Long before there was a start-up nation the Jews were the can do people, but a constant crisis-solving posture poses problems of its own. Here is part two in our effort to build the context for the surprise of the Yom Kippur War of 1973. It is a story of technological revolutions, unstoppable confidence and…
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Telling the story of the Exodus is something so simple that we do it every year, and so complicated that we never get it quite right. With all the effort we put into preparation for a kosher Pesach, it is worth dusting off the Passover Haggadah a couple of weeks early in or to prepare…
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If we call what happened in the 1967 a war of the spirit, then what occurred seven years later was a struggle of psychology. Here is the first episode leading up to the 1973 Yom Kippur War. It explores the booming economy, the Israeli Black Panthers and the emergence of a new leader of Egypt,…
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The desire to get even is as old as Cain and Abel, so what new could possibly be said about it? Here is an interview with author Thane Rosenbaum, author of Payback: The Case for Revenge, where we explore the nature of vengeance, its relationship to justice and how it informs our actions.
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It is Adar once again, believe it or not! Here at the end of a Covid-crazy year the call to increase joy can also be heard as a call to do more joyfully. Here are some thoughts about how to embrace the ‘more’ which lies ahead in a way which will bring some happiness to…
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The whole world watched in horror as the murder of eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games by the Black September terrorist group raised the bar on international terror to previously inconceivable heights. The events cannot be forgotten, and their consequences are with us down to this day.
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There is a narrative battle which has been raging for decades between Arab and Jew in the land of Israel, and sometimes it breaks out into open warfare. This is the story of the abortive attempt by Palestinian Arabs to overthrown the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the role it plays in giving an international…
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The power of fairy stories goes well beyond entertainment. In this interlude Rena Rossner, author of The Sisters of the Winter Wood joins me to explore myth, story and the power of fairy tale. Along the way we touch on God, history and my favorite author as well!
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The battlefield and the boardroom come together for the last episode in the series on the War of Attrition. Meet new Prime Minister Golda Meir as she balances war and politics in her new policy of ‘asymmetrical response.’ Unfortunately this may win her the battle just as it looses the war. Hear from the likes…
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Every major conflict is fought on many fronts. This second installment on the War of Attrition explores the diplomatic front. We will encounter Yitzchak Rabin as the new Israeli ambassador and get our first look at American Jewish policy maker Henry Kissinger as our story leaves the battle ground for the boardroom.
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