The Dismissal of Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar: A Reckoning for Anti-Settler Bias (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar, despite being put on hold by the High Court, is a decision every Israeli should back to safeguard the rights of all Israeli citizens. Regavim, a nonprofit focused on countering illegal...

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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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Grandpa on a Camel: A Family Story (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: Family stories vary according to the teller and also change over time. This story is based on memories my mother shared with me. I have likely embellished it greatly with my imagination. Any inaccuracies belong solely to me. It was hard for Haiman Kopelman, my great grandfather, to leave Vashilishok. He was not only leaving the city he called home, but his widowed mother,...

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Unpacking the Myth of Ecocide: The Environmental Narrative of the War in Gaza (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein. Does damage to the environment incurred in the course of fighting a defensive war constitute a war crime? Of course not, but that hasn’t stopped those who hate Israel from accusing the Jewish State of committing “ecocide.” That’s right: they’ve coined a...

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Zelenskyy's Contempt: For Once, Israel Isn't Special (Judean Rose)

Disclaimer: the views expressed here are solely those of the author, weekly Judean Rose columnist Varda Meyers Epstein.I watched, open-mouthed as Zelenskyy became argumentative, even hostile to the vice president and president in front of the press. It was so shocking I didn’t even have words for what I was seeing. “Oh my God,” I said over and over again like a mantra. “What...

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