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| Shema Israel |
Heart and Soul is a common phrase in English. It means without reservations, completely, or wholly - Merriam-Webster [1] or the utmost of one's energy, enthusiasm, and determination - Freedict [2]. We might say “to do something with all your might”. Heart and Soul is a Bible phrase as well. The most familiar example is Dt 6:4-5, known by the Jews as the shema, which means hear.
Dt 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
Jesus quotes this verse in the gospels, recorded in Matthew, Mark and Luke, what are called the synoptic gospels. Each version is slightly different.
Mt 22:36 ESV “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Several other verses use the phrase Heart and Soul, almost always talking about how we are to love God. For example(s).
1 Chronicles 22:19 Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God.
1 Kings 8:48
Dt 26:16
Josh 23:14
2 Chr 34:31
2K 23:3
2K 23:25
Dt 10:12
2 Chr 15:12
If you like this (or not), check out my other articles at the
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.
Between The Ears BLOG INDEX, with titles and summaries.
Would you be surprised to learn that one verse in all the Bible says that God is going to do something with His whole Heart and Soul? Only one, Jer 32:41. Let's start reading in verse 36 to get some context, then discuss some of the meaning implied here.
Jer 32:36 Now therefore thus says the Lord(1), the God of Israel, concerning this city(2) of which you say, ‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: 37 Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear(3) me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear3 of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness(4), with all my heart and all my soul.
(1) YHVH
(2) Jer 32:1 gives the name of this city as Jerusalem
(3) awe, reverence
(4) assuredly, truly, in truth
What is He is going to do with His whole Heart and His whole Soul? He is going to “plant His people in this land”. Jeremiah wrote this passage while imprisoned in King Zedekiah's palace when Jerusalem was under siege by the Babylonians. He foretold that Jerusalem would fall to Nebuchadnezzar, and they would be driven out, BUT they would be gathered back to THIS land. Before Jerusalem even fell, God prophesied that they would be brought back.
Jer 32:1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem
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| Nebuchadnezzar Siege Of Jerusalem |
Let's ask “Who are His people”? “What land”?
Jeremiah was writing in Jerusalem to the Jewish people right before being taken captive. The northern kingdom often called Israel went into captivity about a 100 years earlier - Assyrian [3], Babylonian [4], and they became known as the Ten Lost Tribes. Jer chapters 31 and 32 speak repeatedly of Israel and Judah returning to their land, where verses 32:36-41 are directed to the tribe of Judah.
Other verses about return.
Jer 31:10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
Isaiah 11:11-12
Isaiah 61:4
Isaiah 65:21-22
Jeremiah 30:3
Jeremiah 30:18
Jeremiah 31:5
Jeremiah 32:41-42
Ezekiel 36:33-36
Ezekiel 37:12-14
Hosea 14:5-7
Amos 9:14-15
Zephaniah 3:20
Zechariah 8:12
Back to Jer 32:41. With all His heart and all His soul, God is going to “plant His people in this land”. He specifies what land in vs 44.
Jer 32:44 Fields shall be bought for money, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed, in the land of Benjamin, in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”
I looked all these places up.
Jerusalem – west of the Dead Sea, capital of Judah
Benjamin – region just north of Jerusalem - visualunit [5]
Cities of Judah – Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Hebron, Lachish, Beersheva - bible_topical [6]
Hill country – surrounding Jerusalem from Hebron to Mt Gilboa - bible-history [7]
Shephelah – Lowlands, Judean foothills, west of Jerusalem - shephelah [8]
Cities of Negev – desert, south of the Hill country, includes Beersheba - holyland [9]
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| Hill Country |
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| Tel Aviv Residents Celebrate |
Jer 32 describes Judah (Jews) returning to the land of Judah (Judea). Some Jews returned after 70 years of captivity in Babylon, then the Jewish people had a level of sovereignty over the land for about 500 years, till Rome destroyed the Temple in 70AD and dispersed them again. There has always been a remnant of Jews in that land, but they began returning in large numbers in the late 19th century. Since Israel's Independence in 1948, Jews are back in their land. 46% of all Jews in the world live in Israel today - jpr [10]. Over 70% of Israel's population is Jewish - wiki(demographics)[11]. It is somewhat confusing that the modern nation of Judah is called Israel. But neither the return from Babylon nor the 20th century return fully satisfy the promises made in Jer 32:37-40.
