JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — September 23, 2020 — At the end of a recent webinar “Israel’s Olympic Heroes; Past, Present and Future,” Israeli Olympic marathon runner Beatie Deutsch shared a beautiful and inspiring thought relevant to running, the Olympics, and the holiday season of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. “Running is the greatest metaphor for life. Wining a marathon is not …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Arab Enabling Prevents Peace
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — September 17, 2020 — Like most Israelis, I was glued to the TV listening to the speeches and watching the ceremony of the signing of declarations of peace between Israel and both the UAE and Bahrain. Historic is an understatement. It brought me back to the day in March 1979 when Israel signed the Camp David Accords …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Munich On My Mind
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 — A few years ago, I traveled from Israel to the US with a layover in Munich. I had never been to Germany. Germany, and its history vis-a-vis Jews, is not only not of interest, but the idea of being there made me uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the best itinerary was through Munich. I rationalized that I …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Getting Back Up When We Don’t Fall Well
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 28, 2020 — Perhaps it’s inappropriate for an Orthodox Jew to write about issues related to, and a consequence of, Jerry Falwell Jr.’s recent inappropriate social media post that suggested other inappropriate behaviors, and his taking a leave of absence as President of Liberty University. Perhaps, you wonder, why would an Orthodox Jew even care. For someone …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Shakedown From the Gaza Strip
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 27, 2020 — This week, under cover of darkness, a man arrived in a remote location carrying $30 million cash as a payoff that went largely unnoticed. Was it bribery, extortion, or just someone making a cash investment? If you weren’t paying attention, you might think this was a scene from Godfather IV. Except the accents were …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Flying High Over Peace Between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 16, 2020 — The truth is, I saw something coming this week, but not this. I never expected that “it” would be peace with another Arab country. “It” was the subject of speculation on a webinar I hosted this week about what was going on. But I thought “it” was something military, that would involve Israeli F35s …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Lebanon Exploding
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Death toll rises to 135; approximately 5,000 people wounded. JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 5, 2020 — I thought of my friend “Sami” today after hearing of the massive explosion in Beirut. I got to know him before I moved to Israel as the guy who would stand at the exit of the local Costco. He was always happy and pleasant as …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Generations of Dreams Coming True Upon Touchdown
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 5, 2020 — I recently came across photos taken 30 years ago this summer. During that time, I was privileged to greet several planeloads of new immigrants from the former Soviet Union landing in Israel, welcoming them on the tarmac as they began their new lives in their ancient home. Even though some didn’t know it, they …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Did Corona Kill Sovereignty
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — July 27, 2020 — At the beginning of July, all eyes and pundits were focused on Israel’s plan to apply sovereignty to portions of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), with speculation about when Israel would do it, over what territory, and what the political, diplomatic, and military fallout would be. What a difference a month makes! Albeit …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Let’s Do A Shiva
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — July 16, 2020 — Recently, I have been impressed with the growing number of Christian friends who have reached out to learn about Jewish customs regarding death and mourning. More and more Christians understand how Judaism and Jewish traditions are central to Christianity, and how much of Judaism was part of the DNA of early Christianity has …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN