Category Archives: Jewish stuff and Israel

Some of you may have noticed a new addition in the links section of this blog.  It is called “State of Exile” and it includes many articles and links of Jewish interest.  One of the links is to a website … Continue reading →

Jewish settlers in the West Bank are often criticized and considered to be oppressive occupiers.  My own experiences, while visiting Jewish settlements in those territories, does lend some support to these accusations.  There is much hatred and disdain, among those … Continue reading →

Without divulging too much about my personal history, suffice it to say that Yemeni Jewry holds a very special place in my heart.  Their traditions, when kept faithfully, have always provided me with great pleasure.  The sound of Yemeni children … Continue reading →

Over the years I’ve known, and known of, several people who claimed to be descended from King David.  Not that they could trace their ancestry back to him directly.  Rather, they claimed to be descended from one or another famous … Continue reading →

I have several pamphlets from Palestine around the time of the founding of the State of Israel.  This one is unusual because it was printed in English along with the customary Hebrew.  There is nothing Earth-shattering about this pamphlet but … Continue reading →

It is Spring and I should be out frolicking in the Sun enjoying the great outdoors.  Alas, the Portland area has endured so many overcast and rainy days this year that even the albinos are getting Rickets.  So here I … Continue reading →

It has recently been reported that Israeli commandos boarded a ship in international waters, laden with humanitarian aid for Gaza, and murdered up to 15 people.  Most of them Turkish nationals. European sources appear to be much more willing to … Continue reading →

My daughter works at a medical office in a heavily Hassidic area.  Her daily experiences reveal disturbing trends within a community that most Americans associate with solid values.  By and large, we Jews are known for our emphasis on education.  … Continue reading →

One of the built-in problems with any multi-ethnic society is that of dual loyalties.  People have a natural loyalty to their own ethnicity and yet they are expected to put the nation, under whose flag they live, first. As a … Continue reading →

In my last post, I described some volumes of the Talmud that I have.  It turns out that one of my co-ethnics is selling the second edition of this (all 19 volumes) for the sum of $10,000, saying it is … Continue reading →