There are so many international days for causes and subjects that soon 365 days on the calendar will simply be insufficient for all the celebrations and commemorations.
Coming up on June 6 is International Blind Day, under the obvious title of 6/6, deliberately chosen as the day on which to boost awareness of challenges that confront the blind – not the least of which is discrimination in the job market.
Some thirty years ago, The Jerusalem Post had a blind journalist in its Tel Aviv office who, in the pre-digital era, could get the story out faster than anyone else, despite the fact that she had to get back to her braille typewriter in order to write it. Unlike today, where journalists often write their stories on laptops or mobile phones, in those days, typewriters were the norm. She was amazingly accurate and very independent. She was an example of daily awareness of how the blind overcome their disability.
Na Laga’at (Please Touch), the theater-restaurant at the Jaffa Port, which is also an example of what the blind and the deaf can accomplish, will have a series of Blind Day special events from June 4-8. The basic idea is to introduce diners to a world without light. Blind people spend their whole lives living in darkness. Thus, diners who patronize Na Laga’at eat in total darkness, often spilling their food because they can’t see, whereas the blind waiters and waitresses don’t spill a drop. The food is also prepared in the dark.
The special events will include a conversation in the dark between master chefs who are also authors of cookbooks; a musical performance by internationally popular pianist Guy Mintus and his trio; and a theatrical performance of remembered images of the last things seen by people who were not born blind but whose sight deteriorated until they became blind. The performance is by actors and graduates of Na Laga’at’s own theater ensemble. Audiences will be given food for thought when presented with blind and deaf interpretations of Romeo and Juliet.
Israeli politicians slam Israel-Hamas War tactics
■ FORMER PRIME minister Ehud Olmert and Democrats Chairman Yair Golan are not the only ones disturbed by the continuation of the war and its toll on human lives.
A statement issued by Gisha along with 34 other human rights organizations reads:
“During the past several days, Israel has intensified its attacks on Gaza, following more than ten weeks during which it blocked all entry of aid and other goods to the Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that Israel will allow entry of ‘a basic amount of food for the population’ in order to continue the war demonstrates that Israel has no intention to stop its unlawful use of aid as a lever of political pressure,” the statement said.
“Every day, the Israeli army is killing and injuring hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza. All residents of the Strip are at risk of famine, while the healthcare system is collapsing due to severe shortages of medicine, medical equipment, and fuel. Israel is deliberately inflicting conditions that make life impossible in Gaza, with the declared goal of carrying out ethnic cleansing.
“Israel must stop the attacks and allow immediate entry of aid,” it said.
“The plan being formulated by the US and Israel for distribution of goods does not meet gaping humanitarian needs created by the blockade and widespread attacks. The UN and other international humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza have categorically rejected the plan on the grounds that it does not adhere to basic humanitarian principles,” Gisha said.
“Israel has openly declared that the plan aims to advance its goals of expanding its physical presence in Gaza and forcibly transferring the civilian population. Israel’s commission of war crimes, which could also amount to crimes against humanity, must not be met with continued silence and inaction by the international community.
“We call again for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages. Simultaneously, Israel must immediately stop its attacks, cease its policy of starvation, open the crossings for entry of aid to Gaza, and allow aid organizations in the Strip to carry out their work.”
The signatories to the statement were:
Academia for Equality, Akevot, B’Tselem, Bimkom, Breaking the Silence, Culture of Solidarity, Combatants for Peace, Emek Shaveh, Gisha, HaMoked – Center for the Defence of the Individual, Ir Amim, Isha L’Isha, Itach Ma’aki, Jahalin Solidarity, Jordan Valley Activists, Looking the Occupation in the Eye, Machsom Watch, Mizrahi Civic Collective, Mothers Against Violence, Neve Shalom, Other Voice, Osot Democratia, Oz VeShalom, Policy Working Group, Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, PsychoActive, Rabbis for Human Rights, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, The Parents Circle – Families Forum, The School for Peace in Wahat al-Salam Neve Shalom, This is Not an Ulpan, Yesh Din, Your Neighbor As Yourself, and Zazim.
Admittedly, all of the above are on the left side of the political aisle – but that does not make them anti-Israel, nor is it their intention to play into the hands of Israel’s enemies. Basically, what they want to do is stop the war, provide essential humanitarian aid, and stop the killings on both sides.
In hundreds of Israeli households, parents, siblings, and spouses of soldiers who have fallen in battle are grieving. Gazan families are also grieving. If the war continues, the numbers will increase, and Israel’s image in the world, which is already tarnished, will be well and truly blackened.
Reaction to threats and to sanctions already imposed against Israel has been cocky. If other countries follow suit and Israel finds itself in boastful isolation, how will it affect economics, diplomacy, scientific cooperation, defense cooperation, the fight against terrorism, and all the other things that are part and parcel of bi-national and multinational relations?
All the things that Israel has achieved in the international arena over the past 77 years will be for naught.Do we want that – and can we afford it?
Of course, we want to get rid of Hamas. But in surveys published in recent weeks, there is consensus among adult Israelis – whether Jew or Arab – that we’re going about it the wrong way.
Netanyahu disagrees and is playing the star role in increasing numbers of videos and press conferences. Analysts later point to all the inaccuracies he has mouthed.
How long can he hold out before his Likud Party finally admits that the emperor has no clothes?
