Those who consider history only in terms of national politics and international relations underestimate or misjudge Israel. They fail to appreciate the power of Jewish history animated by ancient faith.

A trilogy of articles about the meaning of wine in Jewish tradition, and about quality kosher wines for Passover. Meir Soloveichik provides the Torah; Josh London recommends wines from the US and Europe, and I suggest Israeli wines for the five seder cups.

In memorium: Over 96 years, Moshe “Moshko” Moskowitz lived to see many of his far-reaching plans for the building of Gush Etzion fulfilled, and more.

To mark Tu BeShvat, the holiday celebrating fruit from the Land of Israel, the World Mizrachi movement invited me to produce a wine TV program. To this end, I interviewed five top Israeli winemakers and tasted their best wines along with them.

The president of the World Mizrachi movement, Kurt Rothschild, is one of the most indefatigable and loyal soldiers the Jewish People has been blessed with over the past century. How many philanthropists are there in the Jewish world whose worldview and involvements are so broad, and who are still active at age 100?

At this time of coronavirus uncertainty and all its attendant ills – which threaten to overwhelm Israeli, indeed global society, this winter – giving some tzedaka can have many rewards. “To ease another’s heartache is to forget one’s own.”

Dr. Michael Levenstein OBM was by best friend, over 40 years. He was an esteemed family medicine doctor, a respected community activist, a wonderful family man, an enormous talmid chacham (Torah scholar) and a passionate Zionist.

Despite the mixed balance sheet of changes that have taken place in this country’s society and politics over the past 30 years since I moved to Israel, it is a privilege to be part of a meta-historic, grand drama of Jewish national renewal and redemption.

Rabbi Haim Sabato’s elegy for Tisha Be’Av, mourning Israel’s loss of national unity and moral priorities, translated here into English for the first time. He terms our current situation keter evion, a “pauper’s crown,” meaning sunk to rock bottom. Rav Sabato blames not only our politicians, but cultural leaders and educators too.

The progressive Pope, Peter Beinart, seeks to denude the Jewish state of its rightful place among the nations. Alas, he seems to have decayed into a cocoon; inside a reactionary, defeatist brain that secretes poison. In this venal endeavor Beinart will fail.