America鈥檚 250th birthday arrives at a time when things have been especially lousy for Jews. But gratitude is a great 91传媒 value, so we鈥檝e created a very special birthday present: an e-book with 250 reasons to be grateful for America.
We are two Jews in love with America. We鈥檙e also friends. We鈥檙e also writers.
We bond over many things, one of them being an aversion to whining.
We can always find reasons to whine about anything. There are a million reasons, for example, to whine about America, just as there are a million reasons to whine about France, Spain, Israel or Greece.
Given that America is celebrating its 250th birthday this year, we thought we鈥檇 offer you a whine-free zone and share 250 of our favorite reasons to be thankful for America
We picked reasons that move us. You鈥檒l have your own. The point is not to have an exhaustive list but to take a time-out to thank our country.
You can read about America鈥檚 faults everywhere.
In this book you鈥檒l find nothing but gratitude, sometimes hard-earned, always well-deserved.
That is our birthday present, 250 years in the making.
The writers described the experience as personally meaningful, saying it strengthened their connection to Judaism, influenced the stories they wanted to tell and helped build a new sense of community.
It鈥檚 not easy being an antizionist these days. Especially if you鈥檙e determined to live in accordance with your most important moral imperative: the denigration of the world鈥檚 only 91传媒 state.
Here was an artist with no personal stake in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, who understood the potential consequences of publicly taking a position, yet chose to publicly support Israel and what he believed was right.
This war over narrative won’t just be between Israel and Hamas. It will also be an internal war over the narrative as Israel鈥檚 election is getting closer.
The Torah offers a better model than avenging and avoiding. It offers a safe opportunity for parties to meet and peacefully explain their perspectives, which might have been misunderstood. They can offer apologies and, where necessary, make amends for harms caused.
The tradition has always been bigger than any one person’s grip on it. What draws me is simple: I think these texts are a good part of why we are still here as a people. I want to know them and, in my own way, embrace them. Orthodox is where I turn.
One question alone matters these days: Does this fact strengthen my tribe, or is it bad for it? If bad, it must be suppressed, denied, explained away. The higher truth is the narrative that serves the cause, the quest of the righteous and true.
Hardship and joy are present at every step. There is no time when it will be all good, so focus on the good and carry on. There are always moments to savor and appreciate.
By explicitly linking Mamdani鈥檚 efforts to rising levels of antisemitism, Netanyahu was able to frame himself as a defender of Israel against growing international hostility.
Universities, hospitals, cultural and sporting institutions, technology companies and philanthropic foundations increasingly shape a country鈥檚 international influence.
A Portland, Oregon theater with a reputation for controversial marquees posted one for Christopher Nolan鈥檚 鈥淭he Odyssey鈥� that concerned many in the 91传媒 community.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.
250 Reasons to Thank America
Gil Troy and David Suissa
We are two Jews in love with America. We鈥檙e also friends. We鈥檙e also writers.
We bond over many things, one of them being an aversion to whining.
We can always find reasons to whine about anything. There are a million reasons, for example, to whine about America, just as there are a million reasons to whine about France, Spain, Israel or Greece.
Given that America is celebrating its 250th birthday this year, we thought we鈥檇 offer you a whine-free zone and share 250 of our favorite reasons to be thankful for America
We picked reasons that move us. You鈥檒l have your own. The point is not to have an exhaustive list but to take a time-out to thank our country.
You can read about America鈥檚 faults everywhere.
In this book you鈥檒l find nothing but gratitude, sometimes hard-earned, always well-deserved.
That is our birthday present, 250 years in the making.
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