Kyiv Diary 4/19/22: A Wartime Passover Seder
This Passover, I attended a seder at Kyiv’s Central Brodsky Synagogue.
Kyiv Diary 4/18/22: Boris Johnson and Volodymyr Zelensky Stroll Past My Balcony
I wish more prominent world leaders would not only visit Ukraine but also become harsher and more decisive in their attempts to stop all the war monstrosities.
Kyiv Diary 4/15/22: Passover, the Holiday of Freedom, Is More Relevant Than Ever
The story of Passover is about freedom and sacrifices made on the road to liberation, and this year it seems more relevant than ever. It might as well be about Ukraine.
The Jews Who Saved Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
“When I tell people that a Jewish family once owned Thomas Jefferson’s home at Monticello, their jaws drop,” says director Steven Pressman.
The Violent History—and Remarkable Transformation—of Jewish Life in Ukraine
When Russia attacked Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin stated that his goal was “denazification.” Historians agree that there is no substance to this claim—and that by invoking Nazism, Putin is attempting to weaponize the trauma of World War II to justify an invasion, and the many lives it has cost.
Kyiv Diary 4/13/22: My Conversation With a Kyiv Rabbi
When I met Moshe Azman, he identified himself not only as the rabbi of Kyiv’s central synagogue, but also as the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine.
Tzedek Chicago Is America’s First Anti-Zionist Synagogue
On March 30, the congregation voted to officially adopt anti-Zionism as a core value.
How a Collection of Japanese Netsuke Sheds Light on a Jewish Family’s Tumultuous History
I have a personal interest in the carved Japanese netsuke, or figurines, that are at the center of the New York Jewish Museum’s current show “The Hare with Amber Eyes,” on view through May 15.
Biden Tried to Go Easy on Bennett. It Wasn’t Enough
At the top of people’s minds that day was news that had broken in Israel just a day earlier: one member of Knesset’s decision to cross the lines, throwing Naftali Bennett’s coalition in a tailspin.
Kyiv Diary 4/10/22: Across Ukraine, Russian Soldiers Commit Atrocities
We can’t get over the shock that the Russian army keeps destroying the lives and homes of peaceful Ukrainians, burning Ukrainian cities and towns to the ground.
Kyiv Diary 4/8/22: Waiting to Meet the Rabbi
In my last dispatch, when I tried to find out how Kyiv’s Brodsky Synagogue is faring during the war, I was rebuffed by armed guards. Nevertheless, now feeling myself on a mission, I went to the synagogue once again last Friday.
Young Ukrainian Artists Respond to the Invasion
Animator Crow Ra and collaborator Remy Slimp on their experience fleeing the war. “The more you know who you are, the stronger your magic is.”