The Torah portion, Balak, which we read this past Shabbat, is among the most amazing in the Torah: Bil’am emerges, a prophet not of the Israelite people, and pronounces deeply true things about us. He sees the people Israel in the desert, and ostensibly delivering a curse, he blesses: How good are your tents, Jacob, […]
Deadly Yemen Drone, Olympic Death Threats and UN World Court Target Jews BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES | July 23, 2024 Israel’s prime minister landed in the American capital in the wake of President Biden withdrawing his bid for re-election. Just days before, an Iranian drone was launched by the […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD | President of Mercaz Olami (representing the world Masorti/Conservative movement) Scholars Avinoam Patt of the University of Connecticut and Liat Steir-Livny of Sapir Academic College and the Open University of Israel offered the following observation: “The words used to describe events are often loaded with emotional associations; the power and […]
Balak, King of Mo‘av, is fearful of the Israelites and asks Bila‘am the sorcerer to curse them, for he believes this is the only way to defeat them in battle. He is afraid and therefore chooses to curse and belittle. In contrast, God transforms the curse into a blessing, for the Holy One knows only […]
Normalization of Hate and Violence Against Jews Surging Worldwide BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES Raping girls for being Jewish, killing Israeli Olympic athletes and bombing a Jewish community center provide vicious evidence of hate-driven, high-profile attacks around the world against Jews. The 1972 Munich Olympics and the 1994 Buenos Aires […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Prior to the October 7th murder of 1,200 individuals and the kidnapping of 250 by Hamas, this issue was part of a dispassionate debate. Opposing the existence of only one among 200-plus nation-states, the only Jewish state, while shocking, was only theoretical. But once given the opportunity to demonstrate the […]
Israel is not a right-wing “ethno-national state”; it is, rather, the Middle East’s best example of a liberal democracy! by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Israel’s enemies accuse the country of being an anti-democratic “ethno-national” state, an obstacle to advancing the dream of one unified world community. These accusers falsely equate Israel’s government with right-wing coalitions […]
This week marked 9 months since October 7th. Nine months of war. Nine months during which 120 of our brothers and sisters have been held hostage in Gaza. Nine months of deep crisis. The Hebrew word for “crisis” is מַשְׁבֵּר / mashber* and can take on additional meanings. Thus wrote Moshe Ibn Ezra (11th century […]
Anti-Israel Activists Attempt to Hijack American Education System BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES Anti-Jewish hatred is becoming so prevalent and accepted in American education that deans at a prestigious American university thought they could joke about it without repercussions. They boldly made light of antisemitism during a discussion about antisemitism. If not […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Israel is subjected to a “double standard” more severe than that applied to any other nation-state. Actually, the manner in which Israel is “judged” is far beyond “double”; it intentionally frames unachievable behavior. As noted by journalist Haviv Rettig Gur, in a podcast for Times of Israel, the magnitude of […]