Part of the reason this Reading list is so late today is that I departed New York this morning for my hometown of Northbrook, IL–and I flew holding my lulav and etrog. Luch to my surprise, the traditional four species did not delay me at all in the security check, and no one commented on them at all. Maybe they had other things on their mind, or maybe they saw this advisory, courtesy of the Transportation Security Administration:
Observant Jewish travelers may carry four plants – a palm branch, myrtle twigs, willow twigs, and a citron – in airports and through security checkpoints. These plants are religious articles and may be carried either separately or as a bundle. Jewish travelers may be observed in prayer, shaking the bundle of plants in six directions. [TSA]
But as we enter the traditional “Day of Happiness” in the Jewish calendar, there’s anger in a Jewish area of Chicago. [JTA]
And, more notably, in Jerusalem. [NYT]
In an effort to put an end to such violence, Brandeis students form their own chapter of Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish pro-BDS group. [Brandeis Justice]
While, surprisingly, momentum may be building toward a peace deal–and withdrawal from the West Bank–from several sectors of the Israeli right. [Ha’aretz]
