Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III has praised President Donald Trump as a strong defender of Christians around the world and called on other world leaders to follow Trump and Vice President JD Vance in visiting Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre. WATCH: https://lnkd.in/dYJpGDzu Patriarch Theophilos III's praise of Donald Trump reflects a strategic, transactional outreach by church leadership seeking external protection, but it contrasts sharply with the geopolitical reality of past U.S. administrations' inability or unwillingness to curb Israeli actions affecting Christian properties and clergy in the region . [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] Evaluative and Logical Assessment Pragmatic Realpolitik vs. Pastoral Disconnect: The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate—historically led by Greek clergy rather than the local Arabic-speaking Palestinian flock—often engages in high-level diplomacy with foreign leaders like Donald Trump to secure tangible institutional safeguards and p...
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As we approach Rosh Hashana this year, we are filled with sadness and angst for the events in Israel, here in Australia and around the world this past year. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the Bondi massacre victims. December 14th, first night Chanuka 2025, wrecked our sense of safety, security and to some degree, our hope for a positive future in this wonderful country. As we move into a new year, it is critical that we not be defined by our enemies. We must shine our strong Jewish light into the future. We must celebrate all that is special about our Jewish life. Rabbi Sacks teaches us that; “To be a Jew is to be an agent of hope. Every ritual, every command, every syllable of the Jewish story is a protest against escapism, resignation and the blind acceptance of fate. Judaism, the religion of the free God, is a religion of freedom. Jewish faith is written in the future tense. It is belief in a future that is not yet but could be, if we heed God’s...
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5786 → 5787” As 5786 gives way to 5787, Jewish communities around the world mark Rosh Hashanah—a new year shaped not simply by celebration, but by reflection, renewal and hope. Apples dipped in honey express the wish for sweetness in the year ahead; the sounding of the shofar calls us to wake up, take stock and consider what we might do better. It is an ancient tradition with a remarkably contemporary message: the future is never entirely beyond our influence. The zeitgeist—the spirit of our times—is unsettled. These are difficult years, and there is little value pretending otherwise. But history is a marathon, not a sprint. We play the set of cards we are dealt, not the ones we might have wished to receive. The measure of us is what we choose to do with them. For many Jews across the global diaspora, the past few years have also brought a profound awakening. For a time, arguments advanced by voices such as Norman Finkelstein persuaded some that liberal values and support for the...