Omar Mateen, a Muslim claiming an affiliation with ISIS, killed 49 people in a homosexual nightclub in Orlando, Florida—“the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history” (Associated Press, June 13, 2016).  This event leaves many “around the world wondering why mass violence keeps happening in America” (Associated Press, June 13, 2016).

South America is facing a host of mounting problems. In Colombia, drug lords and narcotics trafficking have generated years of violence, corrupted the political and economic systems and contributed to a growing domestic drug problem (The Guardian, April 18, 2016).

This week, the people of Britain will make a momentous decision, whether to leave or remain within the European Union. The desire to leave is driven by the loss of sovereignty to EU institutions, a surging wave of immigrants and the growing feeling that Britain is no longer British. The pressure to stay within the EU is driven by fears of what life may be like outside the EU. European leaders also fear a vote by the Brits to leave could trigger a meltdown of the EU, if other nations decide to follow the British example.

There is a natural curiosity that young children possess. They look upon scenic environs with wonderment, awed by the beauty and the variety of plant and animal life they encounter. What a child sees is unfiltered and not yet fully processed and categorized—making what they see new and captivating.

Perhaps a vague and all-too-brief thought occasionally crosses the child’s mind. What does all this mean? Why does all this exist? No matter; another item of interest soon distracts them and draws their attention away.

When we think of Jews returning to Israel, what comes to mind? Holocaust survivors seeking a fresh start in a nation that seeks to support rather than exterminate them? Impoverished Russian immigrants fleeing an oppressive Soviet Union to practice a faith they barely know? Zealous Orthodox faithful emigrating to Israel (Aliyah) to immerse themselves in their religious practice? Twenty-five years ago, one small community of Jews fled to Israel, in the process challenging some observers’ assumptions and expectations about the worldwide Jewish community.