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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

Israeli Arabs march 1 - AP - Oct 1, 2010

To be fair, what's really at stake in recognizing a Jewish state?

On various issues, both sides may end up worse off than they initially hoped for, but both sides will certainly be better off than they currently are in this seemingly endless cycle of conflict.

By Mira Sucharov | Oct 6, 2011 | 10:42 AM | 18

Laughing our way through the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

With the Palestinian bid for statehood looming at the UN, political stakeholders will soon have to choose between holding on to their cynical conflict stance, or contemplating hope and possibility.

By Mira Sucharov | Sep 22, 2011 | 12:19 PM

What does the shofar call you to do?

One American synagogue has decided to mark these weeks before Rosh Hashanah with a coded question on Twitter: WDSCU2D? Here are a few of my answers.

By Mira Sucharov | Sep 5, 2011 | 03:20 PM | 2

I am a Zionist. And I am a Palestinian nationalist

Yes, I support the right of Jews to a sovereign country, but so too do I support the right of Palestinians to live their lives in their own state, unencumbered by Israeli occupation.

By Mira Sucharov | Aug 24, 2011 | 10:55 AM | 100

Where do Palestinians figure in the Israeli cry for 'social justice'?

The questions 'what is our society,' 'who is the nation' and 'what are the borders of our state?' loom in the background, made all the more urgent by the planned Palestinian bid for UN-sanctioned statehood in September.

By Mira Sucharov | Aug 8, 2011 | 11:31 AM | 9

Does liberal Judaism benefit from seeing gays as the 'other'?

Representations of sameness help prompt empathy. But depictions of difference may help us come to terms with our phobias and prejudices so that empathy can actually take root.

By Mira Sucharov | Jul 25, 2011 | 12:34 PM | 2

Students at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village.

The risks of Jewish particularism

Does the Jewish concept of tikkun olam apply only to the ills of our own community, or do Jews have a responsibility to address the suffering of others?

By Mira Sucharov | Jul 12, 2011 | 12:06 PM | 6

Jewish summer camp in the U.S. Jewish Journal

In defense of Zionist summer camp

Some of the most passionate defenders of Jewish values are those seen as critics of Israel - but they wouldn't be fighting tirelessly for their vision of change had they not felt an eternal connection to Israel to begin with.

By Mira Sucharov | Jun 29, 2011 | 02:17 PM | 8

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.