Forward.com

Making Daniel Pearl’s Legacy Universal and JewishWhen Pakistani terrorists kidnapped and murdered Daniel Pearl two years ago, the Wall Street Journal reporter became one of the most famous victims of antisemitism since Anne Frank.“Among other things, he came to symbolize the post-9/11 species of antisemitism,” his father, Dr. Judea Pearl, said during a recent interview. “It’s a strange…Read more

Astir With Gracious Words: The Psalms’ ResurgenceRabbi Paul Plotkin’s faith in God was confirmed by a single line from the Psalms, but for years nobody seemed to want to hear his story.Devastated by a painful divorce in 1994, the Conservative rabbi turned to his morning prayers for consolation; he found it in a verse from Psalm 30, “At night one goes to sleep crying; in the morning there…Read more

Taking Generosity to a Higher LevelOn September 11, 2001, Julie Salamon threw her sense of altruism aside, gathered up her children and sought out a safe place to hide in her East Side apartment.For Salamon, a lifelong do-gooder, her human instinct came as a complete surprise. Her sense of shame grew even stronger as she watched her husband’s earnest, but futile, attempts to give…Read more

Previews From the Pulpits of AmericaWhen Rabbi Laura Geller sat down this month to write her High Holy Day sermons, she found a lot to feel gloomy about: a sour economy, a controversial war in Iraq, an enduring battle against terrorism and an increasingly hopeless situation in Israel.“It’s such a hard year because there is so much darkness in the world,” said Geller,…Read more

What They’re Hoping To HearTony Davis knows exactly what he want to hear from his rabbis when he sits down in his pew this High Holy Day season, although he admits to having been disappointed in the past.“I would like them to speak specifically about how American Jews can effectively support Israel at this time,” said Davis, 33, a private-equity investor who attends…Read more