Here at the New Vilna Review we are seeking to create a space online to discuss the many different issues that relate to modern Jewish identity. Daniel E. Levenson, publisher of the New Vilna Review, has long had an interest in exploring the variety of themes to be found in different forms of modern Jewish literature and on this page you can find his musings on everything from the future of the State of Israel and the challenges facing the American Jewish community, to the ways that important cultural ideas are being expressed in Jewish essays, poems and fiction.  An active member of the Boston Jewish Community, Daniel Levenson often writes about issues facing Jews in New England and beyond.

 

Thoughts on Goldstone, Part Three: Hamas Reprisals Against Fatah, Israeli Technology, and the Lost Cause of Gaza

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

May 10, 2011

Much has been made of both the initial release of the Goldstone Report and of Justice Goldstone's recent attempts to backtrack on some of the more damming conclusions the report has to offer on Israel's conduct during the 2008 war in Gaza. In this third part of his editorial series on the Goldstone report, New Vilna Review publisher, Daniel E. Levenson, looks at the misleading and incomplete nature of its conclusions when it comes to Israeli intentions, Hamas-led violence aimed at Fatah supporters in Gaza and raises once again the idea that it is time for either Egypt or the UN to take responsibility for Gaza.

Goldstone’s Regrets: Part Two

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

April 16, 2011

In part two of an editorial series on the Goldstone Report, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson considers the ways in which this UN report is flawed, incomplete and shows signs of a significant anti-Israel bias. He examines how the report's focus on Israeli actions (using incomplete information) as well as the ways in which the author of the report is reluctant to blame Hamas for its role in the hostilities, led to the creation of a document which has proven useful for those who seek to blame Israel for both fueling the conflict and the death of all Palestinian civilians during the war.

Goldstone’s Regrets: Once Again, Peace is Bogged Down in a Morass of Hatred and Lies

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

April 9, 2011

Justice Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist who authored the Goldstone Report which detailed the findings of a UN commission tasked with investigating purported war crimes during the Gaza war of 2008, has recently retracted some of the nastier assertions he made about the conduct of the IDF during this campaign. In this new editorial, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson considers how this retraction should be taken into account, both in light of the stalled peace process and a Palestinian drive to receive recognition for an independent state, at the United Nations this coming fall.

A Tale of Two Lives: Overcoming Oppression and Intolerance in the Middle East and North Africa

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

April 2, 2011

Respect for the rights of women, as well ethnic and religious minorities, is often lacking among the despotic regimes which control much of North Africa and the Middle East. In this new editorial, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson writes about a recent American Jewish Committee-American Islamic Congress event which brought together Jews and Muslims to hear the stories of two men, one a Libyan Jew, the other a Morrocan Berber, who were the victims of intolerance in the region within their own lives.

All Nations are “Linked” to their Own Best Interests

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

March 28, 2011

Over the last couple of months the Middle East and North Africa have seen significant upheaval and change - in some cases, such change has come in the form of peaceful marches and demonstrations, while in other places violent clashes have taken place. In this new editorial, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson writes about the dangers inherent in over-simplifying the important political, ethnic and religious factors which come into play when discussing these events.

Creating a Space for Learning and Dialogue, in Good Times and Bad

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

March 25, 2011

While most people tend to focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict when discussing the Middle East, there are many other problems in the region when it comes to respect for women and other religious and ethnic minorities (Christians, Bahai, etc.). In this new editorial, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson shares his thoughts on the importance of bringing stories to light about the brutal nature of many authoritarian regimes in the Arab world, and how groups like the American Jewish Committee and the American Islamic Congress are working together to encourage dialogue and understanding when it comes to confronting the perpetrators of human rights abuses in the region.

It’s Not Just Rockets Killing Jews: The Death of a Family

March 21, 2011

Last week a horrible act of terrorism was perpetrated in Israel, and seemingly few of the major outlets took notice. I am referring of course to the murder of an entire Jewish family – including a baby – by a terrorist in Israel. In this editorial, Daniel E. Levenson writes about the apparent lack of sympathy outside of Israel for the victims of this horrible crime.

Obama’s Legacy, In War and Peace

by Daniel E. Levenson, ALM

March 19, 2011

So-called "Great Powers" must often balance a wide array of concerns and interests around the globe, and the US is no exception. In this new editorial, New Vilna Review publisher Daniel E. Levenson considers what President Obama's legacy in the Middle East may be, and wonders why there is the political will for forceful military intervention in the Libyan civil war, while the White House and US State Department seem to be perpetually unable to muster what is necessary for an equally robust diplomatic intervention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

  • Editorial Archive