11 Comments
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Rabbi Jamie Arnold's avatar

Kol hakavod!

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Rabbi Jonathan Kligler's avatar

Thank you, Rabbi Jamie!

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susan goldman's avatar

I sent this to my far flung family members and received 2 very detailed responses ( one even time stamped!) With specific appreciations regarding parts of the conversation. Happy to share with you and Peter if you wish. It was such a model for Us all to aspire to.

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Rabbi Jonathan Kligler's avatar

Thank you, Susan! I am so pleased and encouraged by that evening and by the responses I have received. If you want to share those responses with me, email will be best.

Sending love--

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Jonathan Dobrer's avatar

Thank you for a graceful dialogue that helps us understand each other. I am just finishing Beinart's challenging and thought provoking book. As with you, there is much that I agree with but also much that I have issues with--mostly that some points are arguments disguised as analyses. On a personal note: My Aunt Rose Zeitlin was Henrietta Szold's friend, traveling companion, literary executor and biographer. Her biography of Szold is dedicated to Jonathan and David. I am that Jonathan. She was also a witness to the Brit Shalom. I'm about to publish: When Your People’s Catastrophe Meets My People’s Joy

Naqba and Yom Ha'atzmaut

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Rabbi Jonathan Kligler's avatar

Dear Jonathan, I’m on a trip for a few days with poor cell service, but while I have a bit of reception I want you to know that we should talk sometime- my grandparents were close friends of Henrietta Szold in Jerusalem, and I have a framed photograph of her with an inscription from her to my dad when he was a little boy.

I’ll look forward to hearing more of your story, and telling you more of mine🙂

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Jonathan Dobrer's avatar

I’m looking forward to “meeting you” online. I so appreciate your wisdom.

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Erika Blumberg's avatar

Thank you for this, Rabbi. I'm the one that Peter mentioned as an old friend in the audience. I met Peter in 1989, when we were both college freshman. I debated with him on Israel extensively - he was much further to the right then, as you probably know. I really enjoyed seeing you two dialogue in a respectful way. I have read all of Peter's books and much of your writing and I appreciate both. Thanks again, and thanks to WJC for having the hard conversations. I was proud to be a member that night.

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Rabbi Jonathan Kligler's avatar

What a longtime connection you two share! I’m so glad you are feeling proud of our community- I am too. May we continue to find this generous energy in our fractious world.

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Verna Gillis's avatar

Why are the Israeli's called THE JEWS! They're Israelis! That's the problem. The cruelty inflicted by Netanyahu (who is a killer like Putin!) gets blamed on the jews. Incorrect! On the Israeli's!

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Sharon Klein's avatar

I am a Jew, an Israeli and American. Israeli Jews are our brothers and sisters. We are all family. You cannot separate us because we are not separate even though we may live 5500 miles apart. However Israelis are NOT our government. Some 80% of are totally against what the Netanyahu government is doing and are horrified by the conditions in Gaza. We have been protesting en masse every Saturday night since November 2023 and can no more to topple this current government than Americans can topple Trump. Israelis should not be blamed for this catastrophe.

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