The sociologist Percy Cohen, in his book, Jewish Radicals and Radical Jews, argues that as Jews abandon Jewish religious life there is a tendency to shift towards radical social attitudes to compensate. One sees this throughout the Jewish world. But there is a new variant.Tikun Olam, to change the world (for better), has become the new cliche for large numbers…
Jesus
Whenever I have an article published in the international press, I get emails from Christians telling me how much they and Jesus love me, and wanting me to know how much better my life would be if only I could accept him as my savior. Alternatively, they ask me to explain those Biblical quotations they believe predict Jesus. My usual…
Olympic Fraud
[To hear the audio version of this post, click here.] No, I’m not talking about under-the-legal-age Chinese gymnasts, bribed judges, or even a cute Chinese girl lip syncing because she’s prettier than the real voice. I’m talking about the myth of the Olympic Games, that they represent some sort of sporting ideal in contrast to the dirty, politicized, cheating, dishonest…
Solzhenitsyn
[To hear the audio version of this post, click on the “play” arrow below.] Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who died recently, was a great writer. For my generation he symbolized the emergence of a Russian protest movement from within Russia itself. Initially he was welcomed by anti-Stalinist Nikita Khrushchev, but in the anti-Khrushchev reaction he was suppressed. His books about the Russian…
The 9th of Av and the Holocaust
[To hear the audio version of this post, click here.] In his book, Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945, Tony Judt describes in detail how virtually every European state simply refused to acknowledge the Holocaust openly or to purge its society of the perpetrators. All kinds of different reasons are given, such as the guilt of those who participated…
Fasting
What is religion to you? Pleasure or pain? We are in the fasting season. We started with the Seventeenth of Tamuz, a full day from dawn till dark. Next week we move on toward the Ninth of Av (Tisha B’Av), a 25-hour marathon in the height of summer. I am intrigued by the role of fasting in Judaism. In theory…