ToI’s weekly deep dive: Rettig Gur op-ed on what’s urgently needed * West Bank anti-overhaul protests * What Matters Now to Prof. Benny Porat * ToI webinar registration

[Times of Israel]( [Weekly Deep Dive]( Monday, September 18, 2023 [Israel’s answer to pickleball, footvolley is kicking up a stir on Tel Aviv’s beaches]( By Tara Feldman Since the Brazilian import hit the Holy Land in 2003, sabras spending days on the sun-drenched coast have jumped at the sporting phenomenon, which now has a male and female league Inside Story Carrie Keller-Lynn [‘Jewish and democratic’ were never in question for state’s founders, scholar says]( Government attorney’s critical claims in High Court about Declaration of Independence are partially inaccurate and ‘totally explosive,’ argues author of recent book on early Israel [Op-ed / With Israel’s ethos at stake, 13-hour court hearing proves riveting, fateful TV drama]( By David Horovitz [Op-ed / Threats from Smotrich et al. did not frighten the High Court justices]( By Shalom Yerushalmi Analysis Haviv Rettig Gur [Neither coalition nor High Court respects Basic Laws. Urgently needed: A constitution]( An immediate constitutional crisis is unlikely, but no enduring reform or end to the impasse is possible without deep trust — which no one in our system of government now enjoys ToI podcast [What Matters Now to Jewish Law Prof. Benny Porat: Common ground as titans clash]( By Amanda Borschel-Dan A resident of a West Bank settlement city, the Hebrew U prof. is a vocal opponent of the coalition’s judicial overhaul. Hear how 2,000 years of Jewish law shapes his thinking [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing Sep 18: Protesters’ fiery airport sendoff kindles PM’s inflamed response]( By ToI Staff [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing Sept 14: Yariv Levin’s mic drop before next week’s High Court showdown]( By ToI Staff [ToI podcast / Daily Briefing Sept. 13: Special – Deep dive into unprecedented High Court hearing]( By ToI Staff [In the major West Bank settlements, anti-judicial overhaul rallies gather steam]( By Gavriel Fiske Small but growing groups of protesters – many of whom are disillusioned with a government they voted for – take to the streets in some of the far-right’s strongholds [Fearing crisis, secular and devout unveil new Israeli manifesto at Ben Gurion’s home]( By Canaan Lidor [NY Israeli activists, a headache for visiting ministers, gear up for Netanyahu at UN]( By Luke Tress ToI Webinar [No vote, no voice? Diaspora Jews’ influence on Israel’s judicial overhaul crisis]( By ToI Staff Register now to join former US ambassador to Israel David Friedman, former MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh & Prof. Gil Troy for a nuanced discussion fed by ToI readers’ questions on Sept. 20 Shana Tova? [Herzog to world Jewry: After year of ‘struggle,’ time for all to open hearts, listen]( By ToI Staff In English message for Rosh Hashanah, president says ‘differences are a sign of strength,’ expresses hope for vibrant conversation [On eve of Rosh Hashanah, poll shows more Israelis feel pessimistic about coming year]( By ToI Staff [Israeli population rises to 9.795 million on Rosh Hashanah eve]( By ToI Staff [Global Jewish population hits 15.7 million ahead of new year, 46% of them in Israel]( By ToI Staff [As liberal cities expand Shabbat bus service, head-on crash with coalition may loom]( By Aviv Lavie Reporter's notebook [On my umpteenth trip to Uman, I finally visited Rabbi Nachman’s grave]( By Canaan Lidor Distracted for years by reporting on the fanfare around the fated pilgrimage to Ukraine, I made time to actually go to the gravesite, the main focus of the journey [Israeli man dies in Ukraine’s Uman during Rosh Hashanah festivities]( By ToI Staff [Ignoring warnings, Israelis take kids on Uman pilgrimage in war-torn Ukraine]( By Canaan Lidor Top Ops Rawan Osman [A letter from a Syrian to the Israeli people: Don’t let us down]( Don’t let division do to you