“When Pharaoh sent the people off …” With the plagues past, the blood dried, the matzah baked and packed, the people are leaving Egypt. But no celebration ensues. There would be no straight road to Canaan, only carping and complaining and delay. Even behind pillars of cloud and fire, the Israelites were unprepared for the […]
Confronting Campus Antisemitism: Progress Amid Persistent Threats BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – HOSTAGE UPDATE – STORIES Combatting antisemitism – anti-Jewish hatred – on university campuses has been an arduous process this past year, requiring an all-hands on deck approach. In the face of pressure from alumni, student groups and government agencies, some campuses […]
“(God) secures justice for those who are wronged, feeds the hungry, God releases the prisoners” (Psalms 146:17). Malbim* says “it is to say that a human king, in freeing a prisoner from his sentence, has already done enough justice and goodwill, and a person will not ask for any more help, but God frees the […]
Holocaust Remembrance and Confronting Today’s Challenges BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – HOSTAGE UPDATE “Whoever listens to a witness, becomes a witness. It is all about memory. The survivor’s duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. To forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” – Holocaust survivor, author […]
Israel’s Painful Sacrifice: Trading Convicted Murderers to Save Innocent Hostages BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES Relief and dread descended over Israelis with the latest release of three Israeli hostages by Hamas in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. The release of innocent hostages – held under inhumane conditions – comes at the heavy cost […]
Rabbi Hillel Skolnik, President, MERCAZ USA Wednesday, January 22, 2025 This past Monday morning, as our country marked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, his almost prophetic words expressed in February 1968, two months before his assassination, rang particularly true. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Reading through the Book of […]
A friend showed me an Islamic prayer rug that his son took when he served in Gaza. Deuteronomy 23:10 teaches: “When you go out as a troop against your enemies, be on your guard against any evil thing.” Nahmanides (1194–1270) explains that in war, “the most naturally upright person becomes cruel and wrathful …” My […]
Distorted Narratives Harm Israel and Undermine the Truth BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES Widespread news and social media bias – combined with conspiracy theories and false narratives – continues to distort public perceptions of the war Hamas launched against Israel. Some high-profile news media coverage is becoming even more concerning – and […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD | President of Mercaz Olami (Representing the global Masorti/Conservative movement) The Jewish tradition advocates hakarat hatov — displaying gratitude to people who have engaged in acts of goodness toward Jewry. With the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, extensive expressions of “thank you” have been verbalized by Jewish leaders. They acknowledge Carter’s pivotal role […]
We have come to the end of the Book of Genesis (Bereishit), where the Torah delivers a strong message about the connection between brothers. We began with Cain and Abel, where we read that “Cain rose against Abel his brother and killed him” (4:8). One man murders his brother. We continued with Isaac and Ishmael, […]