Whose Holocaust?

For much of Europe, today is the UN-designated International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has dedicated his address this year to children murdered by the Nazis, with the message that "the best tribute to the memory of these children is an ongoing effort to teach the universal lessons of the Holocaust, so that no such horror is visited upon future generations."

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Jonah and the Music of Yom Kippur

Leviticus 10 tells us that Aaron's sons Nadav and Avihu died for bringing "strange fire" before the Lord in the wilderness. As a result of their deaths, according to Leviticus 16, God instructed Moses to ordain an annual Day of Atonement.

My Favorite Book in the Bible  Harold Bloom,  New York Review of Books.  Jonah is a sly masterpiece, a parody of prophetic solemnities, a magnificent piece of literature because it is so funny.  SAVE

The Bible Scholar Who Didn’t Know Hebrew  Anthony Grafton,  Jewish Review of Books.  Elias Bickerman may not have heard all the harmonies in Jonah, but he heard much else.  SAVE

Kol Nidrei Quartet  John Zorn,  Milken Archive of Jewish Music.  Neither a setting nor an arrangement, John Zorn's clever and imaginative composition evokes Yom Kippur's mood of awe and introspection. (Audio)  SAVE

Chromatic Vows  Arnold Schoenberg,  Milken Archive of Jewish Music.  Arnold Schoenberg's Kol Nidrei takes a drastic departure from tradition. (Audio)  SAVE

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Mourning, Memory, and Art

David Roberts (1796–1864) was a Scottish painter who in the late 1830's traveled extensively in the Levant and Egypt documenting "Orientalist" sites in drawings and watercolors. Among Roberts's paintings was a massive 1849 work, The Destruction of Jerusalem.

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A Two-Day Weekend in Israel?

With July 4th behind them, Americans can look forward to closing out the summer season with Labor Day on September 5th. All told, they will enjoy ten national holidays. And, of course, they have the leisure of weekends.

Never on Sunday  Michele Chabin,  Jewish Week.  "I remember Sundays from England," said one native Londoner with a nostalgic sigh.  SAVE

Working for the Weekend  Jonathan Lis,  Haaretz.  Netanyahu is of two minds on a shortened workweek.  SAVE

American Style  William Kolbrener,  Washington Post.  In addition to synchronizing Israeli businesses with the world's markets, a Monday-Friday workweek might allow for a welcome catching of the collective breath.  SAVE

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