Archive for December, 2009

A special star must have been shining brightly above Ramallah - a place not too far from Bethlehem in miles but light years away in spirit - when Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, was born. Abu Mazen had always been Chairman Arafat's right-hand man, and has credited himself with having discouraged Arafat from walking away from the negotiating table... »

"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance." -----Robert Kennedy What... »

On November 12, 2009, the Jewish National Fund dedicated a memorial in Jerusalem to the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.  The United States and Israeli flags fly together alongside the memorial, believed to be the first such physical structure erected outside the U.S.  The dedication ceremony, attended by dignitaries including the U.S. Ambassador, received virtually no media attention... »

(A version of this article also appears in today's Washington Jewish Weekly) Jerusalem- I am sitting on a terrace overlooking the Judean Hills, framing the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament building. The early morning sun has bathed the new day in a majestic splendor. My grandfather, a sweet, learned rabbi from Europe, who saw much evil in the world but chose to... »