Why does Jewish law object to women singing in front of men?

Ask the rabbi. Read more

Lucrezia Borgia: an opera review by Alex First

Soaring vocals and a bravura performance by soprano Helena Dix are among the many highlights of Lucrezia Borgia, in which subterfuge and skulduggery abound. Read more

Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine: Gantz – de Gaulle or de Goose?

Two statements made this past week by Israel’s current Defence Minister– Benny Gantz – could see his run for Israel’s next Prime Minister ended after it has just started. Read more

Feintooner

This week’s cartoon: Living and Lying La Dolce Vita. Read more

An end to the delusions about Biden, Iran and Israel?

Like any gambler who is willing to seize on any glimmer of hope that irresponsible betting will be rewarded with an unexpected reversal of fortune, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid was sounding hopeful this week. Read more

‘Basmanny Justice’ and the Jews of Russia

Six months into the war in Ukraine, Russia is being Russia once again. Read more

New Moon

There was a popular Israeli song in the forties that my father loved, and he taught his pupils at Carmel College. Read more

On the other hand

Currently, most countries are facing a bull market where prices are rising, and the cost of living is escalating. Read more

Between the lines

The definition of reading between the lines is “to understand what someone really means or what is really happening in a situation, even though it is not said openly.” Read more

Abbas’s Holocaust distortion represents a dying past

Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas’s recent despicable comments on the Holocaust may have seemed like just another example of the diplomatic mud-slinging typical of Middle Eastern politics. Read more

Apoplexy greets Israel’s move against terror NGOs

When Israeli security forces raided the offices of several NGOs in Ramallah last week and closed them down, they lifted a stone to reveal a buzzing nest of Israel’s enemies. Read more

The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith, and the Talmud – reviewed by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen

Maggie Anton has introduced us to a number of stories around Jewish life, beginning with her series on Rashi’s Daughters [3 novels] followed by Rav Hisda’s Daughter [2 novels] and one about personal relationships {Fifty Shades of Talmud]. Read more

Singling out Jewish businesses in the name of Palestine 

In 1930s Germany, lists of Jewish businesses were made, and ‘good Germans’ were encouraged to boycott them. Read more

Shabbat Re’ey: False Messiahs

Amongst the fascinating laws in this week’s Torah is one that is significant in what it says about miracles, signs, and False Messiahs. Read more

The downfall of Israeli intel in Washington?

Is Israeli intelligence no longer trusted in the corridors of power in Washington, D.C.? Read more

L’Chaim mythbuster on Melbourne University leftism

Podcast: L’Chaim resident myth buster David Schulberg deep dives into the anti-Semitic “Socialist Alternative” hard left on campus. Read more

Does the IRGC terror designation matter if Iran sanctions are lifted?

After months of stalled talks, it seemed as though the Iran nuclear deal was dead, with Israeli diplomats in April putting the odds of a new deal at “slim to none.” Then, last week, White House officials reported movement in the talks, attributing it to Iran’s dropping its demand that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) be removed from the U.S. terror list. Read more

The Palestinian Authority’s stealth attempt to take over Judea and Samaria

Diligently following a master plan worked out over 10 years ago, the Palestinian Authority is laying claim to large tracts of Israeli state land through illegal building. Read more

From Australia’s Jewish Past: Sadie Van-Aalst – Music was her Forte

Sadie was born in London in 1901 and was the eldest daughter and the third of six children of poor Russian immigrants. Read more

Anna K: A Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

By their very nature, human relationships are often messy. The vast majority don’t hit the headlines, but public figures are considered “fair game”. Read more

Feintooner

This week’s cartoon: The Great Purge. Read more

How did Jews get surnames?

Ask the rabbi. Read more

Look who’s interfering in the Knesset elections to block a Netanyahu victory

The only thing surprising about Friday night’s Channel 12 revelation that the Palestinian Authority is attempting to influence the outcome of the upcoming Knesset elections was that it was reported as a big scoop. Read more

Renewal of Israel-Turkey ties a ‘win-win’ for both countries and the region, say analysts

After 14 years of strained relations, Israel and Turkey agreed to restore full diplomatic ties. Read more

‘CNN’ gets it partially right about anti-Semitism

Can a documentary on a low-rated network broadcast at a time when few were watching make much of a difference? Maybe not. That’s especially true when you consider that the program aired directly opposite one of the most ballyhooed shows of the year—the premiere of the new “Game of Thrones” prequel “House of the Dragon”—on an evening of the week when all cable-news programs get terrible ratings. Read more

Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine – Bibi de Gaulle breaks silence

Former Israeli Prime Minister and now Leader of the Opposition – – Bibi Netanyahu – has stepped up to the plate to answer the following claim made by the author of the 2022 Saudi Peace Plan – Ali Shihabi. Read more

Mahmoud Abbas highlights a German problem

In tabled rankings of international donors to the Palestinians, Germany consistently features among the top five nations. Read more

On the other hand

This summer’s Nefesh B’Nefesh airlifts of North American Olim are well underway. Read more

Hairspray: a Melbourne theatre review by Alex First

The spark burns brightly in Hairspray, a delightfully breezy musical with discrimination as its theme. Read more

Ray Chen plays Mendelssohn: a music review by Alan Slade

Ray Chen, the Taiwan-born Australian violinist who came with his parents to Brisbane as an infant, played his 1715 Stradivarius “Joachim” violin in a spectacular rendition of Felix Mendelssohn’s E-minor concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor, New Zealand’s Gemma New, in the Thursday afternoon series in the just-reopened concert hall of Sydney’s Opera House. Read more

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