( Washington Jewish Week) – If Francis Scott Key were to rise from the dead and visit us, he would see the opposite of a “land of the free and the home of the brave. He would be horrified to see a country in which families celebrating the Lunar New Year, a major holiday in […]
Israel-Palestine: Supreme Injustice and Counting the Omer
( Traveling Twins ) – As we celebrate the annual Lag BaOmer pilgrimage to Mount Meron in Israel this week– the 33rd day of the Omer– it begs the question: why are we counting the Omer for 49 days in the first place? As we are in the midst of counting the Omer, it is […]
Breaking the Silence: Oppression of Palestinians reminds American Student in the West Bank of Black Lives Matter
( Traveling Twins ) – On Friday, December 24, I joined a Breaking the Silence tour of the South Hebron Hills- an area in the southern West Bank designated as Area C – meaning under full Israeli control and supervision. We visited sites surrounding Yatta, a central Palestinian city, including the Lucifer Farm, and the […]
Finding What is in Common: The “Hamsa Aleichem” dialogue group for Israeli and Palestinian students
( Traveling Twins) – At Hebrew University, I am participating in a “Hamsa Aleichem” dialogue group for Israeli and Palestinian students. Organized by the campus Hillel and Sadarah/Kidma program (a head-start program designed for East Jerusalem high school graduates seeking higher education), this dialogue initiative has already given me some new insights. The Palestianin students, […]
Violence against Jews a sign of increasing hate in the U.S.
(The Baltimore Sun) – What could cause such hate in a person that would drive them to kill and injure innocent members of a minority group? I was troubled by this distressing question once again, when on December 28, during the last candle lighting of Hanukkah, an intruder with a large knife burst into the […]