יום שבת, כ״ג אלול תשפ״וSaturday, September 5, 2026
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Why can I not get it through my thick skull that Hubby eats like a four-year old now? Pizza, cookies, candy, eggrolls, spaghetti, fruit, ice cream, would all suffice for him. But not for me, and do I not matter as well?
The book itself is described by its author as the final revelation of G-d in which all answers to all remaining questions with respect to the Tanach were answered.
One significant obstacle that the prosecution faced throughout the case was that Beilis was broadly respected, even beloved, by the Gentiles in his neighborhood, some of whom referred to him affectionately as “our Mendel,” and their high regard for him as an honest man was such that many non-Jews either refused to testify against him or even testified in his favor.
Our story begins with a seemingly chance encounter on a Jerusalem street on Shabbos afternoon as Rabbi Wein was walking home from shul, when he met a man who seemed oddly out of place.
Everything changed this year, and I venture to say I'm not the only one with this experience. My eyes have been opened. I have learned so much. I have heard so many stories. I have seen so many faces.
By Sara Blau
When I think of IDF, I think of exceptional, special spiritual powers.
This sacrifice reminds me of our brave IDF members, who have had to give up so much time with their families in order to carry out the holy work of defending the State of Israel.
To fight in the IDF, the first Jewish fighting force in 2,000 years, is an amazing honor and is a life-changing experience.
The soldiers go out to war with the Shema on their lips. It's been very hard this past year and so many holy soldiers have been killed, but they went out in the name of Hashem, very devoted to the land and people of Israel.
By Marc Gronich
The U.S. House of Representatives is still up for grabs, but New York was not any help this year in keeping control of Congress in Republican hands.
By Alan Zeitlin
He criticized Jones for proposing that convicted murderers be allowed to vote from prison and wanting to defund the police and that Jones’s positions are too radical for the Hudson Valley.
Even today at the age of 95, Hubby asks where his license is, as if he is about to fly the coop and embark on an adventure on his own. To tell him that he is too old to drive, would not be a pleasant task, and hopefully can be avoided.
100% of all fallen Israeli soldiers have been identified. By comparison, to date only 56 percent of all the casualties from 9/11 have been positively identified.
One major halachic dispute, though, has left its mark in literature and history. The impetus was a publication which I recently acquired, titled Av Bachochma, authored by Rabbi Avraham Aaron Yudelovitz and published in New York in 1927.
By Eve Glover
In the past, anxiety treatment patterns were location specific, but after the October 7 terror attacks, the KSM study found that the entire nation was adversely affected, with women being 81 percent more likely than men to start taking anxiety medication.
After the Affair, the Neturei Karta lost much of its public support and it never again tried to kidnap Jewish children to save them.
Bruriah was a female scholar, but in addition to being brilliant in her knowledge of halacha, she was also considerate, brave, resilient, and defiant.
For me, as much as the name Bruriah invokes the intrepid and scholarly Talmudic heroine, it brings to mind a street. A humble, narrow lane not far from where I live.
Bruriah is touted as a daughter of one talmid chacham and wife of another, yet her mothering or wifely duties are never described or lauded.
Today, with the news out of Israel shocking and saddening us constantly, as parents we often find ourselves needing to shield our children from the anxiety we are feeling. It is hard, but it’s a must, and we can draw strength from Bruriah’s choice.
Let’s face it: in a community where Sara and Rivka are seen as the epitome of tznius, Bruriah might feel like it’s too loud, too forward. Maybe some see it as a statement.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
Perhaps this Moed – literally meaning "set time" – can indeed become a set time for creating positive family memories, rather than stress and tension. It can even be a set time for growth.
Wouldn’t you think that it would be the easiest holiday that would have the most people celebrating? Something like, say, Shavuot which has no chametz or seder and is just two days long. Shouldn’t easier be more celebrated?
By Martin Bodek
Whatever we think, whatever we do, whatever direction our hearts point us to as we come to this yahrzeit, let’s be sure to fill it all with meaning.
The intention is that Israel will be redeemed by the Torah in body and soul and mind to be entirely holy, and that the general correction will be over.
The moed is experienced through the va'ad. In other words, we only relate to and perceive that particular time within the context of our collective experience of the holidays.
Especially since I did not serve in the IDF having made aliyah later in life, the respect and admiration that I have for our brave and heroic soldiers is boundless.
For a very long time, twenty- or thirty-years employment in a corporation, resulted in the gift of a gold watch in appreciation. To those for whom the purchase of such a treasure was beyond their wildest imagination, it was very special and worn with great pride.
I fear that our need to obsess over the war may have a detrimental effect on our kids’ long-term relationship with Israel. The news is not all bad.
Is this newfound pride a response to the resurgence of antisemitism? Or is it something deeper – an affirmation of our heritage, our traditions, and our enduring contributions to the world?
