יום שבת, כ״ג אלול תשפ״וSaturday, September 5, 2026
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When perspective is lacking, even the good in our lives remains out of focus. We fixate on what’s missing, what we’re owed, and where life falls short.
Living near construction isn’t always easy – noise, dust, and detours are part of the package. But history shows that once the cranes leave, property values tend to rise.
In bibliographic terms, this is among the earliest major postwar Chabad publications, and it serves as both a spiritual lifeline and a bibliographic treasure for those studying the trajectory of Torah publishing in exile.
Legal scholars have compared the situation to the U.S. Supreme Court asserting the authority to accept or reject amendments to the American Constitution. Having a written constitution, however, is no guarantee against juristocracy here in America.
Between 1931 and 1934, Chagall worked obsessively on the series The Bible, even going to Amsterdam to carefully study biblical paintings by Rembrandt and El Greco and to examine the extremes in religious painting. He walked the streets of the city's Jewish quarter to again feel the earlier atmosphere.
By Sara Blau
Loving our children equally does not mean treating them identically. Each soul carries its own nature, its own calling. To raise them well is to know them deeply – to nurture their individual strengths and guide them along their unique paths.
By Eli Lebowicz
My legacy will hopefully be the things I've taught my kids, which may or may not include a sense of comedic timing. And sure, instilling some middos in them is fine and good, but I'm talking about things that give you real nachas.
After having our two lovely girls, we wanted to have a boy as well. We went to our friend Rabbi Elchanan Shoff's son's brit before I became pregnant, and he gave us a blessing that we should soon have a son.
When the Rebbe would write his public letters to the Jewish people, they would begin To the Sons and Daughters of Our People Israel, Everywhere...
At the bris a surprise guest, the mekubal’s gabbai appeared, without prior knowledge of the date or location, to represent the mekubal.
By Eve Glover
In the documentary, Kestenbaum explains that the lawsuit he filed against Harvard is the first case in American history pertaining to the civil rights violations of Jewish students on a college campus that’s actually going to trial.
Would I remember the emotions I was experiencing when I returned to Jerusalem and my daily routine? One must write down thoughts and emotions as the occur, or they float into the atmosphere, never to be fully captured in the future.
By Irwin Cohen
This is the first year I actually watched a full college basketball game during March Madness. Specifically, the game when the University of Michigan was playing with Danny Wolf on its team.
We may fear pain, but it’s crucial to recognize that pain leads to suffering only when it lacks proper context and meaning.
Upon assuming office as an anti-Communist conservative, he strongly opposed the notion of a P.L.O. state and supported a militarily strong Israel as America's most reliable Middle East ally. Within a few months of his election, however, he had altered his position and began to encourage "moderate" P.L.O. leaders toward possible autonomy and statehood.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
As a religious Zionist, I say the Tefillah L’shlom HaMedina – the prayer for the State of Israel recited in shuls across the world every Shabbat. It includes the iconic words that the creation of the State of Israel is reishit smichat geulateinu – the first flowering of our redemption.
By JJ Eleff
We compare Moshiach times to the ocean because, when you stand at the shore and look at the ocean, all you see is water. But there is an entire world living inside that ocean.
Is the founding of modern Israel the beginning of our geulah? I don't have much to say about whether this is or isn't a messianic moment, but it seems fairly clear to me that the events of the past 80 years can be described as a geulah.
The Chofetz Chaim kept a Moshiach suit pressed and ready. Just as a soldier must be ready for battle, every Jew must be prepared for Moshiach.
You would not expect me to be fond of a cemetery. It cannot seem normal. But I find comfort in knowing that this specific cemetery is occupied by many people whom I have respected and loved over the years.
The people who love or care about us are the ones we affect most deeply. For someone who feels they have so little control, this becomes the last lifeline - the only power they have left to hold onto.
By Irwin Cohen
Are the players better today? They are certainly bigger and the pitchers can throw harder.
Specially produced beautiful and deeply poignant official postcards were issued for all of the pre-Israel Zionist Congresses (all Congresses after 1948 were held in Jerusalem).
Our history is rewritten in distorted fashion; our statues are torn down; the centrality of Judeo-Christian ethics in our society is denied; victimizers are recast as victims and victims as oppressors.
When people or publications can't differentiate between evil and the fighting back against it, then there really is no point in engaging in conversation.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
In Jewish thought, the raven/crow represents transformation, change, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from going through darkness.
Noah’s logic is solid. If something is good for neither material nor for spiritual reasons, does it have a purpose?
In an attempt to respond to this quirky Word Prompt word, I googled crows and I learned something fascinating. There is actual meaning behind those annoying shrills and shrieks.
Sometimes in life we are like the raven, tested by Hashem in areas that are precisely our very weakness.
As the ego grows and our perspective narrows, unhealthy aspects of our personality begin to surface, filtered through the prism of our insecurities.
