Hello once again and welcome back to another batch of Laura's Links.
The timing of this week's column worked out well because earlier in the week it was the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, so I was quite busy with preparations and of course, scarfing down cheesecake (I did make one and our guests also brought one).
I've mentioned in previous years that I find the story of Ruth the Moabite so profoundly moving. The idea that someone would choose to join the Jewish people, knowing how hard it is to be a Jew, and all the lifestyle changes it requires, is just amazing to me and I get really choked up and emotional thinking about some of the incredible converts to Judaism that I have been blessed and privileged to know over the years.
It was moments before the start of the holiday that we heard the news of the terror attack in Colorado. The idea, as per the police department in Boulder, was that it was difficult to ascertain the motive of an illegal Muslim migrant from Egypt named Mohammad, screaming "Free Palestine" and "Kill the Zionists". A REAL MYSTERY.
The Holocaust survivor burned by Mr. Soliman wonders what is happening in America. Well, part of the problem, which apparently, and suicidally incomprehensible to individuals such as Ms. Steinmetz, is reflected on the button she is wearing in the picture in this article: The (anti-Trump, pro migrant) HIAS pin saying "My People Were Refugees, Too". There will be no future insight on this from large chunks of the worldwide Jewish community. They can earnestly and sincerely demonstrate for the October 7 hostages and yet remain October 7 Jews, advocating for the importation of the exact kind of individuals who will happily burn us alive. And they have many allies in the captured American judiciary.
What can I say? I'm doing my best on this front and have been yammering about it for decades but I'm utterly exhausted from explaining this over and over and advocating for a change in my left-brained people.
~
Although I'm quite pessimistic about Canada overall, I must admit that this maiden speech by Dr. Matt Strauss in the Canadian parliament moved me considerably. I thought it was excellent.
Although we never met in person, I would definitely characterize him as a fellow traveller, fighter and fellow activist-colleague during the Covid tyranny here in Canada. There were many informal alliances of Canadians at that time raising as much hell as we possibly could. There were doctors, teachers, nurses, lawyers, engineers, computer programmers, parents from every conceivable background, ethnicity and orientation all finding each other online and in person and doing whatever we could to fight back. We fought for our freedom and we fought for our children. There were so many good people fighting, so many unsung heroes. It was my privilege to be among them.
Godspeed to Dr. Matt Strauss-a truly honourable Canadian. Please listen to the whole thing.
~
Lastly, I saw a post on X recently that asked (loosely - I can't remember the exact wording) what is something that is heaven on earth that money cannot purchase. An Israeli writer that I follow replied "the smell of your baby's head" and I thought that was so true and lovely. This past Shabbat, I was waiting for Mr. C to get back from synagogue and was resting on the couch with my son, trying to get through my book. All of the sudden, my eyelids felt so heavy, as we had taken a long walk. My special needs son leaned his head on my shoulder and I could smell his shampoo and his smell. And then, both of us were in a state somewhere between conscious and sleep but he started to feel very light on me, and I was kind of intoxicated by the smell of my baby's head, the post-exercise endorphins and the beauty of the peace of Shabbat. I felt so lucky, so blessed, so warm.
What are your experiences of heaven on earth, specifically regarding the things that money can't buy? Feel free to share in the comments.
Have a great weekend and I'll pop into the comments as I'm able.
~
North America:
Is this what you really want, America?
I'm not generally a fan of anonymous writing on social media but I thought this was quite well said. "Why I stand with Israel."
~
Jews and Israel:
Jewish food influences grapple with politics post October 7.
If you don't know of Modi, you really should. He's so funny. Obviously, his thing is Jewish humor but a lot of his humor - even when heavily Jewish - is very universal. I've also seen him live and he puts on a fantastic show. Anyway, without unnecessary editorial comment from me, please watch this interview that he did with former hostage Omer Shem-Tov, including the introduction. I cried more than a few times. Please watch the whole thing.
~
Middle East:
Inshallah!! Brave. Peace with Lebanon would be incredible.
~
Jewish Wisdom:
"If we have wronged a fellow human being in some way, we must first ask their forgiveness; then, we must restore the item or pay for any damage we caused. Then, we must "apologize" to G‑d, through repentance. Repentance consists of three steps: regret for the past, positive resolution for the future, and verbal confession to G‑d of the misdeed."
~
The Formerly Great Britain:
If your government wanted you to be murdered by barbarian invaders, what would they be doing differently?
~
The Great Walkbackening, Reckoning and Accounting:
They knew and they lied. And now, when everyone has this gunk in their bodies, and hundreds of thousands were killed and maimed by it, now they put a warning on it.
~
Europe:
~
Kooks:
There is a pathological hatred of women underlying much of this and a pathological, anti-human hatred of G-d and the sanctity of life. No human who believes that every human was created in G-d's image can support this. The people promoting this ideology and/or profiting from it are deeply troubled, dangerous and have a G-d shaped hole in their hearts and souls. They think THEY are G-d. Absolutely evil.
~
Human Grace:
"Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were thoughtful, kind, and full of promise. They should have been able to build a life and grow old together. Instead, their families are left with grief, their friends and colleagues with silence. But the way they lived still matters. They moved through the world with care, with purpose, and with love that asked nothing in return.
It lives in memory, in absence, and in the responsibility of carrying them forward."
"Happy birthday Hisham. Thank you Aya. Thank you for showing that things CAN be different".
It's open thread time! Log into SteynOnline and let Laura know what you think of these stories or other happenings from the week that was. Commenting privileges are among the many perks of membership in The Mark Steyn Club. While going off topic is permitted on Laura's Links, do stick to the other rules as you engage: no URLs, no profanity, and no ad hominem attacks.