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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
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The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
June 28, 2011
/ 26 Sivan, 5771
On the cutting edge in San Francisco
By
Wesley Pruden
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
SAN FRANCISCO--- This city has an obsession with the male sex organ and not just on Gay Pride Day, ever on the scout for new ways to elevate and honor it as the municipal icon.
Gay Pride Day and the parade on Sunday was a big hit, with the usual complement of flags, floats, papier-mache penises held proudly aloft and naked men marching resolutely down the avenue. But now the city's serious work, as Baghdad by the Bay measures work and defines serious, begins in earnest.
There's a referendum in November to determine whether circumcision of male infants should be prohibited by law, punishable by thousand-dollar fines and misdemeanor sentences of a year in jail, with no religious exemptions. Only 7,168 qualified voters are needed on petitions to put a proposal on the November ballot, and organizers quickly presented petitions with 7,700 names.
International health-maintenance organizations have promoted male circumcision to reduce spread of the AIDS virus, which certainly ought to make the practice popular in San Francisco, where a cool lavender mist rolls in with the fog off the Pacific. The referendum was earlier thought to be too goofy to succeed, even in San Francisco, but now nobody is sure.
Organizers of the campaign decry circumcision as genital mutilation, likening it to female genital mutilation practiced in many Muslim countries. They argue that the practice is unnecessary, painful and dangerous, and shouldn't be imposed on an infant child.
"Parents are really guardians," says Lloyd Schofield, who is leading the campaign to ban circumcision. "Guardians have to do what's in the best interests of the child. It's his body, his choice." He argues that the procedure is more medically invasive than many young parents realize.
Not so, says Rabbi Gil Yosef Leeds, speaking for the opposition. "For a city that's renowned for being progressive and open-minded, to even have to consider such an intolerant proposition sets a dangerous precedent for all cities and states." The rabbi is also a certified mohel, who in the Jewish faith performs the bris, or ritual cut, on the eighth day after the boy's birth. In the Jewish faith, circumcision is a mark of the covenant between G0d and the Jews.
The proposal has united, on this one unusual issue, Jewish and Muslim clerics. A coalition of five rabbis, three imams, two physicians who perform medical circumcisions and the Jewish Anti-Defemation League have filed a law suit to petition the state courts to remove the voter initiative from the ballot, arguing that California law prohibits local governments restricting medical procedures.
A similar measure in Santa Monica, adjoining Los Angeles, was dropped when a campaign comic book, depicting "Foreskin Man" as a dark and sinister monster mohel advancing on an infant with a large knife, was denounced as "anti-Semitic imagery."
This being California, there's the inevitable show-biz element in the controversy. Russell Crowe, the actor, in a Twitter exchange with Hollywood pals called circumcision "barbaric and stupid," and accused circumcision advocates of playing G0d. "Babies," he said, "are perfect." Mr. Crow, who as an actor is accustomed to reading lines written for him, had apparently never heard of birth defects, often corrected by surgery, and in his retreat from harsh language only made his public-relations gaffe worse.
He wanted everyone to know that some of his best friends are Jewish. "I love my Jewish friends," he tweeted to the horror-film director Eli Roth in what he imagined was an apology. "I love the apples and the honey and the funny little hats." His reference to Jewish diet and the yarmulkes worn by Jewish men won him no accolades, and when the exchange went postal on the Internet he tried an all-inclusive apology, not only to Jews but to Muslims, Hindus, whirling dervishes and everyone his press flacks could think of. "I have a deep and abiding love for all people of all nationalities," the semi-chastened actor said. "I realize that some will interpret this debate as me mocking the rituals and traditions of others. I am very sorry."
Only about 30 percent of men worldwide are circumcised, and fewer than that in Africa, where AIDS is endemic. This percentage rises to 80 percent in the United States, so this ought to be a slam dunk for opposition to a ban. But slam dunks are rare in politics, and California voters are notorious for whoring after the new thing.
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JWR contributor Wesley Pruden is editor emeritus of The Washington Times. Comment by clicking here.
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