“Judaism is to do justice and to have mercy and to walk humbly with God; and all the rest is commentary and of secondary importance”.

So wrote Rabbi Elmer Berger, a leading Jewish thinker of the 50’s and 60’s, who opposed what he called Israeli-style “Jewish nationalism”.

Another renowned Jewish thinker, Arthur Koestler, warned that Israel was becoming “a nasty little Sparta”.

This past week, much of the rest of the world, sickened by the mass slaughter and destruction in Gaza wrought by Israel, joined in calls for creation of a Palestinian state. This obvious solution to the agonies of five million stateless Palestinian refugees would be a start to making whole one of the world’s largest refugee problems. Over 147 nations have recognized the Palestinian state. But until now, the United States, France, Britain and Germany have refused to heed the cries of the savagely abused Palestinian refugees.

Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Dan-o Dougan reminisce about the songs their parents' listened to in their family homes during their childhood and tell nostalgic stories about their parents.

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I rarely visit Rome without stopping at the Campo de' Fiori to pay homage to Giordano Bruno, an Italian philosopher who, in 1600, was brutally burned at the stake by the Roman Inquisition. His crime was daring to challenge entrenched dogmas and to think freely about God and the infinite nature of the universe.

 As I stood beneath his imposing statue, a strange ruckus suddenly erupted, growing louder as a sizable group of protesters drew closer. Dozens of people of all ages banged on pots and pans with fervent urgency.