Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links
Shabbat shalom!
Words of the Week
“In my travels and talks and meetings, I am constantly running up against this problem. When people are polite, they often tell me how ‘difficult’ supporting Israel in their communities has become, because of the settlements, or because of offensive statements by Israeli politicians. The problem is a sincere one, but it is a structural one, and will not go away so long as (i) American Jews relate to Israel as principally a political cause rather than a civilizational force, (ii) American Jews relate to some policies and not others as resonating to the core of their own identity as Jews, and (iii) American Jewish politics are so different from Israeli politics, which is unlikely to change.
And that’s when they’re polite.”
Source: David Hazony, “Israeli Identity and the Future of American Jewry” (The Tower)
Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links
Shabbat shalom.
Words of the Week
“The problem is not the work itself but the way Waldman and Chabon are promoting it. In interviews, they have turned their brief tour of the West Bank into undeniable evidence that they’ve discovered the absolute truth of the conflict: It’s Israel’s fault. And they describe the situation in such shallow and simple terms, I half-wondered if “Kingdom” was a children’s book. (It’s not.)”
Source: Danielle Berrin, “Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman Undermine Peace for Palestine” (Jewish Journal)
Pre-Shabbat Jewish Literary Links
Shabbat shalom.