Jerusalem – Page 2 – Rabbi Jon 's Website and Blog

May 5, 2022

Being an American Zionist

This is the text of a column i wrote in the New Hampshire Jewish Reporter for December 2021. I am posting this today on Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. I have been a Zionist since I was a kid. I didn’t become an American Zionist, though, until I was 22. That was when I decided… Continue reading

Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Environment, Equality, Ethics, Feminism, Freedom, History, Holidays, Israel, Jerusalem, Peace, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA, Yom Haatzmaut

July 20, 2021

Ahavat Yisrael or Sin’at Chinam — Learning From the Destruction of the Temple

This is the D'var Torah I gave on Saturday, July 17, Shabbat Chazon — the Shabbat preceding the fast of Tisha B'Av, which commemorates the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem by the Babylonians and the Romans. I want to tell you a story from the Talmud often taught at this time of year, around… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Current Affairs, High Holidays, Holidays, Israel, Jerusalem, Justice, Lashon Hara, Leadership, Middot, Peace, Taking Sides, Talmud, Tisha B’Av, USA, Yamim Noraim

October 29, 2020

The Sacrifice of Yitzchak: Remembering Rabin on the Anniversary of His Assassination

October 29, 2020 is by the Jewish calendar the 25th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin z"l, by a Jewish religious extremist opposed to Rabin's peacemaking with the Palestinians. This is the D'var Torah I gave five years ago for Rabin's yahrzeit. This is the week of the 20th yahrzeit for… Continue reading

Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Gaza, History, Holocaust, Israel, Jerusalem, Justice, Leadership, Parashat Hashavua, Peace, Terrorism, Tikkun Olam, Torah, Tzedek, Vayera, Yom Haatzmaut

February 9, 2020

Why I Am Voting for Sen. Klobuchar This Tuesday

#thinkinparagraphs For my NH undecided friends, and for people out there in states voting soon who haven’t picked a candidate: I’m not registered as a member of a political party, but on Tuesday I am going to take a Democratic ballot and vote for Sen. Amy Klobuchar. I didn’t decide finally until about a week… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Election, Ethics, Freedom, Health Care, Islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Justice, Leadership, Tikkun Olam, Tzedakah, Tzedek, USA

December 17, 2019

Embracing Chanukkah

This was my column in the December 2019 bulletin for Temple Beth Abraham: I love Chanukkah. I love the row of chanukkiot, the special menorahs, set up by the window for each member of the family. Just the simplicity of light and then a bit more light every day, with a bit of color, and… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Calendar, Chanuka, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Eight, Freedom, History, Holidays, Interfaith Dialogue, Israel, Jerusalem, Jewish Education, USA

November 26, 2018

Chanukkah Is About Today

Each year in the Temple Beth Abraham bulletin I tend to write about the same thing at this time of year. This is as good as I've done so far in articulating why Chanukkah is important, and why it is important for American Jews at this holiday season. This is my December column: You’ve probably… Continue reading

April 9, 2018

Israel’s 70th Anniversary

This was column in the bulletin of Temple Beth Abraham for April 2018. This spring, the State of Israel marks its 70th anniversary. By the Hebrew calendar, it falls on April 18-19, and by the secular calendar, on May 14. We are looking forward to celebrating together on Sunday, May 13 at the synagogue. We… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Current Affairs, Freedom, Israel, Jerusalem, Peace, Temple Beth Abraham, USA, Yom Haatzmaut

December 7, 2017

Jerusalem and the U.S. Embassy

Here are some thoughts in response to President Trump’s announcement yesterday about recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and initiating the transfer of the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. I’m thinking about this spiritually and emotionally as a Jew, as well as politically as an American and as a person tied to Israel. All day… Continue reading

Antisemitism, Chanuka, Community Relations, Current Affairs, Interfaith Dialogue, Islam, Israel, Jerusalem, Leadership, Peace, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA

December 29, 2016

The U.S., The U.N., Sec. Kerry and Israel This Past Week

Last Friday, the UN Security Council approved a resolution declaring that Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are the primary impediments to peace between Israelis and Palestinians. It passed 14-0-1, with the United States abstaining rather than vetoing the resolution. Then yesterday, Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a long speech outlining… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Freedom, Israel, Jerusalem, Justice, Peace, Tikkun Olam, Tzedek, USA

October 24, 2014

Ari Shavit’s My Promised Land

This post is based on my bulletin column of April 2014. At Temple Beth Abraham, the Sisterhood's book club is discussing this book on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 8:00 PM. The most important new book about Israel this year is called My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, by Israeli journalist Ari Shavit.… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Gaza, Israel, Jerusalem, Peace, Temple Beth Abraham, Yom Haatzmaut

March 4, 2013

A Must Read on Israel and Palestine

Yesterday's New York Times Sunday Review section published an important analysis and proposal from Dennis Ross, who has served Republican and Democratic presidents as an emissary to the Middle East. It is a realistic, hard-headed take on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and the supporting maps/diagrams are very helpful. He suggests a path… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Israel, Jerusalem, Peace

November 30, 2012

First Reaction: Palestine and the UN

Yesterday, the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to give Palestine the status of a "nonmember observer state", represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization, within the territory of the West Bank and Gaza Strip that bordered Israel before the Six-Day War of 1967. This is truly a first reaction. I decided to read a few… Continue reading

Current Affairs, Gaza, Israel, Jerusalem, Peace