Schumer Flips on Antisemitism

Israeli ambassador Abba Eban was greeted by an irritating sight when he rose to speak in Harvard University’s Sanders Hall on a chilly Tuesday evening in the autumn of 1970. A group of anti-­Israel extremists in the gallery had unfurled a banner denouncing “Zionist imperialists” and tried to shout Eban down when he began to […]

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NYC Muslim Mayor Blues

New York City is where the cultural coordinates for the phrase “New York Jew” originated and where the people fitting that description can still be found. Outside of Israel, it is the most Jewish city in the world. The five boroughs introduced seltzer, bagels, deli and Middle East cuisine—even the clandestinely Jewish sitcom “Seinfeld”—to the […]

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Sephardic Torah from the Holy Land

These past few weeks have been a surreal experience. Wednesday night, June 11, Peni and I boarded an El Al flight from Israel to Miami, followed by a flight to Panama. We travelled to celebrate the wedding of Isaac and Perla. I was at Isaac’s Brit Milah, I officiated his Bar Mitzvah, and he was […]

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Trump Announces Israel-Iran Ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday that Israel and Iran have agreed to a ceasefire and an end to the war between the two countries. Trump said the ceasefire would begin in about six hours, at approximately midnight Eastern time, when both sides would conclude any ongoing military operations. “It has been fully agreed […]

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Wiping the Smirk Off Smack Talk

I realize there’s a lot going on in the world right now, so it’s easy to get distracted, but would someone please check in on former President Barack Obama. I fear that he must be seriously unwell. Israel’s pre-emptive attack against Iran nine days ago, and the knock-out punch delivered by the United States early […]

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