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Picture of Avi Machlis

Avi Machlis

Approaching The Millennium

Melodic harmonies echo through Dominus Flevit, a small-but-quaint church on the slopes of the Mount of Olives, as a group of 30 Christian Bible scholars and pastors sing \”Hallelujah to the Lord,\” first in English, then Hebrew.
Built in 1955 on the ruins of an ancient church, the teardrop-shaped structure commands a breathtaking view of the eastern walls of Jerusalem\’s Old City. According to Christian tradition, Jesus, knowing his prophetic message would be rejected, wept here as he viewed the illusion of a tranquil city that, in fact, was bitterly divided, its Jewish population suffering under a brutal Roman occupation.

The Settlers of Golan

Emotions ranging from hope to uncertainty to anger fill the 16,000 Golan Heights residents as their fate is again the topic of Israeli-Syrian peace talks.
Negotiations resumed Wednesday in Washington, and residents here know that the price for peace with Syria is likely to be the return of all or most of the Golan, the strategic plateau Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War.

Israel: Land of Sustainable Growth?

Rosy government forecasts have been backed by a series of recent reports issued by leading financial analysts, who see Israel\’s economy pulling out of the slowdown that has pushed unemployment up to nearly 9 percent since 1997.

The Golan Debate Reaches New Heights

Rosh Hashanah may be a time of year when Jews around the world pray for peace, but for the 16,000 Jewish residents of the Golan Heights, those prayers were somewhat more difficult to recite this year.

Off the Air

To Israel Radio\’s ear, the Reform and Conservative message \”There\’s more than one way to be Jewish\” may be too \”ideologically controversial.\”

Combating Sexism in Israel

\”It is disgraceful that there is not a single woman participating in the peace talks. It is disgraceful that there are not more directors general of ministries and chairpersons of government companies,\” said Yael Dayan. \”All we hear are promises, promises, but I hope something will change.\”

Chiming In

The Religious Women\’s Forum grappled with subjects that ranged from the role of women in the synagogue to the difficulties in obtaining divorces.

Has Anything Changed?

Representatives of Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Judaism in Israel have launched the country\’s first interdenominational conversion institute in the northern Galilee town of Carmiel.

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