Sorrow and Hope

Featured Stories

A Different Kind of Hostage

  The dictionary defines a hostage as one who has been captured, taken and held as a prisoner of war, kept within bounds of confinement or held under the control of another. On October 7, 2023, over 240 people were torn from their homes, workplaces and even a music event being held to promote peace.

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Aliyah in a Time of War

  “Israel is mourning. Israel is fighting. Israel is filled with hope. We are not alone, which is a new feeling, since we were alone for so long.” –Danielle Mor, the Jewish Agency for Israel Many might assume that immigration to Israel slowed or halted since the October 7 massacre of 1,200 people by Hamas

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Never Again?

January 16, 2024

  A deadly virus is on the loose in the world today. It is not a novel virus but an age-old disease that slyly simmers beneath the surface. Transmitted from one generation to the next, the symptoms and prognosis of this virus are well known. Yet from time to time, the virus is cultivated and

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The Most Fruitful Lie

January 16, 2024

    A thrill of anticipation rippled through the crowd. They’d come in their thousands, carrying a sea of red, green, white and black. Some of them shuffled impatiently, eager to move, to fight, to push back against the injustice. Others stared straight ahead, their faces set like flint at the thought of the horrors

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In Every Generation

January 16, 2024

  Since the first time I heard its haunting melody, I have been drawn to the short Jewish liturgical piece put to music entitled “Vehi Sheamda.” The words of the title are translated, “And it is this that has stood,” with the word “this” meaning God’s covenant relationship with Abraham and his descendants. The song

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The War of Language

January 16, 2024

  “The first casualty of war is truth.” This phrase has echoed throughout the ages and has been attributed to various sources. In regard to the current situation with the enemies of Israel, I would edit it to say, “Truth is conspicuous by its absence.” Unfortunately, the propensity of Palestinian leadership and their supporters to

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A History of Hate

January 16, 2024

  We’ve heard it again and again. The events of October 7 are indelibly imprinted on the minds of countless people the world over. We’ve read about the atrocities, seen the videos and heard the gut-wrenching testimonies of survivors, released hostages and the families of those who are still in captivity. And we wonder, is

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Jewish Values and Ethics in War

January 16, 2024

  We often hear Israeli leaders claim that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) is an ethical, moral army, motivated by Jewish values, while Israel’s enemy is far different. What do they mean? According to the Oxford Dictionary, ethics is defined as “moral principles that govern a person’s behavior or the conducting of an activity.” Values are

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Beauty Amid Devastation

January 16, 2024

  War is ugly. It destroys lives. It steals away innocence. It highlights the evil of which humanity is capable. October 7, 2023 should have been a day filled with laughter and joy on Simchat Torah (Rejoicing in the Torah). But some 2,000 Hamas terrorists shattered the festive morning by storming Israeli communities and homes,

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Israel, You Are Not Alone

November 9, 2023

  Saturday morning, October 7. It’s Shabbat and the streets of Jerusalem are the kind of quiet you find only on Saturdays in the Promised Land. We are on our way out,  heading to the Dead Sea to show a friend from Namibia the white desert of Judea. But then the air raid siren screams.

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