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The Fifth Question

by Mira Sucharov

Quinoa and Orthodox Judaism's relevancy problem

The question of long-term vitality of Judaism may ultimately come down to the question of relevance and whether Orthodox Jews are seen more as keepers of the faith or gatekeepers of the faith.

By Mira Sucharov | Mar 15, 2013 | 12:57 PM | 2

Quinoa and butternut squash salad with dried tomato powder

House of Cards, the Oscars 2013 and Jewish power
By Allison Kaplan Sommer | 17
Blackface on Purim: Is anybody listening?
By Mira Sucharov | 2
Valentine's Day may not be a Jewish holiday, but I wouldn't want it to disappear
By Mira Sucharov | 4

Screenshot of image on Facebook showing Dov Hikind, center, dressed in a black face.

Blackface on Purim: Is anybody listening?

Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind's choice of Purim costume represented a basic inability to listen to the experiences of the African-American community, whose history, like that of the Jews, is plagued with persecution.

By Mira Sucharov | Feb 28, 2013 | 03:42 PM | 2

Roses are displayed in a flower shop in Vienna for Saint Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day may not be a Jewish holiday, but I wouldn't want it to disappear

Valentine’s Day presents a perfect admixture of opportunity and challenge when it comes to being Jewish in North America.

By Mira Sucharov | Feb 14, 2013 | 07:02 PM | 4

Guy Davidi, director of 5 Broken Cameras.

How a liberal Zionist watches Five Broken Cameras

A scene several minutes into the movie transports this writer back to the days of her youth, to Zionist summer camp.

By Mira Sucharov | Jan 31, 2013 | 06:39 PM | 3

Americans living in Israel submit protest letter to Netanyahu over E-1

Looking for the essence of being human? The Jewish blogsphere has some ideas

Two new videos, one a call for action and the other for restraint, both represent an essential of knowing how and when to use the natural gifts we were each given.

By Mira Sucharov | Jan 17, 2013 | 10:11 PM

Rabbinical students lobby Netanyahu to drop E-1 building plans

Three North American organizations to conduct parallel protest by delivering letter protesting building plans to Israeli embassy in Washington.

By Mira Sucharov | Jan 7, 2013 | 07:52 AM | 9

Police arresting Anat Hoffman at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Three Jewish women who inspired me in 2012

For two of the individuals, their gender represents an intrinsic part of their impact; the third is a story of simply humanity and the physical limits by which we are bound.

By Mira Sucharov | Dec 24, 2012 | 08:31 PM

Why a little war talk on Hanukkah might not be a bad thing

Hanukkah is as good a time as any to start a discussion about the kinds of strategic thinking that animates the art of war, and ultimately, the kind of prudence and pragmatism at the heart of peace.

By Mira Sucharov | Dec 11, 2012 | 05:21 AM

David Broza sings for peace, but the message is lost on Diaspora Jews

After a night spent at a David Broza concert in Ottawa, Mira Sucharov says that it's time for Jews in the Diaspora to do more than just listen to Israeli peace songs.

By Mira Sucharov | Nov 30, 2012 | 07:38 PM

Transgender Jews celebrate Shabbat at a California synagogue. Forward.

Getting to know this year’s most visible transgender Jew

To mark Transgender Week of Awareness, Mira Sucharov contacted Joy Ladin, poet, writer and professor at Yeshiva University’s Stern College, and author of Through the Door of Life: A Jewish Journey between Genders.

By Mira Sucharov | Nov 22, 2012 | 07:53 PM | 2

Women of the Wall, breaking down walls

Here in Canada, I can bring my tallit to an Orthodox shul with no fear of arrest. If only Israeli women were so lucky.

By Mira Sucharov | Nov 8, 2012 | 10:52 AM | 9

About this blog

Mira Sucharov is Associate Professor of Political Science and Assistant Dean, Faculty of Public Affairs, at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. A child of the 70s and 80s in two tight-knit Canadian Jewish communities, Mira wrestles with the role of tradition in light of contemporary values, the links between narratives and identity, and the Diaspora relationship with Israel. She is the author of The International Self: Psychoanalysis and the Search for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (SUNY Press), and is a 2010 recipient of a Rockower Award for Excellence in Jewish Journalism. She is currently writing a book on nostalgia and political change.