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Stephen M. Flatow

Jul 6, 2026, 3:28 AM

The Presbyterians’ war against Israel: A call to action for American Jewry

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) vote accusing Israel of genocide is the culmination of a 20-year anti-Israel campaign—and a warning to American Jewish organizations that statements of disappointment are no substitute for sustained action. By a vote of 454-15, the denomination’s General Assembly declared Israel’s...

Jul 2, 2026, 11:26 PM

Passionate action need not lead to zealotry

On this Fourth of July, we Americans remember our imperfect founders. The majority of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence, including its primary author, Thomas Jefferson who wrote the opening assertion that “All men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with the...

Jul 2, 2026, 6:27 PM

Pinchas: Love for the Holy Land

Love of Israel - Grok XAI

Much goes through my mind on a weekly basis, from writing one paper to the next. At times I scramble my mind to see what topics or lessons I learnt over the week and which ones I’d like to cover, and at times the Parshah...

Stephen M. Flatow

Jul 1, 2026, 2:22 PM

A joint Hamas-Palestinian Islamic Jihad demonstration (source https://farsi.palinfo.com/Uploads/Models/Media/Images/2017/11/18/397972304.jpg?h=500&w=947&crop=auto&scale=both&quality=80&404=default&format=jpg)

A woman in upstate New York is charged with funding the terror group that murdered my daughter in 1995. The organization survives. Will this prosecution? Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) does not need a state. It does not need an army. It needs a wire transfer...

Jun 24, 2026, 10:19 PM

Chukat Balak: The Apple and the Parshah

The thoughts Behind the Apple - Grok XAI

Part 1: The Apple and the Parshah Ever hear of the fruit tree? It’s an amazing invention, isn’t it? I’m sitting here trying to get myself into a topic to speak about, and as I ponder the first words and find myself stuck,...

Stephen M. Flatow

Jun 22, 2026, 7:35 AM

From Casals to Cage Fights

From JFK and Pablo Casals to Trump and UFC, the White House guest list has become a revealing measure of presidential taste, national dignity and America’s idea of greatness. There was a time when the White House knew the difference between a national stage and...

Joseph C. Kaplan

Jun 18, 2026, 11:59 PM

That Best Portion of a Person’s Life

A few short weeks after my back surgery, my wife, Sharon, had toe surgery, leaving us with a total of two good feet between us. The surgeries brought us closer together in one way, since, after mine, she drove me around wherever we had to...

Jun 18, 2026, 10:30 PM

Witnessing the Invisible: A Frontline Perspective on Trauma and Resilience

Listening to a veteran Israeli journalist is a reminder that psychological wounds remain terrifyingly invisible.

I work in trauma every single day, but hearing a veteran Israeli journalist share his frontline experiences was a stark reminder of just how deeply these invisible wounds run. What I know about psychological injury has not changed, but the magnitude of it. Supporting the...

Jun 17, 2026, 6:54 PM

Korach: The Premature Flow

Eye on the Vision - Grok XAI

Korach 5786 – David Lemmer “Yidden, come together, the day of your redemption has come!” “Yidden, sons of Avraham, Yitzchok, and Yaakov, the One you have yearned for has shown!” These are the words you will hear in the near future. And when...

Jun 10, 2026, 8:20 PM

Shelach: The Meraglims’ Identity Crisis

The Narrow Pipe of Identity - Grok XAI

Bamidbar 13:3: “…all are men, leaders of the children of Israel, they are.” Rashi notes that “men” refers to kosher people, people of high regard, stature, and of course, proper character. Boys don’t simply become men because they had their Bar Mitzvah. They may rise...

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