Intolerance, bigotry are not symptoms of religion or of secularism. They are born out of human deficiency The term ‘self hating’ is a strong one used in many cultures and communities. A Jew who publicly criticizes Israel or the Jewish community may often be labeled as self hating. Unfortunately labels rarely…
Why Israel May Lose Jewish Support
The desire on behalf of Jews living outside the land to support Israel is strong. However, it is disheartening when the country has seemingly lost the will to support itself Although it is very difficult for those living in the United States to gauge Israeli public opinion, recent conversations with…
Love Me For No Reason
The Talmud concludes that baseless hatred is equal in severity to idolatry, sexual immorality and murder put together. Unfortunately Jews are not immune Tisha B’Av is the saddest day in the Jewish calendar. In addition to the destruction of the first and second Temples, many other tragedies also took place…
Criticizing Israel and Sinister Motives
Criticizing any government even if you are not a citizen of that particular government’s country should be the right of all people that live in free societies. Most of us very often do exactly that. I was a vocal opponent of the Oslo accords, the Wye Plantation agreement, the withdrawal…
We Will Certainly Overcome
Besides the tragic loss of innocent lives in both Israel and Lebanon the Hizbullah rocket attacks have caused considerable other damage below the surface. Families living in central Israel are housing refugees who have fled the rocket attacks on their hometowns in the North. Without workers in the North, crops…
The Wisdom of Arranged Marriages
Most modern people frown on the concept of arranged marriages and see it as a primitive and unfair practice. However, based on the current divorce rate in Western countries, the secular method of finding a mate seems to be even less successful. Both systems seem to have failed. There is,…
A Diaspora view of Israel
Before I begin this article the following disclaimer is in order. Coming from a Diaspora Jew, my comments here may offend many Israelis, who will claim that those who do not experience the difficulties of having children in the Israeli army and those who are not subjected to daily threats…
What is Jewish Spirituality?
Jewish spirituality was the topic for debate at a recent rabbinic conference. Some claimed that Judaism does not believe in the individual quest for spirituality and that communal holiness as opposed to individual spirituality is what distinguishes Judaism from Buddhism. In Judaism, they argued, Kedusha (holiness) manifests itself more in…
Keter: The Kabbalah of Balancing Our Wills
Anything to excess is not good for us. Too much anger can ruin a relationship as can an excess of kindness. Overeating is harmful, but an over- preoccupation with becoming slender can lead to anorexia. As Maimonides said, one must live a balanced life, steering the middle path between too…
The Idiot Fell Into the Pool!
At a fancy party at the home of a wealthy individual in California recently, one of the waiters accidentally slipped and fell into the swimming pool. The owner was livid and after the poor waiter pulled himself out of the pool soaking wet she berated and belittled him for being…