Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Immediately after it became known that Hamas took 251 hostages in the course of their terrorist assault in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, the United States called for their unconditional release. In November, Israel agreed to a deal with Hamas in which more than 100 hostages were released in a three-to-one exchange for terrorists who…

There is a famous Yiddish saying, “Der dreydl dreyt zikh”, which literally translates into “the dreidel turns”. It is an age-old and apt adage, especially now, for the alternating rise and fall of people’s fortunes. There can be no better illustration of this than President Trump’s triumph over his political nemeses in Washington, the media,…

In the days following the appalling atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, there was a symbiotic virtual uprising that occurred on many US college campuses in support of Hamas and its goals. The basic playbook followed was reportedly developed by sponsors and affiliates of Hamas. It included intimidation and harassment of Jews and…

Lexis Roberts was 12-years-old when Thomas Sanders shot her four times and cut her throat, four days after he murdered her mother on a road trip near the Grand Canyon. The cold-blooded murderer was on federal death row until President Biden commuted his sentence two weeks ago. Sanders was one of 37 out of 40…

I once bought myself a mug with the inscription “Prayer Changes Things.” It is still my favorite mug, despite a slight chip on top from several years of use. It is a daily reminder that, indeed, prayer changes things. I have learned that prayer also changes. At least mine has over the years. From the…

Turkish President Recep Erdogan has implied a number of times since 2020 that Jerusalem belongs to Turkey. Most recently, on December 22, 2024, in response to the loud chants of “Mr. President, take us to Jerusalem” from a crowd of young people at a speech he gave in Mardin, Turkey, he shockingly responded, “Patience brings…

The Jewish holiday of Chanukah is an annual eight-day celebration of religious liberty and freedom from oppression. It centers on the lighting of the Chanukah menorah as a means of publicizing the miracle of the oil, which the Talmud explains is the basis for the holiday of Chanukah. The ancient Greeks had occupied the Second…

Since October 7, Jewish fortitude has been evident on more fronts than the battlefront. Despite a raging war in Israel on all its borders, and the evacuation of tens of thousands of Israelis from their homes in the country’s North and South, there has been a significant uptick in Jewish people making aliyah. Nefesh B’Nefesh…

I have had the honor and pleasure of knowing President-elect Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense-Pete Hegseth for the past ten years. I and my wife attended his wedding to Jennifer Rauchet in 2019. I have traveled the world with both of them and have witnessed a blessed and beautiful marriage. Pete Hegseth is a…

The advocacy group J Street has voiced its support for legislation being pushed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to oppose giving arms to Israel, which is in the middle of a multifront war. J Street, however, still bizarrely advertises itself as a pro-Israel organization. The fundamental litmus test of a pro-Israel organization is its support…