Your Daily Spiel is The CJN’s (almost) daily roundup of trending stories in the Jewish world.
Canada
School Book Snafu: A recent book published by Nelson Education Ltd. for elementary schools across Ontario mistakenly included Israel in a list of countries who employ child soldiers. The issue drew the ire of the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies (FSWC) and B’nai Brith Canada, which argued that such a textbook would negatively impact Canadian Jewish students.
United States
You Just Don’t Matter: In a scathing editorial published this morning in the New York Times, Thomas Friedman reflected upon the seeming growing rift between the Diaspora and Israel. Citing the recent blacklisting of Diaspora religious figures by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate, Friedman asserted that Israeli identity is at a crossroads between “Runaway Jewish nationalism” and “runaway Orthodox politics.”
Israel
African Arrival: Although Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel was hailed for his apparent “bromance” with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, the buoyant foreign visits continued to Israel this week. Rwandan President Paul Kagame capped off his two-day visit to the country today and is quickly emerging as one of Africa’s most pro-Israel leaders.
Europe
Orban’s Obstinacy: Jewish-American billionaire George Soros has compared the Hungarian government’s campaign against him to Nazi propaganda. Soros, founder of the Open Society Foundation, is frequently vilified by pro-Israel activists for his support of organizations that are “consistently critical of Israeli policies.”
Judaism
Ambivalent Americans: The American Orthodox community was put in an uncomfortable position this week following the release of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate’s supposed “blacklist” of Diaspora religious figures. Reform, Conservative, and non-Orthodox Zionist leaders cancelled meetings with Israel’s prime minister and accused the government of betrayal.
Culture
Love Lines: Rabbi Yisroel Bernath aka The CJN‘s resident “Love Rabbi,” recently took to our pages to provide relationship advice to a reader involved with someone 20 years their senior.
Got your own query for the Love Rabbi? E-mail him at [email protected]