Jer 32:37 ...I will make them dwell in safety(1). 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God(2). 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. 40 I will make with them an everlasting covenant …
(1) Clearly, modern Israel does not live in safety now.
(2) Almost half the Jews in Israel are not religious.
So there is another return coming. Prophecies can have multiple fulfillments and/or partial fulfillments. Many scholars believe Judah will have two international returns.
The idea of Jews returning to the land of Israel was something so improbable before the 20th century that scholars taught that the promises to Judah and Israel were transferred to the church. This is called Replacement Theology, or Supercessionism, as in the church supersedes Israel. The idea still exists.
Proponents of Replacement Theology misquote the Bible to justify their theology, saying things like this.
But the Bible actually says.
Some go so far as to say
One big problem with Replacement Theology is that it makes God into a promise breaker. God clearly made covenants in the Bible. Can He then say “I gave your blessings to someone else”?
Consider the history of modern Israel in terms of this verse.
I think there are plenty of reasons to think God is planting His people, the Jews, in their land, modern Israel, with His whole heart and His whole soul. Consider the remarkable history of the Jewish people - conquered and dispersed twice in ancient times, and yet is born again as a nation in a day, May 15, 1948, still speaking Hebrew. Consider all the miracles the nation of Israel experienced in repeated wars with her neighbors, beginning the day after Israel became a nation - wiki(Israel_wars) [18].
Independence May 15, 1948, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon attack the day after Israel's Independence. Israel was incredibly outgunned, and losing the war when the Arab countries agreed to inexplicable cease fire - haatzmaut [19]. When fighting resumed, Israel won the war. In one battle the Jordanian army all witnessed a vision of Abraham in the sky defending an Israeli platoon – the Jordanians dropped their weapons and fled - 17-miraculous-israeli [20].
Six Day War June 5-10, 1967 Israel took down half the Egyptian air force: 204 Egyptian planes, partly because a warning message from Jordan wasn't received because Egypt changed the coding frequencies the day before.
So there is another return coming. Prophecies can have multiple fulfillments and/or partial fulfillments. Many scholars believe Judah will have two international returns.
In short there will be two end-time regatherings: One before the tribulation and one after the tribulation - Fruchtenbaum [12], Thomas D. Ice [13]
The idea of Jews returning to the land of Israel was something so improbable before the 20th century that scholars taught that the promises to Judah and Israel were transferred to the church. This is called Replacement Theology, or Supercessionism, as in the church supersedes Israel. The idea still exists.
So unlikely did a realistic restoration of the Jews to their Land seem that throughout church history, Christians, for the most part, could not conceive of a literal fulfillment of this promise. Therefore, many believers in Jesus interpreted these prophecies figuratively or historically - chosen_people [14]
Proponents of Replacement Theology misquote the Bible to justify their theology, saying things like this.
God’s covenant was transferred to Christians who became “spiritual Israel” and heirs of God’s promises.
The “kingdom of God” was taken from the Jews and was “given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” - bible_ask [15], hermeneutics [16]
But the Bible actually says.
Mt 21:43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them (not the Jews in general).
Some go so far as to say
There is a restored nation of Israel in God’s plan for the future, but there is no reason to think that the current nation of Israel is necessarily prophetically significant.
Replacement Theology undermines God’s faithfulness by suggesting He would abandon His covenant people, raising questions about His reliability in fulfilling promises - defendtheword [17]
Consider the history of modern Israel in terms of this verse.
Gen 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
I think there are plenty of reasons to think God is planting His people, the Jews, in their land, modern Israel, with His whole heart and His whole soul. Consider the remarkable history of the Jewish people - conquered and dispersed twice in ancient times, and yet is born again as a nation in a day, May 15, 1948, still speaking Hebrew. Consider all the miracles the nation of Israel experienced in repeated wars with her neighbors, beginning the day after Israel became a nation - wiki(Israel_wars) [18].
