יום חמישי, כ״ה חשוון תשפ״זThursday, November 5, 2026
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By Irwin Cohen
While American Jews tried to help, they were also surrounded by signs of growing antisemitism at home and disturbing admiration for Hitler in unexpected places.
By Baruch Lytle
The Rebbe Rashab says the commandment of techeiles is a perpetual one, and whenever we are capable of fulfilling it, it is clear that we must do so.
Rashi’s commentary was so foundational that it was chosen as the very first Hebrew book to be printed with a date.
By Baruch Lytle
When asked about the morale and reactions Cole is witnessing from the civilian population, Cole admitted, It's a mix, everyone has reason to be afraid, but Israelis are remaining strong right now.
Post-World War II Liverpool was generally very antisemitic and Lennon came from an anti-Jewish background. He was known to make impromptu antisemitic comments...
By Alan Zeitlin
We are so outnumbered, so if given the platform to speak, we have to take that opportunity even if we are incensed that other guests given an opportunity are antisemitic.
I look around and see people running around, busying themselves til they drop. No one wants to even stop to think because we are afraid to sit alone in our silence.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
What exactly is a schlepper? In that simple scene, he was the one carrying the bags. But the term schlep carries more than just physical weight – it has a certain heaviness to it.
I've learned to honor my own schlep seasons with self-compassion, when showing up is the highest form of courage I can muster.
By Avi Ganz
We have a tendency to relate to our ups and downs in terms of closeness and distance: an up brings us closer to our goals and to G-d, and a down does the opposite.
By Akiva Kra
Some schleps are just plain annoying. Like the 30-minute walk with a group to a friend’s house, only to find no one home. Or schlepping five bags of groceries in the rain because your driver bailed. Brutal.
We are not the same people we were when we went into the fray. For myself, I find that now I am quite prepared to express how I feel in situations where I probably should not.
It’s important to emphasize that diversion is not suppression. For instance, we wouldn’t say we’re suppressing thoughts of unicorns just because we’re not thinking about them; they’re simply irrelevant to us, so our attention is elsewhere.
One of the earliest printed maps in Hebrew, it captures both the geographic and spiritual journey of Am Yisrael.
By Irwin Cohen
Moments like these remind us that leadership on the world stage is not only strange, but often deeply troubling – especially when it comes to Israel.
The impressionists differed in their political and social opinions well before the Affair, and their varying attitudes toward France’s Jewish population proved to be one of the most divisive issues.
More broadly, the criminal justice system has become weaponized.
According to the Baal Shem Tov, every individual carries a divine spark and mission – their own inner degel. Healing begins when we reconnect with this inner identity.
Only when we feel a secure sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves can we really have the freedom to discover our individuality.
The Israeli flag flew in many places on our recent MDS 8th grade graduation trip to Israel. It flew over the graves of fallen soldiers in the freshest plots on Har Herzl, blew in the wind over the word Yizkor over a pile of cars, burned and shot at the site of the Nova pogrom.
As a member of the New York State Assembly, representing my district and my community, I often feel that I am waving an invisible degel. The manner in which I present myself, the things I say, the culture and traditions I honor, even the clothing I choose – these are all my degel.
By Ariela Davis
At last night’s ceremony at the Kotel in memory of the fallen soldiers, the camera repeatedly flashed to the flag waving in the wind as if it represented everything we were mourning that day. In many ways, it does.
A 96- year-old man, days before his life was to expire… still wanted to enjoy every moment of his life.
In the previous columns, we laid out the mechanics of bitachon. Now, we begin the step-by-step protocol to confront anxiety and fear head-on—starting with a powerful, science-backed technique to intercept anxiety the moment it strikes and shift both body and brain out of panic mode.
Breitbart became a great source of hope to all sorts of Jews, ranging from the wholly unaffiliated to Orthodox and Charedi rabbis, who could dream of a future of national empowerment and, ultimately, a Jewish state defended by Jewish strength.
In about thirty seconds, I had reconfigured our life. We would settle by the sea, my husband would become a Masada guide, and I would homeschool at the water’s edge.
We don’t have to wait until we feel inspired to reach for Hashem. We reach out because we feel dry, empty, arid. That’s the moment of connection – not after the storm, but during the drought.
The medrash in Bamidbar Rabbah tells us that the Torah was given through three mediums: fire, water, and the desert. The commonality between these three is that they are all free and accessible. So too, the Torah costs nothing as it is available to anyone who seeks it.
When it comes to Israel we want as much rain as possible in the winter so that our crops will grow and the land will flourish.
Moisture for crops and vegetation? No problem; we had dew every morning. Water to drink for man and beast? No reliance on oases for us, we had be’erah shel Miriam. And so it went for 40 years.
By Rena Vegh
At different points, members in the group yelled out as they revisited difficult feelings in the body or memories in the mind.
How is it possible that the earth still turns on its axis? Doesn’t everyone understand the void that now exists?
Anxiety and fear are distinct phenomena, each with unique origins and requiring different strategies for management. Anxiety prompts us to anticipate future dangers and imagine worst-case scenarios that might never occur. In contrast, fear is a reaction to a known threat that usually subsides once the threat is removed or conquered.