Over the years, the Kibbutz movement has produced nearly 1,000 distinct iterations of the Haggadah. Each of these versions carries within it a unique vision of Jewish identity, shaped by the values of the time and the ongoing struggle for national sovereignty.
By Alan Zeitlin
Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, a former aide to Republican Governor George Pataki and former CUNY trustee, said people should be taking Mamdani’s candidacy more seriously.
Collins was a passionate critic of antisemitism, as to which he advised his troops: “I know that there exists, in some divisions, what your people call antisemitism. It will not be tolerated in my division. Should it crop up, I will hold you personally responsible if I am not made aware of it immediately.
The karpas initiates a curiosity about our redemption and mission in this world. This aligns with the Sefas Emes, which comments that karpas represents the first stage of avodas Hashem.
By the time we get to that portion of the seder, we are so famished, that even a plain potato or bitter parsley and celery taste delicious!
The salt water represents the tears Bnei Yisrael shed while in servitude and the green vegetable symbolizes spring and the renewal of spirit.
Karpas in my home was parsley, although celery was another option. (We did not use potatoes as karpas...)
In Judaism we always have the ability for a fresh new start. The story of Passover depicts us as slaves in Egypt, never giving up the hope of being freed and we persevere, and gain our freedom.
As I pull out different suits of his which were stored in our downstairs bedroom, I am quite shocked to discover how many of them were veritable feasts for the moths.
Rather than feeling threatened by Hillel’s wisdom, the Benei Beteira immediately recognized his superior knowledge and stepped aside, appointing him as the new Nasi.
Preparing grasshoppers for consumption is very easy. No shechitah is required. And while there is a dispute among the rabbis whether they must be killed before they are eaten, this debate can be easily circumvented by freezing and killing them, ensuring that they die painlessly.
If we’re asking questions solely for the purpose of receiving answers, we’ve missed the point.
By Irwin Cohen
Once a week or so an afternoon baseball game was televised. However, there were no captions showing the name of the player, or his batting average, and 75 years ago, the black and white games were covered by mostly one camera in the upper deck behind home plate showing the pitcher, batter, catcher and most of the umpire.
Even with the heavy wear to this piece, I had some competition in the live bidding, but I eventually prevailed and was the piece’s new owner. Now my task was to research the age and origin of this Passover soup tureen, and see how many other examples were known.
The bigger our ego, the greater our need to predict and control our world. The ego is thus inclined to dwell on the worst-case scenario in a futile attempt to protect itself.
The trial court denied the shul’s application for a tax exemption, concluding, among other things, that the property was not intimately related to the [petitioner’s] religious objectives.
Even standing on their own without musical accompaniment, Shemer’s lyrics were achingly beautiful and highly emotional.
Speaking of war, the next major offense against free expression occurred early in the Civil War (which ironically happened because the American political system, unlike that of Britain and France, failed to end the enslavement of Black Americans, a deprival of liberty not fully corrected until the 1960s-era civil rights laws).
For generations, a Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael was the great hope – Hatikvah – of countless Jews. In 1948, that hope was realized. Yet, hope did not end there – Od lo avda tikvateinu – nor did the challenges.
If a person feels like change is impossible, we encourage hope. If they feel like they can't be fixed, we show them their value.
When we focus on this healing future that exists beyond time, we bring tomorrow's comfort into today's pain. Our suffering doesn't disappear, but it changes as the light of our destination brightens our difficult journey.
This Pesach will be the second year of a wartime Seder and so our Hope for Hashem’s protection will be even more pronounced.
Imber’s words testify to the enduring spirit of Am Yisrael. Even in the shadow of loss, our hope remains. Our deep connection to the land, to our people, and to the promise of renewal endures.
Citing the machatzis ha’shekel, Rabbi Mermelstein stated that we all need each other. When we love our neighbor as if they were us, we see them as equally deserving of the same treatment we would want for ourselves.
Three weddings for the same two people, really is two more than necessary.
People with anxiety or depression gravitate towards feelings that match their internal emotional landscape. For example, someone with anxiety might repeatedly engage in activities that provoke worry or fear, while a person with depression might immerse themselves in environments that elicit sadness or hopelessness.
By Irwin Cohen
I wasn't bored as I cut out articles from The Jewish Press to read while waiting for appointments or at simchas. After all, my table neighbors spent a lot of time playing with their phones.
By Alan Zeitlin
He said based largely on this incident, when people ask him how to fight antisemitism, besides Holocaust education, people should illuminate others on the many Jewish contributions to the world.
Hebrew printing on Corfu was a late development, only taking root in the late 19th century. Before this, the community was forced to send their manuscripts to well-established centers like Venice for publication.
According to most authorities, the family's Judaism was neither religious nor political but, rather, cultural and casual.
But if "all Jews are Jews, except the Jews I really don't like" is your stance, then you don't actually believe in achdut.
