Category Archives: The Jewish people

Jonathan Pollard is a Litmus Test. But for What?

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Victor Rosenthal

The arrival of Jonathan Pollard in Israel 35 years after his arrest for espionage on Israel’s behalf has made me think about the position of the Jew in the diaspora, particularly in America. There are facts about Pollard’s case that … Continue reading →

Posted in American Jews, The Jewish people | 2 Comments

Thoughts at Zero Dark Thirty

Posted on August 31, 2020 by Victor Rosenthal

It’s very, very early, when a person should be asleep, lest melancholy thoughts intrude on the familiar, but totally irrational, optimism that keeps one functioning in the face of the absolute certainty that every human life will sooner or later … Continue reading →

Posted in Terrorism, The Jewish people | 2 Comments

A Page a Day

Posted on August 20, 2020 by Victor Rosenthal

Since January, I’ve been participating in a daf yomi program. That means that every day, 7 days a week, I study a page (actually, two facing pages), of Talmud. The fact that someone like me, who grew up in a … Continue reading →

Posted in The Jewish people | 3 Comments

Jewish Peoplehood and American Jews

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Victor Rosenthal

Nothing seems to me more obviously true than the statement that a strong, thriving Jewish state is essential to the survival of the Jewish people. But apparently many self-identifying American Jews either don’t agree, or even if they do, there … Continue reading →

Posted in American Jews, American politics, The Jewish people | 3 Comments

Beinart’s Complaint

Posted on December 26, 2019 by Victor Rosenthal

A recent news item indicates that among the candidates for seats in the World Zionist Congress – founded by Theodor Herzl in 1897 – are Peter Beinart and Jeremy Ben Ami. To tell the truth, when I see the petulant … Continue reading →

Posted in American Jews, American society, The Jewish people, Zionism | 2 Comments

A World Without Israel (from 2015)

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Victor Rosenthal

I recently came across this post from 2015, which I had totally forgotten. My regular Thursday post will be coming tomorrow as usual, but I couldn’t resist re-running this one today. A world without Israel Posted on August 14, 2015 … Continue reading →

Posted in Jew Hatred, The Jewish people, War | 2 Comments

The Soul of the State Must be Jewish

Posted on December 9, 2019 by Victor Rosenthal

There is a struggle for the soul of the State of Israel. It isn’t about whether Israel should withdraw from Judea and Samaria, how the IDF should act in Gaza, or whether the buses should run on Shabbat, although your … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Society, The Jewish people, Zionism | 2 Comments

“Strangers,” in Israel and America

Posted on November 10, 2019 by Victor Rosenthal

We had a guest from America in our shul this week who discussed the week’s portion, lech lecha. She focused on the question of the treatment of the ger, the person who is a non-Jew in Eretz Yisrael and (variously) … Continue reading →

Posted in American society, Israel and Palestinian Arabs, Israeli Arabs, Israeli Society, The Jewish people, Zionism | 2 Comments