ISRAEL
YOM HASHOAH—A WARNING
Last Monday night/Tuesday, Jews observed (not celebrated) Yom HaShoah—Holocaust Remembrance Day—on the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising. After World War Two, Jews insisted, “Never again!” Israel built a military to defend the Jewish State. It’s what’s happening in America that disturbs me. Carolyn and I didn’t do anything formal for Yom HaShoah. We discuss…
Read MoreISRAEL’S MILITARY CRISIS OF CONSCIENCE
The political situation in Israel has become toxic. Parallels exist in the United States, but one problem hasn’t hit America—yet. As I wrote (January 27) in “Knesset, Congress and Chaos,” Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu and his far-right partners seek to gut Israel’s supreme court. The Knesset, rather than pass a law, could overturn a court decision…
Read More“FAUDA”—VIOLENCE AND HUMANITY
Spoiler alert: If you plan to watch season 4 of the Netflix series “Fauda,” stop reading. Otherwise, consider the humanity of this Israeli show that focuses on the never-ending violence in Israel and the West Bank. “Fauda” (Arabic for chaos) follows a special commando unit in the Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security force. These men and women are…
Read MoreKNESSET, CONGRESS AND CHAOS
Two countries. Two democratic systems. The same chaos caused by those who put their theology above the will of the majority. Israel maintains a parliamentary system with twelve parties now represented in the single-house Knesset. The present government under Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu rules because Bibi’s party—Likud—holds 32 of the Knesset’s 120 seats. That’s…
Read MoreIS THERE AN AUTHENTIC JUDAISM?
Israel’s Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef recently stated that Reform and Conservative Jews practice a different religion. I get his point—but think he’s wrong in two important ways. The Reform movement started in early-19th century Germany as a response to the Enlightenment. Traditional observance was seen as outdated and preventing Jews from engaging unhindered with the rest…
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