Jewish Current Issues

Harvard Faces a Moment of Veritas

Last week, Lawrence H. Summers, the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and president emeritus of Harvard University, and former Secretary of the Treasury, delivered a lecture on “Academic Freedom and Anti-Semitism” at Columbia University.

He recalled that in 2002, when a petition circulated among the Harvard and MIT faculty and students, calling on universities to divest from companies doing business in Israel, he labeled the initiative “anti-Semitic in effect if not intent.”

Last week, he said his 2002 assertion “seems to me to have stood up rather well,” and warned that the situation has gotten even worse: “It is my impression that there are more grounds for concern today than at any point since the Second World War”:

'We live in a world where there are nations in which the penalty for homosexuality is death, in which women are stoned for adultery, in which torture is pervasive, in which governments are killing tens of thousands of their own people each year. But the proponents of Israeli boycotts, divestiture, and sanctions do not favor any form of pressure against countries other than Israel.'

Continue reading at COMMENTARY.

Update on the Palestinian Terror Attack in Jerusalem

Four killed in terror attack in Jerusalem synagogue - Update from the Israel Foreign Ministry

The victims: Rabbis Moshe Twersky, 59, Aryeh Kupinsky, 43, Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, 68, and Kalman Levine, 55.                                

PM Netanyahu: "This is the direct result of the incitement being led by Hamas and Abu Mazen."

Scene of terror attack in Jerusalem synagogue           Copyright: Israel Police 

At 7: 00 on Tuesday morning, 18 November 2014, two terrorists entered the Kehillat Bnei Torah building on Harav Shimon Agassi Street in the ultra-Orthodox Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem, which includes a synagogue and yeshiva, wielding a gun and butcher knives. They began attacking worshipers, stabbing them before opening fire. About 30 worshipers were in the midst of the morning prayers, wearing prayer shawls and phylacteries.

Police who arrived at the scene shortly after the attack began shot and killed the two terrorists.

Police confirm that four people were killed in the terror attack and eight wounded, three seriously and one critically. Two of the wounded are policemen, one in critical condition as doctors fight for his life.

The victims has been identified as: Rabbi Moshe Twersky, 59, head of the Torat Moshe Yeshiva in Jerusalem, elder son of Rabbi Isadore Twersky of Boston, and a grandson of Modern Orthodox luminary Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik. The three other victims are Rabbi Aryeh Kupinsky, 43, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Goldberg, 68, and Rabbi Kalman Ze'ev Levine, 55, all residents of the same street in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem.

Following security consultations, Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered the demolition of the homes of the terrorists who perpetrated the recent attacks and directed that enforcement against those who incite toward terrorist attacks be significantly increased. A series of additional decisions have been made to strengthen security throughout the country.

Hamas said on its official Al-Aqsa TV: "The attack in Jerusalem is a reaction to the crime and execution of the martyr al-Ramouni and a reaction to the crimes of the occupation. The Hamas movement is calling for more revenge attacks." Yusuf Hassan al-Ramouni, employed as a driver by the Egged bus company in Jerusalem, was found hanged at a bus terminal on Sunday night. Contrary to claims published in the Palestinian media that al-Ramouni was murdered, official autopsy results confirmed the police's suspicion of suicide.

US Secretary of State John Kerry strongly condemned the attack (the video is here):                                

"People who had come to worship God in the sanctuary of a synagogue were hatcheted and hacked and murdered in that holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder. I call on the Palestinian leadership at every single level to condemn this in the most powerful terms. This violence has no place anywhere.” "To have this kind of act, which a pure result of incitement,” is unacceptable, Kerry said, adding that Palestinian leaders “must begin to take serious steps to restrain any kind of incitement that comes from their language, other people’s language and exhibit the kind of leadership that is necessary to put this region on a different path." 

_____________________________________________________________________________

The White House liason with the Jewish community has just emailed me President Obama's statement regarding the terror attack, issued just now. It reads, in its entirety, as follows:

"I strongly condemn today’s terrorist attack on worshipers at a synagogue in Jerusalem, which killed four innocent people, including U.S. citizens Aryeh Kupinsky, Cary William Levine, and Mosheh Twersky, and injured several more.  There is and can be no justification for such attacks against innocent civilians.  The thoughts and prayers of the American people are with the victims and families of all those who were killed and injured in this horrific attack and in other recent violence.  At this sensitive moment in Jerusalem, it is all the more important for Israeli and Palestinian leaders and ordinary citizens to work cooperatively together to lower tensions, reject violence, and seek a path forward towards peace."

