I am fascinated by the spirituality of hearing. Hearing requires an intrinsic connection between the source of the sound and the one who hears. The dynamics of hearing are emphasized throughout the Tanach, Talmud, and our liturgy. It focuses on us hearing G-d and each other, as well as G-d listening to us. Ultimately, our acts of listening and responding will bring redemption.

The holiday of Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, will soon be upon us, and many will fulfill the once-a-year commandment of hearing the sound of the Shofar.

This article was originally published by Red Alert Politics.

At the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), I passed by prominent white supremacist Richard Spencer, who beforehand said, “Effectively, any policy, idea, or belief that is markedly right-wing and traditional — that evokes identity, power, hierarchy, and dominance — must be regulated by the possibility that it could potentially lead back to the German Führer.”

Ed. Note: The following is a response to “BDS Ban: Long-Awaited Shield or Self-Inflicted Wound” by Jackson Richman and Samuel Kramer (August 4 issue).

The Temple Mount.

A mere 35 acres, this piece of real estate has greater religious and political ramifications than anywhere else in the world, a place where decisions taken can ignite violence of the worst kind.

We are six days, or 144 hours, away from Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

In a “signing statement” President Trump  called Congress’ law stiffening sanctions against Russia “significantly flawed.” He criticized two provisions as “clearly unconstitutional,” even though he “shares the policy” they express. These provisions were declarations by Congress that the United States does not recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. They conflict, the “signing statement” says, “with the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Zivotofsky v. Kerry.”

The following is a first-person account of the events of August 12 from the president of one of the Jewish congregations in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was originally published on the website of the Union for Reform Judiasm and has since been referenced and quoted by multiple news outlets.

The bipartisan Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S.720), introduced by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH) in March 2017, sparked controversy across American society, particularly in the Jewish and pro-Israel communities. The bill forbids American involvement with national or international efforts to impose “restrictive trade practices or boycotts by any foreign country, against a country friendly to the United States or against any United States person,” specifically Israel.

When I read about the recent murders of Yosef, Chaya, and Elad Salomon, I was reminded of a piece I wrote for the website Aish.com in 2002. I had just returned from studying in Israel for two years and was living in Philadelphia. Then, as now, life seemed precarious, precious, a gift.