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The continuous stream of antisemitism is wearying. Attacking individual Jews after morning minyan in Los Angeles, vandalizing synagogues, and a “Day of H” just make you wonder what has become of America. Perhaps someone can explain the math to me of certain Americans who claim that they love America yet H 60% of its citizens?

Imagine the story of a powerful leader in government who wants to eliminate the Jews? We sadly know this to be true more than once, with usually horrific consequences. It is not unprecedented, yet there can be cause for hope and even celebration. I have commented before that the first recorded case of antisemitism occurred in ancient Egypt, when the new Pharaoh said, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.” [Exodus 1:9-10, JPS edition]. A comparable set of reasons were offered in 479BCE: “There is a certain people, scattered and dispersed among the other peoples in all the provinces of your realm, whose laws are different from those of any other people and who do not obey the king’s laws; and it is not in Your Majesty’s interest to tolerate them.” But it didn’t end with this statement. The speaker went on to bribe the king: “If it please Your Majesty, let an edict be drawn for their destruction, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the stewards for deposit in the royal treasury.” Thereupon the king removed his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the foe of the Jews. And the king said, “The money and the people are yours to do with as you see fit.” [Megilat Esther 3:8-11, translation from Sefaria]Read more...

As I drove up the street this morning, I saw elementary school children headed off to school.  One boy was skipping, another was smiling brightly, and two girls were giggling.  Oh to be that young again, oblivious to the harsh realities of the world at that particular moment.  They probably did not know of the shooting at Michigan State University or, locally, the shooting outside of...Read more...

Even a cursory review of human history will include examples of inhumanity, with the incomparable Holocaust as a stark reminder of how base human behavior can be.  The question I have been pondering in light of the horrific beating and subsequent death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis is: Are there words and actions that humans perform that make them subhuman, or are these part of humanity?...Read more...

How many of us made end-of-the-year donations to favorite charities when we recognized that we had discretionary income that we might use? I wonder if our total annual donations changed with the birth of Giving Tuesday as well as the nonstop daily requests? Do we really make a difference?

I think that all of us assume that our...Read more...

All of us like to think that we have made a difference in the lives of others, be it family, friends, acquaintances, co-workers or strangers. Part of the human experience is the quest for purpose, finding a reason for our existence. For those who have been privileged to become a parent, the opportunity to raise the next generation is simultaneously a thrill and an obligation. Sometimes we...Read more...