 

Here is the complete statement of Secretary of State Kerry this morning:

 

I was just on the phone to Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel. This morning, today in Jerusalem, Palestinians attacked Jews who were praying in a synagogue. And people who had come to worship God in the sanctuary of a synagogue were hatcheted and hacked and murdered in that holy place in an act of pure terror and senseless brutality and murder.

I call on the Palestinian leadership at every single level to condemn this in the most powerful terms. This violence has no place anywhere, and particularly after a discussion that we had just the other day in Amman, where the prime minister of Israel flew to Amman, sat down with the Custodian of the al-Aqsa Mosque, King Abdullah of Jordan, and went to the extent of restoring in absolute terms the status quo with respect to the management of that mount, including lowering the age, taking away any age limits on people who could visit, guaranteeing that there were peaceful, completely uninterrupted visits over the weekend. And to have this kind of act, which is a pure result of incitement of calls for days of rage, of just an irresponsibility, is unacceptable.

So the Palestinian leadership must condemn this and they must begin to take serious steps to restrain any kind of incitement that comes from their language, from other people’s language, and exhibit the kind of leadership that is necessary to put this region on a different path. Our hearts go out to all Israelis for the atrocity of this event and for all the reminders of history that come with it. This is – simply has no place in human behavior, and we need to hear from leaders who are going to lead – lead their people to a different place.

 

From Omri Ceren at The Israel Project:

Some more links and background on recent Abbas statements, in case you're following the incitement debate:

Nov 2: "Abbas says Glick shooter will go to heaven as martyr" (you'll be hearing more about this stmt - Glick is an activist for expanded Jewish access to the Temple Mount; he's also a rabbi and when he was shot earlier this month Abbas hailed the terrorist as a hero; today 2 other terrorists walked into a synagogue and started murdering other rabbis)
http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-says-glick-shooter-will-go-to-heaven-as-martyr/

Nov 11: "Abbas accuses Israel of 'religious war'"
http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2014-11-11-ML--Israel-Palestinians/id-156e0bad8ed04655bcb92f5007e7244f

Nov 11: "Abbas: We won’t let Israeli extremists 'contaminate' Temple Mount in Jerusalem"
http://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-israel-sparking-devastating-religious-war/

"Bethlehem" Opens Today -- An Important Film

The Israeli film “Bethlehem,” which won the Ophir (the Israeli equivalent of the Oscar) for Best Picture, opens in the United States today. Here is the synopsis from the film’s distributor:

"Bethlehem tells the story of the complex relationship between an Israeli Secret Service officer and his teenage Palestinian informant. Shuttling back and forth between conflicting points of view, the film is a raw portrayal of characters torn apart by competing loyalties and impossible moral dilemmas, giving an unparalleled glimpse into the dark and fascinating world of human intelligence."

Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie a ripe red tomato, with a 72% rating among the critics (including The New York Times). In yesterday New York Daily News, Jordan Hoffman wrote that “By its conclusion, this fascinating film has informed its viewers more than a hundred political essays could.” I think that is correct.

This is an important film, raising significant issues that I have addressed in an article in the current issue of The Tower Magazine (“Ideology at the Oscars”) and a post at Commentary (“Cinematic Intifada”).

  

Through Water and Fire

Stephen Harper, now in his third term and eighth year as Canada’s prime minister, addressed the Israeli Knesset, and gave a speech for the ages.

It is worth reading in its entirety, but here is the portion that provoked a walkout by Arab MKs and a standing ovation from Prime Minister Netanyahu and other MKs. It was at the point where Harper stated that in much of the western world anti-Semitism has been “translated into more sophisticated language for use in polite society”:

People who would never say they hate and blame the Jews for their own failings or the problems of the world, instead declare their hatred of Israel and blame the only Jewish state for the problems of the Middle East. As once Jewish businesses were boycotted, some civil-society leaders today call for a boycott of Israel. On some campuses, intellectualized arguments against Israeli policies thinly mask the underlying realities, such as the shunning of Israeli academics and the harassment of Jewish students.

Most disgracefully of all, some openly call Israel an apartheid state. Think about that. Think about the twisted logic and outright malice behind that: A state, based on freedom, democracy and the rule of law, that was founded so Jews can flourish, as Jews, and seek shelter from the shadow of the worst racist experiment in history, that is condemned, and that condemnation is masked in the language of anti-racism. It is nothing short of sickening.

