Category: Other

It is often an instructive exercise to compare different biblical accounts of the same events and consider what they reveal. In this week’s haftarah, we read of King David’s deathbed message to his son Shlomo (Solomon), who is about to…

Judaism was and is always radical. Its radicalism might indeed be an explanation for why Jews and their revolutionary ideas have not always been treated with much compassion by the rest of the world. But ironically, compassion for that world…

I was a fan of Renen Schorr long before I ever set foot in Israel, long before Sam Spiegel became synonymous with Israeli cinematic excellence. I admired him because I am instinctively drawn to people who take creativity seriously. Not as…

The public confrontation between Moshe Gafni and Shas over the appointment of the chair of the Jerusalem Religious Council may at first glance look like just another chapter in the endless struggle of ego and power struggles in ultra-Orthodox…

As we close 2025, it feels like finally the nightmare of October 7 has come to an end; that we’ve finally turned the page on the calendar to a new day. Softly, tenderly, spring has descended on us: the green shoots of hope have sprung up in…

When the Jewish people needed Archbishop of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan most – in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack against Israel – he showed up like none other. It was reassuring but not a surprise. He has always…

The year 2025 closed as the deadliest year ever recorded for Arab citizens of Israel in the context of violence and crime. Two hundred and fifty-five Arab men and women were killed—another grim increase after years of steady deterioration….

The Benefits of Being Jewish,  Proud, Alive, and Unapologetic

Being Jewish is often framed as a story of suffering. Antisemitism, persecution, security concerns,  these dominate the public conversation. While those realities exist and must…

TRUMP YOU ARE WRONG AND MR. BIBI YOU ARE WRONG

I would like to start this blog by reminding everyone that Donald Trump is responsible for the return of almost all of our hostages, dead and alive. He deserves much credit for that.

Now to get…

Is New Year’s “just a celebration” — or a sign of how easily we slip into someone else’s story?
Written before October 7 but relevant now, it explores the proiximity of the10th of Tevet and New Year’s Day — which always fall in…