Adam Hummel

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Jan 30, 2025, 10:20 PM

The Israeli Smirk

Years ago I was in the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem. I asked a vendor in Hebrew for a few kibukim - those Israeli peanut snacks with the crunchy and sweet sesame coating. My favourite. But I said to him in Hebrew,...

May 15, 2024, 12:16 AM

Nothing New Under the Sun

The Book of Ecclesiastes (Kohelet) 1:9 says: מַה־שֶּֽׁהָיָה֙ ה֣וּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶ֔ה וּמַה־שֶּׁנַּֽעֲשָׂ֔ה ה֖וּא שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂ֑ה וְאֵ֥ין כׇּל־חָדָ֖שׁ תַּ֥חַת הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ Only that shall happen Which has happened, Only that occur Which has occurred; There is nothing new Beneath the sun! The onslaught of anti-Israelism, anti-Zionism, and antisemitism we are experiencing today, is...

May 9, 2024, 10:00 AM

Let’s Celebrate Shabbat Tkumah

For the last several years, my family has taken on the tradition of celebrating Shabbat Tkumah - the Shabbat of Revival. This year, I’m urging others to do the same. This is the Shabbat between Yom Hashoah (Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day) this week, and Yom...

Nov 24, 2023, 10:47 AM

Vayetzu – And They Left

This week’s Torah portion is Vayetze (and he left). In it, Jacob left his hometown of Beersheva and traveled to Charan. On the way, he had a dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth, with angels climbing up and down....

Aug 29, 2022, 7:15 PM

Zionism as a Reasoned Choice

A good person is invincible, for they don’t rush into contests in which they aren’t the strongest. If you want their property, take it - take also their staff, profession, and body. But you will never compel what they...

Apr 26, 2022, 11:25 PM

Join me in celebrating Shabbat T’kumah

Author's Shabbat Tkumah Table

I recently listened to Bari Weiss interview Matti Friedman about his new book Who By Fire. In it, Friedman details elements of the Yom Kippur War through the lens of a decision by Canadian singer-poet Leonard Cohen to, seemingly...

Nov 30, 2021, 5:07 PM

Old vs New, Arab vs Jew, in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates is a country of dichotomies. Old versus new, traditional versus modern, and rich versus poor are the contrasts that stand out on arrival. There are visual distinctions in the architecture, as you see short mud-brick buildings...

Jun 2, 2021, 1:38 AM

Pogroms: 1941, 2001, 2021

The word pogrom is from the Russian, “to destroy, to wreak havoc, to demolish violently”, and it is forever tied to antisemitism. It is a violent attack or assault on Jews. The word ‘pogrom’ elicits a visceral reaction, and paints...

May 12, 2021, 4:33 AM

To Diaspora Jews: This is a Test

Israel is under attack. In the last 24 hours or so, Israel has experienced a rocket attack unlike any other in its history. Upwards of 500 rockets have been launched into Central Israel, sending Israelis not only in those towns...

Mar 28, 2021, 3:11 AM

Is Freedom Inevitable?

Though the high holidays are traditionally meant to be the time for introspection, I have always connected more with Passover as a period of reflection. Whether it is the Passover story that helps me find more tangible lessons or...

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About Me

Adam Hummel is a lawyer specializing in immigration and estates law in Toronto, Canada. He is an active member of Toronto's Jewish community, and a member of the Jewish Diplomatic Corps of the World Jewish Congress. He writes regularly for his Substack, "Catch: Jewish Canadian Ideas."

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