Why is South Africa leading the outpouring of hatred towards Israel? Is the writing on the wall? Is it because of endemic anti-Semitism? Or is there something more to this than meets the eye? In one way it is nothing new. You may recall the scandalous World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance that took place in Durban, South Africa…
Eulogy for a Friend
Mordell Klein (1943-2024) was my oldest friend! A brilliant, charismatic, multi-faceted man of many talents and contradictions. He was born into a remarkable family. His father was an outstanding Talmid Chacham and Rosh Yeshivah, his mother was a bright, forceful woman with a strong personality. His were siblings brilliant each in a different way. The death of his father at an unseemly early…
Shabbat Beshalach
Exodus 13:17-18 Ancient events modern lessons. When Moshe led the Children of Israel out of Egypt, they headed due east. But after a few days of travel, they turned south. Initially, the Torah tells us they turned away from the quick coastal route for fear of encountering the Amalekites before they would have had time to train militarily and to…
World In Crisis
According to Bartelby in the Economist last week, we are heading towards a global disaster. Political instability at a moment of another industrial revolution and ideological turmoil. Once again. Does history repeat itself? After the so-called Enlightenment followed by the French Revolution and the upheavals of Napoleon, Europe and the 19th century went through decades of instability and dramatic change. The bad old…
Mourning
Most of us are in a state of mourning at this moment. If not for our personal losses, then for the nation’s deaths, wounded and abused. And frankly, there is much to mourn for in the malaise of our Western societies as well. Of course, there is a lot that is good too, but that does not help when one…
If I Am Not for Me
Community Security Trust v Shtadlanut Shtadlanut, has characterized Jewish diplomacy for thousands of years. Important individual Jews with connections would lobby monarchs, princes, and clergy, who might help alleviate their suffering. The equivalent of what we now call lobbying. Carried out privately, secretly, away from public glare. This was the norm in Jewish diplomacy, everywhere, until recently. And it still divides…