Independence May 15, 1948, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon attack the day after Israel's Independence. Israel was incredibly outgunned, and losing the war when the Arab countries agreed to inexplicable cease fire - haatzmaut [19]. When fighting resumed, Israel won the war. In one battle the Jordanian army all witnessed a vision of Abraham in the sky defending an Israeli platoon – the Jordanians dropped their weapons and fled - 17-miraculous-israeli [20].
Israel captured Jerusalem without firing a shot on June 8 [20].
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| Israeli Soldiers Enter Jerusalem by the Lion's Gate |
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| Golda Meir |
Entebbe 27 June 1976 Terrorists hijacked an Air France Flight, taking 105 Israeli hostages to Entebbe, Uganda. Israeli forces killed all the terrorists, rescued 102 hostages - three were lost. One Israeli soldier died, Yonatan Netanyahu, brother of current PM Benjamin Netanyahu - Entebbe [22].
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| Operation Thunderbolt |
Hezbollah, Sept 17-18 2024 Remember the exploding pagers? Ten days after the device explosions, Israel killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut
Iran–Israel War June 13–24, 2025 AKA Twelve-Day War, Israel disabled Iranian Air Force, bombed nuclear facilities, assassinated prominent military leaders, nuclear scientists, and politicians. USA dropped bunker buster bombs on nuclear facilities - wiki(iran) [23]. (I wrote this before the current Iran war. I don't know the outcome. It is a big topic that I can't address here, but remember, "the one who curses you I will curse".)
God fights using weapons like weather, visions like Abraham in the sky, rewarding Israeli boldness like the pagers, but also fear and confusion of the enemies, and even the teaching of moms. Check out some of the links cited above for many more examples of miracles.
Dt 20:4 for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.
Exo 23:27 I will send my terror before you and will throw into confusion all the people against whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
Eye To Eye
Would it surprise you to know that almost every time the United States has pressured Israel to trade land for peace, also called the two state solution, and sometimes the partition plan, the United States has had some kind of catastrophic event? Events like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, floods, droughts, snowstorms, even economic crises. Yes, most of these are phenomena that occur naturally, but the intensity and frequency of extraordinary weather events seems higher in the last 30 years. And the timing of these catastrophes reveals a pattern.
Why? Because the Bible says not to divide the land. Remember, this is the land He promised to plant His people in WITH HIS WHOLE HEART AND SOUL. God is protective of that land Judea and that people the Jews. We've already seen that God fights on their behalf – He also fights against nations (even America) that try to force Israel to violate what the Bible tells them.
Eze 48:14 They shall not sell any of it and they shall not exchange it, and they shall not do away with the first fruit of the land, because its holiness is of LORD JEHOVAH.
Joel 3:2 I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land,
Why the US? Aren't we part of Israel too? The US has mostly had a very good relationship with Israel, but the US took the lead in trying to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict with the Madrid Conference. And every US President since George HW Bush, aka Bush1, has pressured Israel to give up land for peace. Let's look at some of the consequences. Keep in mind that this represents one tenth of the catastrophes documented by Koenig and others.
Any plan that compromises Israel's God-given land, no matter how well-intentioned or financially attractive, carries profound spiritual consequences. Not only for Israel’s neighbors — but for America itself - watch.org(warning) [26]
This section contains condensed quotes from a number of sources, but primarily from Koenig's book.
George HW Bush
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| Surveying the Storm Damage |
October 31, 1991 On the same day that the Madrid conference started, a storm traveled 1,000 miles to slam President Bush’s home on the coast of Maine with 30-foot waves, causing extensive damage.
In March 1991, Bush1 had the highest Presidential approval rating ever, then lost reelection in 1992 - wiki(bush1) [27]
Bill Clinton
September 26th, 1998, Clinton hosted Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat to restart the peace process. Israeli troops would withdraw from another 13% of the West Bank in exchange for security guarantees from Arafat.
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| Georges Landfall |
September 28th, 1998, as Arafat addressed the United Nations, category 4 Hurricane Georges made landfall in Mississippi. It was the costliest hurricane since Hurricane Andrew.
One week later, the House Judiciary Committee announced it would consider a resolution to begin an impeachment inquiry against President Clinton.