Enemy and treason are defined not just by actions, but by intent. Left-wing extremists, right-wing extremists, anti-Zionist charedim – none of these groups want the destruction of Israel, the murder of groups of Jews, or to actively sabotage its existence.
Originally designed for about 150 passengers, the Struma was retrofitted to carry almost 800 people, such that its sleeping quarters lacked space for the passengers to even sit up.
By Rabbi Shimshon HaKohen Nadel
Popular songs on Israeli radio today – the songs which have become the anthems of this war – emanate from a deep spiritual place. They draw on Jewish themes, motifs, prayers, and texts. And young people sing them like tefillot.
I suppose in the back of all our minds was and is that we are still living in the Middle East – we still have to earn our place here. But nothing prepared me for October 7. Nothing.
What if it isn’t entirely true that we can’t expect a great miracle?
The first anniversary of October 7 is upon us, and in some ways, we feel like we are right back there, or maybe that we never left.
We have also realized who we can trust and who our friends really are: despite its waffle-words, its incredibly poorly thought-out hostage-cease-fire plan and a temporary hold on some weapons, the Biden administration has done a relatively good job of supporting Israel.
After Shabbat ended the news started rolling in; the numbers of people murdered, kidnapped, the pictures, the videos. Then, as we all feared, the horror began to become personal.
As I left Efrat, my anxiety kicked in. At these moments, you ask yourself questions like: should I even be leaving my house right now? Having no information on where the missile came from, I had no sense if more were on the way.
This has been a year of bloodshed. We lost so many precious young men; so many young women became widows, and little children orphans. Is this Gog U’Magog, I have often wondered?
By Nachum Lamm
Things are always on. Nothing stops. Things develop. But even as you try to put a positive spin on things, you still get those punches in the stomach.
Once antisemitism is exposed, it cannot easily be masked again. At best, it will lurk just beneath the surface; at worst, it will manifest itself in new ways.
By dvora
The air is haunted by the distant rumble of warplanes. My husband tells me, These are our planes. It’s good. It means they are doing something. But to me it’s the shriek of unquiet ghosts.
By Leah Aron and Estee Fischman
We go to Shulamith High School of Long Island and we are very proud to tell you about the hours of work and effort that our school put into creating a beautiful and powerful memorial and program for October 7. It commemorated the atrocities that afflicted our nation, Am Yisrael, a year ago.
Hubby clearly was unwilling to trust her with the pills. It was predictable, as it had been twelve hours since his last calming medications had been ingested and they only last three hours.
By Robert Isler
Kaufman said she would have been happier with almost any other candidate on the Republican side, specifically mentioning Nikki Haley, a name that was offered up by others as well.
In the world of antique Judaica, it appears that containers made specifically for the purpose of holding an etrog is a rather late development, as the oldest verified etrog boxes... date no earlier than the 18th century.
As Metziahs was expanding, I realized that while I was finding great items, there was still a gap that needed to be filled. The modest woman needs certain items in her wardrobe, like the basic black skirt, and I couldn’t find those pieces.
A few years prior, an edition printed in Venice for Sephardic Jews did include Selichot, though, as well as the additional Kabbalistic texts, and various editions in the following decades contained a variety of combinations of prayers and readings.
A mitzvah at once beautiful, mystical, symbolic, and deeply meaningful, analysis and discussion of its halachic and Kabbalistic essence are far beyond the scope of this article.
When we open our homes, we create an atmosphere that elevates not just the meal but the entire spiritual experience.
But as much as I love guests, the whole experience really makes me nostalgic for my seminary/college life when it was so easy to call up a family, or call up a friend, and make a Shabbos or yuntif chavaya (experience).
By Avi Ganz
There is no Hebrew word for "history." There is the modern Hebrew's "historiya," but the Torah doesn’t seem to afford any significance to history qua history.
Casually, he leaned over in his high chair, locked eyes with my mother and said, Hi. It was the tiniest of moments, over in a blink, one I would have missed had I continued to obsess about the food situation.
Admittedly, in my own home, I need a reminder to recite ushpizin. It's all too easy to get caught up in a myriad of other distractions while preparing to eat in the sukkah.
Does the brain have different folders in it, like a computer? When one section of the brain is full after a number of years, does another memory section become available?
There is mention of the custom of kapparot already in the 7th century, but even then, the source we have states the reason for this custom is unknown.
By Dov Bergman
Music (neginah) was integral to the chassidic court, and nearly every court featured a chazan. Although many lacked formal training in musical notation, these chazanim were accomplished cantors and composers, producing a wealth of melodies.
In a connection with Rosh Hashana – literally the head of the year – the fish head is a well-known symbol of the Yom Tov. In many Jewish legends, fish are also traditionally a sign of parnassah (prosperity), so the fish symbolizes our prayers that we be at the “head” of our luck and prosperity in the coming year.
By Adina Broder
Forgiveness by our fellow man results in him putting aside his pain and resentment, even though those feelings were justified. This is an incredible act of emotional generosity.
