Snapshot

A hot topic of debate these days is defining anti-Semitism — almost to the point where the definition is discussed more than the actual anti-Semitism. At the Boulder Valley School District hearing this month some people spent more time decrying the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism than they did expressing concern that children were physically harassed and bullied because they were Jewish.

What was the largest forced population transfer in human history? Most will be surprised to hear that it was of ethnic Germans from Eastern Europe to Germany, following the Nazis’ defeat in WW II.

In case you missed it, I’ve started a puzzle gemach (free loan). Thousand-piece puzzles have become one of my favorite ways to tune out the world. As one works on a puzzle, it’s nearly impossible to think about anything outside the puzzle.

Apparently, I’m what’s called a “Doehead.” I’d never heard the term before last month. It refers to people who are very into Colorado’s HAW Tabor, Augusta and Baby Doe saga.

August 1. It is the birthday of the two places where I have lived the longest — Colorado and Switzerland, two places I call home. In 1291, three men met on a field in Switzerland to take an oath, committing to an alliance. A little over half a millennium later, 585 years to be exact, Colorado declared statehood, earning itself the moniker the Centennial state.

In times of crisis, the limitations of the two-party system are in full view. The recent vote on Israel aid in the US House of Representatives provides no better example. Democrats who in their political careers have been supportive...

The list of non-Jews, non-Israelis and non-Palestinians who I won’t be taking guidance from about Judaism, Israel and anti-Semitism continues to grow. The newest addition: Melat Kiros. The Democratic nominee for Colorado’s Congressional District 1 joins a long list.

In the UK, broadcasters are not permitted to report on elections on election day itself. What a contrast from here, where for weeks I’ve been receiving regular reports from the Secretary of State on how many primary ballots have been returned. Some are very detailed — for example how many Democratic or Republican ballots have been returned. It feels like there’s an undercurrent there.

I never understood people who said Trump was Israel’s best friend. One thing we know about Donald Trump is that he is unreliable. Suddenly, for Israel’s “best friend,” uranium enrichment by Iran, a 747 from Qatar and cutting Israel out of Saudi-US engagement — all red lines for Israel and its allies — are on the table. With a best friend like this, who needs enemies?

The year I was a graduate student at the London School of Economics overlapped with the peak of pro-EU sentiment. It was the year of the single largest accession of 10 new member states. As a student of post-communist transition...