George W Bush
Sept 10, 2001 Bush2 administration completed work on a new Middle East peace initiative with a Palestinian state as one key element.
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| Sept 11 Attacks |
Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon westcloudsrising(p3818) [28], LA_Times [29], EyeToEye p 143 [25]
August 23, 2005 Bush praised Israel PM Ariel Sharon for removing the last Israeli settlers from Gaza. On this same day a tropical depression formed over the Bahamas, which would become Hurricane Katrina - westcloudsrising(p3907) [30]
9000 Israelis were evicted from Gaza by the Sharon government. A million Americans were evicted by Hurricane Katrina - EyeToEye p 204 [25].
January 4, 2006 just five months after evicting Israelis from Gaza, Sharon suffered a stroke and remained in a permanent vegetative state until his death in 2014 - wiki(Sharon) [31]
Barack Obama
When Obama became President, he appeared to be more interested in building Arab relations than supporting Israel. And he did little to advance peace in Israel. Obama’s lack of pressure on Israel allowed them to expand on the covenant land. Lack of pressure on Israel led to fewer judgment events. BUT
April 5 2011, President Obama met with Israeli President Shimon Peres at the White House. Obama stated that the need to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was urgent. 751 tornadoes hit in April smashing the prior record of 267.
May 22, 2011, Obama states his Policy – Israel’s Land in Exchange for Peace. Like Bush, President Obama wanted Israel to cease building in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. That same day (within hours) a massive F5 tornado hit Joplin Missouri. This was the deadliest and costliest single tornado on record in the U.S.
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| Tornado Aftermath in Joplin, MO |
Donald Trump first term
Despite his support for Israel, President Trump made the same mistake as his predecessors. That being, in his “Deal of the Century” he included Israel’s relinquishment of land to the Palestinians.
August 24 2017 Jared Kushner attended a meeting with the leader of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas to restart the peace process. On this very day, Tropical Storm Harvey became Hurricane Harvey which rapidly intensified to a category 4 hurricane and made landfall on the Texas coast on the 25th. [30]
January 28, 2020 The Trump administration released its plan for resolving the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians called Peace to Prosperity -
jewishvirtuallibrary [32].
January 29, 2020 UN resolutions support two-state plan based on pre-1967 lines. The US and the world agreed to divide up Israel. The US and the world suffered the largest pandemic since the Spanish flu in 1918 - watch.org(trump) [33]
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| Johns Hopkins COVID Tracker Jan 2021 |
Koenig speculates that pressuring Israel to trade land for peace cost Trump the 2020 election.
Joe Biden
August 13th, 2021 Biden pressured Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to cut back construction plans in Judea and Samaria. Two days later, the Taliban took Kabul, leading to the humiliation of the U.S. and Biden specifically.
Donald Trump second term
Here's where prophecy is unfolding in the headlines.
Jan 22, 2026 - in an historic ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald J. Trump formally ratified the Charter of the (Gaza) Board of Peace — establishing it as an official international organization - whitehouse.gov [34]
Jan 22, 2026 Winter storm Fern hit the eastern US, impacting over 200 million people from New Mexico to New England. Snow, ice, and extreme cold caused thousands of canceled flights, school and business closures, power outages, and more, It is estimated to have caused more than $100 billion in losses, and over 30 deaths - newsweek1 [35], newsweek2 [36].
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| Impact of Winter Storm Fern |
It could just be coincidences, 150 coincidences.
Some people claim that modern Jews are not really descendants of the ancient Jews of the Bible, and therefore have no right to the land known as Israel today. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority, has made that claim - Abbas [37]. Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens have made the claim also - jweekly [38]. Genetics has actually shown that the world's Jewish populations share an Ancient Middle Eastern root - Khazar [39]
Not Jews?
What other nation and what other people has God protected by countless miracles? What other people is God planting in His land with His whole heart and soul?
The Khazar hypothesis is also sometimes cited in antisemitic arguments promoted by adherents of various movements and ideologies to express the belief that modern Jews are not true descendants of the Israelites.
The theory has been used to counter the concept of Jewish nationhood.[Khazar]
The consensus in genetic research is that the world's Jewish populations (including the Ashkenazim) share substantial genetic ancestry derived from a common Ancient Middle Eastern founder population, and that Ashkenazi Jews have no genetic ancestry attributable to Khazars.
