Israel’s Declaration of Independence starts with the Bible, but notice that does not invoke any divine religious authority. Rather, it views the Bible, as the formative story of the Jewish people. … Continue readingIsrael’s Declaration of Independence
Passover and Jewish Freedom
Jewish Freedom was an oxymoron in almost all countries at almost all times in History. At best, Jews were tolerated, never equal to other citizens, and never truly free. … Continue readingPassover and Jewish Freedom
Mordechai And Zionism
Today is Purim, so I thought I would explore the connection between the story of Megillat Esther and the revival of Jewish life in Judea and Jerusalem following the Babylonian exile, sometimes called the Return to Zion of 538-444 BC. … Continue readingMordechai And Zionism
AIPAC Conference 2014 Trip Report
The AIPAC Conference must have been one of the largest Jewish gatherings outside of Israel in history. 15,000 people in one giant football-field-sized auditorium to spend 3 days supporting Israel. ! Just for comparison, that is 3 times the size of the URJ Biennial, which is the premier event of the Reform movement. It is roughly equal to the entire current Jewish population of Denmark and Austria combined! … Continue readingAIPAC Conference 2014 Trip Report
Prayer and Psychology
My goal is to show Jews who do not believe in God that Judaism has something rich and rewarding to offer them as well. Jewish Prayer can be viewed as a practical psychological tool for everyday life. … Continue readingPrayer and Psychology
Wannsee Visit
The purpose of the Wannsee Conference of senior officials of Nazi Germany in January 20, 1942 was to ensure the implementation of the final solution to the Jewish question, whereby most of the Jews of German-occupied Europe would be deported to Poland and exterminated. … Continue readingWannsee Visit
Arik Einstein Translated
Songs made famous by the great Arik Einstein, with my own translation of the lyrics … Continue readingArik Einstein Translated
Jews and the Land of Israel
I will only scratch the surface of this huge subject by pointing out the importance of textual continuity through 5,000 years of Jewish history. The subject of Jewish textual continuity,Continue readingJews and the Land of Israel
Revelation Revealed
What if, instead of the story we all know about how Bill Gates bought the DOS operating system from IBM, a different press-release had been circulated? One saying that GodContinue readingRevelation Revealed
Take The Fifth!
Many books and articles have been written about the literal interpretation of the Fifth Commandment: the requirement to honor and respect your parents during their lifetime. I find it natural to extend (not replace!) its meaning beyond our parents’ lifetime, and generalize it to all of our ancestors. … Continue readingTake The Fifth!