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Tag: Jewish
A real miracle or the doing of extraordinary people?
Posted by Daniel Gordis in Featured Articles on December 11, 2009 | 60 Comments
Dec. 10, 2009
DANIEL GORDIS , THE JERUSALEM POST
It's been almost a year since St.-Sgt. Dvir Emanuelof became the first casualty of Operation Cast Lead, losing his life to Hamas mortar fire just as he entered Gaza early in the offensive. But sitting with his mother, Dalia, in her living room last week, I was struck not by loss, but by life. And not by grief, but by fervent belief. And by a more recent story about Dvir that simply needs to be told, especially now at Hanukka, our season of miracles.
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A Requiem for Peoplehood?
Nov. 26, 2009
DANIEL GORDIS , THE JERUSALEM POST
'It never even occurred to me that the Jews were a people." I had just finished speaking on Shabbat morning at a traditional shul on Long Island. The talk had been about the nation-state and its roots in the Book of Genesis. Along the way, I'd made some comments about the changing nature of American Jewish life today, and the ...
The Nation-State Called Israel – Key to the “Chosen People”?, Portland, November 2009
Posted by Daniel Gordis in Podcasts on November 11, 2009 | Leave a comment
The I’s Have It
Posted by Daniel Gordis in Featured Articles on October 18, 2009 | 47 Comments
Protecting the Zionist Narrative, At Last
In Perspective: Protecting the Zionist narrative at last
Jun. 4, 2009
Daniel Gordis , THE JERUSALEM POST
Imagine that Germany, embittered by incessant reminders of what happened during the Holocaust, passed a law forbidding German Jews from publicly marking the destruction of European Jewry. Or that the US Congress, tired of hearing Native Americans recite their tales of woe, made it illegal for them to mention their losses on July 4. If Turkey passed legislation like that, directed at Armenian memories of 1915, we would hardly blink an eye. But if a genuine democracy followed suit? We would scarcely believe our ears.
So why are we not more distressed by legislation before the Knesset that would criminalize marking the "Nakba" ...
Israel’s Holocaust ‘Obsession’? — A Radio “Debate” With Avrum Burg
Interfaith Radio (http://interfaithradio.org) recently interviewed Avrum Burg, former speaker of the Knesset, on his recent controversial book. They then interviewed me for an alternate perspective. The interview (along with an audio file that can be downloaded) is available at http://interfaithradio.org/node/892. Burg's interview begins at 22 min 56 sec, while the segment with me begins at 37 min 12 sec.
In a controversial new book, Avraham Burg argues that Israel is “stuck in Auschwitz,” using the Holocaust as the defining experience of Jewish identity. This former speaker of the Israeli Parliament says his country's preoccupation has led to an unhealthy nationalism that mourns the past, fears the future and feeds violence.
Daniel ...
For the Sake of Clarity – A Thought Experiment
Posted by Daniel Gordis in Uncategorized on May 17, 2009 | 42 Comments
In Perspective: For the sake of clarity, a thought experiment
May. 14, 2009
Daniel Gordis , THE JERUSALEM POST
He was in his 20s, the young man with the question after my lecture. He couldn't have asked it more kindly or gently. Without a hint of cynicism or anger, he expressed what was clearly on the minds of many of the people his age in the crowd: "Can you justify a Jewish state," he wanted to know, "when having a Jewish state means giving up on so many of Judaism's values?"
Here's what he didn't say: Israel is the root of evil in the Middle East. It's the cause of checkpoints, of roadblocks, of a big ugly wall that runs ...
Meir Banai – Shma Koli
As a reviewer on Amazon.com says, "After a reconnection with his Jewish religious roots. Meir Banai has released an album of songs with the lyrics taken from classic Jewish sources. Guests on this album are Ehud Banai, Yonatan Razel, and Amir Benayoun."
Diwan Project – Diwan Halev
As is written on Last.fm.com: According to the Jewish tradition of the Middle Ages in Spain, it was common for Jews to meet outside the synagogue or house of study. Following holy prayer or study, they would create culture in the space between sacred and secular time. They would integrate spiritual search, their yearning for the “Shechina” (the divine presence) and for the return to Zion. These encounters in Spain, Egypt, Morocco and Yemen were called “Diwan”. The rich culture of “Diwan”, composed of song and “Piyut” (poetry and sacred prose) is a heritage that influences the soul, the creativity and the song of the people of Israel until this day. Diwan Project is an ensemble that performs traditional music and song in a ...
Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President of the Shalem Center, where he is also a senior fellow. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and currents in Israel...
The Jewish State must end, say its enemies, from intellectuals like Tony Judt to hate-filled demagogues like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Even average Israelis are wondering if they wouldn't be better off somewhere else. 
