Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on April 24, 2014

I confess that Ive felt a little guilty luxuriating in a Mexican resort during this Passover holiday instead of finding ways to connect with the long and painful journey of my ancestors. But I did spend the first part of the holiday in freezing Montreal, so maybe that compensates somewhat.

I was invited by Presidential Kosher Holidays to give a few lectures at a resort near Cancun, where several hundred mostly Orthodox Jews have gathered from across the country, and how could I say no?

Its as if theres an unwritten message floating here that says: Maybe our people suffered for 5,000 years so that we wont have to.

But lest you think its all fun and games, theres plenty of serious stuff, too: Daily prayer services (Ashkenazi and Sephardi minyanim), Talmud learning, Torah sermons and, of course, the speakers.

This year, one of the speakers was former Ambassador and Middle East expert Dennis Ross. His lectures covered the unraveling Arab Spring, the comatose Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the continued nuclear threat from Iran.

In the comedy business, when you do very well, they say you killed. Well, at the lectures I attended, Dennis Ross killed.

He killed not only because he is so knowledgeable (he may have done more Middle East diplomacy than anyone alive), but also because his insights have the ring of truth.

A rabbi friend once told me that the ring of truth is even more powerful than truth itself. Thats because the ring of truth is familiar. Its plausible. Its already inside of us. A good speaker will help us uncover it.

In his lectures, Ross uncovered many insights that rang true. One of them: Dont play nice with bullies or theyll walk all over you.

Of course, he used more diplomatic language: When dealing with dictators, the key is to always show that any hostile action will carry a price. When that price becomes too costly, thats when bullies back down.

Go here to see the original:

Killing it in Mexico

Category: Talmud
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