Sukkot, Tshuva & Gog u’Magog
Unlike most of the festivals on the Hebrew calendar, Sukkot commemorates an event that takes place in the future but has ramifications for the present.
Celebrating the 18th of Elul
The 18th of Elul was once a Hebrew festival marking the day Shimon HaTarsi achieved full independence for Judea from Seleucid-Greek rule after a brutal guerrilla war spanning nearly three decades.
Breaking Free from Aḥashverosh
The objective shouldn’t have been greater proximity to power – to replace Haman with Mordekhai as prime minister – but rather the dismantling of an unjust system and a mass return to Jerusalem.
Mourning Days of Tevet
The fact that Jews still fast on this day thousands of years later speaks volumes about the length, depth & power of Israel’s collective memory.
The UN Partition Plan & the Golden Calf
Did the United Nations give the Jewish people a state? Whose interest does this narrative serve and what impact has it had on Israeli society?
The Challenge of Jewish Indigeneity
Jewish indigeneity to the land of Israel can’t just be a pro-Israel talking point. It must be an identity Jews internalize as part of our own decolonization.
The Tragic Legacy of David Raziel
Thinking outside-the-box & questioning the assumptions behind most of our political conclusions can prevent Israel’s national-religious camp from losing our way or unwittingly betraying the struggle we’ve committed our lives to.
A Day for Remembering the Holocaust & the Heroism
We can’t judge those who didn’t fight. But we can acknowledge that within the context of a system that fostered an exclusive focus on personal survival, fighting was an act of reclaiming our humanity.
Decolonizing Kitniyot
Israel’s laws and customs possess incredible cosmic significance way beyond the revealed reasons for which they were ostensibly established.
Transcending Our Narratives
Those interested in solving this conflict must transcend the battle between two competing stories and construct a larger narrative inclusive enough to encompass both ostensibly rival narratives.
A Tale of Two Narratives
A ‘narrative’ is a version of reality – a story told about a chain of events that organizes facts while being influenced by ideology. The same chain of events can be organized into many narratives, especially if influenced by different ideologies.
Progressing Beyond Zionism
Until now we’ve defined a ‘Jewish state’ as one that places superficial Jewish decorations over a European-style nation state. But this can never satisfy our country’s fastest growing populations.