20/04/2010

Dear Mr. Todd

I was very disturbed to read the adjudication (14 April) of the Advertising Standards Authority about an advert for tourism in Israel.

Under Israeli stewardship the religious shrines of Jerusalem are protected and accessible to all for the first time since the days of Jesus. By saying that photos of the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock cannot be shown in Israel tourism advertising, the ASA is therefore preventing them being shown in any tourism advertising. That cannot be to the benefit of tourists.

I understand that this ASA adjudication can be reviewed by the In...

13/04/2010

In accordance with a resolution passed by the Knesset in 1951, today (Monday 12 April) is Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).

This past Shabbos at Kesher, we had some "Second Thoughts on Yom HaShoah", in which we discussed the background to the several alternative dates proposed for remembering the Holocaust. I also gave expression to the ambivalence toward Yom HaShoah to be found in some religious circles, and which I personally share.

One aspect of that ambivalence is cogently (and forcefully) presented in an essay (to which I referred) written by my friend Rabbi Ephraim Buchwal...

18/03/2010

As today is the 1st of the Hebrew month of Nissan, we are pleased to share with you an essay written by "founding friends" of Kesher, Michael and Daniel Cogoi, on the significance of Nissan as the first month of the year. In an email to Rabbi Simon they wrote as follows:

"We would like to dedicate this article to Yocheved and Josh since Pesach will be the first chag they will celebrate together.

If you like it you can circulate on the Kesher newsletter. It may not be the best article but its most relevant feature is that it is written by your talmidim. In that sense it may (hopefully) b...

27/11/2009

Kesher Whisky Trail, 22-24 February 2009

In our tireless quest for novel Jewish experiences, Kesher recently took a group of sixteen Jewish travel enthusiasts of varying backgrounds and nationalities on a Scottish Whisky Trail. After trips of Jewish discovery of a Safari - “Jewish inspiration in the African bush”; Djerba - the ancient “Jewish Island” off the coast of Tunisia; Andalucia and Gibraltar; and Budapest and environs, on this occasion we went to explore the rugged beauty and, in particular, the world-famous ‘spiritual’ resources of the Scottish Highland.

The tour was led by Rabb...

04/06/2009

The atheist's dilemma

By Paul Campos, Rocky Mountain News
Published February 20, 2008

Why is Stanley Fish so much smarter than Richard Dawkins? That question occurred to me last week, while attending a lecture at which Fish, the well-known literary and legal theorist, did the thing he always does, which is to make the following point over and over again:

"No believer will find his faith shaken by evidence that is evidence only in the light of assumptions he does not share and considers flatly wrong."

Richard Dawkins is, I'm told by persons whose authority I accept on faith, a d...

18/05/2009

'Seasons of the Moon' by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
Reviewed by Quang-Tuan Luong

Seasons of the Moon, by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair
Hardcover, 176 pages
Focus Publishing (September 2008)
11.5 x 9.5 inches

$54.95 at Amazon Marketplace

Seasons of the Moon is a book of black and white photography mixed with essays and poems. It is structured around twelve key images, one for each month of the year. Each of those images is a striking and otherworldly scene that makes you wonder how it was photographed. Illustrating the title of the book, they appear to be nocturnal and mysteriou...

09/02/2009

Next Year In Jerusalem
In the book, “Anatomy of a Search”, Rabbi Akiva Tatz tells a story of a young Jewish man searching for
meaning in the East who was given an article by my sister Ellen Willis in Rolling Stone magazine. The monk
who gave him the article, a Jew who had become a Buddhist, suggested that he read the article and go check
out his own heritage first in Jerusalem.
I can vouch for the story, because he came first to find me in Jerusalem. And his story wasn’t unique, because
many spiritual seekers over the years found their search reflected in my sister’s article. It can prob...

27/01/2009

Questions and Answers about Operation Cast Lead, to help you understand recent events.

Why did Israel launch Operation Cast Lead now, even though Hamas began firing rockets at Israel in 2001?

Since 2001, Israel has tried a range of measures to prevent rocket fire and weapons smuggling, including import restrictions and pinpointed military action. Israel even entered into an informal arrangement with Hamas, leading to a six-month ceasefire - which Hamas chose not to renew, deciding instead to escalate the situation. Israel tried to continue the ceasefire. Like any democracy, Israel needs...