Frontlines

To say that Rabbi Dr. Moshe David Tendler zt”l, who passed away on Sh’mini Atzeres, was a giant and a luminary in the synthesis of Torah and science is an understatement. He excelled and was a gaon in both. As the son-in-law of the greatest poseik of the latter half of the last century, Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, he was the perfect person to bridge the old and the new worlds into a harmonious whole.

My next series of articles have been inspired by Benjamin Sipzner, who made aliyah from my neck of the woods in Queens to Judea and Samaria, and who now advocates for the Jewish state. Benjamin asked me the important questions central to this op-ed, as well as my next two. Is American Jewry asleep at the wheel? Where are American Jews on issues critical to the Jewish state?

With the Almighty’s mercy, compassion, and help, I am happy to say that I am back. I personally want to thank the Jewish people and so many of our friends for the massive outpouring of support. As a physician, one might think one is prepared for any eventuality. It is just not the case.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is defined as “a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock.” After nearly a year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is fair to say that many Americans suffer from PTSD. I am not trying to make excuses for aberrant behavior, but I am trying to get a handle on what is happening in America and around the globe. The United States had witnessed more than its share of abnormal behavior in 2020. The year 2021 has not been any better so far. Cool heads are far and few between. Humility and respect are in short supply.

This past week, Richard Mills, the acting United States ambassador to the United Nations, announced that the Biden administration will resume the $200 million aid to the PA and Mahmoud Abbas, and the $350 million annual funding to the UNRWA, both of which had been halted by the Trump administration. Mr. Mills also said that the Biden administration would “take steps to reopen diplomatic missions that were closed by the last US administration.”

As Israel enters its fourth election cycle in little over a year, I felt it was important to go down memory lane to see how we got to where we are.