Abbas repeated the false claim that Ashkenazi Jews descend from the Khazars, a long-standing antisemitic trope used to deny Jewish historical connection to the Land of Israel. [Abbas]
Recap
Jer 32:41 I will rejoice in doing them good, and assuredly I will plant them in this land, with all my heart and all my soul.
This is the only time in the Bible where God promises to do something “with all His heart and all His soul”. We have seen that the land is the land of Judah, Judea in modern language. We have seen that the descendants of Judah (the Jews) are the people to be planted. We have reviewed a very small sampling of the miracles God has done for His people, miracles that show God is with them. We have also seen some of the consequences to those who would try to persuade Israel to give up land for peace.
So what should our response be? If He is bringing His people back to their land with His whole heart and soul, we need to be on His side with our whole hearts and our whole souls.
References
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heart%20and%20soul
[2] https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/heart+and+soul
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assyrian_captivity
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_captivity
[5] https://visualunit.me/2013/12/25/map-of-the-12-tribes/
[6] https://biblehub.com/topical/t/the_cities_of_judah.htm
[7] https://bible-history.com/maps/israel-natural-features
[8] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shephelah
[9] https://holylandphotos.org/browse.asp?s=1,2,9,25
[10] https://www.jpr.org.uk/insights/five-facts-about-jews-and-israel-today
[11] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Israel
[12] https://archive.org/download/CHRISTIANBOOKSCOLLECTIONS_201709/CHRISTIAN%20BOOKS%20COLLECTIONS.zip/THE%20FOOTSTEPS%20OF%20THE%20MESSIAH%20by%20Dr.%20Arnold%20G.%20Fruchtenbaum.pdf p. 135
[13] https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/pretrib_arch/24
[14] https://chosenpeople.com/is-the-modern-state-of-israel-2
[15] https://bibleask.org/are-jews-returning-to-israel-fulfillment-of-prophecy
[16] https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/91187/who-is-the-kingdom-of-god-being-taken-away-from-in-matthew-2143
[17] https://www.defendtheword.com/uploads/3/4/6/1/34617673/supersessionism_12-30-24.pdf
[18] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Israel
[19] https://halakhaoftheday.org/2025/04/24/yom-haatzmaut-three-miracles-of-the-independence-war/
[20] https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/17-miraculous-israeli-military-victories?source
[21] https://www.oneforisrael.org/golda-meir-and-the-miracles-of-the-yom-kippur-war
[22] https://israelforever.org/interact/blog/miracles_at_entebbe/
[23] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Israel_war
[24] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid_Conference_of_1991
[25] https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Facing-Consequences-Dividing-Israel/dp/0971734704
[26] https://www.watch.org/eye-to-eye/headlines-prophecy-americas-middle-east-gamble-and-israels-divine-warning-30-plus
[27] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush
[28] https://www.westcloudsrising.com/?p=3818
[29] https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-03-mn-52909-story.html
[30] https://www.westcloudsrising.com/?p=3907
[31] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariel_Sharon
[32] https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/peace-to-prosperity-the-trump-peace-plan
[33] https://www.watch.org/eye-to-eye/life-america-and-after-trump-%E2%80%9Cpeace-prosperity%E2%80%9D-plan-was-delivered-january-28-2020%C2%A0
[34] https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2026/01/president-trump-ratifies-board-of-peace-in-historic-ceremony-opening-path-to-hope-and-dignity-for-gazans
[35] https://www.newsweek.com/winter-storm-fern-hit-us-economy-11417665
[36] https://www.newsweek.com/winter-storm-fern-death-toll-rises-across-united-states-11421195
[37] https://israel365news.com/415341/abbas-latest-hospital-stay-highlights-long-record-of-israeli-medical-care-for-pa-and-hamas-leaders/
[38] https://jweekly.com/2026/02/27/why-was-tucker-carlson-pushing-for-dna-testing-for-jews-what-to-know-about-the-khazar-theory-that-antisemites-cant-shake/
[39] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khazar_hypothesis_of_Ashkenazi_ancestry
