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Community Corner

Temple B'Nai Abraham hosts Middle East expert

Jeffrey Goldberg speaks from experience on global conflicts.

Jeffrey Goldberg has been around the global block. The prize-winning writer has worked for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine, the Forward, the Jerusalem Post and the Washington Post. He has travelled extensively, working in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Upper Egypt, Syria, the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and  the West Bank and has spent a month in a Taliban seminary.

Tuesday night brought him to the Temple B'Nai Abraham, where he was introduced by his longtime friend Rabbi Faith Dantowitz. He opened with a joke (a good one, too) but quickly turned serious, speaking of, among other things, the current threats to Israel. The audience listened intently as discussed the enormous consequences of Iran becoming a nuclear power. 

"Mr. Goldberg put the conflict with Iran into a much more complex context than we are often used to," noted Rabbi Kulwin. "The greater fear the Arab countries have for Iran,  the more they will oppose Israel (Iran's "No. 1" enemy).  The need for strong American involvement is an essential element of any resolution to the current situation, as well as overall peace with the Palestinians."

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Goldberg's thoughts on Egypt, Libya and the Bush vs. Obama administrations brought in a flood of questions from a very engaged audience. "He had so much to say on every topic and there were so many diverse questions," said Rabbi Dantowitz. 

All in all, an illuminating talk from an engaging speaker. Rabbi Kulwin summed it up, stating simply, "He was extraordinarily knowledgeable, insightful and lucid."

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