Paul Socken

1 week ago | jewishjournal.com | Paul Socken

Since the dawn of the Christian era, and many would argue well before that, a large part of the Western World determined that Judaism and Jews embodied irredeemable evil. This from the people who gave them the values that constitute the foundation of religious belief in Western civilization. Values like “Love your neighbor as yourself “ and “Be kind to the neighbor in your midst.”Let us put aside any argument for the benefit of Jews for society, which Jew-haters would never acknowledge anyway.

1 month ago | jewishjournal.com | Paul Socken

Everyone knows the Evian name for its French spa and spring water. Few know of its dark role in the murder of Europe’s Jews. The year was 1938 and war clouds were beginning to gather over Europe. President Franklin Roosevelt convened an international conference beginning July 6, 1938 at Evian in order to deal with the crisis of Jewish persecution in Germany and Austria and the Jews who were frantically searching for refuge in other countries.

2 months ago | jewishjournal.com | Paul Socken

Voltaire famously stated that we are responsible for all the good we did not do. The great Enlightenment thinker understood that not doing bad is not enough for a stable and healthy society. A society at peace with itself must be one in which citizens are actively engaged in doing good. This need is present in all societies in all times, but especially when challenged by discord, unrest and division. Often, one person can effect positive change.

Mar 21, 2025 | jewishjournal.com | Paul Socken

In the U.S., the proportion of undergraduate students studying the humanities dropped approximately 30% between 2005 and 2025. According to Statistics Canada, student enrollment in the humanities in Canada has been declining precipitously since 2008. Humanities enrollments in universities have dropped by 50% over the past 30 years. The humanities—history, languages, literature, fine arts, philosophy and music—complement the STEM world in which we live.

Feb 5, 2025 | jewishjournal.com | Paul Socken

Bob Dylan, whose real name is Robert Allen Zimmerman, has a deep connection to Israel and the Jewish people. He lived in a kibbutz, performed in Israel and his son had his bar mitzvah in Israel. He was honored with the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, and his exceptional song of 1983, “Neighborhood Bully,” reveals an astute knowledge of Jews throughout history. The current movie based on his life, “A Complete Unknown,” is a tribute to his relevance even today.