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Israel Matters!

Israel Matters! – April 2024

Back to Israel

(David Margolis, Guest Columnist)

I was a guest contributor for this column last July where I shared my “Reflections on a First Tour of Israel” following TBS’ May 2023 Israel Trip.  I ended that column with: “On the flight back to the States I knew two things to be true – that I would return to Israel as often as possible, and if I no longer felt safe as a Jew in America I would be welcomed and protected in Israel.  Like Home.” (more…)

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Rabbi's Corner

Purim vs. Passover 

Purim vs. Passover 

Purim and Passover both come in the spring, but they are very different. One is the story of a near-genocide of the Jews of Persia; some brave heroes stood up to power and saved their people. Now it’s basically a time for fun and games and noisemakers and costumes. These days, it is largely a holiday for children. Purim is a lot of fun, but we don’t think much about its lessons. Comedy laughs at danger. (more…)

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President's Message

April 2024: President’s Message

If you’re eager for a glimpse into the Rabbi’s 40th Celebration, you’ll need to wait until the May Bulletin. Meanwhile, let me share highlights from some recent special events at TBS, all occurring on Sundays. (more…)

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Rabbi's Corner

I like to ask stupid questions.

I like to ask stupid questions.

I like to go back to a blank blackboard and start from the very basic ideas. During this terrible ordeal when Jewish people all over the world are worried about everything happening to and in the State of Israel, some claim that Israel is a colonial power that is usurping the right of Palestinians to their land. I know that most Israelis are the children and grandchildren of refugees who were exiled from their homes in Europe and the Middle East; Israel is anything but a colonial power. I know that the land does not belong to a group that did not even exist decades ago. I know that this these claims against Israel are all false. And yet I also know that Israel has unfortunately has often needed to re-establish or re-enforce its claim to its land through war, from its War of Independence in 1948 to the current conflict. (more…)

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Israel Matters!

Israel Matters! – March 2024

To think like an Arab Israeli

The article below written by Yahyah Mahamid originally appeared February 3, 2024 on ynetnews.com (https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjoltmh56). We at Israel Matters found this so interesting and important that we are sharing it with you below.

As an Arab-Israeli, the events of October 7 and the fighting in Gaza have had a profound effect on me and the Arab community in Israel as a whole. These events put a spotlight on the complicated and complex dynamics of coexistence, the heavy price Israeli Arabs paid and are still paying, and the strong desire of Israeli Arabs to be part of Israeli society. (more…)

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President's Message

March 2024: President’s Message

On March 30, 2024, we will be celebrating 40 years of Rabbi Scolnic’s incredible dedication, care, and love of our congregation and community. We look forward to our entire community being part of this spirited celebration that will include appetizers and a lot of desserts (hence the event being called “40 Years in the Dessert”). (more…)

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Rabbi's Corner

It is mid-January

As I write this in mid-January, I pray and hope that the situation in Israel will be better when you read this than it is right now. The pain and anguish continue; the despair about the hostages; the animosity of most of the world, all hang heavy and are factors in the collective trauma we all feel. With support for Israel’s Gaza invasion waning, Jewish people inside and outside of Israel have a frustrating problem. The mission of those who love Israel is to advocate for Israel and educate others on why Israel must destroy Hamas. Hamas’s heinous brutality demanded Israel’s just invasion of Gaza. We’re not surprised that much of the world’s shallow reservoir of sympathy for Israel and Jewish people is nearly dry. But American Jewish people couldn’t imagine how this anti- Israel hatred could metastasize into ugly verbal and physical violence in universities, public schools, and public squares. (more…)

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