יום רביעי, ח׳ אב תשפ״וWednesday, July 22, 2026
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Rabbi Mordechai Weiss lives in Efrat, Israel, and previously served as an elementary and high school principal in New Jersey and Connecticut. He was also the founder and rav of Young Israel of Margate, N.J. His email is ravmordechai@aol.com.
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One would think that in this great country of the United States, where we have our freedom, there would be no need to worry about anti-Semitism.
Often we look at a person or an event and we are convinced that this is the highest level of sainthood and godliness, not realizing that G-d seeks what is in the hearts and soul of humankind and not their outward appearance.
G-d loves and respects all of His creations, and is sad when anyone dies or is hurt – Jew or non-Jew!
The question is why this mitzvah at this time? Surely there are other commandments that seem more important and vital for Jewish survival.
In my experience as a principal for many years, and in my capacity as an evaluator of schools that boast of their excellence, I am constantly amazed by the brazenness and arrogance of some students.
It’s not until Yaakov came on the scene, as Rav Soloveitchik writes, that we begin to see the development of a grandfather-grandson relationship.
Everything is initiated and maintained by the students. They can choose from other activities as well, such as basketball, soccer, martial arts, music, photography, videography, and drama.
“Ari, what are you doing here? You were not supposed to be here for another eighty years? What happened? Who is responsible for this?”
On the opposite side of the spectrum you have the “left.” These are the people who essentially believe that Israel is a modern country that should not be guided by its ancient Torah and traditions.
Have we all gone mad? Since when are tolerance and moderation bad qualities? When did following the middle road go out of style?
Despite the different backgrounds, we are united in our suffering and our mourning with the families of our people who defended our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice, or who were killed by Arab terrorists.
Those Jewish souls that society had given up on as lost were cast into the vast ocean of apathy and indifference.
Standing in the morning on a cold winter day at the Cave of Machpelah, watching all of this unfold before me, I realized the profound and enormous responsibility a Jew has to his past in shaping his behavior in the future.
In the midst of his writing, he chanced to look down at the dance floor. He noticed that from afar, it seemed like he was witnessing poetry in motion.
To reward Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai for the carrier of good tidings, Vespacian grants him one wish. Rabbi Yochanan asks for the Academy of Yavne and its Rabbis.
Jews have the distinct impression that there are moments in time that we can forego the holiness of the Beit Knesset and allow a frivolous, if not rowdy, behavior.
Suddenly it dawned on me that in 1967, during the Six-Day War, the armies of Israel recaptured the Temple Mount and the surrounding outer wall, which we refer to as the Kotel.
If we place our leaders on the highest pedestal, often we are discouraged to try to emulate them.
If you can't control your mouth, then you don't deserve to be a part of the community, and hence your abode is outside the camps of Israel.
To say that this respect for all people is vitally lacking amongst many of our Jewish brothers and sisters is an understatement.
Jews today are quick to judge others and to label them as frum or not frum, acceptable or unacceptable, kosher or treif. We merely observe their outer layer without understanding who they really are.
Our sages write that one of the reasons the second Beit Hamikdash was destroyed was because of blind hatred.
In recognition of the good that was performed in the past we reward this dog with the meat of the animal that he did not protect.
I have fond memories of my trips to Israel with my eighth grade classes for over twenty-five years.
This amount, when placed into perspective in relation to the entire number of those that were in the desert, represented only one percent of the entire community.
Often times when I pray and the chazzan chants a haunting melody, I close my eyes and it seems as if I am singing with the Shechina of Almighty G-d.
This problem of speech control not only affects adults but also children in Day Schools and Yeshivot.
As you enter the actual museum one becomes a little uneasy as you are explained that for the next one and a half hours you will be walking in total darkness.
Today there are many stumbling blocks that prevent people with disabilities from participating fully in services or even in Jewish education.
The mention of kol is referenced in dozens of places in the Torah, and each time it appears, one is filled with wonder and amazement in its powerful and profound implication and meaning.
We think we have the power to make choices and to effect change in this world – that we are in control of our own destiny.
For me the question that I was about to ask had value and I was always taught by my parents that one must ask questions to gain knowledge.
The students were eventually expelled from the school that they were attending, but the reactions of the parents were quite divergent.
The difference between living in Israel verses outside of Israel is that in Israel, Judaism is the basis of the country’s daily operations.
“Isn’t there an obligation upon the Jewish community to accept a day school graduate because of the mere fact that he is a product of a Jewish Hebrew day school?”
Though I felt extreme empathy for the child, I attempted to explain to the parent that the responsibility would be too great and in addition it would greatly deprive from the experience of the other children in the class.
In American society we are all caught up with the idea that youth is very important. We are always trying to perceive ourselves as younger.
There we often find children who lack proper derech eretz in their daily exchanges with people, as if they feel that they are entitled to act this way and to behave disrespectfully around their teachers or adults.
With the advent of the Internet, however, our generation has entered into a period of time of instant communication.
One has only to look at the amount of discoveries in science and medicine, the arts and in education to appreciate the vital role that the Jews have played.
When he came to the hospital he saw his fiancée still in her wheelchair, but expected her to surprise him by jumping up and embracing him.
It’s ironic that when we hear about Arab extremists attacking and killing Jewish settlers, there is quiet from these same left wingers.
We studied his seforim together, we listened to famous cantorial masters and we spoke of his illustrious yichus, his pedigree, dating back to the famous commentator, Rashi.
We tend to justify and idealize this division with pride attributing these tendencies as demonstrating a higher level of kedushah.
How is it possible that some of our people cannot see what I see, the miracle of the existence of the state of Israel?
A leader that has lost faith in his people cannot lead his people and conquer the land of Israel.
There was no question that when Mrs. Cohen entered the room to meet the teacher she was hostile from the outset.
He always impressed me with his brilliance and erudition. But it was his warm remarks and his sincere concern that made me want to please him.
In the midst of all this name calling by these so called leaders stands a man who is steadfast in his beliefs and is prepared to deal with any outside pressure to get his point across.
“Well, you are also part of this class! If someone drills a hole in the boat, the boat will ultimately sink, and even the innocent ones will perish as well. The whole class must be punished!”
Teachers, as well as administrators, must be actively involved in the daily prayers that transpire at a school and must set the bar as dugmaot ishiot, role models, on how one must daven.
If the Maccabees found enough oil to last for one day, then why was the first day considered a miracle?
In our times, most of us when we pray, our minds are on something else-it is hard to focus all the time.
Two of these attacks occurred close to Allon Shvut, and somehow I feel responsible.
We recognize that we are only a speck in this great world and only a small impression in the unfolding of time. As an educator, I have always believed that teachers should realize this as well.
Schools should realize that a child’s life is composed of multifaceted experiences, and schoolwork and homework are only one small part of the equation.
July 17, 2026 
