10 Witty Jewish Responses to Antisemitism
13 min view
Rabbi Dov Ber Cohen takes on real questions about God, identity, ambition, sex, death, and the meaning behind Jewish practice.
0:12 – Is God actually good?
2:15 – The difference between ambition and ego
2:58 – Is there a Jewish view of sacred sex?
6:05 – Can Jews be cremated?
8:00 – Why burial matters in Judaism
8:52 – Can Judaism exist without Israel?
10:25 – Why Israel is the spiritual center of Jewish life
It's not entirely accurate to say that Judaism ever existed without Israel. Israel - Jerusalem in particular - remained as a goal, a longing and a memory. It's referenced in countless prayers, especially the grace after meals, and any study of Jewish books, from the Torah to the Shulchan Aruch, includes how to behave when living in Israel (as opposed to living in Diaspora).
So even though Judaism existed without a sovereign state of Israel, Israel the land and aspiration always was part of it.