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The Genesis of Genesis

A new book explains Genesis by isolating it from the rest of the Bible and later religious contexts.  But the fact that it can be read in isolation is no argument that it ought to be. Five-Star Refuge

The Peninsula in Hong Kong remains one of the city's finest hotels.  In the aftermath of the Second World War, however, it was a shelter for 283 Jewish refugees. Collecting the Holocaust

"Anyone like to buy Schindler’s list?  I don’t mean a DVD of the film: I mean Schindler’s list.  It’s available for $1.2 million on a U.S. website, apparently ‘the opportunity of a lifetime.’"Playing Politics with God

Examining the dynamics of Israelite society, Michael Walzer finds politics "largely missing" from the Bible.  But he ignores the politics of the Israelites' relationship with God.What Israel Lobby?

"Just how powerful is AIPAC if a man who refers to it as the 'Jewish lobby' and has defiantly claimed that he is not an 'Israeli senator' is slated to be our next Secretary of Defense?"Reassessing Iron Dome

Iron Dome has been praised for its role in protecting civilians during the recent war in Gaza, but it cannot shield those closest to the border—and it has proven ineffective as a deterrent. Milton’s Rabbi

"The role of religious leaders is, in a paraphrase of Matthew Arnold’s description of Edmund Burke, to saturate politics with Torah thought, orientation, and commitment." (Interview by Eugene Korn)Jews Crossing

A 17th-century Sephardic prayer book contains instructions for making "a Jewish sign of the cross" to ward off fear.  Was it intended to wean Conversos off Christian ritual?A Sweet Aroma For the Lord?

Was incense in the mishkan and the Temple intended as a way to respond to God's presence—or as a means to mask the stench of sacrificial slaughter?Excuses, Excuses

Critics of Israel often distinguish between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.  But Israel is increasingly being used as an alibi for anti-Semitism, in four specific ways.