An apology is so much more than just saying the words I’m sorry.
Slicha takes on a different significance during Yom Kippur when we are reminded that not one human exists without fault.
By dvora
On a personal level, man to man, when you forgive someone for a perceived slight, you reclaim your peace of mind.
Why are we so stubborn as adults, who should know with so much more reason and logic, that if we just say sorry, we would be able to move on from arguments so much faster.
We will not even discuss the stains which are under the dining table from food accidents, which only compound the unique new decor.
By Alan Zeitlin
Each comic shined, discussing everything from recent attacks by Israel to the presidential election to dating.
These marranos who returned to Judaism openly were often adults, with little or no real Jewish education or knowledge. The need to integrate them in to the new communities resulted in a new phenomenon, siddurim that were completely in the vernacular, in this case the Spanish or Portuguese, of these new immigrants.
Raban (1890-1970), who acquired his reputation through the designs he made for Bezalel, was undoubtedly one of the most important artists in pre-State Eretz Yisrael.
Besides the rigors of the Depression, life in New York was complicated by Zeydie’s delicate constitution. He could only digest white bread, for example, not rye or pumpernickel. Then he lost an eye in an industrial accident and was unable to work steadily.
Perhaps it's a benefit to us that we can't see real kings today. It allows us to strengthen our desire, so as we gather in shul this year, we not only crown Hashem as our melech...
Even if we have a theoretical understanding of the sort of mighty and absolute monarch used as a metaphor for G-d, it is very distant from our actual experience.
These ideas come together when you consider one of the most powerful paragraphs we say – Adon Olam. It opens with a mind-blowing statement – Hashem is the Master of time (olam), who reigned (malach) before any form was created.
Perhaps this is why Aleinu, a declaration of faith and belief in G-d as king, is a centerpiece of the Mussaf on Rosh Hashana. In saying it, we are challenged to ask a simple yet uncomfortable question. Have we made G-d our King?
By David Curwin
It’s also notable that while the Torah mentions many foreign kings, none of Israel’s leaders, including Moshe, are ever given the title melech.
Pasha is also the name of a beautiful butterfly which exists in the Middle East and Africa. I am quite sure that it not what Hubby had in mind. The word Pasha equated with powerful, and Hubby will retain that definition.
In this correspondence written by Emmanuel and family members in Salonica and Curacao, familial matters are interspersed with much important historical material and records.
Some critics maintain that the poem was actually a prophetic pre-history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, as Melville brilliantly considers the friction between science and issues of faith and doubt and the interplay between Jewish life and practices in the biblical past and presents contemporary Jewish life in the Ottoman empire in late-nineteenth century Eretz Yisrael.
It’s heartening to see the once virid foliage turn crackly and dull, but this is requisite needed for its overall survival.
Leaves represent the cycles of life and how where we seem to be can be deceiving, and how we are all connected.
By Keshet Starr
As a kid who grew up in a place without seasons, watching the leaves fall in autumn is still magical. And yet, the beauty of the changing colors masks the harder elements of the cold winter to come.
The question to be asked is this: how many leaves do we need to add to the table to accommodate the guests coming for the Shabbat meal?
By Hillel Fuld
Just as leaves blow in the wind and are impossible to retrieve, so to, a word. Once it’s out there, it’s impossible to get it back. But this concept doesn’t stop with words.
It was important that I began this chapter with the newsflash, or you might think that this chapter will reveal some secrets about the once teenage-heart-throb. Nope.
I recently acquired a fine copy of a first edition of his Chochmat Adam, published in Vilna in 1815. His Chayei Adam, published prior, did not contain any approbation.
De Santis stated, I am committed to deepening the relationship between Florida and the State of Israel. This specialty license plate serves as a visible symbol of our steadfast support and friendship.
He believed that when Zionism succeeds in normalizing Jewish life, Hebrew writers would become capable of producing works of literate genius; as such, as a means to fulfill his vision of national revival, he devoted himself to encouraging Hebrew writers to compose works that blended Judaism with humanism.
Nevertheless, we must face the facts. It has been said that the measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable members.
...our relationship with G-d is anything but impersonal. Like a marriage, it takes body and soul, words and actions, commitments, failures, and fixing.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
A beautiful imagery developed from Chabad thought envisions G-d being in the field and this is our opportunity to come closer to Hashem, so to speak, panim el panim, face to face.
Call out to Hashem when He is found, call Him when He is close. He is not just approachable, to every Jew He is dodi, My beloved.
Enigmatically and somewhat controversially, Rambam interprets the nature of this loving relationship to depend on intellectual understanding of G-d and His works: according to the level of knowledge, so can be the love.
The gematria of dodi is 24. The gematria of Hashem’s name is 26. To reach a level of G-dliness we must add two – oneself and Hashem, in a mutually caring and giving relationship.
September 4, 2026 