Beyond the specific questions, pay close attention to how the therapist responds. Do they listen attentively? Do they answer your questions clearly and respectfully? Do you feel a sense of warmth and genuine interest?
By Irwin Cohen
Without the Babe in April and May, the Yanks were close to the bottom and finished the season in seventh place in the eight team American League.
The Boston Globe reported that by the end of November 1967, more than 400,000 members of the Jewish faith are estimated to have observed the commandment to wear Phylacteries (tefillin) at the city’s Western Wall, formerly known as the Wailing Wall.
The Mishna (1:2) for Maseches Rosh Hashana states that there are four periods when Hashem sits in judgment: Pesach for grain, Shavuos for the fruit of trees, Sukkos for water, and Rosh Hashana for humanity.
Everything we do in life requires sustenance, and it’s no coincidence that the Torah uses the word lechem to describe not only bread, but all food in general.
By Maayan Zik
Lechem with the Hebrew letters lamed-chet-mem means bread, but can also be a stand in for abundance, livelihood, and sustenance.
It has been asked, aren’t there other foods that are tastier and more exciting than bread? Are we not instructed to consume “fat meat and old wine” to celebrate Yom Tov? Doesn’t bread seems so banal? Is that all that married life is, as exciting as bread?
Trust in Hashem’s ability and desire to provide for us and focus our efforts on simply providing avenues for him to do so.
By David Curwin
The connection between war and welding becomes clearer when we consider that, in ancient times, combat involved close physical contact – just as welding fuses elements together.
It seems to me that most people do not discuss the adjustment period after the death of a loved one. Hence, I am continuing to write this diary…just a bit longer.
A narrow lens doesn’t just blur what matters—it warps scale. We lose the ability to gauge how much something matters.
By Alan Zeitlin
Greenblatt said it was Trump’s intervention that resulted in hostage Edan Alexander being freed and added that sometimes you just have to do what you have to do, talk to the worst people in the world to actually make progress, that’s the reality.
By Irwin Cohen
As Jewish fans may know, Israel will field a team also. The WBC takes place every three years, and Israel did fairly well, but the roster was filled with Jewish minor leaguers, a couple of recently retired players, and the biggest Jewish stars stayed with their major league teams during spring training instead of representing Israel.
According to Drage’s biography, Cohen was born in London in 1889 to a family that had just arrived from Poland, but most analysts agree that he was actually born in 1887 to a poor Jewish family in a Radzanów, Poland shtetl shortly before his family fled Eastern European pogroms and emigrated to London.
As the Yiddish saying goes, Man plans (estimates) and Hashem laughs. He does not give estimations.
We rarely have complete clarity, but we’re still expected to move forward. We gather what we can, weigh our options, and take our best shot.
When are estimations usually correct? Well, when we use Waze here in Israel, it generally is correct.
By Keshet Starr
Beyond instinctual guessing and structural estimating, there are also moments where we just need to take a leap, moving into the unknown without a clear, evidence-based pathway forward.
By Hillel Fuld
When things are less important to us, as humans, we are satisfied with estimation. Whether we are accurate in our estimation or not is of no significance to us.
Hubby’s wardrobe beckons to me daily. Because he had been a clothing designer, his legacy is partially the beautiful shoes, belts, jackets, custom suits, shirts, ties, and jewelry which he left behind. Little by little, I am finding worthy recipients of the most important items.
Our choices shape our perspective. Our perspective sets the context. And that context determines the meaning we assign to any experience.
What makes Levi’s work so enduring is not only his grasp of the Hebrew but his sensitivity to the te’amim – the flavor and nuance – of the prayers. This wasn’t a robotic translation.
By Irwin Cohen
Insurance prices have skyrocketed and many companies have stopped offering insurance to multi-unit buildings in Florida. My rate for a ground floor 786-square-foot (not counting an enclosed porch) went up over 80 percent.
Most of Miller’s plays were performed in Israel, beginning with Salesman, which was performed at the Habimah National Theatre in Tel Aviv (1951). He visited Israel several times, once attending a presentation of his All My Sons and sitting next to Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on his last day in office, May 17, 1977.
The new bow word association signifies more than my expanded knowledge base of girl matters with which I was previously unfamiliar. It more broadly highlights a willingness to learn new things and expand my horizons.
It was a moment that proved the teaching true: we’re all connected. And just like a bow can send an arrow across a distance, ahavas Yisrael can bridge the gap between souls.
The 49 days are not just a countdown to Shavuot; they are a time to prepare oneself spiritually for the receiving of the Torah. Each day of counting brings a person closer to being ready to accept and internalize the teachings of the Torah.
By Anat Coleman
Let the bow remind us: Draw close what matters. Aim your life with intention. And when it’s time – let go.
By Martin Bodek
Well, perhaps because I just turned 50, what immediately came to mind is something I have yet to master: tying a bow on my shoes.
Once the person whom you loved fiercely enough to marry is unable to function as your partner in life…a deep mourning process begins. This period is incredibly difficult because those around the caregiving spouse or adult child do not fully realize the sadness one experiences from this ongoing loss.
By Irwin Cohen
I had several conversations with Yogi during my years on the baseball beat. I always found him wearing a serious face. I never heard him say anything funny. He was soft-spoken and easy to talk to.
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.
November 6, 2026 
