Новости за 17.04.2018

In a recent conversation on the F train, a Jewish friend matter of factly informed me about all that I would never have if I converted.

At this point, reporting about anti-Semitism in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party hardly qualifies as news, the incidents being so frequent and so unsurprising. But Diane Abbott, the party’s shadow Home Secretary, broke new ground earlier this week when she chose to criticize the Tory government’s participation in the bombing of Syria by posting a fake photograph of an Israeli fighter jet bombing Teheran.

Becoming a bar mitzvah can be an overwhelming and stressful experience for teenage boys—the months spent practicing one’s haftarah, the obligatory socializing with unctuously affectionate relatives from out of town and the residual lipstick marks left on one’s cheek, the penning of a compelling thank you speech that somehow incorporates both Avraham aveinu and that iPhoneX you always wanted. Most 13 year-old boys are more than happy to be done with the synagogue service portion of their big day... Читать дальше...

As someone who reports regularly on anti-Semitism across the globe and the political spectrum, one of the most frustrating parts of my job is seeing how anti-Jewish bigotry is constantly dismissed as the perpetual sin of other people. That is, while many individuals are happy to oppose and expose anti-Semitism among their ideological opponents, they balk at confronting it among their allies. Invariably, when faced with evidence of anti-Jewish hate on their side, partisans will insist that the other side is worse... Читать дальше...

Home to only a tiny number of Jews, Indonesia is a hotbed of anti-Semitism. The disturbing popularity of Nazi imagery in the country came to international attention with stories of a Third Reich-themed restaurant and a museum where visitors could take selfies with Hitler. In 2016, an Indonesian artist for Marvel Comics was fired amid global outcry after his illustrations were revealed to contain hidden anti-Semitic references. But while these bizarre and ghastly expressions of anti-Semitism have shocked international opinion... Читать дальше...

Literary critic Adam Kirsch is reading a page of Talmud a day, along with Jews around the world.