Propagandizing the Temple

“Jerusalem Jones” is writing a new book. It’s all about the intersection of archaeology and the Arab-Israeli conflict. No snakes, no Nazis. But plenty of nefarious “bad guys” who want to take, not just Israel’s land, but its heritage and history as well. In other words, Israelis are a people who just need to go away. The international community – the notorious U.N. – and the international media will do whatever they can to promote this lofty goal. 

Siberian Jewish Renaissance

A great deal has been researched, written and documented concerning the Jews of Russia during the last century of their collective experience, throughout the Soviet era and beyond. Most attention is understandably devoted to the Jewries of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and western regions (known in the Czarist era as the Pale of Settlement). Relatively little is said, however, about Jews living further to the east, in central Siberia. Having just returned from a summer residence in Siberia’s capital, Novosibirsk, the third largest city in Russia, I was surprised to find a vibrant Jewish Community Center, that I was privileged to address, and a new synagogue on the rise. From several members of the community, including the director of the JCC, I was able to piece together their story.