Richard Lederman

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Dec 22, 2024, 6:52 PM

Anti-Zionism and Antisemitism redefined

It would be futile to attempt to analyze the entire debate about whether or not anti-Zionism is antisemitism. The point is that the entire debate is flawed, and if American Jewry–the vast majority of which is Zionist but utterly...

Dec 22, 2024, 5:53 PM

Proud American Jewish Zionist

I was a troubled teen. None of the people I have met since then can believe it, but it’s true. I was a teenager of the 60’s and all that entailed. Fortunately, I had enough self-awareness to know that...

Dec 30, 2022, 5:55 PM

Trump good for Israel–not!

The twice-impeached voted-out-of-office former president keeps insisting that he was the best president ever for Israel and that the lack of support for him among American Jews is a sign of disloyalty. I’ve already written in an earlier blog...

Nov 14, 2022, 11:27 PM

Ethno-Nationalism and Diaspora Jews

Much virtual ink has been spilled regarding the results of Israel’s elections and the advent of the far-right parties Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit, and their leaders Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir. The fear is that these two...

Jun 17, 2020, 8:06 PM

The Jewish “Right” to the Land: A Response to Yossi Klein Halevi

As opposition grows to Israeli government plans to annex portions of the West Bank, it was not surprising to read journalist Yossi Klein Halevi’s plea in a recent Times of Israel blogpost urging the government to renounce those plans....

Aug 18, 2019, 5:31 AM

Let Omar and Tlaib in!

Where to begin? Perhaps I would begin at the beginning of my relationship with Israel -- the state, the land, the people. I grew up in your average nominally Conservative Jewish family. We went to shul on High Holidays,...

Jun 26, 2019, 10:38 PM

The Bahrain “Workshop” and Chances for Peace

I am no supporter of Donald Trump. But as a Jew and a Zionist, I cannot walk away unmoved by the video images of a group of Jewish men (yes, I’m afraid men only) dancing around the prayer stand...

Jan 25, 2019, 11:49 PM

MLK, Abu Mazen and BDS

In a rather ironic juxtaposition, my wife and I were experiencing a truly profound civil rights pilgrimage through the state of Alabama just as the Jewish media was awash in articles depicting the battle between Jewish groups over the...

Jan 22, 2019, 12:56 AM

Beware the Christian Zionist

Many Jewish Zionists seem utterly infatuated with the Zionism of evangelic Christians, people like, for instance, Pastor John Hagee, founder and Chairman of CUFI, Christians United for Israel. Israel, too, seems captivated by evangelical Christian Zionism, as witnessed by...

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About Me

Richard Lederman holds a BA in Religion from Miami University (Ohio) and a Ph.D. in Ancient Near Eastern Languages and Literature from the Annenberg Research Institute, now the Center for Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. After nearly 30 years as a Jewish communal professional, including a post as Director of Publich Policy and Social Action for the United Synagogue of Conservative Juddaism, Lederman is now retired. He blogs at www.richardlederman.blogspot.com and liberalizionism.blogspot.com.

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