Ten years ago, soprano Dr. Sharon Azrieli set out to create something that didn’t yet exist in Canada—an international competition that celebrates contemporary composers, opening doors to their future success. […]

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JNS.org – Two years have passed since the murder of Jina (“Mahsa”) Amini, a young Kurdish-Iranian woman, at the hands of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s morality police. Amini was brutalized and killed for allegedly wearing her hijab, or head-covering, improperly—the sort of “crime” that sends a backward theocracy apoplectic with rage. Her death sparked the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement, the latest and perhaps most significant wave of protest among the millions of ordinary Iranians who have been clamoring for regime change for well over a decade, but who have so far been unable to dislodge the ruling mullahs.

Those ruling mullahs duly rolled into New York City last week to attend the U.N. General Assembly. Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, addressed a gathering largely dominated by Third World kleptocrats, and various Russian and Chinese stooges, on the same day as Turkey, Jordan, South Africa and Qatar did the same—all of whom delivered viciously anti-Israel speeches laced with antisemitic tropes from the General Assembly podium. Pezeshkian’s remarks stuck rigidly to his regime’s talking points, among them the conspiracy theory that ISIS was created by Israel; that Iran’s proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthi rebels in Yemen are “popular liberation movements”; and, most laughably of all, the contention that Iran only “seeks to safeguard its own security, not to create insecurity for others. We want peace for all and seek no war or quarrel with anyone.”

The fate of Amini and the thousands of protesters who followed in her wake went unmentioned. Rather inconveniently, around the time that Pezeshkian was extolling Iran’s peaceful nature, Reuters broke the story that the Iranians have been mediating secret talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime and the Houthis with the aim of supplying the latter with Russian-made Yakhont missiles to continue their attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. But this, too, passed unnoticed and unmentioned at the U.N. circus, where the only “rogue state” judged worthy of that appellation is the State of Israel.

Outside the environs of the General Assembly, the Iranian delegation conducted some public diplomacy, hosting a meeting of religious figures that included a smattering of Jewish attendees. Contrary to the assessment of the correspondent of Israel’s liberal Haaretz newspaper, this wasn’t remotely “surprising.” With the predictability of the earth revolving around the sun, at every General Assembly, a delegation of the anti-Zionist Neturei Karta sect dutifully meets with the Iranians at whichever Manhattan hotel they happen to be staying at. Whether we should consider Jews who traffic in Holocaust distortion, and who spend every Jewish Sabbath in the ranks of the Hamas mob that devotes its weekends to demonstrating in favor of Israel’s elimination, to be Jews in the sense that the vast majority of us understand the term is beyond the scope of this week’s column. What matters for these purposes is that this year was no different from past years.

More noteworthy was the presence of an Israeli—Lior Sternfeld, a professor of history and Jewish studies at Pennsylvania State University—at that “dialogue.” Sternfeld is hardly the first Israeli to have met with representatives of the Islamic Republic, despite the impression conveyed by the media coverage of this encounter; to cite one example, Moti Maman, a 73-year-old Israeli businessman who went on trial in Israel last week charged with plotting terrorist actions and assassinations on Tehran’s behalf, traveled to Iran on at least two occasions. I’m not suggesting that Sternfeld was being recruited to carry out similar work, but whether he realizes it or not, he has become a useful propaganda tool for the Iranians, gushing following his meeting with Pezeshkian, “Are there new faces in Iran? The answer is yes.” Sternfeld would have us believe, on the basis of a choreographed encounter, that Pezeshkian is a genuine moderate who wants to orchestrate a deal that would secure the release of the 101 Israeli hostages still languishing in Hamas captivity in Gaza. But literally everything that Iran’s current rulers say and do—domestically, regionally and globally—flies in the face of that conclusion.

The overriding point is this: More than anything else, the U.N. General Assembly projects a worldview in which pretty much every member state is law-abiding, peace-loving and respectful of human rights—with the exception of Israel. So it’s not exactly shocking that Iran slides with ease into those parameters, as do other states like Turkey, which over the last century has conducted genocides against Armenians and Kurds, and Qatar, where just 10% of the population are fully-fledged citizens, and the remainder are disenfranchised slaves and domestic servants imported from developing countries. If some on the Jewish left aspire to be accepted in these circles, then that, frankly, is their funeral. Let them conduct their “dialogue.” Doing so won’t liberate a single hostage nor persuade Israelis that they are the wronging party and not the wronged.

After all, the vast majority of Jews who identify as Zionists and pray fervently for an Israeli victory in the present multi-front war also have partners and sympathizers. The Iranian people, who risk the death penalty every time they defy their regime by chanting that the cause of Gaza is not their cause. The Kurds, who know better than anyone the brutality of Arab domination and Arab colonization of their homeland. The other religious minorities of the Middle East—from the Yazidis of Iraq to the Christians of Lebanon and Egypt, who reject the misery of life in a state ruled by Islamic Shari’a law. They are our partners in conversation and in the broader project of reconstructing the Middle East as an open society.

