Why should we care that in 586 BCE (Before the Common Era) the Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and in 70 CE the Romans destroyed the Second Temple? The Temple was the central address for Jewish worship and assembly for hundreds of years. Each conqueror thought he could destroy the Jewish people, our identity, and…

Tisha b’Av (the 9th of the month of Av), the day Jews mourn the loss of the Temple and their subsequent exile, is one of those holidays that never made too much sense growing up. Let me explain by recounting a story told to me by my teacher Rabbi David Hartman. Following the Six Day…

These past few weeks have been so full of pain and strife. Each new headline brings fresh waves of sorrow at the human and political toll that the current conflict in Lebanon is taking. With Israeli ground troops now entering southern Lebanon to create a buffer zone, the casualties only promise to increase. Our hearts…

I am not sure if there is much more to say about this issue, Prof. LeVine. Your problem seems to be more with the people at Pew. To sum up: Your position expresses little difference between evangelicals, Muslims, and Israelis regarding these groups’ relationship to politics and religion. Doing the math, you might say, evangelicals=Israelis=Muslims.…

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