Mark Berch

Since 2002, Mark Berch has been providing Jewishly oriented web links to members of his shul (Tifereth Israel, a small Conservative synagogue in Washington DC where his family has been members for almost 40 years). In real life, he is a Patent Examiner.


Articles by Mark Berch

The Loyalty Oath

Yossi Verter looks at how the oath issue came about–and argues it is bad for both Israel and the Jews. ...

The Peace Process

Prospects for Israel’s cabinet even voting on a compromise proposal for a construction freeze look poor. (Ha’aretz)Former prime minister Ehud ...

Yom Kippur Roundup

Is the Kaparot ceremony a “mere superstition?” (Arutz Sheva)To get the most from Neilah, you need some “Neilah training.” Here’s ...

Environmental & Energy Issues in Israel

A mere 0.5% of Israel’s energy comes from renewables. Why? (Ha’aretz)It is argued that Israel faces a looming electricity shortage ...

The Peace Process

Abbas sets a total construction freeze as the price for direct talks. (Ha’aretz)Israel’s demands for West Bank security arrangements appear ...

Day Schools & Jewish Education

An emerging Jewish education nonprofit, Kevah, by the fall will have 25 learning circles, typically 8-12 people meeting in homes ...

A One State Solution?

With the peace process at seeming standstill, some academics and policy analysts have revived calls for a single state. (VOA ...

Immigrant & Migrant Worker Issues in Israel

Longtime residents of some south Tel Aviv neighborhoods angrily protest the influx of foreign workers and asylum seekers. (Jerusalem Post)A ...

American Jewish Attitudes Toward Israel

Daniel Gordis sees a paradox: “were the State of Israel to be vanquished, the vibrant American Jewish life that we ...

Synagogues in the News

The experimental Nashuva (“We will return”) Friday night service involves “a band, meditation, reinterpreted prayers on a handout sheet, and ...