July 05, 2025 | 9 Tammuz 5785
At the opulent and grand Emirates Palace, over delicious cardamom spiced Arabian coffee, we asked the Emirati minister of foreign affairs: After spending time in Israel negotiating the Abraham Accords what did he see as the difference between Israelis and Emiratis? He paused, and with a twinkle in his eye replied, “When we Emiratis must […]
Dave Chappelle recently delivered an antisemitic monologue on Saturday Night Live that included a defense of Kanye West and Kyrie Irving. It was an unacceptable moment in television. First, let’s look at SNL’s culpability and gain, at the expense of the Jews. SNL reportedly was surprised by Chappelle’s monologue because it differed from what had […]
When one thinks about the filmography of writer and director Mel Brooks, a few words come to mind: silly, overt and shameless; just to name a few. The Jewish director has parodied just about every genre of film from westerns, “Blazing Saddles” (1974), to horror, “Young Frankenstein” (1974)..Nowhere is Brooks’ writing and directing style […]
Have you traveled to Israel? Maybe more than once. Also bought a State of Israel Bond or planted a tree there. All good, but what did your grandparents and great-grandparents do to support the country, well before it existed? My mother handed me a faded brown folder, stuffed thick with old family photos. One antique […]
The abortion issue raises raw emotions on both sides of the political spectrum. Strong feelings are often backed up by strong words, from both sides of the aisle, red and blue. When it comes to what the Torah has to say about the issue, oftentimes people might assume that the approach is open and […]
Three years ago, I was grateful to ascend to the bimah of this loving and warm 100+-year-old shul in the heart of the “Driftless Area” of southeastern Wisconsin. I knew this was a special place. The Driftless Area is so-called because it never experienced the drift of glaciers during the last Ice Age. It […]
I feel like I knew Jeff German, the Jewish Milwaukee boy who moved to Las Vegas. I know the type, the fearless journalist who lives in the job. When I was an editor at a daily, I felt like I worried about that reporter on my staff more than they worried about themselves. They […]
I read with interest the article by Alan Wolkenstein, “Antisemitism remembered.” This was a well written article bringing back many memories of my youth. I’m sure that many long time Milwaukee residents recall stories from their parents or grandparents with similar experiences. My parents faced the same housing discrimination when they searched for housing in […]
My folks would take me along when they visited family who were buried at Mound Zion Cemetery. When we arrived, usually between the High Holidays, dad would park the car and we would walk to the family plot. Dad would have picked up two small stones and then placed them on the monuments to […]
Our name is the first thing we own when we enter the world. Names honor ancestors, recall favorite characters, evoke nature, and bring joy to those who bestow them. We write our names in crayon on our kindergarten drawings. We scribble it on receipts, carve it into trees, wear it on necklaces, display it […]
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