Israel’s Hostages in Gaza and the Rabbi Who Wouldn’t Be Ransomed (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein. Imagine a Jewish sage, Rabbi Meir of Rothenberg, locked in a 13th-century dungeon. The Holy Roman Emperor demands a ransom—a fortune the Jewish community is desperate to pay to redeem their captive sage. Rabbi Meir, meanwhile, will not permit his flock to pay...

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Words Matter: Exposing ChatGPT’s Misguided Take on Terror and Anti-Israel Bias (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.ChatGPT can be a real timesaver for minor tasks. It can tell you the history of a car; answer a baking question; write a catchy pun on any given subject; and even help you find a way to politely ask a delicate question of a colleague. Of course, it’s not without...

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Stiff-Necked and Unbroken: Hostages Seek God in Gaza (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.We’ve all heard of people spurning God when tragedy strikes. They say things like, “God didn’t help me when I needed help. Therefore he doesn’t exist,” or, “If there were a God, He wouldn’t have made the Holocaust,” or, “If there is a God, He’s not a loving...

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Conniving Jewish Dogs: The Canine Casualties of October 7 (Judean Rose)

Arbel Yehoud with her partner Ariel Cunio, still captive in Gaza, and their rescue puppy, MurphDisclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.When Eli Sharabi appeared on our screens wasted, skeletal, like an apparition from the Holocaust, it broke our hearts. We knew he’d been through a Holocaust without...

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Terror Unleashed: The Dangerous Cost of Hostage Freedom (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.The night before the first three women hostages were released, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the nation. Attempting to placate a nation appalled at the prospect of another terrorist release, the prime minister made a promise [emphasis added]. “We have...

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A Price of Pain: Hostages Returned, Terrorists Released (Judean Rose)

“The nightmare is over.”Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.Last Sunday, the entire nation of Israel was riveted to their screens, hoping for a glimpse of Emily, Romi, and Doron. At the same time, at least where I live, in Efrat, the joy and relief were tempered with the knowledge that the cost...

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