Shabbat shalom!
And a tip of the kippah this week to Jorge Mario Bergoglio, more commonly known as Pope Francis, who passed away this last week after 12 years at the helm of the Catholic church. As a Jew, I have not spent a lot of time studying his teachings nor can I claim any deep understanding of his impact on the Church and its doctrines. But, from what I have learned from my recent readings and from the publicity around his leadership over the years, he was a good man, and most Catholics believe he was a great Pope, who tried his best to promote grace, humility, and love of Christ. As Andrew Sullivan, a devout Catholic noted in the latest post in his Weekly Dish Substack,
He wore simple vestments, eschewing the intricate and fabulous outfits of his predecessor, remarking as he turned them down: “The Carnival is over.” After the flinty Pole and the prissy German, here, at last, was a warm Italian again, like John XXIII — even though he was from Argentina.
His voice was clear but quiet and softly pitched. And then, rather than assert papal authority as Benedict had done so often and so rigidly, he sought a simple moral authority — by embracing the grotesquely disfigured, listening intently to small children, washing the feet of male and female prisoners, eschewing the Papal palace for a simple apartment, and inviting transgender men and women on the streets to lunch with him in the Vatican.
I recently listened to an interview by Sam Harris with Tom Holland, author of Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, in which Holland argues that Christianity has profoundly shaped the modern world, even in ways that many people may not immediately recognize. Holland contends that Christianity’s influence is so embedded in the modern world that even those who reject its religious tenets often unknowingly live by its values. That the “Christian revolution” was not just a theological shift but a profound transformation of how humans understand ethics, society, and their relationship with each other. And these Judeo-Christian values shaped the moral and ethical foundations of western society, helped give rise to secularism and human rights, and has had a major influence on everything from legal systems, to art, politics and scientific revolution.
Within that enduring legacy, there is still room for improvement in the Catholic church and doctrine, and Pope Francis understood that more than most gave him credit for. Progressives were disappointed that he did not move doctrine one bit on the touchy subjects of women priests, on gay men and lesbians, on communion for divorced couples, on transgender people, and other “progressive” agenda items. He may not have overturned doctrine, but he did remove stigma by both walking the walk, and talking the talk. After decades of horrible reports of sexual abuse and pedophilia widespread within the church, Francis cleaned house by replacing over 80% of the Church’s cardinals. And while not changing any doctrine, his healing words on homosexuality were a much needed salve on a deep wound in the Catholic community. “Every man and every woman must have a window in their life where they can turn their hope and where they can see the dignity of God. And being a homosexual is not a crime. It’s a human condition.”
For the most part, Francis had a great respect and friendship with Jews all over the world. That relationship was marked by a deep commitment to acknowledging shared history, promoting peace, and combatting antisemitism. His actions and statements reinforced the importance of Jewish-Christian dialogue in modern times. Many of his friends were Rabbis that frequently visited him at the Vatican where the Pope made sure to serve Kosher wine.
Perhaps one of the most significant strands in Pope Francis’ relationship with the Jewish community was his repeated condemnation of antisemitism. He consistently called for global awareness and vigilance against hate. In 2014, shortly after becoming pope, Francis visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel where he kissed the hands of Holocaust survivors and made a poignant remark, stating, “The memory of the Shoah must never fade.” This moment was a symbol of continued Catholic acknowledgment of the atrocities of the Holocaust.
One of my favorite Pope Francis stories involved him playing soccer with Jewish kids. In 2017, during a visit to the Vatican’s annual summer camp for children, Pope Francis shared a particularly playful moment with Jewish children attending the camp. He took part in a “picnic” with the kids, where they discussed everything from sports to their hopes for the future. He jokingly promised the children that he would come back and play soccer with them, a promise he later kept during a public visit. It was an endearing display of the Pope’s genuine love for all children, regardless of their faith, and his recognition of the importance of cultivating Jewish-Christian friendships from a young age.
Of course, his relationship with Jews wasn’t all roses and rosaries. I personally did not care for his comments on the war in Gaza, where he called for an investigation into whether the actions there constituted the technical definition of “genocide”, as those comments are not only untrue, but they fuel antisemitism and misrepresent the complexities of the conflict. But in the broader context of his life’s work, that opinion was a minor stain on the legacy of this Pope and his genuine affinity with the Jewish people. He visited Israel in 2014, where he made the first papal pilgrimage to the tomb of Theodor Herzl, a pioneer of Zionism. He also toured Auschwitz-Birkenau in 2016, and in 2017 met with leaders of the Anti Defamation League. And I could go on and on.
