Tzedek-Tzedek

I have been spied upon by Python. On a recent trip to China, where Google is banned (I bet you didn’t know that), I had to set up a temporary non-Gmail Chinese-friendly email address. On advice from a local friend, I joined one of China’s largest free email providers 163.com and forwarded all my incoming gmail mail to that account, so I could continue to stay in communicado with the world outside of China during my visit. I had heard of the problem of snoopers looking at one’s emails and other communications in China, whether by the big brother Chinese Government or by hackers. But frankly, I didn’t think it was likely to happen to me. I was in a third country meeting with a colleague, on my way to China, and sent an email from my 163. email to him while I was sitting in his office, containing a link to a Google document we were jointly working on. As we are both editing the document, simultaneously (the wonders of the Cloud), both of our identifying icons appeared on t...

Following the assault with a machete upon an orthodox Jewish resident of Marseilles, France, by a 15 year old ISIS supporter, Zvi Ammar, head of the Israelite Consistory in Marseilles, called upon his fellow Jews in the city to remove their kippot and other religious identifiers for security reasons. Many Rabbonim, including Israel's Chief Rabbi, Rabbi David Lau, and Paris Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Chaim Corsia have criticized Ammar. Rabbi Lau urged European Jews not to remove their "kippot" in public despite the increase in violence against Jews on the continent. He also called on European governments to boost security for Jewish communities. "We should not give an inch, we should continue wearing the kippah," Rabbi Corsia said, according to AFP. Even France's Prime Minister Hollande gave his opinion, declaring "It is intolerable that in our country citizens should feel so upset and under assault because of their religious choice that they would ...

In an era that a black American became President, glass ceilings are evaporating, also in Israel. A central tenet of the National Religious world-view is full participation in the building of the State of Israel. The National Religious (NR) have been a partner in Israeli Governments from the foundation of the State. This has entitled their representatives, chiefly the Mafdal NRP (in its various incarnations), to serve in Ministerial and other senior position in these Governments. The NR population serves proudly in the IDF, with a preference for combat units; contributed through becoming leading scientists, industrialists and academics, established; and built exemplary communities, towns and institutions. In short, the NR have made it their mission to be fully productive citizens of Israel. However, as with many minority groups, there was always an understanding that certain positions in seniority and responsibility would be blocked to the NR. A glass ceiling. In recent...