Mercaz News

Torah for this Hour | November 14, 2024

Posted on November 14, 2024

“Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the soil.” The Hebrew word understood as “your brother” can be read (without its vowels) not in the singular, but in the plural: “Your brothers’ blood…,” the blood of our own brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers. The cries of widows and the tears of orphans […]

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‘Hunting for Jews’ – Attacks in Amsterdam

Posted on November 12, 2024

Amsterdam 2024: This is What ‘Globalize the Intifada’ Looks Like BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES Israel did not exist when the Holocaust brought death and destruction to Jews across Europe. Israel is now a nation capable of sending planes to Europe to rescue Jews in peril, and it recently did […]

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The Global Zionism of Conservative Judaism: The World Council and MERCAZ

Posted on November 10, 2024

by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD | President of Mercaz Olami (Representing the global Masorti/Conservative movement) The initial effort to extend Conservative Judaism’s embrace of Zionism beyond the United States was launched by Rabbi Bernard Segal, who served as executive director of United Synagogue of America (later United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism) from 1953 to 1970. As noted […]

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Torah for this Hour | November 7, 2024

Posted on November 7, 2024

This year, “after the holidays” doesn’t represent a return to normal. As long as our enemies are fighting us and our hostages remain suffocating in Gaza, there is no “return” and no “normal.” Even when we arrive in the promised land (the day after the war), we cannot return to who we were before the […]

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U.S. – Israel Alliance Transcends Election Results

Posted on November 5, 2024

Unwavering Alliance: U.S.-Israel Cooperation Benefits Both Nations BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES We value the feedback of our readers and invite you to please take 15 seconds to answer a few questions about this week’s edition by clicking the image right below the Actions to Consider section. In a time of global […]

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Torah for this Hour | October 31, 2024

Posted on October 31, 2024

“Noah” means rest, comfort. Consolation? .ותמלא הארץ חמס The land was overrun by hamas. Consolation? Does Hamas rest? The Midrash interprets hamas as theft. Theft of what by whom? Theft that justifies annihilation? In Genesis, God gave humans and animals “every plant and tree to eat.” He commanded the first human (“Adam”) on earth “to […]

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Conservative Judaism’s Zionism, 1948-1973

Posted on October 31, 2024

by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD | President of Mercaz Olami (Representing the global Masorti/Conservative movement) With Israeli statehood a reality, Conservative Judaism became a full-fledged Zionist movement. For JTS chancellor Louis Finkelstein, the commitment to Israel was personal as well; his daughter had settled and established a family in Jerusalem, with her father making visits year after […]

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UN’s Palestinian Staffers Part of 10/7 Massacre

Posted on October 29, 2024

UN’s Palestinian Agency Promotes Terrorism, Perpetuates Conflict BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING MYTHS – STORIES UN agency employees, doubling as Hamas terrorists, killed and kidnapped Israelis on 10/7 More than 10 percent of UNRWA’s Gaza staff has ties to terrorism Hamas built a data center directly beneath the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza […]

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Torah for this Hour | October 23, 2024 (Simchat Torah)

Posted on October 23, 2024

As the news comes at us fast and furious, I take a look at our synagogue community calendar and the schedule of services prepared for last year. Friday evening: hakafot for Simḥat Torah. Shabbat morning: shaḥarit, hakafot, the honors of Ḥatan Torah and Kallat Bereishit. A picture: children dance in a circle at the synagogue. […]

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Killing Sinwar: War Milestone, Not Finish Line

Posted on October 22, 2024

When Israel’s Enemies Lay Down Arms, So Can Israel BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES Since the horrific Oct.7 massacre that killed thousands and saw hundreds of innocent civilians dragged to Gaza as hostages, Israel remains under constant attack. The world’s only Jewish state is forced to engage with enemies on seven fronts […]

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