Sorrow and Hope

Dispatch from Jerusalem

“Emperor” Putin’s Middle East, Russia’s Ongoing Role in the Region

When term limits threatened to end the reign of Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2008, he deftly changed his title from president to prime minister while still giving himself the most powerful position in the country. When he was legally allowed to hold the presidency again, he used that position to maintain control. Yet, his

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A Dangerous Precedent: Poland’s New Holocaust Law

“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.”—Elie Wiesel In January 2018, Poland passed a controversial bill making it a crime to blame Poland for the atrocities of the Holocaust. The bill, proposed by the country’s ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS), calls for up to three years in prison or a fine

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Hebrew: The Sound of Prophecy Fulfilled

It wasn’t love at first sight for me and Israel. Oh no. I fell in love with the Promised Land, her people, history and significance long before I caught my first glimpse of the strip of land between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. My relationship with the Hebrew language started off differently. Even

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Guatemala and Israel—Closer than Brothers

In a global climate that often sees Israel isolated and maligned on the international stage, there is a country that has consistently shown itself to be Israel’s friend. Some may be surprised to learn that the country is the small Latin American nation of Guatemala. Scarred by civil war, numerous coups and drug violence, Guatemala

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The Big Cut

While it is increasingly becoming a divisive issue, circumcision is one of the world’s oldest rites of passage and vitally important to Judaism. The topic was once considered taboo, but in modern times rigorous debate has flared up in Western nations about whether this tradition could be a violation of young boys’ human rights. The

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Ima’s Borrowed Moroccan Fish

Some dishes form part of a family’s legacy. They are passed down the generations from great-grandmother to grandmother to mother, each adding her own loving touch. Others are picked up along the journey of life, as friends, acquaintances and perfect strangers share the recipes they love. My “Ima’s (mother’s) Borrowed Moroccan Fish” falls in the

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Rumors of War

“The chances of war in 2018 are growing… We are ready for war… The next war will be difficult and no simple matter. It will take between days and weeks, but in the end we will win.” —A senior IDF officer addressing military correspondents  Rising Tensions in the North “We are facing a new reality—the

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Circus of the Absurd, The UN Human Rights Council

  In March 2018, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) held its 37th session in Geneva, Switzerland, with the purported goal of identifying human rights violations around the globe and making recommendations to UN member states on how they should be addressed. When looking at the world situation, one would think the Council would have

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Israel and the War on ISIS

In 2017, ISIS had plans to blow up a passenger plane flying from Australia. However, with the scheme nearing completion, the suspects behind the plot were instead arrested—and the key piece of intelligence that foiled the bombing came from Israel. The Ha’aretz newspaper, in reporting on the prevented attack, said a high-tech Israeli intelligence unit

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MyEye2.0—“See for Yourself”

More than 350 million people the world over are blind or partially sighted. Another billion battle with reading difficulties, such as dyslexia or reading fatigue. The Israeli company, OrCam, develops and produces assistive technology in the form of an intuitive portable device to come to the aid of the visually impaired, partially sighted, blind and

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