2020

13 Wednesday May 2020

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice

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This piece was posted today on the Reform Judaism Blog (See link below). It is an edited letter from my most recent book Why Israel [and its Future] Matters – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation with an Afterword by Daniel and David Rosove [my sons] (New Jersey: Ben Yehuda Press, 2019).

My book has been endorsed by a number of Israeli and North American Jewish leaders, including:

“Morally unflinching, intellectually courageous, Rabbi John Rosove has provided us with a desperately needed map for how to navigate the growing tensions between progressives and the state of Israel. By calling out Israel when it has done wrong and calling out its critics when they exaggerate Israel’s flaws, Rabbi Rosove echoes the ancient prophets, who criticized their people but always loved and defended them. This thoughtful and passionate book reminds us that commitment to Israel and to social justice are essential components of a healthy Jewish identity.” –Yossi Klein Halevi, Senior Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem

“Rabbi John Rosove’s letters to his sons, published in this volume, are tender and loving, but also gripping and challenging, as he grapples with modern Israel, Jewish identity, relations between Israelis and Diaspora Jews, and perhaps most significantly whether ‘you can maintain your ethical and moral values while at the same time being supporters of the Jewish state despite its flaws and imperfections.’ Rosove pulls no punches, laying out both the imperfections and the ethical choices surrounding Israel and American Jews. But he also manifests a passionate love for Israel and what one scholar has called ‘values-based aspirational Zionism.’ This book will raise as many questions for Rosove’s sons as it answers; it is a book that many of us wish we had written for our own children.” – Daniel Kurtzer, S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies, Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Former US Ambassador to Israel (2001-2005) and US Ambassador to Egypt (1997-2001)

“What a marvelous and refreshing book! A liberal social activist and committed Reform Jew, Rosove makes the case to Jewish millennials that they need Israel as a source of pride, connection, and Jewish renewal, and Israel needs them for the liberal values that they can bring to the Zionist enterprise. In its call for “aspirational Zionism,” the book is honest and tough about Israel’s flaws, but optimistic about the country’s direction and filled with practical strategies for promoting change. This is a no-nonsense, straight-talking work, intellectually rigorous but deeply personal. And most important, it demonstrates in compelling prose to young Jews—and Jews of all ages—that Jewish life cannot be sustained without Israel at its core.” –Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President Emeritus, Union for Reform Judaism

“A moving love letter to Israel from a rabbinic leader who refuses to give into despair, but instead recommits to building a democratic Israel that lives up to the vision of its founders.” –Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director, Terua: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

“Rabbi Rosove’s truths reach minds and open hearts. I urge each and every individual who feels anyway connected to the Jewish people, to ponder this powerful assemblage of candid, insightful messages which address Israel as a nation, and as a notion. A must read.” -Isaac Herzog, Former Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel, President of the State of Israel

The book is available on Amazon.

https://reformjudaism.org/blog/2020/05/12/aspirational-zionism-look-future-zionism?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20200513&utm_campaign=Feature&utm_content=2020_5_13

80 years ago – May 10, 1940

07 Thursday May 2020

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Politics and Life, Book Recommendations, Health and Well-Being

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Much has been said about President Trump’s weak leadership before and during this pandemic; his denial of reality and science, constant lies and disinformation, happy magical talk, lack of empathy and humility, self-aggrandizement, managerial incompetence, firing of able government officials and scientific experts, attacks on the media and intelligence community, undermining of the justice system, schoolyard bullying of political opponents, pandering to our nation’s worst instincts, and blaming others while taking no responsibility himself as President of the United States.

In contrast, I’ve been thinking much about what great leadership really is.

This May 10th marks the 80^th anniversary of two pivotal events in world history. In his just-published and highly acclaimed history of Winston Churchill’s first year in office as Great Britain’s wartime Prime Minister, The Splendid and the Vile – A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz, Erik Larson writes of that day:

“The beauty of the day [in Britain] made a shocking contrast to all that had happened since dawn, when German forces stormed into Holland, Belgium, and Luxembourg, using armor, dive-bombers, and parachute troops with overwhelming effect…. Churchill had been summoned by the King [George VI]…” that evening to become the next Prime Minister, a choice that saved England from being overwhelmed by the Nazi war machine and offered the world an historic example of great leadership in a time of existential national crisis.

