Two interesting events took place the first week of March as I wrote this article. They were hardly noticed internationally, but they offer a compelling view of Israel’s modern-day reality. Negotiations to form a new governing coalition dominated the headlines in Israel. But two other events should be remembered: two Israeli films were finalists at…
Since the establishment of the State of Israel, four new holidays have been added to the Jewish calendar – Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Memorial Day), Yom Ha’atzmaut (Independence Day) and Yom Yerushalayim ( Jerusalem Day). Three national days – Yom HaShoah, Yom Hazikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut – fall within one week. This…
Hoping to break barriers and promote discussion among Israel supporters of all stripes, J Street Portland worked with local Jewish organizations to bring Israeli journalist Gershom Gorenberg to speak on Feb. 16 at Congregation Neveh Shalom. The American-born Orthodox Jew’s recent book The Unmaking of Israel has received wide critical acclaim. Arriving jet-lagged from the…
When former Soviet dissident and current Jewish Agency Chair Natan Sharansky spoke in Portland last June, he called American universities the most important battlefield for today’s Jews. “I wrote an article, Traveling to Occupied Territories, where occupied territories meant American universities,” he said. “I understood how dangerous and successful our enemies are and the power…
