ToI’s weekly deep dive: When ’Godfather’ meets ’Shtisel’ * Horovitz op-ed: Don’t exclude Haredim from IDF * Marking Yom Hashoah * Podcast: What Matters Now to Emi Palmor

[Times of Israel]( [Weekly Deep Dive]( Sunday, April 23, 2023 Interview [‘Godfather’ meets ‘Shtisel’: New Netflix thriller delves into Haredi diamond dealers]( By Amy Spiro ‘Rough Diamonds,’ an Israeli-Belgian co-production, tells a tale of an Antwerp Hasidic family struggling to keep its business alive as it is drawn deeper into the underworld Op-ed David Horovitz [How to heal a rift: Don’t exclude Haredim from IDF; include them in national service]( As with the judicial overhaul, the looming tragedy of an ultra-Orthodox exemption law is exacerbated by the fact that a win-win alternative is staring our legislators in the face Reporter’s Notebook [‘Worried for our families’ futures’: Grandmothers in Tel Aviv protest judicial shakeup]( By Carrie Keller-Lynn Unique in the burgeoning Israeli anti-overhaul protest scene, elderly folks in lawn chairs ‘storm’ HaBima Square to protest transferring power from the judiciary to politicians [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing Apr. 23: Fractured nation fights for united front before Memorial Day]( By ToI Staff Analysis Haviv Rettig Gur [Israeli politics are in chaos. Are its enemies poised to take advantage?]( For Hamas and Iran, Israel’s domestic strife is a sign of the Jewish state’s imminent collapse. As they seek new avenues for confrontation, the likelihood of war is rising Reporter's notebook [At Auschwitz March of the Living, displays of Jewish unity in a sea of Israeli flags]( By Canaan Lidor During the 35th annual 3-kilometer march at the former extermination camp, sorrow, shock but also pride and gratitude are exhibited by 9,000 participants from all over the world [Interview / Halina Birenbaum survived the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. She saw heroism elsewhere]( By Canaan Lidor [Ben Gvir, ADL trade barbs over ‘Jewish racism’ section in latest antisemitism report]( By Canaan Lidor [Islamist antisemitism in the US masked by alliance with far left – study]( By Lazar Berman Analysis Haviv Rettig Gur [The forgotten horrors that hide in the Holocaust’s long, dark shadow]( The genocide was more than a specific, contained, monstrous event. It was the successful culmination of six decades of fervent European efforts to rid the continent of its Jews United States [US urges Israel to advance frozen deal for Western Wall egalitarian space]( By Jacob Magid Diplomat’s tweet appears to be first time Biden administration weighs in on issue, which has been major source of tension in Israel-Disaspora ties [ToI investigates / Despite baggage, some Palestinians rooting for Israel to secure US visa waiver]( By Jacob Magid [Exclusive / Pledged Israeli measures to boost cash-strapped PA back on track after delay]( By Jacob Magid [Plurality of Americans view Netanyahu unfavorably, 26% don’t know who he is — poll]( By Jacob Magid Top Ops David Stromberg [The Tragedy of MacBibi]( He set about crowning himself king by ’murdering’ the ruling ’king,’ which, in a liberal democracy, is the rule of law Barukh Binah [To US Jewish leaders: Don’t boycott Netanyahu – talk to him]( From a longtime diplomat to my brothers and sisters coming to the GA: you have a role to play at this difficult time Efraim Zuroff [The foolish price Israel paid to restore school trips to Poland]( Will our kids really be taught the Polish government line that no Poles helped murder their Jewish neighbors? Menachem Bombach [Isn’t integration more important than army service?]( Barring Haredi men from working while their peers served in the IDF was legitimate – but it also harmed Israeli society Obituary [Musical and literary icon Yehonatan Geffen dies at 76]( By Jessica Steinberg The writer, nephew of Moshe Dayan and father to singer Aviv Gefen as well as artists Shira and Natasha, battled inner demons to express himself Religion [In mixed, tolerant Haifa, Christians are discovering the benefits of Ramadan]( By Canaan Lidor Muslims, Christians and Jews are building interfaith bridges amid rising tensions fueled by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict [Israelis, Palestinians share kosher Ramadan iftar meal in West Bank ‘to end hatred’]( By AFP and ToI Staff [Old City spitting videos underscore troubling reality for Christian clergy]( By Lazar Berman [CRM]( ToI podcast [What Matters Now to past Justice head Emi Palmor: A stronger post-crisis Israel]( By Amanda Borschel-Dan A lecturer on government policy serving on Meta’s ‘Supreme Court,’ the 24-year Justice Ministry insider explains what needs to be fixed – but the cure isn’t the judicial overhaul Yom Hashoah [In grassroots effort, young Europeans clean ‘stumbling stones’ to gleam like beacons]( By Renee Ghert-Zand Make Their Memory Shine organization brings together people of all backgrounds to commemorate Holocaust, identify common values and respect differences [Interview / Life after hell: Thriving US Holocaust survivors chronicled in photo-driven book]( By Jacqueline Cutler [Musical tribute to ‘Japanese Schindler’ Chiune Sugihara has US debut in Carnegie Hall]( By Rich Tenorio Yom Hashoah [Wedding dress made from Filipino fabric is testament to family’s Nazi Germany escape]( By Jessica Steinberg When Israeli-born Yarden Fried marries in May, she’ll wear a dress made from pina, traditional Philippines fabric linking to her German-born grandfather’s Holocaust-era journey [Interview / Not ‘Holocaust distortion’ but creativity, says creator of Netflix’s ‘Transatlantic’]( By Renee Ghert-Zand [Canvas of memories / Teen helps Holocaust survivors tell stories through art projects]( By Jessica Steinberg [Mainstream Israeli artists make an album of new music to connect youth to Holocaust]( By Jessica Steinberg [Obscure Nazi concentration camp in Latvia put back on map by art professor]( By Matt Lebovic Tech Israel [AI brings 2 distinctly Israeli voices to life for Israel’s 75th]( By Jessica Steinberg The sounds of Ofra Haza and Zohar Argov, both deceased, come together in Session 42’s latest musical creation [Israeli food tech startup debuts texturized chickpea protein ‘meat’ burger]( By Sharon Wrobel People of the Books [The rags-to-riches story of Arthur Miller, Pulitzer-winning son of Jewish immigrants]( By JP O’ Malley A new biography by John Lahr in Yale’s Jewish Lives Series tracks the successes (and many failures) of a beloved American writer whose tragic characters were inspired by his life [Interview / Kafka uncensored: A new version of the writer’s diaries adds back the sordid details]( By JP O’ Malley Health [Women with breast cancer genetic marker hope osteoporosis drug could halt disease]( By Renee Ghert-Zand Shaare Zedek Medical Center participates in international long-term clinical trial of Denosumab, which investigators say may offer medical alternative to preventive mastectomy [HMO, hospital boycott fertility conference in Jerusalem that excludes women doctors]( By Renee Ghert-Zand [Magen David Adom aids Shoah survivors seeking lost relatives]( By Renee Ghert-Zand Israel Travels [For Memorial Day, tales of heroism and sacrifice, and the places that honor them]( By Aviva and Shmuel Bar-Am From The Blogs [How to celebrate Israel’s 75th? Read Meir Shalev]( By Don Futterman You feel the earth of Eretz Yisrael in every sentence. Every tree, every stone – and certainly every beast – even the magical ones – get their moment [Unsubscribe from this List]( Email not displaying correctly? [View in browser]( © 2023 The Times Of Israel, All Rights Reserved