Sigmund Freud points out one of the great contradictions of civilization: the people to whom we are most similar are the people we tend to dislike and distrust the most. Coining the term "narcissism of the small difference," Freud noted that "it is precisely the minor differences in people who are otherwise alike that form the basis of feelings of hostility between them."
The theme of this year’s GA in Tel Aviv was, “We Need to Talk,” with the assumption that Jewish North Americans and Israelis are divided in an unprecedented way. Freud’s...