what it did to the Palestinians, the Lebanese, and the Syrians. Reconcile with one another Victoria Nunley [Who has not made me a woman]( Revealing my femininity to the world took conscious effort, and the daily reminder of my struggle makes it all the more meaningful Alon Levavi [Shaken foundations: Israel’s race against the inevitable]( The earthquake in Morocco wasn’t just seismic waves; it was a global alarm bell, emphasizing the urgency of preparedness Scott Kahn [Dangerous misinterpretations of Torah, no matter how black the hat]( Not only have there been times when God did not protect the Jews, but the Bible promised that there would be Interview Gianluca Pacchiani [Palestinian professor who took students to Auschwitz: Holocaust denial imperils peace]( Commenting on PA President Abbas’s antisemitic canards, Mohammed Dajani says distortion of Nazi atrocities is deeply tied to Palestinian narrative, built on lack of education [Analysis / As Musk and the ADL duke it out, critics within both camps settle old scores]( By Canaan Lidor [Inside story / In West Bank Area C village, Bedouin locals fear settler violence will push them out]( By Charlie Summers [Jewish leaders slam UPenn for hosting anti-Israel activists in High Holiday period]( By Luke Tress Analysis Lazar Berman [Israel hypes India-Saudi-EU trade corridor, but it’s a bit player in US-China bout]( Netanyahu sees Haifa as a hub of the infrastructure network announced by Biden, Modi, and others, but that doesn’t mean a Saudi deal, or anything else, is in the offing [Inside story / Saudi-backed EU venture aims to incentivize Israeli-Palestinian peace]( By Jacob Magid [CRM]( [At biblical fauna museum, a blow-by-blow of all things shofar, and more horns to toot]( By Jessica Steinberg Beit Shemesh Biblical Museum of Natural History director Natan Slifkin’s collection features everything from rams to kudus to African buffalo and even a unicorn [Long-awaited National Library set to reopen with 11 floors and millions of stories]( By Jessica Steinberg Rosh Hashanah [In London, a Jewish beekeeper draws honey and spirituality from his hives]( By Canaan Lidor For David Roth, the hobby he picked up during the COVID pandemic is not only a source of sweetener and wax, but also inspiration [Exhibition / ‘Renaissance’ of Italian synagogues and cemeteries showcased at Ferrara Jewish museum]( By Giovanni Vigna Interview [What happened in Chile on the ‘other’ 9/11? A novel weighs a quasi-fictional scenario]( By Rich Tenorio Health Renee Ghert-Zand [As patients suffer, long COVID remains a collection of symptoms with no single cure]( With COVID wards and post-COVID clinics in hospitals now closed, the 10-20% of COVID sufferers who have long-term debilitating condition seek help through community health services [With COVID cases on the rise, Magen David Adom asks public to donate plasma]( By Renee Ghert-Zand [Israeli HMO finds celiac sufferers up 600% in less than 20 years]( By Renee Ghert-Zand [‘Have we not learned anything?’: Ben Gurion Airport reinstates smoking room]( By Renee Ghert-Zand and ToI Staff Israel Travels [A land with a view: Visit these scenic Israeli overlooks featuring audio guides]( By Aviva and Shmuel Bar-Am Scattered throughout the country’s mountains and hills are hundreds of lookout points with histories both modern and ancient. Here are just a few of them Archaeology [On ancient hajj route, Muslim sorcerers likely used ‘magic’ items to banish evil eye]( By Gavriel Fiske From The Blog [When the King wasn’t in the fields, I looked on the street]( By Sarah Tuttle-Singer When 2 guys at an antique shop heckled me about my tattoos and my almond milk, I took a deep breath of renewal [Weekly Deep Dive]( [facebook]( [twitter]( [instagram]( [View in browser]( [Contact support](mailto:support@timesofisrael.com) [Advertise with us](mailto:advertise@timesofisrael.com) Were you forwarded this email? [Subscribe here]( [Unsubscribe]( from this List © 2023 The Times Of Israel, All Rights Reserved