The Arab MKs who left thus missed the following:

In the sixty-five years that modern Israel has been a nation, Israelis have endured attacks and slanders beyond counting and have never known a day of true peace. And we understand that Israelis live with this impossible calculus: If you act to defend yourselves, you will suffer widespread condemnation, over and over again. But should you fail to act you alone will suffer the consequence of your inaction, and that consequence will be final, your destruction.

Harper’s concluding thought was that the story of Israel is a “great example to the world”:

It is a story, essentially, of a people whose response to suffering has been to move beyond resentment and build a most extraordinary society, a vibrant democracy, a freedom-loving country with an independent and rights-affirming judiciary. An innovative, world-leading “start-up” nation. You have taken the collective memory of death and persecution to build an optimistic, forward-looking land, one that so values life, you will sometimes release a thousand criminals and terrorists, to save one of your own … Israel represents values which our Government takes as articles of faith, and principles to drive our national life. And therefore, through fire and water, Canada will stand with you.

If You are in LA on thursday ...

   This should be an excellent program, by a dynamic young rabbi, on an important topic: Rabbi Daniel Greyer, on The Role of the Forgotten Mourner.

Sinai Temple, 10400 Wilshire Blvd., LA 90049, Thursday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Jewish law has clearly defined rolls for family members to grieve a loss, but it does not define a role for a friend in the grieving process. Faith Unravels is Rabbi Greyber's story of his experience as a "forgotten mourner," a story of faith lost and regained. Look inside his book here.

 

The Real "Core Issue" of the Peace Process

From my post today at Commentary, “The Jewish State and the Story the Palestinians Hold Dear”:

In her “Memo from Jerusalem” in the New York Times, Jodi Rudoren asserts that “in recent weeks,” Benjamin Netanyahu has “catapulted to the fore” an issue “even more intractable than old ones like security and settlements: a demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.” She reported it is now a “core issue” in the current negotiations and that “critics” say Netanyahu raised it as a poison pill:

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, has repeatedly said that the Palestinians will never agree to it, most recently in a letter to President Obama last month. The Palestinians … contend that recognizing Israel as a Jewish state would disenfranchise its 1.6 million Arab citizens, undercut the right of return for millions of Palestinian refugees and, most important, require a psychological rewriting of the story they hold dear about their longtime presence in the land.

The issue, however, was not recently “catapulted to the fore” by Netanyahu; it is an issue that long pre-dates him; and it goes to the heart of whether the “peace process” is about peace. Let’s take a stroll down memory lane, picking up the story with the internal 2007 Palestinian memorandum entitled “Strategy and Talking Points for Responding to the Precondition of Recognizing Israel as a ‘Jewish State’,” leaked in the “Palestine Papers.” The memo contained the following instruction for Palestinian negotiators:

We recommend that the Palestinian negotiators maintain their position not to recognize or otherwise characterize the state of Israel as “Jewish”. Any recognition of Israel within a treaty or agreement should be limited to recognizing it as a sovereign state. It should not recognize Israel as a “Jewish state”, “state for the Jewish people”, “homeland for the Jewish people” or any similar characterization.

The reasons in the memo did not include “the story [the Palestinians] hold dear about their longtime presence in the land.” Rather, the memo warned that “[r]ecognizing the Jewish state implies recognition of a Jewish people and recognition of its right to self-determination.” The Palestinians did not want to recognize a Jewish people, a Jewish state, a Jewish homeland, Jewish self-determination, or any Jewish demographic considerations.

Continue reading here.

Ode to Grandparents and Grandchildren

At Sinai Temple in Los Angeles last Shabbat, it was Grandparents Shabbat. Golda Mendelsohn delivered the following wonderful words:

Have you ever heard the expression "If I knew grandchildren were such fun, I would have had them first"?  Indeed, fun they are, warm, cuddly and adorable. They are the treasures given to us by our children.

We have been transformed by a new presence in our lives and as a result have acquired a "magical" name for just such an occasion.

We become Grandma, Bubbie, Safta, Nana, Maman. No matter which name we prefer, we all have one thing in common -- a passionate love for our Grandchildren!

My Grandchildren are probably just like yours -- the best, the most brilliant, the best looking, and oh so clever! Who amongst us have not appeared at their Grandchildren's programs -- no matter what time of day or evening, driving across the city or into the Valley to attend Pre-school, Hebrew School, or Public School performances, listening proudly as they sing or speak their three minute part -- applauding wildly, seeing only them, for they are the best!!!

