Category Opinion

Nature knows no borders

Traveled thousands of miles Inching my way Between mothers, children, prayer books Vying for space, so that I may touch Your precious stones Stones that have heard millions of tears Stones that hold hope and anguish Weeping and praying surround…

Model response to injustice

Seventy-two years ago yesterday, two Polish women, Zofia Kossak and Wanda Filipowicz, founded the Council for the Assistance of the Jews. By 1942, awareness of the intent of the Final Solution was becoming widespread. By creating an underground movement to…

The tent is getting smaller

Amid what had been a steady stream of volunteer commitments I had undertaken in the Jewish community, it seems I now have some more free time. I could be pleased by the fact that I am freed from a major…

When Men Talk …

To the women reading this post, brace yourself for the following comment: It’s not easy being a man! Take a minute. OK. Breathe. Sit back down. And we can continue. The North American male lives under a lot of pressure…

“Jewish state bill” should be nixed

A proposed “Jewish state bill” may be up for a Knesset vote next week. An amalgamation of previous drafts, the bill would, among other things, enshrine in Basic Law Israel’s Jewish identity, reserve the right of national self-determination to Jews…

Are we Bolsheviks?

Israel’s Knesset gave preliminary approval to a bill that would make it illegal to distribute free newspapers. On the face, it seems an odd move. Why prevent the (literally) free circulation of ideas? On principle, it is worse. Democratic governments…

The Klinghoffer controversy

Even if you’re not a fan of opera, you may have heard about the worldwide dust-up over the recent staging by the New York Metropolitan Opera of The Death of Klinghoffer by John Adams, an eminent American composer. (The opera…

Misdirecting attention

U.S. President Barack Obama has sent a letter to the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei requesting Iran’s support in the battle against ISIS. At a time when Israel’s relationship with the American administration is strained, the letter (which was apparently sent back…

Fresh, solemn significance

For a great number of Canadians, particularly those too young to remember the Second World War, Remembrance Day is not the day of intimate commemoration it was for previous generations. Canadian engagement in Afghanistan, however, has once again bestowed on…

Feed your fatigue

Quick! One a scale of 1-10, how tired are you RIGHT NOW? Is anyone’s answer ever lower than 5??? Most of us know we probably don’t get enough sleep – working long hours, investing a lot into our families or extra-curricular…