By Solly Hess
There have been moments of national unity in the U.S., where Americans banded together after terrifying circumstances. Think of the kindness and care shown to one another after 9/11. Sadly, that grand-scale unity is more of a distant memory than the ubiquitous flags on everyone’s car window.
Let us also remember that the biggest obstacle to achdut is ego. As people strive to defend their image and self-importance, this can become its own type of avodah zarah that undermines the spiritual values that they think they are fighting for.
According to Ohr HaChaim: The kingdom of Israel will only endure if the heads of the people assemble together (keep the peace amongst themselves).
When we look at others, we should recognize that they carry a spark of Hashem Echad within them. When we think about ourselves, we must also remember that we, too, hold a part of Hashem Echad.
By Baruch Lytle
The stigma placed on divorcees can make it unclear where to turn for help. Studies show it's in a community's best interest to take care of its most vulnerable and to nurse them back to good spiritual, emotional and mental health.
Many friends offered their condolences not only on the passing of my amazing Hubby, but also for the time which I would need to wait before the mourning period officially would begin.
By Irwin Cohen
Unlike Florida, no one wore a costume and all the men dress as they do year-round, black suit, white shirt, black hat and grayish to whitish beard. Until the grass gets greener, the flowers bloom and the trees grow leaves, living in Country Place is like living in a black and white movie.
The clearer our perception of reality, the more each moment reinforces our emunah. In contrast, those who deny the truth must continually adjust their experiences, filtering their lives through an ego-distorted lens.
The most significant of Farissol’s writings is Igereth Orchoth Olam, a comprehensive cosmographic and geographic work based on original research and the studies of Christian and Arab geographers.
Today, besides Hamas, Hezbollah, and Ayatollah Khamenei, we are hated by U.N. officials and innumerable college faculty, students, commentators, journalists, and government officials around the world.
By Robert Isler
Fay shares that not a day goes by without group members voicing how helpless they had felt watching the avalanche of ugliness following October 7 until they discovered this empowering vehicle to fight back.
By Alan Zeitlin
In the debate with Beinart, Lax said the charge of apartheid is wrong and that the status of those who live in what is called the West Bank is not based on race but on citizenship vs. non-citizenship.
It is fascinating to note that, notwithstanding his antisemitism, Sherman was a great admirer of Rose Eytinge (1835-1911), a Jewish-American actress and author who rose to become one of the most popular female stars of the 1860s and 1870s and the first American actress to earn a three-figure salary.
We each have our own characteristics and prefer our own path of worship. Our paths are unique to ourselves, but here is where we differ from angels: angels cannot veer from their characters, we can.
By Keshet Starr
In many ways, the twelve tribes are a beautiful symbol of Jewish unity; twelve different groups within a larger nation, each contributing in their own way.
Each of my children has different strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. With Hashem’s help, they will all find their own individual paths.
The picture will become clearer when Moshiach comes. In the meantime, let’s daven and pray for an easier time and a redemption of mercy for the people of Israel!
By Hillel Fuld
Interestingly, the word shevet is spelled the same way in Hebrew as other words including the month of Shevat, and the Hebrew word for cloning.
Hubby was looking for sympathy. I felt that being sympathetic was not helpful. I wanted him to feel alive and not indulge himself that his end was near.
By Irwin Cohen
I really admired the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Ohr Someach. As one of the founders of the baal teshuva movement in the 1960s, he affected many future generations.
When the ego is engaged, it instructs us about what is important. However, in this space, we can’t access it and have little or no connection to the reality into which we have been thrust.
In the introduction to Imrei Shefer, Rabbi Isaac addresses this imposter work, which had been printed a few years prior in Venice in 1593. Rabbi Isaac was quick to clarify that it was a forgery – one concocted by unscrupulous individuals who sought to profit from his father’s revered name.
By Alan Zeitlin
Having visited before the latest round of violence, Lopatin said it is his hope that the new regime would be peaceful and not ally itself with Iran.
Marceau’s talent with body language and mime movement may have saved his life while fighting with the French resistance. He claimed that he was caught entirely by surprise when he accidentally ran into a unit of German soldiers; quickly improvising, he mimicked an advance guard of a large French force and successfully persuaded the German soldiers to retreat.
Spring is also allergy season. Time to stock up on the Zyrtec. For some reason, this always surprises me and feels terribly unjust. Why, oh why, just as things are getting so beautiful do I also have to feel goopy and miserable?
Each year, when the snow starts to melt for the last time of the season and I hear the sounds of children dragging their bikes out of the shed, or the rhythmic bounce of a basketball on the court next door, I feel grateful for the change in seasons.
Spring reminds me that each and every day is truly a blessing.
Passover in the spring is all about remembering that freedom. But it's not just ancient history; it's about us, now, shaking off whatever is holding us back.
Of course, the family had wanted what was best for their father. They believed that their father was at risk under the care of the aid who had clearly acted irresponsibly on his day off. Still, Mom knew what was best for both her and Dad in these final weeks.
September 4, 2026 
