What does Turkey’s election mean for Israel?
May 17, 2023 by Shimon Sherman
Turkey’s High Election Board (YSK) declared on Monday that the country would be heading to a runoff election in late May, after incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to secure over 50% of the vote in Sunday’s election. Read more
Iran is stepping up pressure on its proxies to join forces against Israel
May 17, 2023 by Baruch Yedid - TPS
Heavy Iranian pressure on Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to establish a “joint operational mechanism” to coordinate activities against Israel is reportedly causing internal divisions among the Iranian proxies. Read more
The Gaza Strip and learning to live with insoluble problems
May 16, 2023 by Jonathan S. Tobin - JNS.org
Upon its conclusion, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rightly lauded the Israel Defence Forces for its brilliant work during “Operation Shield and Arrow.” Read more
From Australia’s Jewish past: Saul Solomon – Photographer
May 16, 2023 by Features Desk
Saul was born on 15 January 1836 in Knightsbridge, London. Read more
Israel under fire and the West’s pusillanimous response
May 15, 2023 by Richard Kemp
When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, Western governments, international organisations, media and human rights groups quite rightly rallied around without hesitation, recognising the need to give unreserved moral support to a nation defending itself from violent attack. Read more
Why are uncultured people called Philistines?
May 15, 2023 by Rabbi Raymond Apple
Ask the rabbi. Read more
Feintooner
May 15, 2023 by Feintooner
This week’s cartoon: The shield and arrows of outrageous fortune Read more
Islamic Jihad eases way for Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine
May 15, 2023 by David Singer
The decapitation of Islamic Jihad’s senior leadership in Gaza should help facilitate negotiations to successfully implement the creation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine and end 100 years of conflict between Jews and Arabs. Read more
Book Club: The Next Chapter – a movie review by Alex First
May 14, 2023 by Alex First
Book Club: The Next Chapter is a feel-good sequel to the 2018 film Book Club. Read more
Germany’s far-right comes to Yad Vashem
May 14, 2023 by Ben Cohen
Ever since its foundation in 1953 by an act of the Knesset, Yad Vashem in Jerusalem has served admirably as Israel’s national memorial to the Holocaust. Read more
On the other hand
May 14, 2023 by Michael Kuttner
Usually on Lag B’Omer, we make sure to shut all our windows so that smoke from the bonfires does not enter. Read more
This middlebrow concert was a sheer delight – a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
May 12, 2023 by Fraser Beath McEwing
While my reviews usually concentrate on the Emirates Master Series because that’s supposed to attract the most musically sophisticated crowd, last night’s SSO program of the Rach 2 and a Respighi tone poem was a delicious diversion. Read more
Evolving Judaism
May 12, 2023 by Jeremy Rosen
Many people think that Judaism is so conservative that it simply doesn’t change, and we are still rooted in a tradition that is 3000 years old.
Catastrophic
May 12, 2023 by Michael Kuttner
Note 15 May in your diary because that is the date when all the Israel historic revisionists will be having their annual convulsions. Read more
From the desk of Ron Weiser
May 11, 2023 by Ron Weiser
Having passed through the memorial and holiday period, Israel’s external and internal challenges remain the same, with some coming sharper into focus during the current round of rocket attacks on Israel. Read more
Henry Greener talks with Prof Sharon Lewin about the late Dr Mark Baker
May 11, 2023 by Henry Greener-The Shtick
Sharon Lewin and Henry Greener’s dedication to Dr. Mark Baker z’l, whose recent passing has left so many in our community with a heavy heart and profound sadness. Read more
Judaism Disrupted: A Spiritual Manifesto for the 21st Century
May 11, 2023 by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen
Michael Strassfeld’s name may not be familiar to all those who read J-Wire. Read more
November: A movie review by Alex First
May 11, 2023 by Alex First
On 13th November 2015, a series of coordinated terrorist attacks took place in Paris and the city’s northern suburb, Saint-Denis. 130 people were killed, and 416 injured. Read more
Shabbat Behar & Behukotai – The Good the Bad and the Ugly
May 11, 2023 by Jeremy Rosen
The book of the Torah called Vayikra or Leviticus, is also called the Book of Purity. Read more
CNN’s antisemitic disgrace
When CNN came under new leadership last year, its message to the public was that the network wanted to “rebuild trust as a non-partisan news brand”… writes David M. Litman. Read more
Golden age of Broadway -A music review by Shirley Politzer
May 10, 2023 by Shirley Politzer
Brett Weymark bounded onto the stage, shook hands with the concertmaster and proceeded to conduct a show that would send its audience into raptures, starting with the toe-tapping opening of the song “It’s Today” from Mame, used as the overture to The Golden Age of Broadway. Read more
Once (Darlinghurst Theatre Company) – A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
May 10, 2023 by Alex First
A brilliant slice of musical theatre, Once has an inspiring, ear and eye-pleasing balance of heart and humour. Read more
From Australia’s Jewish Past: Maurice Salom – South Australian businessman and politician
May 9, 2023 by J-Wire
Maurice was born in London on 1 July 1831 into an old family of Sephardic Jews. Read more
Feintooner
May 8, 2023 by Feintooner
This week’s cartoon: Bridging the divide. Read more
Which makes you a better person, sorrow or joy?
May 8, 2023 by Rabbi Raymond Apple
Happy Days (MTC) – a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
May 8, 2023 by Alex First
Absurdist and existential, Samuel Beckett’s Happy Days is a play strictly for selective tastes. Read more
On the other hand
May 7, 2023 by Michael Kuttner
Shabbat observant Jews in the UK and Israel will not be able to tune in to watch live telecasts of the Coronation pageantry from London. Read more
The antisemitism that never went away
May 7, 2023 by Ben Cohen
Antisemitism expresses itself in many forms, but few are as lethal or as persistent as the caricature of the hook-nosed Jew sitting on a pile of cash, looking pleased with himself. Read more
The child holocaust survivor who devoted his life to looking after people
May 7, 2023 by Alan Slade
Dr Steve Kalowski’s life has been a triumph of spirit over the adversity and horror into which he had been born. Read more
The Critical Marriage – a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First
May 7, 2023 by Alex First
A new Australian work, The Critical Marriage by Mark Andrew, is the inside story of a relationship between a couple of intellectual heavyweights. Read more
