On the other hand

Our youngest grandson is doing a project at school concerning the experiences we, as grandparents, faced when we made aliyah. Read more

‘Auf Wiedersehen,’ Roger Waters?

Once upon a time, Roger Waters was a hero in Germany. In July 1990, a few months after the razing of the Berlin Wall, the former Pink Floyd frontman performed the group’s 1979 album “The Wall” on the Potsdamer Platz in the newly reunified city. Read more

Same old story

I never cease to be amazed at how certain themes of Jewish history keep on repeating themselves. Read more

Dershowitz: ‘Judicial reform will not undercut democracy’

U.S. attorney Alan Dershowitz said the Netanyahu government’s judicial reform program does not endanger Israel’s democracy and might even enhance it, speaking on Wednesday during an online debate with Professor Eugene Kontorovich. Read more

Israel’s two-faced allies

America and Britain claim to be allies of Israel. There is no gainsaying the deep links between them of military assistance, intelligence and trade. Israel is an invaluable strategic asset for America and Britain in the Middle East, a crucial bulwark in the defense of the West. Read more

Silly Little Things: A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

Rosie is a 20-something-year-old florist shop owner and party girl for whom life has its challenges. Read more

Don Quixote (The Australian Ballet):  Reviewed by Alex First

I was mesmerised by the performances of the two leads in an intoxicating production of Don Quixote by The Australian Ballet. Read more

Opinionated Pronouncements

At the best of times, Israel is the target of unsolicited verbiage from all and sundry. Read more

Prodigious pianist brings Roaring Twenties to the 2020s

When Simon Tedeschi plays the nostalgic notes of Rhapsody in Blue, the virtuoso hears the story of his family in the Roaring Twenties. Read more

Green Day’s American Idiot: A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

Three disaffected young men are at the centre of punk rock band Green Day’s rock opera American Idiot. Read more

L’Chaim – to Life: Josh Burns

Morry Frenkel speaks with Josh Burns MP, Federal Member of Parliament for Macnamara, about his recent motion in Parliament, in which he strongly criticised the opposition by the Greens to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Read more

Shabbat Vayakhel Pekudei: Repetition is Good

It is an interesting phenomenon that the major events of the Torah that play a crucial role in the life of the people from a philosophical point of view are repeated in slightly different ways. Read more

Living: A movie review by Alex First

The expressive question “you call that living?” may well be asked of the chief protagonist in the movie Living. Read more

Inside the memoirs of Palestinian Oslo architect Ahmed Qurei

On February 22, Ahmed Qurei, the Palestinian architect of the 1993 Oslo peace accords, died of a blood infection at the age of 86. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Ruby Sophia Rich-Shalit – feminist, pianist and an outstanding community identity

In continuing the celebration of International Women’s Day, this story is of one amazing Jewish woman whose efforts for all Australian women should be applauded. Read more

Wolf Play: A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

Put succinctly, intriguing. Read more

For Mel Brooks, world history (no joke!) repeats itself

Nearly 40 years after his “History of the World, Part I” debuted in 1981, Mel Brooks released “History of the World, Part II” on the eve of Purim, which began on March 6. Read more

Berhardt/Hamlet: A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

We are in Paris in 1899. Read more

Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine can avoid humanitarian disaster

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestine Liberation Organisation President Mahmoud Abbas need to break their silence and confirm or deny whether two of their senior officials have been discussing implementing the Saudi-based Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine solution or alternative solutions in secret back channel meetings for the last two months. Read more

Do we have a guardian angel?

Ask the rabbi. Read more

At the Adelaide Festival with Alan Slade

The Adelaide Festival Theatre is an impressive structure and one of South Australia’s most prestigious venues. Read more

Feintooner

This week’s cartoon: Burying the Hatchet Read more

When the Rain Stops Falling: A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

What a phenomenal piece of writing by Andrew Bovell (who wrote the powerful Australian film Lantana, which debuted in 2001). Read more

& Juliet: a Melbourne musical review by Alex First

A riotously fun, thoroughly entertaining musical for our new, enlightened times, & Juliet picks up Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet where it ended and kicks it up a gear. Read more

Yad Vashem-sponsored symphony celebrates Japanese diplomat who saved Jews during the Holocaust

Samurai warriors live by the moral code bushido, or “way of the warrior.” Read more

The urgent need for Israeli electoral reform

Democracy is currently being undermined in many parts of the free world. Read more

Don’t kiss!

Here is a hilarious if sacrilegious clip, in the spirit of Purim, from over five years ago when no one had even heard of something called Covid. Read more

At the Adelaide Festival: The Adelaide Writers Week

In the lead-up to Adelaide Writers Week (AWW), the director Louise Adler’s decision to include at least 10 Palestinian contributors and not even one Israeli author caused controversy. Read more

Bursting bubbles

There is a popular computer game called “bubble shooters” in which the aim is to burst as many bubbles as possible and amass points. Read more

L’Chaim to Life: Ron Finkel

Morry Frenkel speaks with Ron Finkel, founder and chair of Project Rozana, an organisation dedicated to improving the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians through collaborative healthcare projects. Read more

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