Questions about a gay Jewish wedding in Amsterdam

By David A.M. Wilensky January 19, 2011

JTA posted an 88-word article about the first gay Jewish wedding in the Netherlands. We know when and where it took place. We know that the Council of Rabbis of the Dutch Union of Progressive Synagogues authorized the ceremony. We know that gay marriage was legalized in the Netherlands in 2001. We do not know…

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“Spare Some Change:” How would you do it?

By David A.M. Wilensky January 19, 2011

At Limmud NY every year, there are some panels that really just serve as an excuse for some smart people to talk to each other, rendering the supposed topic of the panel irrelevant. The “‘Just’ Giving” panel was not one of those. It was a panel with some smart, interesting people, but the topic was stayed…

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Slow and steady wins the state….

By David A.M. Wilensky January 19, 2011

I’m starting to wonder if the State of Palestine will just slowly fade into real existence. This week, the PLO mission in DC raised its flag for the first time and Russia reaffirmed a 1988 Soviet recognition of Palestine. The latter is a far more important step than the recent spate of South American recognitions…

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When Fiction Becomes Real

By Leigh Cuen January 19, 2011

David Grossman was in the middle of writing a book about Israeli parents coping with their child’s military service. Then his son was killed in the 2006 Lebanon War. What followed was “To the End of the Land,” Grossman’s most powerful novel yet.

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