Am I Jewish enough? * Carlebach’s Am Yisrael Chai * Did Israel fall into Iran’s trap? * Chabad’s violent radicals * I took my kippah off * Send us a golem

[Times of Israel]( [The Blogs Weekly]( Thursday, January 11, 2024 [22.5andMe: Am I Jewish enough?]( By Clint Margrave I’d like to believe I’d never use my identity as an argument about war or foreign policy but I’d be lying if I said this doesn’t feel personal Neshama Carlebach [‘Invincible Spirit’ – The people of Israel live]( Our new musical project for these dark days weaves two classic Carlebach tunes into an anthem of consolation and hope Joshua Berman [Lessons from our soldiers’ last letters]( As our fallen heroes reflected on the possibility of death, their words teach us about purpose and meaning in life [A golem for these troubling times]( By Richard D. Zelin Rising antisemitism may or may not spur US Jews to realign politically. What is certain is the need to beef up protection Boaz Ganor [Israel’s playing poker while Iran is playing chess]( Did Israel fall into Iran’s trap in going after its weaker proxy, Hamas, while the stronger strategic Hezbollah remains nearly unscathed? Ellen Ginsberg Simon [Claudine Gay’s moral failings as a leader]( America’s universities need a new cadre of leadership: Those who aren’t afraid of debate or difficult topics, and who gladly represent everyone on campus [What happens when the kippah comes off?]( By Barbara Aiello Following an attack on a fellow rabbi, going bareheaded in public may make me safer, but it also diminishes me Bill Slott [The purple mountain of the Arava]( My revelation on a tiny desert peak was the voice of two good friends sharing a moment of peace in a world at war Rachel Sharansky Danziger [The world I wish we lived in]( Later, I will look at my phone and cry over the faces, but for now, I’m at the park with my nephew [The Chabad radicals within]( By Elazar Gabay Lubavitch headquarters is dominated by a violent messianic faction with disregard for the police. It’s time for new leadership Carole Nuriel [Disentangling solidarity with Palestinians from antisemitism]( In the guise of advocating equality, some of the rhetoric is in fact a call for the elimination of Jews and the Jewish state Michael Saenger [The decline and fall of the Modern Language Association]( [At one time, the annual meeting of the Modern Language Association was a genuinely exciting event. Most academic conferences are relatively staid, but the MLA was a reliable source of excitement. People would go out of their way to reference the coolest theorists. Plenaries set off waves of interest and changes of direction. Meanwhile, many scholars of a wide array of fields crossed paths. Teachers of Spanish, Portuguese and Arabic gave papers, interviewed for jobs, and got a chance to connect with a wider community. It was an exciting...]( [Project Harmony: An AI vision for a better future]( By Sharon Gal Or Could Artificial General Intelligence be harnessed to foster peace and prosperity in the Middle East? Only if we dream it first more choice voices Yael Leibowitz [Slaying the giant]( Israelis don’t want to fight, but they have no choice: They are the front line defending civilization against the onslaught of savagery Alex Pomson [A mirror and a window: Improving Jewish day schools]( What divides our schools matters surprisingly less than what they share, starting with kids who feel like they belong Elliot Vaisrub Glassenberg [We must stop hardening our hearts]( Hardness is natural in combat mode, but risks making it too difficult or too late to open our hearts and change our minds Haim Watzman [Sticky kids: The crater, Part 3]( I want to tell Gidi I can’t take it anymore. It’s not fair I’m the one who has to try to explain to the children what’s going on [The Blogs Weekly]( [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 © 2024 The Times Of Israel, All Rights Reserved