by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Sen. Joseph Lieberman and Rabbi Alan Silverstein (1995). The recent, tragic passing of Sen. Joseph Lieberman leaves a void in Jewish advocacy. As recently as mid-March, the Senator published a column criticizing Chuck Schumer’s interference in the Israeli election process. Then, at the very end of his days, Lieberman joined […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – VOICES – STORIES Pro-Hamas protestors at more than 50 universities – from Yale to Arizona State, from Minnesota to Texas and Canada to Australia – are engaged in major anti-Israel protests often with tent encampments aimed at disrupting campus life for all Americans. The protests are part of […]
MERCAZ USA is a signatory on this statement issued by the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and the Jewish Federations of North America. Members of the United States House of Representatives, We write to urge immediate passage of H.R. 6090, the Antisemitism Awareness Act. The purpose of this legislation is to […]
“How is a song born?” That’s what the singers ask in the Israeli children’s classic, The Sixteenth Lamb. And it’s actually a good question: How is a song written? How is the music composed? A song becomes popular when it is simple and easy to learn, when it brings different worlds together, music and words, […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING MYTHS ‘Let My People Go’ Passover is the sacred holiday when Jews gather annually with their families to commemorate the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The thought of celebrating this year’s holiday is unbearable for the Jewish families whose loved ones are still being […]
Tzara‘at and Tikkun Olam: The Nexus The weekly Torah portions Tazria‘ and Metzora‘ deal with the appearance of tzara’at, a skin affliction, with its various physiological symptoms, from its diagnosis through the affected person’s isolation to the patient’s full purification and return to normal life. Even back then, in the time of the Rabbis, it […]
BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING MYTHS – VOICES – STORIES The unprecedented Iranian attack against Israel on April 13 terrorized the entire nation – proving that the Islamic Republic is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the annihilation of the Jewish people. Iran launched more than 300 drones, rockets and […]
by Rabbi Alan Silverstein, PhD Dr. Micah Goodman — a distinguished author and research fellow at Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem — said, in mid-October 2023, “I’m asking the lovers of Israel to make a neder now. To make a neder, to make a vow that, weeks and months from now, you will stand with […]
Pesach is full of customs, foods and symbols that encourage us to remember and commemorate the Exodus from Egypt for generations. This year, when we sit down by the Seder table and praise Hashem for releasing us from Egypt and redeeming us, as we pour another glass of wine and leave a place for Eliyahu […]
Masorti and MERCAZ Olami are shocked and vehemently condemn Iran’s recent missile and drone attacks on Israel. As we pray for the safety of everyone impacted and the healing of those injured, we express our strong unequivocal support for the State of Israel, its people and its right to defend itself. We thank our ally […]