have. I understand why: The Left would call the president a gunslinger and cowboy in a pejorative way. Who cares? Most Americans love cowboys, they love the Old West. Who cares if Dana Milbank and the Washington Post don't? The liberal press will not like Bush no matter what he does. Reagan wasn't afraid of that cowboy image. He played it up. He spent a full year's worth of time at his ranch while he was president, where he wore cowboy boots, Wranglers, flannel shirts, a Stetson, rode horses, split wood and slept literally 10 feet from a gun rack filled with Winchesters, one of which he grabbed one day and fired at a crow, to the horror of the Secret Service." Of course, Reagan ended a Cold War and restored a nation's confidence.


If you want to be a Reaganesque candidate, Kengor suggests that you "be positive" and "persevere": "Reagan was positive in his image of America as a Shining City. ... He saw America that way himself, and then succeeded in communicating that image to Americans. Perseverance is more difficult."


It's great to know Reagan inspired everyone. But when everyone from Republican Mike Huckabee to Democrat Barack Obama is praising Reagan, the winner will be the candidate who embodies the best of Reagan's character: perseverance, optimism and authenticity.

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