When you look up “Grace” in the dictionary, there should be a picture there of Pope Francis. May he rest in peace.
Last week I promised to get back to the news of the Jews with my usual round up. I think, subconsciously, I have been avoiding news of the Jews, particularly the news out of Israel, because the situation there is an even worse shit show than the clown carnival we are contending with here in the US of A.
The fault lines in Israeli society are getting so stressed, some are questioning whether the country is descending into madness! Yikes! The key indicator of this latest stress fracture came on Tuesday, when Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar submitted a news-making affidavit to Israel’s Supreme Court, claiming he was dismissed by Prime Minister Netanyahu for refusing to carry out politically motivated orders. Bar also provided a 31-page affidavit to the court which is classified. But among the claims from the affidavit that was unclassified, Netanyahu told Barr that in the event of a disagreement between the Prime Minister and the Supreme Court, the Shin Bet should follow the Prime Minister’s orders, not the High Court’s (a very obvious analogy to the orange turd’s loyalty tests).
A quick summary of how we got here:
- Netanyahu fires the head of the Shin Bet two months before he’s planning to attack Iran, (according to the New York Times).
- The head of the Shin Bet refuses to be fired.
- It goes to the Supreme Court precipitating the most chaotic, crazy day in the history of the Supreme Court.
- Bar files his affidavit
Prime Minister Netanyahu has responded in the press to Bar’s charges and was ordered to submit his own affidavit to the high court by Thursday. Netanyahu requested an extension, citing Bar’s delayed filing and the absence of one of his attorneys due to a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony. The court granted Netanyahu an additional four days, giving him until Sunday, April 27, to submit his affidavit .
In his affidavit, Bar accused Netanyahu of attempting to politicize the Shin Bet and subvert democratic norms. He alleged that Netanyahu pressured him to surveil anti-government protesters, ignore court rulings during a potential constitutional crisis, and provide a security-based document to shield Netanyahu from testifying in his corruption trial. Bar refused all such demands, emphasizing the need to maintain the agency’s professional independence .
Netanyahu’s office has dismissed Bar’s claims as false and politically motivated. They have accused Bar of failing to prevent the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and have suggested that his dismissal was justified due to a breakdown in trust .
The Supreme Court’s forthcoming decision and Netanyahu’s response could precipitate a constitutional crisis, testing both Israel’s institutions and the loyalty of its public servants . As one analyst stated on Dan Senor’s Call Me Back podcast, “Think of how crazy it is that a month before we thought we may be attacking Iran and taking the most dramatic action in our history since 1948, we got bogged down into this internal crisis. That shows you a country that lost its way.”
Maybe. But Israel has faced similar shit shows and managed to survive. They will probably survive this one as well, but wouldn’t it be marvelous if Nut-and-Yahoo would resign, and a center coalition can emerge with a commitment to actually write a constitution? I can dream.
Now, without further ajieu, here is your weekly smorgasbord of superbly selected semitic stories from sources such as The Forward, JTA, The Times of Israel, Haaretz, Nosher, Kveller, and Jewish Boston to name a few.
- Harvard’s Jewish president says Trump crackdown has “nothing to do” with fighting antisemitism – Harvard University President Alan Garber announced a lawsuit seeking to squelch the Trump administration’s punitive actions, saying that he was alert to the dangers of antisemitism the government says it wants to rout, in part because he is Jewish. Harvard on Monday sued the administration to block various measures proposed by the White House to pressure the school into compliance with its plan to combat antisemitism, including a $2.2 billion federal funding freeze and the revoking of its nonprofit status. The White House plan to fight antisemitism at Harvard set 10 conditions to restore the funding, which include the hiring and admitting of a “critical mass” of new faculty and students to achieve “viewpoint diversity” based on an external audit, and the discontinuation of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. In its lawsuit, Harvard said Trump’s plan to pull funding for medical, scientific, technological, and other research “has nothing at all to do with antisemitism.” More than 100 Jewish Harvard students have signed an open letter saying they are harmed by the funding cuts.