Every subsequent Churchill address to Parliament and his nation began with a dire assessment of what Great Britain faced. He neither gilded the lily nor denied the truth and reality. He stated plainly the threat Britain faced before the Nazi onslaught. Churchill then explained what must be done, that sacrifice would be necessary, that much pain and suffering would be inevitable, and that the only result must be complete victory. He ended each speech with soaring eloquence and galvanized his people with a unified sense of purpose, mission, and hope.

In striking contrast with our inconsistent, self-serving, prevaricating, divisive, and hardhearted President Trump, Prime Minister Churchill carried his nation on his shoulders. His will was Britain’s will. His heart was England’s heart. His faith was the people’s faith. His strength was their strength.

For now until November, we Americans must rely upon our scientists, health care professionals, governors, mayors, Democratic Representatives and Senators in Congress and state legislators (and a few Republicans) for sane and responsible leadership. And we need to remember that the American people are inherently decent as demonstrated every day by so many caring for the sick and vulnerable.

Churchill said, “the future is unknowable but the past gives us hope.”

I hope that you and your dear ones stay well and that those who are sick heal quickly to fullness of health again.

Netanyahu’s embrace of Trump is driving U.S. Jews away from Israel, survey shows – Haaretz – February 4, 2020

05 Wednesday Feb 2020

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, American Politics and Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice, Women's Rights

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Less observant Jews were more likely to feel that their connection to Israel had weakened in recent years, poll commissioned by U.S.-based Ruderman Family Foundation says (note: see the end of the article)

Judy Maltz | Feb. 4, 2020 | 2:53 PM |

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s support for U.S. President Donald Trump and his policies is the main reason for growing disenchantment with Israel among American Jews, a survey published on Tuesday shows.

The other top reasons are the growing power of right-wing and ultra-Orthodox forces in Israeli politics, Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, its settlement policy in the West Bank, and its disenfranchisement of non-Orthodox Jews.

The survey, commissioned by the U.S.-based Ruderman Family Foundation, included 2,500 respondents with a statistical deviation of 1.96 percent.

The respondents were asked what they thought were “one of the most important reasons” American Jews were feeling less connected to Israel. Thirty-nine percent listed Netanyahu’s support for Trump, while 33 percent listed the growing power of right-wing and religious forces in Israel.

One out of four respondents cited the treatment of Palestinians and Israeli settlement policies as their top gripes, while one out of five listed policies that disenfranchise non-Orthodox Jews.

Only 24 percent of American Jews voted for Donald Trump in 2016. American Jews have traditionally supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that would include at least a partial dismantling of the West Bank settlements.

Among the respondents, a greater share (39 percent) believed the relationship between American Jews and Israel had weakened in the past five years than strengthened (32 percent).

The survey found that less observant Jews were more likely to feel that their connection to Israel had weakened in recent years. Among Orthodox Jews, 50 percent said that their connection to Israel had strengthened in the past five years, while only 5 percent said it had weakened.

Among Reform Jews, however, 21 percent said that their connection had strengthened, while 28 percent said it had weakened.

Although a large majority – 80 percent of respondents – defined themselves as “pro-Israel,” many had reservations about the government’s actions: 28 percent reported being critical of “some” Israeli policies and 29 percent of “many” Israeli policies.

Finally, nearly one third of the respondents said they were “not very” or “not at all” attached to Israel.

Personal Note: The reason I wrote my most recent book Why Israel [and its Future] Matters – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation (New Jersey: Ben Yehuda Press, 2019) was to address the growing schism and disaffection of the non-orthodox American liberal Jewish community from the people and State of Israel. In 11 letters that I write to my millennial sons (and, by extension, to all our millennial children), I tackle all the tough issues and offer ways to think about Israel that justify our continued support and advocacy of the Jewish democratic state.

The book is available on Amazon.

These Are the Main Challenges of Global Judaism Today – Reform Judaism Blog by Isaac Herzog, 12/31/2019 – Updated October, 2022

01 Wednesday Jan 2020

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Book Recommendations, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity

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“I think Reform Judaism is becoming a major pillar of world Jewry today.”

