An African American born in Seattle, Nissim Black stepped back from a promising career as a rapper several years ago to undertake conversion to Judaism. He then achieved stardom among his fellow Orthodox Jews, recording religiously themed music with hip-hop influences. But while these works remained very much within the conventions of contemporary Orthodox music, Black’s most recent album, Mothaland Bounce, is an unapologetic work of rap that has left many of his fans unsettled. Henry Abramson takes a historical view of Black’s critics, arguing that the album “may be Black’s most authentically Jewish work” thus far:

Even the title is an expression of the quintessential Jewish experience. “Bounce” . . . is slang for “leave suddenly, escape,” and in some contexts, “expel” (think “bouncer” at the door of a nightclub). Who knows more about “bouncing” from adopted “mother lands” than the Jews? We’ve been bouncing for a very, very long time. On the upside, we’ve picked up a lot of valuable cultural influences along the way.

For example, when the Baghdad-born Hebrew poet Dunash ibn Labrat arrived in Cordoba in the 10th century, he brought with him a remarkable artistic innovation: by adding Arabic-style meter to Hebrew, he was able to craft a dramatic new form and inject staid, static Hebrew poetry with an unsettling new vibe. Traditionalists, led by the aged Menachem ben Saruk, were scandalized by Dunash’s adaptation of foreign, goyishe meters, and riots broke out on the streets of Cordoba. (Ah, to live in a time when Jews literally came to blows over poetry!)

It took several centuries for the dispute to resolve itself, but Jews voted with their tongue—Dunash ibn Labrat’s Arabic style was enthusiastically absorbed into the art of the greatest Sephardi poets, from Solomon ibn Gabirol to Yehuda ha-Levi. Jews are still singing ibn Labrat’s ethereal, Arabic-inflected Dror Yikra [“Call Out Freedom”] around their Sabbath tables 1,000 years after his passing.

Like his bold predecessors, [Nissim Black] cross-fertilizes Jewish culture and revitalizes it, keeping it fresh and relevant for the new generation. . . . Mothaland Bounce is not just an example but a celebration of Jewish cultural syncretism.

For some time, opponents of U.S support for Israel have been urging the White House to end the war in Gaza, or simply calling for a ceasefire. Douglas Feith and Lewis Libby consider what such a result would actually entail:

Ending the war immediately would allow Hamas to survive and retain military and governing power. Leaving it in the area containing the Sinai-Gaza smuggling routes would ensure that Hamas can rearm. This is why Hamas leaders now plead for a ceasefire. A ceasefire will provide some relief for Gazans today, but a prolonged ceasefire will preserve Hamas’s bloody oppression of Gaza and make future wars with Israel inevitable.

For most Gazans, even when there is no hot war, Hamas’s dictatorship is a nightmarish tyranny. Hamas rule features the torture and murder of regime opponents, official corruption, extremist indoctrination of children, and misery for the population in general. Hamas diverts foreign aid and other resources from proper uses; instead of improving life for the mass of the people, it uses the funds to fight against Palestinians and Israelis.

Moreover, a Hamas-affiliated website warned Gazans last month against cooperating with Israel in securing and delivering the truckloads of aid flowing into the Strip. It promised to deal with those who do with “an iron fist.” In other words, if Hamas remains in power, it will begin torturing, imprisoning, or murdering those it deems collaborators the moment the war ends. Thereafter, Hamas will begin planning its next attack on Israel:

Hamas’s goals are to overshadow the Palestinian Authority, win control of the West Bank, and establish Hamas leadership over the Palestinian revolution. Hamas’s ultimate aim is to spark a regional war to obliterate Israel and, as Hamas leaders steadfastly maintain, fulfill a Quranic vision of killing all Jews.

Hamas planned for corpses of Palestinian babies and mothers to serve as the mainspring of its October 7 war plan. Hamas calculated it could survive a war against a superior Israeli force and energize enemies of Israel around the world. The key to both aims was arranging for grievous Palestinian civilian losses. . . . That element of Hamas’s war plan is working impressively.