- Opinion | Trump’s heedless approach to an Iran deal could be a big problem for Israel. President Donald Trump’s efforts to seek a new nuclear deal with Iran appeared to move forward this week, with a second meeting between his envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran’s foreign minister. With Trump pushing for a rushed timeline, Israel should be worried about the many ways the endeavor could endanger it, writes Alex Lederman of the Israel Policy Forum: “If Iran opts for a deal to walk back its nuclear efforts in exchange for loosening U.S. sanctions, it may leverage that economic relief to reinvest in its conventional military capabilities and proxies that threaten the U.S. and Israel.”
- While many countries are sending heads of state to Pope Francis’ Saturday funeral, Israel’s only representative will be its ambassador to the Vatican, after relations declined amid the Israel-Hamas war. (Reuters)
- ‘F–k Israel’ message displayed at Coachella music festival and streamed to millions – What’s with the Irish? (JTA) — The Irish band Kneecap displayed a large anti-Israel message during its set Friday at Coachella, a music festival held in the California desert. A series of messages projected behind the band accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and condemned the United States for its support for Israel’s military. The messages concluded with a small phrase on top of a larger one: “F–k Israel. Free Palestine.” The progressive Twitch streamer Hasan Piker beamed the performance to his millions of followers, widening Kneecap’s reach beyond the estimated 125,000 people attending Coachella in person. Piker previously caused Democratic Rep. Richie Torres to call for Twitch to improve its handling of Israel-Hamas war content. I say, F-k Kneecap.
- Jewish students, alumni decry ‘weaponization of antisemitism’ across country – Jewish community members at Harvard, Emerson College, Georgetown University, Brown and more have condemned the Trump administration’s actions. At Harvard, over 100 Jewish students signed a letter decrying the Trump administration’s announcement earlier this month that it would review $9 billion in federal funding to the school. The letter was written before the administration froze $2.2 billion in funding this week and was rebuked by Harvard’s president.“We are compelled to speak out because these actions are being taken in the name of protecting us — Harvard Jewish students — from antisemitism,” the students wrote, according to The Harvard Crimson. “But this crackdown will not protect us. On the contrary, we know that funding cuts will harm the campus community we are part of and care about deeply.” Harvard Hillel said in a statement on Fridaythat the Trump administration’s actions are harming Jews on its campus.
- Larry David’s ‘My Dinner with Adolf’ essay skewers Bill Maher’s meeting with Trump – (JTA) — Add Larry David to the list of celebrities who were put off by comedian Bill Maher’s friendly sitdown with President Trump. In a New York Times opinion piece, “My Dinner with Adolf,” the Jewish creator of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” imagines a get-to-know-you meeting “at the Old Chancellery with the world’s most reviled man, Adolf Hitler.” The narrator ends up being charmed by the Nazi leader. “I thought that if only the world could see this side of him, people might have a completely different opinion,” he gushes. FYI, last night Al Gore took Maher’s side and confessed that he too met with Trump to try and convince him of climate change, sadly, to no avail.
- More on politics…
- The Trump administration said senior State Department official Michael Anton will lead U.S. technical talks with Iran. In 2020, Anton invented a conspiracy theory that Democrats funded by George Soros were seeking to stage a coup. (Politico, Forward)
- A Trump-nominated prosecutor, Ed Martin, apologized for praising the Nazi sympathizer Timothy Hale-Cusanelli at an event last year, saying he was previously “unaware of the full scope of his repulsive behavior.” (Forward)
- Five Jewish Democratic senators, including Chuck Schumer and Jacky Rosen, wrote in a letter to Trump that they are “extremely troubled and disturbed” by his actions toward universities that his administration has accused of fomenting antisemitism; they fear the president is “using what is a real crisis as a pretext to attack people and institutions who do not agree with you,” they wrote. (Senate Dems)
- Separately, Trump this week signed an executive order demanding that colleges and universities begin reporting all their foreign funding, a policy long advocated for by pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC. And, Penny Pritzker, the Jewish head of one of Harvard’s two governing boards, pushed back on the government’s moves against the university, saying “Attacking research, attacking who you’re going to hire on campus, attacking lifesaving medical therapies — I don’t see how that’s related to fighting antisemitism.” (JTA, Semafor)
- Rep. Jerry Nadler, speaking at a Manhattan protest of an appearance by Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, announced plans to introduce legislation that would codify former President Joe Biden’s sanctions against Israeli and Jewish extremists. (X)
That should do it! Be safe out there everyone. And enjoy the rest of the weekend.
Brad out.
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