Athletics -- What's there to say???? Soccer, Football, Track, and Volleyball played with such energy and competitive spirit. You know every scout in America will be looking to sign them up!!!

A new phenomenon occurred when some of my Grandchildren reached the "mature" age of 16.  I call it "Emancipation/Liberation on Wheels".  With the blessings of the DMV and their grandparents, they took to the road and often appeared at our door -- Shabbat dinner or lunch, conversations in our Succah, or just a drop-in. Now we can make plans without including their folks. We began to learn more about their hopes and dreams and we shared ours with them.

Do I ever give advice? Absolutely!!!

Do they ever ask for advice? Absolutely Not!!!

Do they ever listen to my advice? Absolutely Maybe!!!

The advice I give is what any Bubbie or Grandmother might give --

 1-- When you go to college, look for a Hillel on campus.

 2-- Check and see if there are classes in Hebrew or Judaica.

 3-- Make Jewish friends.

 4-- Think about applying for a passport, so you can travel to Israel on a Birthright program.

As Grandparents, we become the repository of family history -- storytellers of family legends and adventures.  We are out to help build and re-enforce their Jewish memories and solidify their Jewish identities.

Seeing these young people grow has been awesome!!!! 

Our Grandchildren range in age from 12-28. I can begin to see the influences of their Parents and Grandparents -- the values of Jewish living and  identity are being formed.

They bring food to the needy, give Tzedakah, locally and in Israel, celebrate Shabbat with friends at school, seek study opportunities in Israel AND study Hebrew.

The older among them now have passports and have travelled to Israel. Three have already been on the Birthright program, and a fourth will be leaving later this month, while another will be working as a staff person on the program.  We have family in Israel -- Aunts, Uncle, and Cousins who wait with open arms to welcome them. One of our Grandsons now serves in the IDF.

When we get together for Shabbat, both the American side and the Israeli contingent, I look at them and see happy faces, loving to be with one another!!

When we place our arms around each other and sing "Shalom Aleichem", I hear their strong, young voices blending together and I close my eyes and whisper "Thank you G-d for this amazing blessing of being a Grandparent."

כן יהי רצון.                             May It Always Be So 

See Also Ten Attitudes of HIghly Effective Jewish Grandparents... 

A New Book on Maimonides

IN THE MAIL: Moshe Halbertal, Maimonides: Life and Thought (Princeton University Press).

Maimonides was the greatest Jewish philosopher and legal scholar of the medieval period, a towering figure who has had a profound and lasting influence on Jewish law, philosophy, and religious consciousness. This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to his life and work, revealing how his philosophical sensibility and outlook informed his interpretation of Jewish tradition.

Moshe Halbertal vividly describes Maimonides's childhood in Muslim Spain, his family's flight to North Africa to escape persecution, and their eventual resettling in Egypt. He draws on Maimonides's letters and the testimonies of his contemporaries, both Muslims and Jews, to offer new insights into his personality and the circumstances that shaped his thinking.

Halbertal then turns to Maimonides's legal and philosophical work, analyzing his three great books--Commentary on the Mishnah, the Mishneh Torah, and the Guide of the Perplexed. He discusses Maimonides's battle against all attempts to personify God, his conviction that God's presence in the world is mediated through the natural order rather than through miracles, and his locating of philosophy and science at the summit of the religious life of Torah.

Halbertal examines Maimonides's philosophical positions on fundamental questions such as the nature and limits of religious language, creation and nature, prophecy, providence, the problem of evil, and the meaning of the commandments.

A stunning achievement, Maimonides offers an unparalleled look at the life and thought of this important Jewish philosopher, scholar, and theologian.

Moshe Halbertal is the Gruss professor of Law at New York University, professor of Jewish thought and philosophy at the Hebrew University, and professor of law at IDC Herzliya in Israel. How is this for an endorsement of this book:

"In the gorgeous and rugged terrain of Jewish thought, there is no higher mountain to climb than Maimonides, and no more slippery or exhilarating ascent. Halbertal has made it all the way to the top, and his survey of the whole of the Maimonidean landscape is trustworthy and masterful. This is the richest and most intellectually sophisticated book on Maimonides I have ever read."--Leon Wieseltier

Video of the Panel on Iran's March to Nukes

Below is the video of the November 18, 2003 panel sponsored by Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors on "Closing in on Iran's Nuclear Capability."

The introduction is by Doris Wise Montrose, followed by J.E. Dyer, Elan Journo, and me, with a Question and Answer session following that. (Email subscribers can find the video by clicking here).

 

Iran Panel -- November 18