…Holocaust Remembrance Day. Bookworm writes: Back in the 1930s, no one could believe that the Germans, considered the most civilized and advanced of all Europeans, could become so bestial. The tragedy today is that, when we look at the Islamists, … Continue reading →
…probably should not venture into the world of Yiddish. Oy, vey! It will only give her tsuris instead of nachas. Note to MoDo: not all “kve” words are alike.
Continue reading →Last night by chance I came across the story of the French village of Le Chambon during WWII. I’d never heard it before, but it’s one of the most fascinating stories of rescuers during the Holocaust. I’ve written about rescuers … Continue reading →
Ariel Sharon has died at 85, but you may be forgiven if you’re surprised that he was still alive in the first place. He had been in a coma since a devastating stroke in 2006, and it is easy to … Continue reading →
…is so obviously Jewish, according to the Forward, that mockery of him is clearly anti-Semitism? Nope, I didn’t either. But I do know that the Forward has officially jumped the shark on this one. For what it’s worth, I hadn’t … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a slightly edited version of a previous post.] Chanukah began the night before Thanksgiving. But since it has eight days I still get a chance to wish you a happy one—tonight and for two more days, anyway. … Continue reading →
The Times chose to illustrate an article about genetic testing for breast cancer in Israel, a country with a high rate of the disease, with this photo: There’s been a lot of flak about the nipple—or to be more accurate, … Continue reading →
Good piece by Jonathan S. Tobin: what are Obama’s Jewish supporters to do? In other articles on the Iran deal and its effects (particularly on Israel), see this by William Jacobson. In contrast to many previous foreign policy initiatives (or … Continue reading →
It occurs to me from a recent exchange in the comments section that it might be a good idea to visit the topic of the reaction of the Jews of Germany to Hitler. First I’d like to clear up one … Continue reading →
…but sometimes we forget how nit-picky crazy they were [the following excerpt is from The House of Wittgenstein: A Family at War]: To enjoy full civil rights under the new regime [in Austria after Germany’s takeover] each person required a … Continue reading →
“Teaching critical thinking” can sometimes be a cover for “teaching kids to question traditional values, and to accept our point of view instead” (i.e. leftism). But there’s no question that if it is used to refer to helping students get … Continue reading →
[NOTE: The following article actually appeared in the NY Times. But since the Times is behind a firewall, I’m linking instead to this copy of the piece. Note also that it is about Rabbi Herschel Schacter, whose last name has … Continue reading →