http://www.jta.org/news/ en zsilberman@washingtonjewishweek.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-09T22:54:00-05:00 http://www.jta.org/news/article/2008/11/03/1000715/backing-prop-8-means-standing-up-for-torah-traditional-values http://www.jta.org/site/backing-prop-8-means-standing-up-for-torah-traditional-values/#When:21:03:02Z The director of public affairs of Agudath Israel of America says that an assortment of arguments can be made in support of Proposition 8, the measure aimed at amending California’s constitution to enshrine the traditional definition of marriage in state law. Politics, U.S., Opinion, Lead Headline 2008-11-03T21:03:02-05:00 http://www.jta.org/news/article/2008/03/10/107449/shafran http://www.jta.org/site/shafran/#When:09:00:01Z The spokesman of Agudath Israel of America argues that a haredi newspaper's policy against publishing images of women should trigger thoughtful reflection, not derision. Opinion 2008-03-10T09:00:01-05:00 http://www.jta.org/news/article/2007/07/29/103300/intermarriageFeldman http://www.jta.org/site/intermarriageFeldman/#When:09:00:01Z There is simply no way – not in the real world – to warmly welcome intermarrieds without welcoming intermarriage, Rabbi Avi Shafran writes. Opinion 2007-07-29T09:00:01-05:00 http://www.jta.org/news/article/2007/04/19/101292/partialbirthoped http://www.jta.org/site/partialbirthoped/#When:09:00:01Z Those who have asserted that Jewish religious tradition is somehow offended by the recently upheld Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act are misinformed and, in turn, misinform, Rabbi Avi Shafran writes. Opinion 2007-04-19T09:00:01-05:00 http://www.jta.org/news/article/2007/02/07/15201/shafrancremation http://www.jta.org/site/shafrancremation/#When:10:00:01Z Jews are charged to show "honor for the dead" by consigning human bodies, in as undisturbed a state as possible, to the earth. That makes cremation antithetical to Judaism, Rabbi Avi Shafran writes. Opinion 2007-02-07T10:00:01-05:00 http://www.jta.org/news/article/2007/01/01/14746/Conservativedecisio http://www.jta.org/site/Conservativedecisio/#When:10:00:01Z With the decision to allow same-sex commitment ceremonies and ordain openly gay rabbis, the Conservative movement has dropped any pretense of halachic commitment. It's time for halachically oriented Conservative Jews to come to Orthodoxy, Rabbi Avi Shafra Opinion 2007-01-01T10:00:01-05:00 http://www.jta.org/news/article/2004/03/25/11381/Reformingmarriagea http://www.jta.org/site/Reformingmarriagea/#When:10:00:01Z Maintaining traditional Jewish standards in Israel's marriage laws and kosher laws is critical to protecting Israel's continued ability to remain a Jewish state, writes Rabbi Avi Shafran. Opinion 2004-03-25T10:00:01-05:00