Galilee Diary: Seeking Common Ground
About 15 minutes southwest of Shorashim is the Muslim and Christian Arab village of Ibillin, a medium-sized village whose claim to fame is that Mar Elias Academy is located there. Mar Elias is an elite Christian private school that draws students from Arab communities all over the Galilee.
Sing Us the Songs of Zion
Arik Einstein, who died last week at the age of 74, basically invented Israeli popular music.
Join Faiths Calling to Prevent Gun Violence
Jewish tradition teaches that “whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9).
In the Search for Love, Mending the Brokenness
“Do you want me to make you a sandwich?” I heard my boyfriend say calmly to his young son, as if there weren’t an adult woman hiding a foot away in his tiny Israeli bathroom.
Reflecting on Human Rights Day
“We must show by our behavior that we believe in equality and justice and that our religion teaches faith and love and charity to our fellow men.
The Torah In Haiku: Vayigash
Sometimes he's Jacob
Other times he's Israel
Once in a while, both.
Galilee Diary: Siege
Whenever I visit the US and happen to turn on the TV, I am always struck by the prominence given to the weather forecast. The stations compete for ratings with photogenic meteorologists, who have to stand outside in uncomfortable weather to deliver live reports with authentic backdrops.
How Nelson Mandela Won Over the Jewish Community
Nelson Mandela will always be remembered as a symbol of courageous resistance to the racist policies of apartheid South Africa. He was a true hero of conscience. But he also will always have a special place in the memory of the Jewish community.
I Have a Dream, Too
Just over 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial and gave one of the most remembered speeches of all time. In his address, Dr.
The Torah In Haiku: Ya-y'chi
This Shabbat we finish reading the Book of Genesis (in Hebrew, Bereshit - "In the beginning") and the story of the origins of the Jewish people comes to an end.