The 3 Most-Read Columns In 2024

And a bonus: 3 of my favorites.

Dear Readers,

It’s that time of year for “Best” lists – books, movies, TV series, plays, etc. So here’s my offering of The Three Most-Read “Between The Lines” columns of the 57 that I posted in 2024, and another three of my favorites from this year.

I hope you enjoy re-reading them, or reading them for the first time, if you missed them when they appeared.

As we near the end of one of the saddest years in modern Jewish history, Chanukah comes to remind us miracles can happen, and to bless the light rather than curse the darkness. We pray the new year will be a brighter one for us all.

Am Yisrael Chai and Happy Chanukah!

Gary

A favorite photo: Checking out the tech at the new National Library of Israel in Jerusalem.

MOST-READ:

How And Why The Media Targets Israel (Sept. 12)

A new generation of journalists views the once admired Start-Up Nation as the villain of the Middle East.

This is one of the three pieces I wrote in September that dealt with recognizing and calling out bias in media coverage in general, and the Mideast war in particular. The current conflict has brought about the most flagrant anti-Israel coverage in mainstream and social media I’ve ever seen.

https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/how-and-why-the-media-targets-israel

In U.S. And Israel, Stunning Setbacks For Democracy (Nov. 6)

Trump the Avenger prevails; Netanyahu sacks a hero.

This piece was written the day after the U.S. Presidential election and a few days after Israel’s prime minister fired his popular defense minister, Yoav Gallant, who was an outspoken critic of a proposed law to protect charedi young men from the military draft.

https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/in-us-and-israel-stunning-setbacks

‘And For The Sin Of Silence’ (Sept. 29)

Will the Orthodox Union ever do teshuva for its role in the Baruch Lanner scandal?

This was a companion piece to a powerful essay by Judy Klitsner, a prominent Jewish educator. She was one of several women who recently settled a suit against the OU for its silent complicity during three decades of Rabbi Lanner’s abuse of teenagers in his charge. We had hoped the essays would spur the OU to speak up, even now, but that has not happened.

https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/and-for-the-sin-of-silence

PERSONAL FAVORITES:

Where Israel’s Past Meets Its Future (February 15)

The People of the Book have a magnificent new home base. It not only houses historic and cultural treasures but projects a brighter tomorrow.

This was one of 11 consecutive columns I wrote based on a three-week trip to Israel in January – a time of deep trauma and sadness throughout the country. But it was also a time of great resilience, and a visit to the stunning new National Library of Israel in Jerusalem reminded me of Israel’s unique history and faith in the future.

https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/where-israels-past-meets-its-future

When Prayers Go Unanswered (February 29)

Passages in the Siddur read like they were written after October 7. How does that make us feel?

A reflection on balancing the comfort we take in recognizing the long tradition of prayers in our history that call for the defeat of our enemies while recognizing with dismay that in the 21st century, we are still facing those who hate and seek to destroy us.

https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/when-prayers-go-unanswered

Scoop: New U.S. College Exam To Promote Anti-Israel Protests (June 5)

Test will determine if students are ‘sufficiently ill-informed’ about the Israel-Hamas war.

A satirical exam with multiple-choice questions and answers like: Q: “What’s the difference between an anti-Zionist and an anti-Semite?” A: “An anti-Zionist is an anti-Semite with a Ph.D.”

https://garyrosenblatt.substack.com/p/scoop-new-us-college-exam-to-promote