Shomer Shalom Network for Jewish Nonviolence

My apartment in Gaza faces the sea, a panoramic view that’s always done wonders for my mood, often challenged by all the misery that a life under siege can bring. That is, before this morning, when all hell broke loose at my window. This morning in Gaza we woke up to the sound of dropping bombs, and many of them have fallen a few hundred metres from my home. Some of my friends fell under them. So far the death toll is at 210, but it’s bound to rise dramatically. It’s an unprecedented bloodshed. They’ve razed the port facing my home to the ground, and pulverized the police stations. I’m told that the Western media have assimilated and are repeating the press releases issued by the Israeli military off by heart, according to which the attacks targeted Hamas’s terrorist dens only, with surgical precision.
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Dear friends,

In honor of Hanukah and prayers for an end to the violence against Gaza. Please forgive the length. If you feel moved, please pass this on to those who might benefit from these reflections.

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Voted by TV Guide magazine the “Worst TV Show Ever,” not many people know that The Jerry Springer Show is still on the air, soldiering on into its eighteenth season. Depending on your viewing habits, you may be familiar with the format. Two or more enraged guests – usually related – play out outrageous personal crises for an audience of rabid onlookers.
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The peace delegation to Iran included 10 Jews and 4 Christians.  Thanks to the great recruiting work of Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, it was (we think) the largest delegation of Jewish people from the U.S. to visit Iran since the revolution.

For a view of the trip from the religious majority, If you haven’t already done so I again recommend checking out Rabbi Brant Rosen’s blog.

For a view of the trip from the religious minority see http://www.brclarkberge.blogspot.com/ the blog of Brother Clark Berge, an Episcopal priest and Minister General of the Society of St. Francis, a religious order of men in the Anglican communion.

If you are looking for a blog written from a perspective of nonviolent Judaism, there is no better place to go than Rabbi Brant Rosen’s blog http://rabbibrant.com.  Rabbi Brant is a member of the Shomer Shalom Elder’s council.  He is currently blogging from Iran.