You might think there is little left original to write about the Festival of Shavuot that we are about to celebrate. We know its Biblical, agricultural origins, the importance of nature without its subservience to it, and the celebration of the seasons. We know of its umbilical 49-day connection to Pesach, from the barley harvest to wheat. The story of…
Author: Jeremy Rosen
Yom Yerushalayim
Sunday May 29th is Yom Yerushalayim. Some people may say it was a miracle, to regain the Old City of Jerusalem after two thousand years. I think it was proof that only by being proactive and determined can one survive and thrive in a hostile world. In 1948 Jordan had unilaterally conquered the Old City of Jerusalem, baring Jews from entry, destroying synagogues, and desecrating Jewish…
Abortion
In 1973 the USA Supreme Court decided in Roe v Wade to strike down Texas laws that criminalized abortion. There is a furor now over a leaked Supreme Court opinion that suggests certain changes might be made to that judgment. Even though no one in the Supreme Court thinks that abortion should once again be illegal everywhere in the USA, some states want to ban…
What’s the Omer?
Those of us who are loyal to tradition are now into a period of mourning called the Omer. It’s a time of mourning. No weddings or parties (and for those decadent ones among us, no public entertainment, opera, concerts, theater, or cinema). None of these restrictions are mentioned in the Torah or indeed in the Talmud. All it says in the…
Ethical Warfare
The ongoing conflict in Ukraine raises important moral issues about warfare. Some people believe that all violence is wrong under all circumstances. Pacifism has a long tradition in religions and cultures both in the West and in the East. Judaism on the other hand takes a pragmatic standpoint. As Russia defies every moral standard in Ukraine, what does Judaism have…
Solzhenitsyn Was Right
Aleksander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), was one of the most impressive Russians of the past century. He was born into a family committed to the Russian Orthodox Church but became a Marxist as a young man. He welcomed the revolution initially. But came to realize that it had turned into a cruel and repressive, regime. He recorded his experiences throughout his life in…