Ross Singer

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Dec 9, 2024, 7:41 AM

A Pre-Oct. 7 Message for a Post-Oct. 7 Israel

Doron Perez’s book, The Jewish State: From Opposition to Opportunity, is a cry for Jewish unity. His plea was published in the midst of the judicial reform crisis that was pulling Israeli society apart at the seams. The first...

Apr 9, 2024, 1:32 PM

Reflections on Sami Michael’s Trumpet in the Wadi

In the wake of the passing of Sami Michael last week, with trepidation, I share these thoughts about his novel A Trumpet in the Wadi. Spoiler Alert – I give away the ending. Sami Michael was born in Bagdad in 1926....

Nov 13, 2023, 3:16 PM

John Oliver Please Keep Trying

Dear John Oliver and the audience of Last Week Tonight, I just watched the latest episode on the Israel-Hamas war. First of all I want to compliment you on your improved presentation of the complexity of the situation. I felt that...

Nov 15, 2022, 7:19 PM

Owning Israel or belonging to it?

Illustrative: A road passing through the South Hebron Hills in the West Bank. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

Just as Abraham's time in the land was tenuous, the rabbis repeatedly remind the Jews that arrogance about their permanence in the land is risky (Chayei Sarah)

Nov 8, 2022, 10:31 AM

A Response to Betzalel Smotrich’s Yom Rabin Speech

I listened to the whole speech that Betzalel Smotrich’s delivered on Yom Rabin. I agree that the Religious-Zionist camp has much to be proud of. I agree that in a democracy we need to be willing to hear voices...

Jun 8, 2021, 12:29 PM

With Apologies to Naftali Bennett

I was repelled by Naftali Bennett’s Mafsikim L’hitnatzel (we are not apologizing anymore) 2014-2015 campaign slogan. I could understand and even appreciate the message to some extent. Many in Israel had absorbed so deeply the critique of Israel’s detractors...

May 28, 2021, 3:07 AM

A perspective on Sheikh Jarrah

Before Corona I guided groups fairly frequently on dual narrative tours of Jerusalem where I provided my Jewish Zionist narrative, and an Arab Palestinian guide provided a counter narrative. Typically, the Palestinian guide would point out buildings in the...

Oct 7, 2020, 12:00 AM

Getting Over Ourselves to Get Over Covid: Looking through the Lulav

Many of us are familiar with Rabbinic homily that associates each of the four species of the holiday of Succot with four archetypes of people. The Etrog (citron) which has both a fragrant smell and can be eaten represents...

Jul 8, 2020, 2:47 PM

Before we abandon Jerusalem for Yavne: A response to Peter Beinart

Peter Beinart and I agree that Israel’s protracted military rule over Palestinians in the territories it conquered in 1967 should end. We agree that Palestinians should have political rights. We even agree that to achieve these goals, we will...

Jun 10, 2020, 11:44 AM

Annexation without Representation

As a tour guide, I have shared and explored Israel with Orthodox right wing Jews, Palestinian activists, fundamentalist Christians, liberal politically active young American Jews, Israelis of all sorts and many others. Even before I started guiding for these...

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About Me

Ross Singer lives on Kibbutz Maale Gilboa and works as a tour guide, educator, and translator.

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