Local

Sestak, the Winner, Has His Work Cut Out for Him

By:

U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak tends to wax poetic about the values instilled in him during his career in the U.S. Navy, and more than once has used a battleship as a metaphor to describe American foreign policy. (It must be turned around slowly and with care.) The retired three-star admiral can now rightly be called a political giant killer, having...

National

How Specter, the 'Go-To Guy,' Lost His Electoral Sparkle

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

Until now, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter -- one of the most influential Jewish politicians of the last 30 years -- has been known as a political escape artist, achieving electoral victories in the face of probably defeat. Supporters say that the son of an immigrant from Russia, who went from being the lone Jewish kid in Russel, Kan., to the...

National

On to the Next Front: Election Day Battle

With Specter gone, Senate hopefuls chart course to vie for Jewish support

By:

Dan Hirschhorn, JE Feature

U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter enjoyed deep support from the Philadelphia-area Jewish community, and it's no mystery why. As a Republican from Kansas who was moderate on social issues and staunch in his support of Israel, he seemed hand-crafted more than any GOPer to win Jewish votes, especially in the suburbs. But now, he's out of the picture, his defection to...

Local

Message to Obama: 'Not How You Treat Family'

By:

Bryan Schwartzman

Is the administration of President Barack Obama pursuing policies that are detrimental to Israel's security and international standing? Or is the distrust that Obama is facing among some American Jews and Israelis more of an issue of perception and how policies have been framed? That's the question Rabbi Andrea Merow of Beth Sholom Congregation in Elkins Park had in mind...

Local

Oldest Alum, 98, Leads Way at Penn Ceremony

By:

Aaron Passman, JE Feature

"Somebody's looking out for me upstairs," Jay Furman cheerfully declared as he pointed upwards. Needless to say, the 98-year-old wasn't talking about the folks who manage the Center City senior living facility where he lives. Whether it's due to a healthy lifestyle or a far greater power, Furman once again led the procession of alumni at the University of Pennsylvania...