The Bulletin Board
Collecting Jewish History
Rabbi Marc Schneier Slams Mamdani Appointees
No one should be surprised by the ADL's report that revealed over 20% of Zohran Mamdani's transition team members hold extremist views and have ties with notoriously antisemitic organizations.
Terrorist in Bondi Chanukah Massacre Linked to Islamic State
At least 27 victims were hospitalized, New South Wales Health said on Monday, including six people in critical condition, six in critical but stable condition, and 13 in stable condition. At least 40 people were injured overall in the attack, according to police.
Poll & Analysis: Democratic (Left) Vs. Republican (Right) Antisemitism
In recent years, antisemitism and anti-Zionism have increased dramatically, as has the debate about which side is more antisemitic: the Left (Liberal Progressive Democrats) or the right (Ultra-Nationalist Republicans).
Mamdani: Nefesh B’Nefesh Event at New York Synagogue Promotes ‘Violation of International Law,’ Event Misused ‘Sacred Space’
Mamdani’s victory has unsettled segments of New York City’s Jewish community, who already feel heightened anxiety amid the spiking antisemitic incidents in the city and across the country and who feel uncertain as to how he will address such concerns from City Hall.
Conservative and Pro-Israel Commentator Charlie Kirk Assassinated in Utah
Charlie was extremely smart, knowledgeable, well read and an authoritative yet genuine voice who could speak on virtually every subject, capable of responding to those debating and critiquing him.
Jerusalem Terrorist Attack Is a New Intifada
Israel understands that its survival is at stake. But the West does not.
Six Murdered in Terror Shooting in Jerusalem
Two terrorists were neutralized at the scene by an Israel Defense Forces soldier and an armed civilian.
When Should Americans Stay Silent About Israel?
A Guideline for Speaking Up About Israel
I just returned from Israel, where I spent a...
Jews Arrested in Iran Released after Round-Up by Regime Security Forces
“Several Jewish friends inside Iran sent me messages on Instagram and WhatsApp saying they were unharmed but very frightened of the regime’s authorities.”
Top Israel Advocates tell Piers Morgan: ‘Never Again’
The YouTube podcaster, who hosts antisemitic Holocaust revisionists, is facing a backlash for his sensationalism and rudeness.
Boulder Mourns Beloved Victim in Boulder Antisemitic Firebomb Attack
Karen Diamond, a familiar and beloved face within Boulder’s Jewish community, passed away this week, weeks after she was critically burned in a firebomb attack.
Will The New Antisemitism Kill Billions?
In today’s world, so defined and financed by Jew hatred both on the Left and Right, I wonder how many millions or even billions of lives will be lost, by the exclusion of Jews from places like Harvard, Yale or Columbia?
Israel: A Mediterranean Power
Measured globally, the fleet is modest in size. Within the eastern Mediterranean, it ranks among the most capable forces, with clear advantages in technology, training, and readiness. Larger fleets operate in the region, yet Israel’s navy is structured for high-intensity missions and rapid response.
Alone, Or Set Apart? Israel’s Dilemma
Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik famously began his work The Lonely Man of Faith with the stark words, “I am lonely.” He wasn't talking about a lack of friends. He was talking about the inherent loneliness of a person of faith, the realization that your deepest commitments might never be fully understood by the world around you.
Dear Ellen
Ellen was great fun to be with, but my sister and I could also share troubling situations with her. She was wise beyond her years. If she could help in any way, she was right there.
In an Age of AI, the Work of the Soul Remains
AI can generate, summarize, and analyze. But it cannot become you. It cannot build your character.
Maniacs with Missiles: Iran’s Insane Foreign Policy
In both cases, a fanatical regime chose to double down on ideology, sending its own youth to die.
A Seat at the Table with Mitchell Silk
A key challenge for our community is finding more people in various fields who are willing to chip in. If more attorneys and others would step up, they would end up leading a much more fulfilling life. Countless hours can lead to countless lives being saved.
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Deepening Our Understanding of Sefiras HaOmer and Shavuos
An interesting feature of the Omer is the emphasis on counting each day. This suggests that Sefiras HaOmer is one long mitzvah, complete only if each of the forty-nine days are counted. However, l’halacha, we make a beracha on each individual day of the Omer, suggesting that each one is a mitzvah in its own right. How can we reconcile this apparent inconsistency?
What’s the Big Deal?
These days it’s not hard to understand how a few nonchalant and effortless clicks can have tremendous consequences. Clicking on one part of the computer screen may be completely innocuous, while clicking an inch over, into a little box on the screen can cost you big time, in more ways than one.
Borrower in a Bind
Tests, consultations with doctors, and anxious waiting continued for hours. Thank G-d, it turned out that there was nothing seriously wrong, but it was now too late for the family to make it home for Shabbos.
The Daf, the War, and the “Imminence” of the Original Cataclysmic “Threat”
Many people fault the United States and Israel for “initiating” a war (or trying to end it?) when they did, not because they think their opponent should not eventually be fought but because they feel that the threat from Iran was not imminent.
Avot Between Pesach and Shavuot (Part I)
Question:Is there a specific reason that the last chapter of Pirkei Avot is read on the Sabbath before Shavuot, or is this just a quirk of the calendar?
Zvi Kirschner
Via Email
Sefiras HaOmer: Achieving the Impossible
We are not counting down to Matan Torah, but rather are building toward it, ascending one day at a time. We do not wait for Shavuos to arrive; we actively bring it ourselves through the time and effort we invest as we count the Omer.
Ego on the Menu: The Real Korban at Your Table
A child only has about 2,000 Shabbos meals until adulthood; when you think about it, that is not a long time to inculcate the fundamentals of our religion and how to experience it.
Mitzvah-Dense Sedras and Double-Sided Mitzvot
G-d never said that great moments of Jewish redemption would only be brought about by tzaddikim. The State of Israel is not the realization of The Dream. But it is a major step towards the Complete Redemption.
Implications of a Matzah Shortage
A year ago, we left an empty chair at the Seder table, waiting for the hostages. This was the first Seder after they emerged from darkness into light. Together with them, we have all received another layer in the story of our national freedom.
Stepping on Others Makes One Small, Not Tall
Now that he had served out his time and would soon be eligible to rejoin the world, why was he not eager to undergo the purification ceremony to be administered by the kohen which would be his ticket back to freedom?
Gender in Judaism
HaKadosh Baruch Hu therefore encompasses both poles (amongst His infinite other attributes) – Activity/Provider (of everything) and also Presence/Nurture/Receiver (He receives our prayers).
The Purity of Israel
While it’s true that in the generation of the Sages, there were very few people who could understand the intricate laws of purity and impurity – let alone live according to them – the Sages were looking ahead and planning for a future era when all of Israel would be engaged in the active fulfillment of the Divine plan for Creation.
Sefira: Our Passion for Torah
Another special advantage of Torah is that It protects us from the advances of the yetzer hara.
