… Anti-Jewish Attacks Masked as Anti-Zionism Spread Worldwide BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES – PHOTOS IN THE NEWS See our expanded “Dispelling Falsehoods, Stating Facts” section to help address difficult questions about the conflict Relieved Israelis applauded the safe return of two Israeli civilians in a heroic commando rescue […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD What, according to international law, is “occupation”? Land acquired as the result of an unjust warfare — a war of aggression — is characterized as “occupied territory.” This has been the case in China’s conquest and continued occupation of Tibet since 1950, Turkey’s conquest and occupation of one third of Cyprus since the early 1970s, and […]
Among the fifty-three mitzvot in Parashat Mishpatim, two stand out: returning a lost animal and helping load and unload the burden on a beast. Two mitzvot that require us to help others. Who are those others whom we are bidden to help? The Torah’s language is very clear: “Should you encounter your enemy’s ox or […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – VOICES – STORIES MAKING NEWS Pro-Palestinian and even pro-Hamas marches on university campuses and new reports of students harassing Jewish students at K-12 schools across the country are increasing at an alarming rate. The ADL has registered hundreds of anti-Jewish and anti-Israel attacks in public and […]
“The Ten Commandments for a Happy Life,” “The Ten Commandments for Staying in Shape,” “… for Good Parenting,” et cetera. It seems we are all looking for rules that will enable us to live better lives, to be happier and more relaxed and content. We live in a complicated, chaotic world. Vast amounts of information, […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Thirty years ago, in his book “A Place Among the Nations,” Bibi Netanyahu observed that even beyond its army, its technological advances, and its service to global humanitarian causes, “Israel’s great shield … was its moral stature.” Natan Sharansky noted that Israel’s enemies have sought to erode its moral stature […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES – PHOTOS IN THE NEWS The United Nations has a decades-long track record of bashing Israel and using the Jewish state as the scapegoat for the world’s problems. Recent headlines: UN Palestinian employees were among the terrorists during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks The U.S., […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD A popular canard leveled against Israel and Zionism is that of allegedly being rooted in “settler-colonialism.” Rabbi Bradley Artson, dean and vice-president of Conservative Judaism’s Ziegler School of Rabbinical Studies, posted a blog entry, in which he lamented: “This week I have been inundated by hateful and violent antisemitic email […]
The Children of Israel left Egypt and stood on the banks of the Reed Sea. From where shall come their salvation? The sources suggest three possibilities: Tanchuma Shoftim 14: Moses said to them, “There is nothing for you to do except to stand silently and the Holy One will fight your wars.” According to this […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES MAKING NEWS Billions of dollars of humanitarian aid have poured into Gaza since Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005. Massive amounts of the money have been used by Hamas to build a vast tunnel network, manufacture rockets and incite Palestinians to hate Jews and Israelis. Gaza […]