What did the guy in the middle of this photograph do to merit being silenced by the others in the photograph? He’s an Orthodox rabbi, who is speaking out about what he considers to be “Israel’s greatest moral stain.”
What is that stain, as far as this rabbi is concerned? It’s not Qibya or the way Israel conducts the conflict. In this week’s podcast, we hear Rabbi Avidan Freedman discuss why he is so passionate about his cause. Raised in Canada, ordained as a rabbi by Yeshivat Chovevei Torah and now living in Israel, Freedman teaches high school by day. But he has, in recent years, become active on an issue he considers to be "Israel's greatest moral stain". What is that stain? It's not Israel's conduct of its conflicts, or any of the issues most of us commonly think about.
It’s the sale of arms to reprehensible regimes. Why does it happen? What would it take to stop it? And why doesn’t it stop? Rabbi Freedman discusses all of this with us in this segment, in which, once again, Israel from the Inside affords a glimpse into the passions of different Israelis on a plethora of issues.
Deborah Harris, Israel’s leading literary agent for Israeli authors in foreign markets, mentioned some books that she considers “the musts” in last week’s podcast. Many readers, trying to scribble them down while listening, asked for a printed list. It’s below. Also, a list culled from a few experts of the most important Israeli novels to read in English, follows.
Deborah Harris: the books mentioned in her podcast
Michal Guvrin: The Name
Dorit Rabinyan: Persian Brides
Dorit Rabinyan: All the Rivers
Hila Bloom: How to Love Your Daughter
Ido Gefen: Jerusalem Beach
Ayelet Gundar-Goshen: Walking Lions
Yaniv Iczkovits: The Slaughterman’s Daughter
Meir Shalev: The Blue Mountain
David Grossman: To the End of the Land
Yaakov Shabtai: Past Continuous
Amos Oz: A Tale of Love and Darkness
AB Yehoshua: Mr. Mani
Assaf Inbari: Home (only in Hebrew)
Eshkol Nevo (she mentioned the author, not a specific book)
Etgar Keret (she mentioned the author, not a specific book)
Zeruya Shalev (she mentioned the author, not a specific book)
And, a list culled from a few experts: The most important Israeli novels to read in English
David Grossman: To the End of the Land and More than I Love my Life
Meir Shalev: A Pigeon and a Boy and The Blue Mountain
Yaniv Iczkovits: The Slaughterman’s Daughter
Ronit Matalon: And the Bride Closed the Door
AB Yehoshua: Mr. Mani and The Tunnel
Amos Oz: A Tale of Love and Darkness and Judas
Yehoshua Knaz: The Way to the Cats
Michal Govrin: The Name
Dorit Rabinyan: Persian Brides
Etgar Keret: Suddenly, a Knock on the Door
Yaakov Shabtai: Past Continuous and Past Perfect (both out of print but copies can easily be found online)
Music credits: Medieval poem by Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Gvirol. Melody and performance by Shaked Jehuda and Eyal Gesundheit. Production by Eyal Gesundheit. To view a video of their performance, see this YouTube:
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Israel's "Gravest Moral Stain"? Rabbi Avidan Freedman