Weekly surveys by Ma’ariv and other publications indicate that the coalition is constantly losing ground while Netanyahu remains prime minister – and is likely to lose a lot more ground if former prime minister Naftali Bennett throws his cap back into the ring.
Is this a gamble that right-wing political parties are prepared to take?
Do they care enough about Israel’s future to finally elect a new leader?
“My country – right or wrong” was a noble pledge in another era. It doesn’t work anymore.
When a country is doing something that a large section of the world thinks is wrong, you have to view the situation with greater honesty and greater clarity.
Construction for Bar-Ilan University light rail stop underway
■ IN RESPONSE to growing student enrollment and the anticipated arrival of the Tel Aviv metropolitan light rail, Bar-Ilan University has inaugurated the Dahan Gate, a new eastern entrance to campus and a centerpiece of a broader NIS 50 million investment in infrastructure upgrades.
The new gate, named in memory of the late Aharon and Rachel Dahan, key Bar-Ilan University benefactors for over two decades, is located adjacent to the Faculty of Engineering, one of the university’s fastest-growing faculties, which has tripled in size in recent years. Nearby, construction is underway on the “Bar-Ilan East” station, part of the Purple Line of the light rail system. This station will offer students, faculty, and visitors a seamless, modern connection to the broader Tel Aviv public transportation network.
Over the past year, Bar-Ilan has undertaken a significant campus-wide renewal initiative, driven by sustained growth in enrollment. For the seventh consecutive year, the university has recorded the fastest student population growth among Israeli universities. This momentum has been matched by substantial investments in cutting-edge teaching, research, and accessibility infrastructure.
This month, the university is also launching new state-of-the-art research laboratories – including within the Faculty of Engineering – further reinforcing its status as a hub of innovation and scientific excellence.
Architecturally, the Dahan Gate is designed to symbolize the university’s forward-looking vision. The striking structure features a sculptural white amorphous roof that appears to float above glass-clad volumes, representing aspiration, progress, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Created using Building Information Modeling and advanced parametric modeling techniques, the gate is supported by a spatial steel framework and clad in lightweight modern materials including white fiber cement panels, glass, and tin. Its monumental scale and rounded skylights evoke a sense of ceremony and welcome for all who pass through.
Prof. Arie Zaban, President of Bar-Ilan University, remarked: “The Dahan Gate represents our commitment to opening our doors to the next generation of Israeli society. Thanks to the Dahan family’s generous support, we are continuing to strengthen our campus and contribute to the scientific resilience of the State of Israel.”
Dr. Zipora Schorr, speaking on behalf of the Dahan family, said: “I’m honored to contribute and to be part of a community that shares the values Aharon Dahan believed in: diversity, peace, and mutual respect. All of these are reflected at Bar-Ilan, and that’s why we are proud to invest in the university’s future and its people.”
Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg offered a moving glimpse into what motivated Aharon Dahan and his connection to Bar-Ilan: “Over the years, each student who received a scholarship from him wrote him a thank-you letter. Every night before going to sleep, he would read those letters. That’s how we know he would want us to continue his work.”
Yiddish language research and exhibits in NYC
■ THE YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, which was established in Lithuania a century ago and transferred to America in 1940, will host a two-day conference commemorating its centennial anniversary. The event will explore how YIVO’s founding vision for Jewish social sciences has been realized since its relocation to New York City in 1940.
“YIVO in America” will take place at its headquarters, located in the Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY, beginning Sunday, June 22 at 7:00 p.m. ET and continuing Monday, June 23 at 10:00 a.m. ET. The conference will also be accessible worldwide via live Zoom streaming.
The Holocaust’s devastation of East European Jewry, including the destruction of YIVO’s original Vilna headquarters, profoundly challenged the core concepts of Jewish peoplehood and the central role of the Yiddish language that had inspired the organization since its inception (YIVO is the Yiddish acronym for “Jewish scientific institute”).
Despite this, the institute continued to publish scholarly works in America, support Yiddish linguistics and folklore studies, and preserve the history and culture of East European Jewry. YIVO also helped create new fields such as Holocaust studies, played a vital role in teaching Yiddish as it transitioned from a mother tongue of the masses to a heritage language, and contributed significantly to the broader development of Jewish studies.
This conference will feature leading scholars discussing YIVO’s transformation and achievements in the American context since 1940, its influence on the evolution of Yiddish and Jewish studies after World War II, and the future directions for YIVO and Jewish scholarship.
Distinguished participants include: Jonathan Brent, Leyzer Burko, Deborah Dash Moore, Hasia Diner, Eric Goldstein, Itzik Gottesman, Stefanie Halpern, Cecile Kuznitz, Rebecca Margolis, Anita Norich, Samuel Norich, Eddy Portnoy, Alyssa Quint, Naomi Seidman, Mark Smith, and Kalman Weiser.
In conjunction with the conference, the institute will unveil three exhibitions: 1) Hail to the Zamlers: YIVO’s Collections at 100, 2) The Strashun Library: Rare Books Rescued from the Ashes of Vilna, and 3) The Paper Brigade: Smuggling Jewish Treasures in Nazi-Occupied Vilna. Attendees will also have the opportunity to purchase its forthcoming publication, 100 Objects from the Collections of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, currently available for pre-order at the YIVO Store and during the conference.
