Categories
Jewish Affairs

Antisemitism Conference In Israel Was Torn By Controversy

The International Conference on Combating Antisemitism took place in Jerusalem a few days ago, highlighting the growing alliance between Israel and far-right political parties in Europe and underscoring Israel’s increasingly strained relations with its traditional Western allies. Organized by Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party, it created […]

Categories
Film

Oppenheimer: The Father Of The Atomic Bomb

Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which I recently had the pleasure of watching, paints a vivid and sympathetic portrait of the brilliant American theoretical physicist whose stellar scientific team created the first nuclear weapon. This 179-minute feature film, the winner of seven Academy Awards in 2023, focuses on Julius Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Manhattan Project. […]

Categories
Television

Family Therapy, Argentinian Style

A new television series from Argentina, Family Therapy, an appealing melange of comedy and drama, is now available on the ChaiFlicks streaming platform. Set in contemporary Buenos Aires, and revolving around a secular Jewish family caught up in a crisis caused by the passing of a beloved relative, it is consistently entertaining. The central characters, […]

Categories
Middle East

Hamas Faces Protests In Gaza

Rumblings of discontent rolled through the Gaza Strip this week, raising speculation that Hamas’ popularity, such as it is, could well be on the wane. In the past few days, hundreds of Palestinians have taken to the streets of Gaza City, Beit Lahiya, Nuseirat and Deir al-Balah to vent their frustration and anger over a […]

Categories
Middle East

Israel Is Expanding West Bank Settlements

Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, is methodically expanding the network of Israeli settlements in the West Bank at a blistering pace, deliberately foreclosing the increasingly remote possibility of a two-state solution with the Palestinians. This comes as no surprise. Netanyahu, a champion of settlements, has said that Jews have an […]

Categories
Middle East

The Houthis Remain Defiant Despite U.S. Attacks

The United States has escalated its military campaign against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, but they remain defiant, prompting speculation whether they can be defeated any time soon. Last week, President Donald Trump ordered a massive wave of air strikes on their command centers, weapons depots and training sites. The bombings, the heaviest ever targeting […]

Categories
Film

Lost Transport

Inspired by a true story, and dedicated to “all who suffered and sacrificed,” Lost Transport fleshes out an intriguing footnote of World War II. Saskia Diesing’s Dutch feature film, which is now available on the ChaiFlicks streaming platform, is set in Germany in April 1945 as the Third Reich crumbles. In the waning months of […]

Categories
Middle East

Back To War In The Gaza Strip

A few days ago, Israel’s incoming chief of staff, General Eyal Zamir, predicted that 2025 would be “a year of war.” His prediction has proven to be correct. On March 18, Israel’s tenuous two-month ceasefire with Hamas broke down as Israel ferociously resumed the war in the Gaza Strip. “Israel will, from now on, act […]

Categories
Books

The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum

Fredericka Mandelbaum was no ordinary immigrant. A German Jew, she arrived in New York City in a near penniless state in 1850. Within a few years, she had created one of the first organized crime rings in the United States. One of the most infamous underworld figures in the last half of the 19th century, […]

Categories
Commentary

The Mahmoud Khalil Affair

Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist at Columbia University in New York City, has caused a furor and ignited a controversy. His case has triggered an impassioned debate about the limits of free speech and the boundaries of political activism. A 30-year-old Algerian national, a permanent resident of the United States, and a recent graduate of […]