Alumni of American Reform Hebrew schools and Conservative summer camps are apt to have heard the blessing over bread, known informally as ha-motsi, chanted to the same tune, sometimes as part of somewhat longer English-language song. Matt Austerklein tells the story of its composition and of its now-forgotten author, Samuel Adler, who recently released an autobiography:

A former faculty member at the University of North Texas (1956–1966), the Eastman School of Music (1966–1995) and Juilliard (1997–2017), his catalog includes over 500 classical and liturgical works, and his textbook on orchestration has been translated into ten languages and sold over one million copies worldwide.

Like all timeless tunes, this one was born of a pressing need—in this case, the need to provide music to the burgeoning Hebrew school of Temple Emanu-El in Dallas, Texas. In 1953, Adler was recruited as music director by the synagogue’s noted clergyman, Rabbi Levi Olan, who had befriended the Adler family while serving in the pulpit with his father, Cantor Hugo Chaim Adler. . . . Just five years after its composition, these original words to ha-motsi were published in the 1960 Union Songster: Songs & Prayers for Jewish Youth, the Reform movement’s first youth-music book for the baby-boom generation.

It is not possible to bear witness concisely to the drama and depth of Samuel Adler’s life and his contribution to both Jewish music and the Western classical tradition, spanning over 70 years of musical creativity. A Holocaust survivor who narrowly escaped Nazi Germany during Kristallnacht, Adler acknowledges being the grateful recipient of many miracles. Reading his autobiography, one encounters a person who is self-reflective, diligent, and a collector of wisdom.

Considering the current state of Israel-Arab relations, Ghaith al-Omari writes

First and foremost, no ceasefire will be possible without the release of Israeli hostages and commitments to disarm Hamas and remove it from power. The final say on these matters rests with Hamas commanders on the ground in Gaza, who have been largely impervious to foreign pressure so far. At minimum, however, the United States should insist that Qatari and Egyptian mediators push Hamas’s external leadership to accept these conditions publicly, which could increase pressure on the group’s Gaza leadership.

Washington should also demand a clear, public position from key Arab states regarding disarmament. The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed this position in a June letter to Saudi Arabia and France, giving Arab states Palestinian cover for endorsing it themselves.

Some Arab states have already indicated a willingness to play a significant role, but they will have little incentive to commit resources and personnel to Gaza unless Israel (1) provides guarantees that it will not occupy the Strip indefinitely, and (2) removes its veto on a PA role in Gaza’s future, even if only symbolic at first. Arab officials are also seeking assurances that any role they play in Gaza will be in the context of a wider effort to reach a two-state solution.

On the other hand, Washington must remain mindful that current conditions between Israel and the Palestinians are not remotely conducive to . . . implementing a two-state solution.