One of the most horrific things I have noticed in Israel’s public discourse is talk of creating an “exemplary society.” To me, as a rock-ribbed conservative, actively … more

In September 2000, in the wake of the second intifada, my unit was activated up as part of the massive call-up of reserves that occurred as fighting broke out all over the country. We had no idea how … more

There is biography, and then there is autobiography. Our biography is the way others see us. Our autobiography is the way we see ourselves. Typically, there are sharp differences between the … more

From the other side of the bench By David Seidemann Issue of July 3, 2009 / 11 Tammuz 5769 You can’t make this stuff up. Thirty-seven pages of an Israeli astronaut’s diary fell 37 … more

From the other side of the bench by David Seidemann Issue of January 15, 2010/ 29 Tevet 5770 I would like to meet the genius that said, “Starve a cold, feed a fever,” or is it the … more

There is a mystical idea, which suggests, that hidden within every fire of destruction is the spark of redemption. Such, for example, was the case on Aug. 3, 1492, which was also the Ninth of Av, the anniversary of the destruction of both Temples in Jerusalem. On that day, the Inquisition was imposed on the 250,000 Spanish Jews, faced with the choice of expulsion, conversion or death. more

With the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel this coming week, we are once again faced with the annual rants concerning whether to say Hallel with a blessing, or not to say Hallel at all. more

The essays by Rabbi Moshe Sokolow and Rabbi Meir Soloveitchik cited in last week’s essay prompted great interest, especially in the Bible commentary by Henry Ainsworth referenced by them. This prompted me to research this matter further and to bring to your attention a work written and published three years ago by British historian, Nick Bunker, entitled, “Making Haste From Babylon: The Mayflower Pilgrims and Their World” [Vintage Books, 2010]. more

Shavuot is the shortest Jewish Bible-based festival, yet it is the most spiritually-powered. Prime to this holiday is the commemoration of the receiving of the Ten Commandments, perhaps the most spiritual event in all world history. The central personality of the Shavuot saga is Moshe Rabeinu. more

The older I get, the more my childhood memories fade, but I still vividly remember the morning of Sunday, July 4, 1976. more