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The Donkey and the Darkness
A veterinarian checks a donkey outside a mobile clinic, run by Safe Haven for Donkeys, a British charity, in Nablus in the West Bank March 5, 2020. Picture taken March 5, 2020. Photo: REUTERS/Raneen Sawafta.
JNS.org – Did you ever play the game “pin the tail on the donkey?” The way it works is that an image of a donkey without a tail is placed on the wall, the player is blindfolded, given a paper image of the missing tail and must work out exactly where to put the tail on the donkey.
I was reminded of this old game when reading this week’s Torah portion, Bo. Here, we have the last three of the 10 plagues visited upon Egypt. Number nine was darkness. During this plague, many Jews lost their lives, though the Egyptians never knew.
Why? There were many Jews who, even after seeing many of God’s miracles performed exactly as Moses had predicted, refused to believe when Moses said their redemption was nigh and they would soon be free. As a result, Hashem felt that they didn’t deserve to be redeemed and that when the redemption came, they would not be there to experience it.
But God did not want the Egyptians to think that the Jews were suffering punishments as well. So these undeserving ones perished during the plague of darkness when the Egyptians could not see or even move, and thus they remained none the wiser.
To me, the obvious question is: How could these Jews not have grasped that there was now a new reality in Egypt? They saw the Egyptians suffering from blood, frogs, lice, attacks by wild animals, pestilence, boils and hail. Did they not see that Moses was a prophet of God and that things occurred exactly as he had warned Pharaoh? Wasn’t it blatantly obvious by then that God was sending his miracles to liberate the Israelites? How then could they continue to reject Moses’s promise of their imminent freedom? How could they have been so blind?
One insightful answer I found is that the Jews who refused to believe in Moses’s promise of freedom were under the rule of the upper class—the more enlightened Egyptians. Therefore, they were dealt with more compassionately than most of the Jewish slaves who were under the whip of cruel, sadistic torturers. And they tended to look down upon their Jewish brethren who suffered much more under their vicious taskmasters.
Hence, the Jewish servants of the enlightened Egyptians were loyal to their masters who they saw as good and kind compared to the heartless masters of their brethren. They comforted their overlords assuring them that the status quo would continue even after the plagues. “Have no fear,” they reassured them, “we are not part of that rabble. We are loyal to you and Egypt. We are not radicals or revolutionaries.”
Sadly, these Jewish slaves refused to see the light of a new dawn beginning to shine as the Israelites were about to become a proud, independent nation. They couldn’t acknowledge the new reality because of their own self-induced blindfolds. And, as we know, “there are none so blind as those who refuse to see.”
The sun could have been shining in their faces, but tragically, they walked in darkness unable to pin the tail on the donkey. Thus, not believing in the redemption, they did not merit to experience it and, indeed, it was during the plague of darkness that they died.
An ancient biblical tale? A “Once upon a time” fable? At this point, you may be wondering, what relevance does this story have today?
Since Oct. 7, 2023, we have witnessed the most vile and violent demonstrations in the United States, Europe, Australia and elsewhere by supporters of the Palestinians. And to our absolute shock, here were people openly stating that they support not just the Palestinians but Hamas itself! A terrorist organization whose members are proven perpetrators of mass murder, mutilation, rape and beheadings is being supported by people in free, democratic, Western countries!
And, in many of these ugly demonstrations, there were small groups of Jews who joined our brazen antagonists. “Jews for Palestine” and others who were determined to tell the world that not all Jews are terrible aggressors. Some Jews are nice, good people who support the poor Palestinians, etc.
Well, in my humble opinion, these Jews are the modern equivalent of those in Egypt who supported Pharaoh and not Moses. By marching with our sworn enemies, these “enlightened” Jews demonstrated nothing more than their own ignorance and insensitivity to the Jewish people, its history and destiny. Their callousness to the Jewish victims of those barbaric beasts who still hold hostage women and children in the terrible tunnels of Gaza is nothing less than outrageous.
May God forgive me for thinking that one day in the future they will be bitterly disappointed and disillusioned by their new allies and “friends” when these same liberal compatriots trample upon them, having exploited them as just another bunch of useful idiots.
Back in Russia, the early Jewish Communists gave their lives, their faith and often their families to the new “religious” ideology of communism. They, too, naively thought they were saving Russia and its people from czarist oppression. But was communism any better? Ironically, in the end, many of them were killed by Joseph Stalin and his cohorts.
I pray that those who walk in darkness may soon see the light of truth and justice and rejoin the just cause of their own people and faith.
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Rubio Says Direct US-Iran Nuclear Talks to Take Place on Saturday
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, April 10, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday the United States will hold direct talks with Iran this weekend to discuss Iran’s nuclear program.
The talks between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and a senior Iranian leader are scheduled for Saturday in Oman.
“We hope that’ll lead to peace. We’ve been very clear what Iran is never going to have a nuclear weapon, and I think that’s what led to this meeting,” Rubio said during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Donald Trump.