Isaac Herzog’s speech at the URJ Biennial in Chicago (mid-December) is significant because it is the first such speech ever delivered to the Reform movement in such sweeping terms by a chairman of the executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel about the importance of the Reform movement in American and world Jewry. Read his speech here:

https://reformjudaism.org/blog/2019/12/31/these-are-main-challenges-global-judaism-today?utm_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20200101&utm_campaign=Feature

Isaac Herzog endorsed my book Why Israel [and its Future] Matters – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation with an Afterword by Daniel and David Rosove (available at Amazon) with these words:

“Diaspora Jewry is in a struggle for its collective identity and the millennial generation all the more so. In an era of FAKE, truth becomes a spiritual commodity; a period of ANTI and POST demands value-based motivation, sound reasoning, active listening, and candid conversation. This is what Rabbi Rosove provides this readership. He delineates the just case for Israel with precision and delicacy, sans fluff or pandering. This is a book which strives to combat Israel haters and bashers and gives real tools and answers to those liberal Jews who feel somewhat frustrated and confused about Israel.

Rabbi Rosove’s truths reach minds and open hearts. I urge each and every individual who feels in any way connected to the Jewish People, to ponder this powerful assemblage of candid, insightful messages which address the core issues facing Israel as a nation, and as a notion.

A must read!”

Isaac Herzog is the the President of the State of Israel. Before this he served as chairman of the executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel, and before that he was a member of Knesset (Israel’s parliament) and had been the Chairman of Israel’s Labor Party and the Knesset Opposition Leader. In 2015, Mr. Herzog was a front-runner to win the election for Israel’s Prime Minister. He led the alliance between the Labor Party and the Hatnua Party to create Israel’s largest center-left political party, and was the leading candidate to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the national elections.

My new book – “Why Israel [and its Future] Matters…”

18 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice, Women's Rights

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I have just published my second book Why Israel [and its Future] Matters – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation with an Afterword by Daniel and David Rosove (New Jersey: Ben Yehuda Press, 2019). The book has been positively reviewed by a number of American and Israeli thought leaders, including the following:

The chairman of the Executive Committee of the Jewish Agency for Israel, The Honorable Yitzhak Herzog, called my book “a must-read.”

Yossi Klein Halevi of the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem said, “Morally unflinching, intellectually courageous, Rabbi John Rosove has provided us with a desperately needed map for how to navigate the growing tensions between progressives and the State of Israel.”

Former US Ambassador to Israel and Egypt, Daniel Kurtzer, wrote that “it is a book that many of us wish we had written for our own children.”

New Israel Fund Board Chair, Professor David N. Myers said “Rosove’s missives are essential reading for all concerned with the Jewish condition today.”

I invite you to purchase a copy for yourselves, your children and grandchildren, and friends who, as Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President Emeritus of the Union for Reform Judaism said that the book “Makes the case to Jewish millennials that they need Israel as a source of pride, connection, and Jewish renewal, and Israel needs them for the liberal values that they can bring to the Zionist enterprise.”

Other pre-publication endorsements are written by Anat Hoffman (executive Director of the Israel Religious Action Center), Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch (Senior Rabbi, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City), Rabbi Josh Weinberg (VP for Israel and Reform Zionism and Director of the Association of Reform Zionists of America), Rabbi Jill Jacobs (Executive Director of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights), and Brooke Davies (Former President of the J Street U National Board and currently a 2nd year law student at Harvard College).

At the end of each of the 11 letters, I wrote discussion questions that will engage you, your children and community in discussing not only the historic accomplishment of the Jewish people in the creation and development of the State of Israel, but in tackling some of the greatest challenges facing the Jewish people and the Jewish State.

The book is available on Amazon.com. If you purchase a book and find it worthwhile, please write a review on Amazon because positive reviews promote the book to others.

A Gift for Hanukah – “Why Israel [and its Future] Matters”

09 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice

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My new book is now available at Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Why-Israel-its-Future-Matters/dp/1934730831

Endorsements

“Morally unflinching, intellectually courageous, Rabbi John Rosove has provided us with a desperately needed map for how to navigate the growing tensions between progressives and the State of Israel. By calling out Israel when it has done wrong and calling out its critics when they exaggerate Israel’s flaws, Rabbi Rosove echoes the ancient prophets, who criticized their people but always loved and defended them. This thoughtful and passionate book reminds us that commitment to Israel and to social justice are essential components of a healthy Jewish identity.” —Yossi Klein Halevi, Senior Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem

“Rabbi John Rosove’s letters to his sons are tender and loving, but also gripping and challenging, as he grapples with modern Israel, Jewish identity, relations between Israelis and Diaspora Jews, and perhaps most significantly whether ‘you can maintain your ethical and moral values while at the same time being supporters of the Jewish state despite its flaws and imperfections.’ Rosove pulls no punches, laying out both the imperfections and the ethical choices surrounding Israel and American Jews. But he also manifests a passionate love for Israel and what one scholar has called ‘values-based aspirational Zionism.’ This book will raise as many questions for Rosove’s sons as it answers; it is a book that many of us wish we had written for our own children.” —Ambassador Daniel Kurtzer, S. Daniel Abraham Professor in Middle Eastern Policy Studies, Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs – Former US Ambassador to Israel (2001-2005) and US Ambassador to Egypt (1997-2001)