We don’t need to engage with Pezeshkian and his cohorts, nor do we seek their approval. What we seek is their overthrow. And I’m willing to bet, as we approach a New Year that will hopefully be kinder and gentler than the previous year, that a decade from now, Israel will still be thriving, and that it is the mullahs who are far more likely to have been consigned to the past. With that in mind, as we gear up for the struggles and battles of the coming months, allow me to sign off with a heartfelt Shanah Tovah.

The post When It Comes to Iran’s Rulers, There Can Be No Dialogue first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

JNS.org – You may be familiar with the story of the passionate British soccer fan who was asked whether he considered soccer a matter of “life and death.” He said, “No. It’s much more important than that!”

Well, I’d like to address what I would call some of the “more important” things in life.

The final countdown has officially begun. It’s a week to Rosh Hashanah. Hopefully, you’ve sorted out your synagogue seating arrangements, festive meal schedule and a few new Yom Tov recipes. Now for a look at other matters …

This Shabbat, we will read two short but intense Torah portions, Nitzavim and Vayelech. Together, they comprise a grand total of only 70 verses, but they are packed with powerful messages for life, particularly for this season in our calendar.

“You stand firmly today, all of you together, before G-d … ” is the beginning of the first reading, Nitzavim. Moses is addressing the entire nation as he prepares for the end of his life and to pass the baton onto Joshua, his successor, who will take the people into the Promised Land.

Moses speaks of the unity of Israel, the accessibility and practical relevance of the Torah way of life for all of Israel, that we all have freedom of choice, and how God appeals to us to choose our path in life wisely.

According to commentary, the opening line, “You stand firmly today,” is actually a veiled reference to Rosh Hashanah, which is always observed in the week following this reading. The Hebrew word, hayom, “today,” is a word that will be heard many times over Rosh Hashanah. No doubt, many different melodies come to mind from just this one word. Hayom, this day, is the Day of Judgment; it is therefore not surprising that the word reverberates through our Yom Tov holiday prayers.

So, how are we to prepare for the Days of Judgment ahead?

Firstly, we are encouraged to focus not only on the necessary physical or culinary preparations but, more importantly, to get ourselves into a state of spiritual readiness.

Have you ever had the frightening experience of preparing for the wrong test? You spent hours reviewing your history syllabus, and when you arrived at school, you received the English exam? If you have, I’m sure it was panic-inducing and unnerving, to say the least.

Well, we all have to pass our own tests in life. What would happen if we arrived at the Heavenly exam and the questions put to us were not at all what we spent our lives preparing for? We’ve focused on our businesses, our health, our sports and leisure activities—all necessary and natural. But what if we’ve forgotten about the other areas of life that are “more important?”

The Talmud (Shabbat 31a) has shared some inside information about the questions we will be asked at the legendary Pearly Gates. Guess what? None of the questions pertain to our wealth, health or occupations. We will not be asked about our share or property portfolios, our waistlines or our athleticism.

We will be asked whether we conducted our business affairs faithfully with honesty and integrity, if we fixed regular times for Torah study, if we did our best to raise a family, and if we looked forward to the Final Redemption.

Does this come as a shock to you? Did you imagine that if you would say, “Let me into heaven because I made the Fortune 500,” or “Open the Gates of Heaven for me because I ate my broccoli or I never developed a pot belly,” or even “I supported the winning NBA or Super Bowl team, or Manchester United or Liverpool,” you would gain entry?

The eternal questions deal with the truly important things in life. Were you a worthy human being? Were you honest and upright? Did you dedicate yourself to studying God’s wisdom? Are you leaving a legacy of children and grandchildren who will learn from your fine example? Did you aspire higher and were hopeful of a better world for all?

Of course, health is important. Ask anyone who is suffering from illness. Wealth is a big one, too. We all want to live comfortably and be able to give generously. And to have a break from work and engage in sports, whether as a participant or spectator, has its merits, too. But these are all means to a higher end. When the game of life is over, the truly important things—our higher value system and the legacy we leave top all those considerations. A healthy and wealthy life is not as important as a worthy life.

We still have a week to prepare for the right exam—to focus our time and attention on higher values, and to recalibrate our priorities in preparation for the new year. If we do it, we’ll be able to answer the questions much more confidently. May we be prepared and be blessed.

I wish you all Shanah Tovah. May our prayers for our unfortunate hostages, valiant defenders and regional peace through our strength and resilience be answered positively. Amen.

The post The Game of Life first appeared on Algemeiner.com.