Tuesday, September 21, 2010

I'm back after a break over the Yomim Noraim - the Days of Awe - between the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). I hope that "my" Jewish readers have been inscribed in the Book of Life for a happy, healthy and prosperous 5771, and, of course, I wish all the best to "my" non-Jewish readers.

1. Death Of A Leader - I am sad to report on the death of Irving Schwartz, of Sydney, Nova Scotia, a man I had the privilege to meet briefly many, many years ago. I doubt that my words could describe him well, so I will simply link to his obituary - SCHWARTZ Irving Schwartz 81 years, New Waterford SCHWARTZ, Irving ... | Jobspress and Prominent N.S. entrepreneur dies at 81.

May the family be comforted among the other mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.

2. Time Magazine - you know - "Time" as in "Grime", "Slime" and "Crime".

Many years ago, when introducing then Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, the magazine's editors referred to him as "Begin" as in "Fagin" - the hook-nosed shyster from Oliver Twist. Truly a lack of editorial sensitivity, even for the 1970s. Since then, Time has had the reputation of being antisemitic/anti-Israel or both.

In any event, the latest controversy arose with the publication of an issue coinciding with the start of the recent Israel-Palestinian peace talks. Look at the cover:


I think that the title of the article is a gross indecency deliberately calculated to delegitimize and discredit Israel in the eyes of the world at a very sensitive time. The content of the article also follows traditional antisemitic themes such as focusing on an alleged obsession with money.

I also believe that Israelis (of all political stripes) want peace - secure, tangible, meaningful and lasting peace - with their neighbors, more than anyone can describe.

I might have had more sympathy if the article presented a story to the effect that despite the unwillingness of the Palestinians to make any meaningful concessions toward achieving a lasting peace, that despite thousands of terrorist attacks on innocent civilians, rampant incitement against Jews and Israelis in the Palestinian and Arabic education system and entertainment industries, and unwarranted international isolation on a prodigious scale, Israelis have somehow been able to build a stable, relatively safe and economically successful country. I would have understood a story about skepticism about the likelihood of success. But that is not what was presented.

Here are links to some of the fallout from the whole fiasco (read the 2nd link in particular):
3. I Have An Idea - How about a Time magazine issue dedicated to why the Palestinians don't care about peace? It could include:
4. Yom Kippur War - an amazing story of heroism from the 1973 Yom Kippur War - Brik's Wall




6. How I Spent My Summer Vacation - 100,000 children attend radical Hamas summer camps

(Hamas or not Hamas?)

(Hamas or not Hamas?)


8. Ongoing Madness - The ongoing madness. On a separate but related note, you should also read this - The west's bloodstained hands | The Spectator and this - All the News That's Fit to Slant | Jewish News From WorldJewishDaily.com.

9. Collection of Jewish Stories & Themes - interesting stuff.....

11. No Wonder People Want Archives Sealed - MI6 Attacked Jewish Refugee Ships After WWII - The Daily Beast - fast forward to 2010 and compare with the "Freedom Flotilla"


12. Israel Police Band - performs in Moscow:

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1 comment:

  1. Anita SalemSeptember 21, 2010 at 4:34 PM

    Thanks for the link to the World's Most Beautiful Synagogues. Top of the list was Le Grand Synagogue in Paris which I visited in the late 1960's. What was even more remarkable was the shoe maker who worked across the street. He ran out to invite both my husband and I, two young shnooks in our early 20's, to Shabbos dinner, eventhough we were in fact Canadian strangers. Although all 3 of us spoke French fluently, we communicated with each other in "Mama Loshen" ---Yiddishe, and that was the thrill of a lifetime. That gesture actually gave meaning to what "extended family" means.

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