“Rabbi Rosove’s truths reach minds and open hearts. I urge each and every individual who feels in any way connected to the Jewish People, to ponder this powerful assemblage of candid insightful messages which address the core issues facing Israel as a nation, and as a notion. A must read!” —The Honorable Isaac Herzog, Chairman, Jewish Agency for Israel

“Rosove’s optimism, and his boundless faith in Jewish peoplehood and Jewish values, makes this book an invaluable blueprint for Jews, both in Israel and around the world, to help the Jewish State live up to its founding values of acceptance, pluralism, and democracy and become a true light unto the nations.” —Anat Hoffman, Executive Director, Israel Religious Action Center

“What a marvelous and refreshing book! A liberal social activist and committed Reform Jew, Rosove makes the case to Jewish millennials that they need Israel as a source of pride, connection, and Jewish renewal, and Israel needs them for the liberal values that they can bring to the Zionist enterprise. In its call for “aspirational Zionism,” the book is honest and tough about Israel’s flaws, but optimistic about the country’s direction and filled with practical strategies for promoting change. This is a no-nonsense, straight-talking work, intellectually rigorous but deeply personal. And most important, it demonstrates in compelling prose to young Jews—and Jews of all ages—that Jewish life cannot be sustained without Israel at its core.” —Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President Emeritus, Union for Reform Judaism

“In a beautifully written, passionate, emotional and heartfelt book, Rabbi Rosove describes his love for Israel. Always honest, authentic and sincere, John does not attempt to hide Israel’s imperfections. His forty years in the rabbinate taught him that anything human is imperfect, and that true love requires engagement in the world of improvement and repair. Read and re-read Rabbi Rosove’s book. Turn the pages over and over again. You will glean his spirit, and the spirit of our people that has created and sustained the State of Israel—one of the great miracles of the world.” —Rabbi Ammiel Hirsch, Senior Rabbi, Stephen Wise Free Synagogue, New York City

“Rosove’s missives are essential reading for all concerned with the Jewish condition today.” —David N. Myers, Kahn Professor of Jewish History, UCLA; President of the Board, New Israel Fund

“This book is a must-read for countless Diaspora Jews looking for information and different ways to comprehend the significance of modern-day Israel. Rabbi Rosove offers not only for his sons, but for educators looking for new material, guiding questions, and matter of fact explanations. With everything he offers us in this short volume, Rabbi Rosove teaches us to never give up hope, which makes this a must-read for all.” —Rabbi Josh Weinberg, VP for Israel and Reform Zionism, Union for Reform Judaism; Director, Association of Reform Zionists of America

“A moving love letter to Israel from a rabbinic leader who refuses to give into despair, but instead recommits to building a democratic Israel that lives up to the vision of its founders.” —Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Executive Director, T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights

“A must-read for those inside the community and out who are not just looking for the right answers, but the right questions.” —Brooke Davies, Former President of the J Street U National Board

Please write a review on Amazon.

My new book – “Why Israel [and its Future] Matters – Letters of a Liberal Rabbi to his Children and the Millennial Generation with an Afterword by Daniel and David Rosove”

28 Thursday Nov 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, American Politics and Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Jewish-Christian Relations, Jewish-Islamic Relations, Social Justice

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Available at https://www.amazon.com/Why-Israel-its-Future-Matters/dp/1934730831

Pre-publication Endorsements

“Morally unflinching, intellectually courageous, Rabbi John Rosove has provided us with a desperately needed map for how to navigate the growing tensions between progressives and the State of Israel. By calling out Israel when it has done wrong and calling out its critics when they exaggerate Israel’s flaws, Rabbi Rosove echoes the ancient prophets, who criticized their people but always loved and defended them. This thoughtful and passionate book reminds us that commitment to Israel and to social justice are essential components of a healthy Jewish identity.” —Yossi Klein Halevi, Senior Fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem

“What a marvelous and refreshing book! A liberal social activist and committed Reform Jew, Rosove makes the case to Jewish millennials that they need Israel as a source of pride, connection, and Jewish renewal, and Israel needs them for the liberal values that they can bring to the Zionist enterprise. In its call for “aspirational Zionism,” the book is honest and tough about Israel’s flaws, but optimistic about the country’s direction and filled with practical strategies for promoting change. This is a no-nonsense, straight-talking work, intellectually rigorous but deeply personal. And most important, it demonstrates in compelling prose to young Jews—and Jews of all ages—that Jewish life cannot be sustained without Israel at its core.” —Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President Emeritus, Union for Reform Judaism

A request: If you like the book, please write a review on Amazon.

