Lebanon Lurches toward Disaster, While Posing a Threat to Israel
Explosions, trials, and Iranian hegemony.
August 5, 2020
The Jewish Holiday of Love Is an Antidote for Tribalism, Ancient and Modern
A timely lesson from Tu b’Av.
Today marks the Jewish holiday of Tu b’Av (i.e., the fifteenth day of the month of Av), which—according to the Talmud—celebrates an ancient decree allowing marriage among the twelve tribes of Israel, as well as the end of a period of bloody intertribal violence described in the book of Judges. Despite the day’s minor status, the talmudic sages compare it to Yom Kippur in its holiness. On this day, moreover, “the daughters of Jerusalem” would borrow white clothes from one another, so that their socioeconomic status would be undeterminable, and dance in the vineyards, calling to young men to pick them as wives. For Stuart Halpern, Tu b’Av bears an important lesson for American society today:
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How the Jewish Experience Can Help America Defend Itself against the War on History
Jews shouldn’t join the mob by renaming St. Louis or “cancelling” Dostoevsky.
Ariel Sharon’s Advisers Prepared a Plan for Disengagement from the West Bank. But Did He Plan to Follow Through?
New revelations on a bitter anniversary.
When It Comes to U.S. Trade Policy, Some Territories Are More Disputed Than Others
Why the laser focus on Israel, especially when more serious cases are ignored?
The Jewish Holiday of Love Is an Antidote for Tribalism, Ancient and Modern
A timely lesson from Tu b’Av.