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Yisrael Rosenberg

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May 25, 2018, 8:14 PM

Would You Say Kaddish for Terrorists — at Gunpoint?

After reading Leah Jordan’s blog posting (I’m Proud to Have Led Kaddish), I feel compelled to stop everything I am doing in order to respond - as respectfully and non-confrontationally as I can muster. After all, the author is...

May 12, 2018, 11:07 PM

For Fun – And Prophet

Things aren’t dull in Israel. Two days ago, at five minutes after midnight, Iran fired off a volley of 20 guided missiles from Syria to northern Israel. No-one was injured in the attack. Four missiles were shot down by Israeli...

Dec 11, 2017, 4:44 PM

The Fire and the Scrolls

Torah scrolls, the most sacred objects in Judaism since the Great Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman Legions 1,947 years ago, are often compared to human beings. In fact, the Torah scrolls that occupy the holy arks...

Sep 1, 2017, 6:03 PM

The Highest Trunk

Today is the first of September, 2017. It is morning in my Jerusalem neighborhood. As I make my way to prayers at a nearby synagogue, I find myself repeatedly bumped off the narrow sidewalk, into the street. Moms, kids, and...

Jun 26, 2017, 10:01 PM

Reaping What We Sow

I believe that entire Western Wall prayer issue is a red herring. What is really at stake here, and the genuine source of the conflict, is: "Who is a Jew?". The Reform and Conservative movements have been trying for decades,...

May 10, 2016, 3:06 PM

Muslims of the Kotel

I caught sight of them near the back of the Kotel (Western Wall) Plaza of Jerusalem's Old City. There they were, in a group of about twenty or so, sticking closely together. Ankle-length djellabas, colorful hats, and thick beards...

Jan 20, 2016, 7:27 PM

A Change in Attitude

Well folks, time to own up to the ugly truth: it ain’t working. Our little Zionist social experiment has reached an impasse. Far from being free Jews in our own land, we are getting pummeled. Check out the wintertime fun displayed...

Sep 13, 2015, 4:55 PM

Rosh HaShanah: For the Goyyim, Too

OK, so here it is. In a few hours, we will be standing in synagogue, ushering in the annual Day of Judgment, when all people are judged one by one before the Creator. I could be helping my wife prepare the...

Feb 15, 2015, 2:33 PM

“You’re DIFFERENT!”

On a balmy September evening in Washington DC’s downtown Dupont Circle neighborhood, I climbed the stairs to the cozy rooftop terrace, perched above the penthouse apartment of the old, restored brownstone townhouse. I was tired, having left the office...

Nov 16, 2014, 1:00 PM

Stopping Up The Wells

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” George Santayana History can be a great learning tool. Its greatest value comes to fore when human interactions reveal dynamics that shed light on the future. And in fact, one...

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About Me

Yisrael Rosenberg is a former New Englander who made aliyah nearly 30 years ago. He lives with his wife and four children in Jerusalem.