Echoes of Loss, Voices of Hope: Israel’s Memorial and Independence Days BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS Hostages Want Freedom from Hamas Captors: ‘Omri is a survivor in captivity’ Sirens blare nationwide every year on Israel’s Memorial Day – heralding a moment of silence to honor the Israelis who […]
We are now marking Yom Ha-shoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, and soon we will bless the new month of ’Iyyar, which includes Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror — both of them days replete with pain and collective trauma. For years I have experienced discomfort regarding the way in which these days […]
Bearing Witness: Death Camp Liberators and Holocaust Survivors BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES World War II will be remembered in infamy for countless reasons – the most horrific being the systematic extermination of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust. As many around the world observe Yom HaShoah – Israel’s solemn […]
From Pharaoh to Present: How an Ancient Hatred of Jews Has Rippled Through History BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES From the back-breaking whips of ancient Egyptian overlords to modern-day vandalism, violence and murder, the Jewish people have long been targets of scapegoating and hatred. Today’s blood libels, hateful rhetoric and distorted portrayals of […]
Echoes from Exodus: Israel’s Fight Against Modern Pharaohs BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES The Israeli hostages still held captive by Hamas after a year and a half serve as a painful reminder of historic persecution of the Jewish people. On the eve of the Passover holiday, commemorated for more than […]
Hamas Brutality Exposed: Palestinians Brave Death to Denounce Hamas BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES Palestinians Risk Their Lives to Protest Hamas Hamas terrorists dumped the body of 22-year-old Palestinian Odai Naser Saadi on the doorsteps of his family’s home with a chilling message: “This is the price for those who criticize Hamas.” […]
Victories, Failures and Foreign Influence: Campuses Confront Hatred BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES Nearly half of universities across the U.S. have launched policy changes to address rampant displays of hatred toward Jews – antisemitism – but only eight received a top grade from the ADL in its recently released Campus Antisemitism […]
Shabak Samech’s 2000 hit single Nofel v’kam / “Fall and Get Up” begins with a citation from the Haggadah, “In every generation one must see themselves as if they left Egypt,” with this core message echoing throughout this modern midrash of a song. The chorus of the song describes the Jewish condition: The road is […]
Gaza Ceasefire Collapses; Houthis Target U.S. and Israel BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES Gaza Ceasefire Collapses After Hamas Refuses to Release Hostages In response to Hamas rejecting all proposals to release the remaining 59 hostages, including 24 assumed alive, Israeli Defense Forces have resumed attacks on terrorist leaders in Gaza. Hamas continued […]
“Mordechai learned of the matter and told it to Esther and she told the King in Mordechai’s name” [Megillat Esther 2:22] Twice in Megillat Esther, Mordechai becomes aware of critical information, as he sits outside the palace gates, in the streets of the city. He passes that information on to Esther, who chooses to believe […]