Comments on: The I’s Have It

By: Jack Kessler

Jack Kessler — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:11:47 +0000

Another way to view this sort of column is that it is defeatism. It says to Zionists and other supporters of Israel, “You’ve lost. So you might as well give up.” It is yet another form of anti-Israel propaganda.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel’s enemies are divided between the PA and Hamas. Israel has more legitimacy among EU governments than ever with friendly new governments in France, Germany, and Italy. Hamas remains on the US and EU terrorist organizations lists and the PA is impotent.

The whole Quartet is in the process of coming around to favoring sanctions against Iran.

The fact that there are the same handful of juvenile nay-sayers in some American schuls that there have always been does not mean anything like Gordis is suggesting it does. Gordis acts like the mere fact of the existence of a handful of crazies like Women in Black means that American Jewry is withdrawing from Israel. It doesn’t. In fact the presence of openly anti-semitic Muslim students on campuses is opening the eyes of young Jews all across the country that their position in American society and Israel’s position in the world are not secure without ongoing effort. The old complacency is eroding and that is an enormous improvement. We owe a left-handed debt of gratitude to the Muslim students and the leftist crazies for their education of young Jews.

So far from the fight being lost, our position and Israel’s, is stronger than ever.

By: David

David — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:20:38 +0000

The government of Israel is the big problem. After centuries of oppression, they set up a country where they can and do oppress the non-Jew and deny them equal rights.

If all the Jews and Palestinians both had right of return, there is enough wealth in the world to settle property disputes so we can all move on!

By: Jack Kessler

Jack Kessler — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:29:58 +0000

Thanks, Chanie. That is what we all needed – more vilification of Israel. Your charges are even stupider and more groundless than those of the Muslims and leftist antisemites. Maybe you should take something for your hysteria and get some rest.

By: Chanie Zuckerman

Chanie Zuckerman — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 01:29:35 +0000

It’s true for me; Israeli’s leadership murders Jews and makes scapegoats of the Orthodox. Rabin is the most obvious example but the list of the deceased by our “own” government and our “own” president is long.
I’m all but finished with Israel because the place is finished with me. CZ

By: Esther from East Brunswick, NJ

Esther from East Brunswick, NJ — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 11:20:38 +0000

How sad! Try to be more optimistic as it is helpful to all.
More Jews are making Aliyah than ever before.
Secular American Jews have always been less connected to Israel. The difference is one’s belief in the Torah and the deep connection to the land.
Part of the solution is education and conservative talk radio. Spread the word with 770 and 970 AM.

By: Philip Rothman

Philip Rothman — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:46:26 +0000

I don’t think the phenomenon Rabbi Allen has observed is driving the apparent weakening identification with Israel among the 35-and-younger set of American Jews. Rather, I suggest that it’s, all else equal, due to the high rate of intermarriage the American Jewish community has experienced over the past 35. I haven’t seen hard data on this, and am ready to be proven wrong, but I speculate that the emotional bonds to Israel differ considerably across young adults who are children of intermarried American Jewish families relative to those with a Jewish mother and father. On this question, I would not recommend following the silly arithmetic found in:

http://jta.org/news/article/2009/10/25/1008716/op-ed-what-israelis-need-to-know-about-intermarriage-in-north-america

By: The Goldstone Report « Shimshonit

The Goldstone Report « Shimshonit — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 06:13:00 +0000

[...] such Jews in the world have lost their feeling of the Jews as a people. (Daniel Gordis’s piece in Friday’s Jerusalem Post describes this well.) Such Jews have come to see Judaism as a [...]

By: Rabbi Brant Rosen

Rabbi Brant Rosen — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:39:19 +0000

“On Jewish Hearts and Minds: A Response to Daniel Gordis” by Rabbi Brant Rosen

http://rabbibrant.com/2009/10/23/on-jewish-hearts-and-minds-a-response-to-daniel-gordis/

By: Laura Kelm

Laura Kelm — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:20:17 +0000

Getting American Jews (of all ages) to go to Israel, even for a few weeks, will be a powerful tool to combat these feelings. I have been there 3 times, two on teen trips organized by my local Jewish Federation, and once for 6 months when I studied there for a semester in college. Over Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, my Rabbis had high schoolers speak about their experiences on March of the Living, which ends with time in Israel. It was clear that the trip deeply impacted them and they all stated they are now going to be activists for Israel. This is what we need. Organizations and some Jewish schools across the US are sending kids to Israel – we need to make sure they keep going so they can feel the connection and see what a special place it is.

By: Jack Kessler

Jack Kessler — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:41:04 +0000

This is just more gloom-and-doom scare talk by journalists who know they can get more readership and response with bad news than good, even if they have to invent it.

“Try to list the serious Jewish educational enterprises addressing this challenge…

Can you name even one? Neither can I.”

Campus Hillel for starters. Anyone who is concerned by this article, whether rightly or wrongly, should give serious thought to writing a large check to their local campus Hillel. The classier and better furnished it is, the more the kids will want to hang out there and participate in Hillel activities and to date other Jewish young people.