Thursday, November 29, 2007
The Annapolis Summit
Like many, I am nervous about Israel’s negotiations for peace and what direction all these talks will truly lead to. As I watched all of the proceedings I was particularly bothered by the Saudi representatives’ refusal to shake the hands of the Israelis.
Read the whole storyThursday, November 15, 2007
Are the Jewish People a religion or are we a nation?
Rav Aviner proposed the following question; “Are the Jewish People a religion or are we a nation?” If we are a religion then each group of Jews around the globe has their own social group and merely has distant ties to the other groups of people practicing Judaism around the world. However, if we are a Nation then we have a common inseparable destiny. What happens to the Jews of Israel has a direct impact on the Jews of America and vice versa. I believe this to be true with all my heart. We are a nation and the fate of all Jews is linked and intertwined. Therefore it is our duty to raise our voices if we feel Jerusalem’s division will be catastrophic for the Jewish People.
Read the whole storyThursday, November 08, 2007
The Power of Conversation
I feel that teens in particular fail to understand the value of face to face communication where two people can truly grow through a conversation and exchange of ideas and understand a different perspective. I am worried that in the era of the internet and Wikipedia it may seem to many teenagers that talking to people in order to learn something is quaint and outdated; when often times the way to truly learn or internalize a new idea is through a discussion with another human being whose non-verbal communication adds layers and depth to their words which cannot be expressed over the internet.
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