Tal Becker, at The Blogs

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Aug 12, 2024, 11:59 PM

The day after Tisha B’Av

Soldiers raise Israeli flags at Kibbutz Nir Am, near the border with the Gaza Strip, August 12, 2024. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

Victory is not about the defeat of our enemies — though that is a necessary component of any long term strategy. It is about what we build

Jun 2, 2014, 10:50 PM

Shavuot for the non-believer

One needn't believe the Torah was literally received at Sinai to find meaning in Judaism's spiritual ancestry

Feb 16, 2014, 11:35 AM

Sorry for the inconvenience

Now that Israel is a world-stage fixture, it's time for more 'please' and 'thank yous'

Jan 22, 2014, 4:24 PM

Please misunderstand me

Yes, that self-righteous indignation over being misunderstood feels pretty good

Dec 22, 2013, 4:57 PM

The forever-falling-apart people

We don't need to overcome our differences, we need to balance them with a commitment to the tribal Jewish collective

Nov 14, 2013, 4:35 PM

Remembering Why

“I care about Israel, I just can’t remember why.” These are the words a senior European diplomat shared with me in a recent meeting. He was describing the evolution of his personal relationship with Israel, and the difficulty he...

Oct 10, 2013, 3:13 PM

Rav Ovadia Yosef and caring for Israel’s body and soul

The kind of spiritual leadership the late Ovadia Yoseph provided is just as important as ensuring the nation's physical survival

Sep 17, 2013, 2:20 PM

How to Win a Jewish Argument

Lately, I have started worrying whether I am in fact Jewish. This is strange because I was born to Jewish parents, received a traditional Jewish education and have lived my entire life as a proud and engaged Jew. And...

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About Me

Dr. Tal Becker is vice president of the Shalom Hartman Institute.