Obama: Jews' outlook on the future should be a lesson to all Americans

[Scurrilous]

U.S. President launches Jewish Heritage Month in first-ever White House reception honoring contribution of Jewish Americans.

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"U.S. President Barack Obama launched Jewish Heritage Month on Thursday as he hosted some 200 guests at the White House to honor the contribution of Jewish Americans. In his address, Obama said that Jewish people's belief that a better future is always possible should be a lesson for all Americans.

Obama honored the contributions American Jews have made in the arts, music, sports and other fields at the first-ever White House reception of this kind. Obama also took the opportunity to reaffirm his commitment to the safety and security of Israel.

Among those in attendance were former baseball great Sandy Koufax. Obama joked that while Koufax said he could not pitch on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, the president himself simply could not pitch - a reference to his rocky appearances on the mound when he has been asked to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at baseball games.

"Yes, Jewish Americans have garnered success in industry and in government - as we can see by the guests gathered here today," Obama told the audience. "Yes, Jews have helped to pioneer incredible advances in science and medicine, across countless fields. But the contributions of the Jewish community to America run deeper. As a product of history and faith, Jewish Americans have helped to open our eyes to injustice, to people in need, and to the simple idea that we ought to recognize ourselves in the struggles of our fellow men and women."

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[BoneDaddy]

1. Absolutely but...

Like any other culture, group, or ethnicity there are incredible, wonderful aspects. But no culture is ever perfect and while we should celebrate the incredible gifts, contributions and value of the Jewish culture, it does not render them immune from criticism. This has been a problem for awhile.

Every culture has a "darkside" and sadly, when criticism is layed at the feet of some of the more recent cultures who have been victimized historically, there is a refrain (especially among liberals) to shy away from really looking at the situation and seeing it with, at least, an attempt at objectivity. For instance the state of Israel and their policies. When confronted with any criticism the label of "anti semite" is often thrown back in response, which causes many people with legit complaints to back off. This is sad, pathetic and a real slap in the face of all of the Jews who have suffered.