On Saturday night in Jerusalem, out of solidarity with the French Republic, the walls of the Old City near the Jaffa gate were illuminated in blue, white and red. In Tel Aviv, thousands of Israelis flocked to Rabin Square to stand in support of the French people. The response of the global community, Israel included,…
Shabbat at my grandparents’ place, last Friday. They live in a house near Paris, in this troubled area known as la banlieue (the suburbs) where I grew up as a child, as a Frenchman, as a Jew. This is home, my happy childhood’s landscape. We are just a few miles away from Le Stade in…
Like many artists, Joann Sfar’s way of interacting with the world and processing his reality is drawing. The Jewish artist is incredibly prolific. Those who have met Sfar in passing have told me that it’s hard to find him not drawing. Which is why, when the attacks in Paris happened this past Friday, his response…
When the editor of this paper asked me whether I wanted to share my thoughts about the tremendous tragedy in Paris, I responded by saying, “What is there to say except, Oy lanu, woe is unto us.” In the hours since then I have decided to modestly add my thoughts. I say modestly because so…
Institutional Jewish activities ground to halt in Paris for safety reasons and out of respect for the 129 people who died in several terrorist attacks that rocked the French capital on Friday. Among the events cancelled was a protest rally that CRIF, the umbrella group of French Jewish communities, had planned for Sunday against the…
Belgian police arrested three people on Saturday in raids in a poor, immigrant quarter of Brussels as they pursued emerging links between the Paris attacks and an Islamist bastion in France’s northern neighbor. Prime Minister Charles Michel said at least one of those held from the inner Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek was believed to have…
As media attention focuses on the question of whether any of the Paris attackers entered Europe as refugees, I offer a few thoughts. First, it is important to recognize there is a risk that a small number of extremists might infiltrate refugee flows. Advocates for generous asylum policies — of which I am one —…
Hundreds of Israelis came to show solidarity with France this Saturday, after Friday’s tragic terror attacks. Carrying French flags and signs, voicing their solidarity, the crowd gathered at Rabin Square. Many of the attendants were French Jews who made aliyah to Israel. French Ambassador to Israel Patrick Maisonnave presided over the rally, which took place…
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