Trump on Monday made a surprise announcement that the United States and Iran were poised to begin direct talks on Tehran’s nuclear program on Saturday, warning that Iran would be in “great danger” if the talks were unsuccessful.
The announcement caused some confusion because Iran had said the talks would be indirect with the Omanis acting as mediators.
A US official familiar with the planning said the two delegations would be in the same room for the talks.
Trump on Wednesday repeated his threat to use military force if Iran did not agree to end its nuclear program, saying Israel would play a key role in any military action.
Trump said Iran could not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon and if it declined to stop development efforts, military action could follow.
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Rabbis Make Historic Trip to Ethiopia, Urge More Support for Country’s Impoverished Jewish Community
The mission of Struggle to Save Ethiopian Jewry (SSEJ) is to provide humanitarian assistance to Jewish communities in Ethiopia. Photo: SSEJ
For the first time in over 30 years, a delegation of rabbis traveled to Ethiopia with the Struggle to Save Ethiopian Jewry (SSEJ) aid group to support the nation’s beleaguered Jewish community, which continues to live in hardship as they await immigration to Israel.
Last month, a group of seven rabbis from the US and Israel visited Ethiopia on a three-day mission to meet 13,000 Jews living in Addis Ababa, the country’s capital, and in Gondar — a northwestern city home to Ethiopia’s largest Jewish population.
“This was a powerful, incredibly moving, out of the box experience,” Rabbi Elie Weinstock, from the Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach, told The Algemeiner.
“Witnessing their poverty and extreme living conditions was heartbreaking, but at the same time, their resilience was inspiring,” Weinstock continued, recounting his experience during the trip.
Jews have lived in Ethiopia for thousands of years, preserving their faith and traditions across generations. However, the vast majority of the community now lives in dire conditions, facing extreme poverty, food insecurity, limited access to medical care, and almost no access to education.
Most families survive on an average annual income of just $600 and live in overcrowded, single-room homes without plumbing. Many have lived as internally displaced refugees for over two decades, waiting to make aliyah — the process of Jews immigrating to Israel — and in many cases being reunited with their families in the Jewish state.
SSEJ is the primary provider of essential services for Jews in Ethiopia, including food, medical care, and education. Photo: SSEJ
“The American Jewish community should be strong enough to pay attention to this issue. We can’t ignore what’s right in front of us,” Weinstock told The Algemeiner. “It’s time for the Jewish community to step up and take action.”
SSEJ, a US-based NGO that is entirely volunteer-run, is the only provider of humanitarian aid to Jews in Ethiopia. The group provides vital support to the local community through feeding centers, medical care, education, and Jewish communal celebrations.
To mitigate some of the hunger devastating the Jewish community, SSEJ has supplied over 2.5 million meals annually, prioritizing young children and pregnant and nursing women. The organization also provided medical care to 4,000 Jews in Ethiopia and offered health insurance to all 13,000 Jews in Addis Ababa and Gondar. Additionally, 3,070 registered students received education in Hebrew, Jewish studies, and prayer.
“One of the most striking aspects of the visit was to see how central Israel is to their identity and religious practice,” Weinstock said, reflecting on his experience. “As different as their culture, place, and background may be, they are proud Jewish members, deeply committed to their faith.”
SSEJ provides education to 3,070 registered students. Children learned Hebrew, Jewish studies, and prayer. Photo: SSEJ
Founded in 2000, SSEJ and its leaders have helped approximately 55,000 Ethiopians immigrate to Israel, surpassing the total number brought during the historic Operation Moses and Operation Solomon in 1984 and 1991.
Between 2022 and 2023, Israel brought in 3,000 Ethiopian Jews, many of whom had been waiting to make aliyah for over 20 years. However, 13,000 Jews remain in the country, primarily in Addis Ababa and Gondar, living in desperate conditions.
Rabbi Reuven Tradburks, director of the Israel Office of the Rabbinical Council of America, said that despite witnessing “crushing, debilitating poverty” during the trip to Ethiopia, the local Jewish community’s “commitment to practicing Judaism and living their faith was deeply moving.”
“I was overwhelmed by the strong presence of Jewish religious expression, the religious schooling, and the community’s deep observance,” Tradburks told The Algemeiner. “The religious passion I saw was unlike anything I had experienced before.”
SSEJ opened a medical clinic in Gondar, Ethiopia to treat all Jewish children up to age 18 as well as the elderly for free. Photo: SSEJ
Since the Hamas-led massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, there has been no clarity on how many Ethiopian Jews will be brought to Jerusalem or when that will happen.
The Jewish community in Ethiopia was hit especially hard when Israel’s economy declined after the Hamas invasion of southern Israel, as many families who rely on remittances from relatives in the Jewish state suddenly stopped receiving support.
“If bringing them home isn’t immediately possible, then at the very least, we must keep them alive — we cannot let poverty kill them,” Tradburks said. “This is a humanitarian crisis that must be addressed.”
