I’m in the midst of the strange experience of having my hopes renewed by The Economist. (Despite our occasionally divergent political ideas—and the fact that I don’t know anything about economics—I covet the magazine’s haughty, intelligent, smartass-in-the-back-of-the-classroom-cracking-comments tone.) This week’s special report focuses on Israel, and if you’re discouraged by the whole matsav, you should… Read more »
I am a happily self-conscious urban chauvinist, and that’s a fact. I just love cities. As much as I love nature and the pastoral, I just feel very tapped into the same primal instinct that led to the construction of Uruk, back in the day—people like people, and the bustle and the anonymity and the… Read more »
I had the supreme pleasure and honor of attending a wedding this weekend. It was so lovely, and the couple seemed so happy, that I considered revoking my recent decision to elope, if ever the opportunity arose. (Watching the wedding-preparation process is terrifying.) Then I went to the opening of “Di Ksube” (“The Wedding Contract”),… Read more »
It’s difficult to write about how aggravated you are about the media’s focus on glitz—when they’re supposed to be writing about politics, when it means that, when you’re supposed to be writing about politics, you’re focusing on media glitz. It’s “meta” in a most annoying way, plus I generally prefer not to make problems worse.… Read more »
I feel chastened, somewhat, having written about my ambivilent attitude towards Israel just days before murdered eight students in a yeshiva there. That the yeshiva is associated with the religious nationalist faction is useful background information, but to make any sort of political pronouncements regarding that fact, to make any political pronouncements at all, feels… Read more »
It is not a great time for Israel right now. The military has pulled out of northern Gaza, and it’s not looking too good. Fawzi Barhoum, the spokesman for Hamas, had this strategic planning to share: “What we learned from Hezbollah is that resistance is a choice that can work.” Great. On what could perhaps… Read more »
Well, the primaries are a-passin’, and while the outcome’s definitely still up for grabs, it sure feels like a picture is coming into focus, doesn’t it? Some candidates are movin’ on up a little bit faster than others, I think. And so we, the nation, must move our thoughts along as well. I enjoyed the… Read more »
So here, essentially, is my conundrum: I started in on Mordechai Kaplan. I got through just enough of Judaism as Civilization to know we’re pretty doomed if we think of Judaism as just a religion—don’t build it to be something more encompassing. And I’ve gotten just far enough through a brand new book, Righteous Indignation,… Read more »
There is much—much, much—to think about, as we sit during one Super day, anticipating another. (Non-US blog readers: It’s Super Bowl Sunday, meaning there’s a lot of yelling in the apartment above me about American football, and Super Tuesday, when over half the nation’s primaries are held, is fast approaching.) I, myself, am extremely gratified… Read more »
This week saw the breaking story—sorry—of Gazans blasting their way into Egypt to buy such advanced commodities as…milk. The world at large seems to have collectively looked at this with a resounding, “meh.” I don’t like to comment too much on Israeli/Middle Eastern politics because a) I have a fear of hyper-flammable materials and b)… Read more »