Amos Oz’s “Dear Zealots” – A Must Read

24 Sunday Nov 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in Book Recommendations, Ethics, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice

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Amos Oz’s Dear Zealots – Letters from a Divided Land (New York: Mariner Books, English translation 2019) is worth every page, paragraph, and sentence.

Composed of three essays in 136 pages, Oz clarifies so much of what is taking place in Israel, the occupied territories, the United States, and around the world.

His first essay “Dear Zealots” takes on the pernicious danger of zealotry in religion, politics, and society at large. The second “Many Lights, Not One Light” evokes the essence of Judaism as a religion, culture, people, and civilization. And the third “Dreams Israel Should Let Go of Soon” warns Israelis to stop the settlement enterprise before the one-state solution becomes de jure. Oz believes that the one state solution will not be bi-national. Rather, it will become an Arab state eventually taken over by Arab extremist zealots (i.e. Hamas) making life intolerable for both Jews and Palestinians.

Oz ends the final essay with these words:

“I am extremely fearful for the future. I fear the government’s policies, and I am ashamed of them. I am afraid of the fanaticism and the violence, which are becoming increasingly prevalent in Israel, and I am also ashamed of them. But I like being Israeli. I like being a citizen of a country where there are eight and a half million prime ministers, eight and a half million prophets, eight and a half million messiahs. Each of us has our own personal formula for redemption, or at least for a solution. Everyone shouts, and few listen. It’s never boring here. It is vexing, galling, disappointing, sometimes frustrating and infuriating, but almost always fascinating and exciting. What I have seen here in my lifetime is far less, yet also far more, than what my parents and their parents ever dreamed of.”

These essays clarify, edify, and provoke. They are must reading for anyone who cares about Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state.

All Its Inhabitants: Living Under Israeli Jurisdiction

30 Wednesday Oct 2019

Posted by rabbijohnrosove in American Jewish Life, Book Recommendations, Ethics, Human rights, Israel and Palestine, Israel/Zionism, Jewish History, Jewish Identity, Social Justice, Women's Rights

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In the forthcoming book, Deepening the Dialogue: Israelis and American Jews Envision the Jewish-Democratic State (New York: CCAR Press, 2019), Rabbi Jill Jacobs and Rabbi Levi Kelman address the aspirational ethical treatment of all the inhabitants of the land of Israel as articulated in Israel’s Declaration of Independence (DOI).

I am a co-editor with Rabbi Stanley Davids of this unique book that includes 20 articles (chapters) based on Israel’s (DOI) of which Rabbis Jacobs and Kelman are two.

The articles are written by 10 leading Israeli and 10 leading American Jewish thought leaders addressing a wide variety of issues relative to the DOI. The book’s articles will all be translated into Hebrew and English and will be available in Israel and all English speaking countries. The book will be published before the Union for Reform Judaism’s Biennial Convention in Chicago (December 11-15).

This superb book is part of a project to bring Israelis and Diaspora Jews together to consider and discuss the fundamental issues concerning Israel’s democracy and pluralistic character as the homeland of the Jewish people.

I wrote a review of Rabbi’s Jacobs (Director of Terua: Rabbis for Human Rights in America) and Rabbi Levi Kelman (founder of Congregation Kol Haneshama and immediate past director of Israel’s Rabbis for Human Rights) for the Reform Judaism on-line website. You can find my review here – http://bit.ly/2BS5ZAl.

I urge you to purchase the book and read all 20 pieces. They are superbly written concerning what Israel is and aspires to be.

Rabbi John Rosove's Blog

Category Archives: Book Recommendations

80 years ago – May 10, 1940

Less observant Jews were more likely to feel that their connection to Israel had weakened in recent years, poll commissioned by U.S.-based Ruderman Family Foundation says (note: see the end of the article)

These Are the Main Challenges of Global Judaism Today – Reform Judaism Blog by Isaac Herzog, 12/31/2019 – Updated October, 2022