The Savanarola Moment

People are asking why now are we experiencing such a tsunami of hatred? Read more

Shabbat Toldot

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Israel’s Chief Rabbinate

While the world’s attention has been focused on the American election, a far less publicized but still significant election for the Chief Rabbinate took place in Israel. Read more

Shabbat Chayey Sarah

Pay attention to the words! Read more

Shabbat Vayeyra

Avraham Challenges God Read more

Trump

וללב מלכים אין חקר
“There is no way to  plumb the depths of the hearts of kings.”
Proverbs 25:3
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Shabbat Leych Lecha

Challenges Read more

Assassinations 

Yes, of course, I was delighted to hear that Sinwar met the violent end that he deserved. Read more

The Festival of Succot

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Yom Kippur Eve

Hope or Trust? Read more

Should God Atone too?

We are approaching a period of atonement. And sometimes, I wonder who should be atoning. Read more

Shabbat Nitzavim & Vayeylech

SECRETS Read more

Daniel Deronda: George Eliot and the Jews.

In 1290, Jews were expelled from England. In 1656, Cromwell failed to persuade Parliament to welcome Jews back officially. Read more

Shabbat Ki Tavo

Two Mountains

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Certainties

We humans love certainties. We think we know, but more often than not, we stumble on. Read more

Shabbat Ki Teytzey

Who deserves respect? Read more

Dangerous Apostates

Jews hating Jews has a long history. Going as far back as the Bible. But medieval religions made a real art of it. Read more

Shabbat Shoftim

Humans and Trees Read more

Douglas Murray

I do not think that Israel has a better more articulate or fearless non -Jewish supporter of Israel than the British journalist, author and commentator Douglas Murray. Read more

Shabbat Re’eh

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Robert Wistrich and Jew Hatred

Many, many books have been written about the Holocaust and antisemitism. Read more

Shabbat Eykev Do as you would be done by

The weekly reading of Eykev follows the pattern of the previous three weeks. Read more

Comfort Ye! Comfort Ye!

The Shabbat after the fast of the Ninth of Av, is called Shabbat Nachamu, the Shabbat of Comfort. Its name comes from the 40^th Chapter of the Biblical Prophet Isaiah and let us ignore the debate about how many Isaiahs there were. Read more

Shabbat Vaetchanan – The Shema

Apart from the opening statements of the so-called Ten Commandments, there is very little that we would call theology in the Torah. Read more

The Ninth of Av: Fasting and Self-flagellation

Both Christianity and Islam have long and controversial traditions of penance that involve flogging oneself with whips or scourges that inflict pain. Read more

Shabbat Devarim: What’s in a Name? 

Why do we call this the fifth book of the Torah that we start this week, Devarim?  Read more

Who was Peter Bergson?

The anniversary of Hillel Kook’s death was this week. A Jewish Walter Mitty and a colorful, complex, dual personality also known as Peter Bergson. Read more

Shabbat Mattot Massei Rosh Chodesh Av Tuesday – Conquering the Land

This week, two sections of the Torah are read as we come to the end of the fourth Book of the Torah. Read more

Why did we go wrong?

Why are we having difficulty coming to terms with this reality, the realization of how much we are hated ? Read more

Shabbat Pinchas: Zealots  

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