As an ongoing civil war and unprecedented inflation have severely disrupted the lives of Jews in Ethiopia, SSEJ’s efforts have become crucial in supporting those awaiting reunification with their families in Israel, and the organization is in urgent need of funding to continue its work.
SSEJ supports a range of communal activities, such as the largest Passover Seder in the world, which served over 4,500 people in Gondar, Ethiopia and over 1,000 people in Addis Ababa. Photo: SSEJ
“Despite these hardships and suffering, the community demonstrates incredible love, resilience, and inner strength, holding onto hope and dignity for the future,” Rabbi Leonard Matanky, from Congregation KINS of West Rogers Park in Chicago, told The Algemeiner.
“It seems almost impossible that they are accomplishing the impossible,” he said, recounting his experience during this trip.
Most of this community lives below the international poverty line of $2.15 per day, with chronic malnutrition widespread and little access to medical care or shelter. Over 70 percent have family members — including parents, spouses, children, or siblings — in Israel.
Matanky explained that there are various ways to support the community, such as financially, politically, and through advocacy, but raising awareness of their situation is one of the most important steps.
“We need to highlight the situation of Ethiopian Jews — this is a critical situation that has fallen off the radar,” he said.
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Felony Charges Filed Against Pro-Hamas Protesters Over Stanford University Break-In
Students listen to a speech at a protest encampment in support of Palestinians at Stanford University during the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, in Stanford, California US, April 26, 2024. Photo: Carlos Barria via Reuters Connect.
Twelve Stanford University students have been charged with felony vandalism and conspiracy to trespass for their role in the takeover of an administrative building during the final days of the 2023-2024 academic year, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday.
“Dissent is American. Vandalism is criminal,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “There is a bright line between making a point and committing a crime. These defendants crossed the line into criminality when they broke into those offices, barricaded themselves inside, and started a calculated plan of destruction.”
As previously reported by The Algemeiner, on June 5, 2024, pro-Hamas activists associated with the campus group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) raided then-president Richard Saller’s office, locking themselves inside using, the Stanford Daily reported at the time, “bike locks, chains, ladders, and chairs.” The incident was part of a larger pro-Hamas demonstration in which SJP demanded that the university adopt the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as the first step to its eventual elimination.
Inside the building, the protesters proceeded to graffiti “kill cops” and “De@th 2 Is@hell” on school property.
“In addition to damage done inside the building, protesters committed extensive graffiti vandalism on the sandstone buildings and columns of the Main Quad this morning,” provost Jenny Martinez said following the incident. “This graffiti conveys vile and hateful sentiments that we condemn in the strongest terms. Whether the graffiti was created by members of the Stanford community or outsiders, we expect that the vast majority of our community joins us in rejecting this assault on our campus.”
The students — originally called the “Stanford Thirteen” to include the arrest of a Stanford Daily reporter who no longer faces criminal charges for being present during the alleged criminal conduct to cover it as a news story — face some of the toughest sanctions imposed on anti-Israel protesters who, beginning in April 2024, commandeered sections of their campuses across the US and refused to leave unless school administrators adopted the BDS movement. In addition to being criminally charged, eight of the 12 were suspended by the university for what was allegedly a premeditated operation.
“Multiple cell phones were recovered from the arrestees,” the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release. “A review of the cell phone data resulted in detailed communication about the planning and commission of the conspiracy, including encrypted text-messages and links to detailed operational plans. The communication indicated the suspects met on multiple occasions, days in advance, to conspire to take over the building.”
Santa Clara County added that a “DO-IT-YOURSELF OCCUPATION GUIDE [sic]” containing seditious material was retrieved from the students’ cellphones as well. The guide said: “Vandalism? Occupying a space removes the space from the capitalist landscape. A group may decide it is better to destroy or vandalize a space than return it to its usual role in good condition. The role of vandalism may be different in each situation, but it should not be disowned outright.”
Stanford University itself faces a federal investigation, as it is one of 60 colleges and universities identified by the Trump administration as an institution that responded inadequately to antisemitic incidents that occurred on the campus.
Prior to the 2024 protests it was the site of a slew of antisemitic incidents. A swastika was etched into a metal panel of a bathroom, a student’s mezuzah was desecrated, and weeks before, a Jewish student found an image of Adolf Hitler and swastikas on their door. In other incidents, someone graffitied swastikas, the n-word, and “KKK” in a mens bathroom and a Stanford University student was photographed reading Hitler’s memoir. Responding to concerns that antisemitic sentiment at the university had reached crisis levels, Stanford created an advisory to task force composed of faculty and staff who proposed measures for improving Jewish life on campus and reducing antisemitism.
US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon’s March announcement of the college investigations indicate that Trump administration officials do not feel the school has done enough to address the problem.
“The department is deeply disappointed that Jewish students studying on elite US campuses continue to fear for their safety amid the relentless antisemitic eruptions that have severely disrupted campus life for more than a year,” McMahon said in a statement. “US colleges and universities benefit from enormous public investments funded by US taxpayers. That support is a privilege, and it is contingent on scrupulous adherence to federal antidiscrimination laws.”
Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.
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