I have never admired Jimmy Carter, but I tended to want to give him the benefit of the doubt. I thought he might be a decent, if naïve, man who really wanted to try to bring peace to the world. I began to think otherwise when he used the emotive term “Apartheid” to describe Israeli policies. I abhor occupation on…
Residents of Sderot
According to the Jerusalem Post (Itamar Sharon, Feb.27), residents of Sderot, the town continuously under attack from Palestinian-fired rockets from Gaza, have gone to the Israeli Supreme Court to ask why the army refused to buy the proven Nautilus anti-rocket defense system, which is readily available in the US. The fact that the army makes decisions in Israel that override…
In Reply To Atheists
I have been reliably informed by friends who attended a recent series of debates between believers and atheists that the atheists won, hands down. In one way this upsets me, as a believer. But in another way I am delighted that false or inadequate arguments are shown up for what they are. In pursuit of truth, even arguments that appear…
The Cowards of Denver
The much vaunted freedom to be Jewish in the USA is not quite all it’s cracked up to be. It’s true that on a recent “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”, fully 75% of the audience knew that a long-winded explanation was “a megillah”, which shows to what extent Jewish concepts have been absorbed by American society. And in New…
“On Chesil Beach”
Ian McEwan is one of Britain’s most successful novelists. I have to say that he is not one of my favorites. Rather like Jane Austen, he is preoccupied with the prissy, boring English middle classes, a species I do not find either particularly attractive or instructive. That’s why I find Russian novels much more interesting. When it comes to reading…
Jewish Food
Food plays a very important role in Jewish life. I am not talking about the laws of what one may or may not eat. I am not talking about the kosher certification wars–mine is better and holier than yours and if you have to pay more for it, it must be good for your soul. This week I am talking…