Mike Offner, at The Blogs

Apply for a Blog

Aug 2, 2024, 12:30 AM

Do You Have Jewish Exhaustion Syndrome?

Are you Jewish and exhausted -- mentally, physically, emotionally and in any and all other respects? If so, you probably have Jewish Exhaustion Syndrome, explained and defined as follows: For a brief moment when October 7 happened, you thought that...

Mar 14, 2024, 10:20 PM

Ask Your Colleges and K-12 Schools to Celebrate Jewish Heritage Month

With Jewish Heritage Month coming up in May, now is the perfect time to ask your family's colleges, universities, and K-12 schools to celebrate Jewish Heritage Month. With so much of the Jewish community's energy drained by the Hamas-Israel War...

Jan 31, 2024, 7:22 PM

MA Teachers Union Marches Forward, Defying Concerns of Bigotry

OPINION As the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) readies for its Board of Directors meeting this weekend, some of its members and families across the state are expressing concerns about the union's biased by-laws and resolutions, marginalizing the union's Arab, Jewish,...

Dec 3, 2023, 9:41 PM

‘Criticism of Israel is Not Antisemitic!’ is a Deadly Straw Man Argument

"Criticism of Israel is not antisemitic!" This tired refrain is a classic "straw man" argument. It "sounds good" because it feels easy to agree with. The recipient of the statement is supposed to feel instinctively, "Of course criticism of Israel is...

Nov 17, 2023, 7:19 PM

‘Jewish Voice for Peace’ is Neither

OPINION What's in a name? The group calling itself "Jewish Voice for Peace" is neither Jewish nor for peace. It is, rather, a front for promotion of Jew-hatred and antisemitic propaganda. The name of the group is a sick joke and a childish...

Nov 16, 2023, 11:37 PM

Massachusetts City Approves Resolution Condemning Antisemitism

The Easthampton, MA City Council has approved, unanimously, a resolution condemning antisemitism, setting a precedent for other municipalities to potentially follow. The language of the resolution includes: The full version of the resolution is here. Comments of Councilor Owen Zaret, the author...

Nov 4, 2023, 4:15 PM

Anti-Zionism is Antisemitism

People who disparage Zionism cannot even define it. Zionism: the right of the State of Israel to exist. There are Christian states, Muslim states, Buddhist states -- and no one says a thing, even when some of these states have the...

Jan 9, 2023, 9:33 PM

The Nation implying that Jews cannot be antisemitic is itself antisemitic

Imagine a "progressive" organization or publication proclaiming that Clarence Thomas could not possibly be conservative on issues of racial justice, because he is Black, or that Amy Coney Barrett could not possibly be conservative on issues of women's reproductive...

Dec 31, 2022, 11:23 PM

The Worst Religious School Student Ever Reconnects With Judaism

I was the worst religious school student ever. There have been a lot of bad religious school students, no doubt, but I really, really, really didn't want to be there. I knew it. My parents knew it. My classmates knew it....

Nov 28, 2022, 6:03 PM

IHRA’s definition of antiSemitism is critical

As we come to grips with rising antiSemitism globally, some are focusing renewed attacks on the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) definition of antiSemitism. But a careful read of some "criticism" of the IHRA definition of antiSemitism reveals that the...

Load more

About Me

Mike Offner was born and raised in Newton, MA, and is a graduate of the Newton Public Schools, Yale University, and Harvard Law School.

Contact Me