Joseph Cox, at The Blogs

Apply for a Blog

Mar 21, 2022, 12:20 PM

Autocracy, quality, and Russia

Photo by Kevin Schmid on Unsplash

In January 1937, the USSR commissioned a census. It was the first census conducted since 1926. The census was not intended for public dissemination. Instead, it was developed purely for leadership decision-making purposes. When the data was collected and...

Sep 24, 2021, 7:48 AM

The Symbolism of Sukkot

Why do we take the Arba’at Haminim (Four Species) on Sukkot? Why are they described as they are in the Torah? Why do we use the species we use? For me, the answers might be a little different than the...

May 27, 2021, 11:51 PM

From Abraham to Ahmed: a Road to Peace

Part I: History as Warning The U.S. government toppled the regime of Saddam Hussain and dreamed that something democratic and free would emerge. European countries withdrew from post-Colonial Africa and dreamed that something democratic and free would emerge. Simón Bolívar’s...

May 16, 2021, 8:54 PM

A Golden Bridge for Gaza

Israel’s repeated wars against Hezbollah and Hamas have had two simple goals: constraint and deterrence. Israel wants to constraint their ability to make war and deter them from doing so in the future. The common term for this is...

May 13, 2021, 8:16 PM

The road back to coexistence

I am deeply saddened by what is happening in my country. The war with Gaza is one thing. Sadly it occurs and reoccurs. It is simply a continuation of what has been before. The ethnic rioting is another thing altogether. Israeli society...

Mar 19, 2020, 10:19 PM

Don’t lose sight of the world…

I’m not the President, I’m not the Prime Minister. But if I were, this is the speech I would deliver. The deep dive behind this speech is available here. Over recent weeks, a new disease has overtaken our communities. It...

Oct 7, 2019, 9:41 PM

My 25th Annual Yom Kippur Greeting

Every year for the past 25 years, I’ve shared a Yom Kippur Greeting. It is a custom among Jews to ask forgiveness of our fellows prior to Yom Kippur. Each year, I write a story connected in some way...

Sep 18, 2019, 2:08 PM

Preparing for the Dec 2019 elections…

(Vera Gorbunova on Unsplash)

In order to prepare for the 3rd election of 2019, I would like to announce my new party (before the excitement from the last election wears off). The party is called... (drum roll here)... The Rosh Chodesh Party! Our platform is...

Jul 31, 2019, 1:16 PM

Brit Milah, Pinchas and Cyprus

Ayia Napa, Cyprus. (by LSD for Society on Unsplash)

In Parshat Balak, the leaders of the Jewish people engage in public sex with the women of Moav. They engage in the worship of a god known as Peor. Peor means to 'expose' or 'express.' The people are worshiping...

Jun 3, 2019, 6:32 PM

Biblical Courts: Learning from the Past

There’s been a lot of controversy about recent comments by MK Smotrich. In case you missed it, the MK suggested we be influenced by the legal system practiced in the days of Kings David and Solomon. Obviously, such a position...

Load more

About Me

Joseph Cox lives in Modiin, Israel and has written 11 books. The latest is "A Multi Colored Coat... an autobiography of sorts".

Contact Me