יום שישי, כ״ב אלול תשפ״וFriday, September 4, 2026
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Here in America in 2024, the danger is approaching the level of Nazi Germany in the early 1930s. Now, as then, the antisemitic wave originated in the universities.
By Solly Hess
Anyone who has been involved in chinuch, either as an educator or a parent, knows that adding playfulness, whimsy, and fun are the secret, critical ingredients to a love of learning.
Playfulness can turn the harshness of reality into something that is more manageable. It helps us to relax and regulate our nervous system which makes for better processing and coping.
When I close my eyes, thirty years ago at Camp Stone feels like yesterday, the lessons from holding candles by the lake on Tisha B’Av and hiding from the Greeks at late night capture the flag, will be part of me forever. Playing is learning, posting is not.
The idea behind play therapy is, some feelings are too intense for a child to express in words, but a child’s play can reveal and articulate a world of complex emotions – to one who knows how to observe.
When it comes to sports, it’s key for adults to emphasize life skills learned from the game, rather than focusing on winning and losing.
Seemingly after seeing how all of the work that his father-in-law invested in the movement might fizzle away, he accepted the role. Now as leader, Rebbe Mendel Schneerson – who over the decades many began to refer as the Rebbe – steered the movement into being a global Jewish outreach organization.
It is impossible to fully encapsulate the impact or the influence of the Rebbe in a single article. Growing up as a young emissary (shliach) in Louisville, Kentucky, I rarely saw the Rebbe in person, but I witnessed the effect of his teachings and worldview every single day.
A visitor to the Rebbe said, Rebbe you are amazing! The Rebbe didn’t deflect the compliment or return it. Instead, he answered, True, I am amazing. But how does the world benefit from the fact that I am amazing? Do I do enough with it?
As is customary, I took a little Tehillim off the bookshelf, stood by the kever, and let the Tehillim fall open, on its own, to whichever perek it chose. It fell open to Perek 78. Or, in Hebrew, ayin zayin. Oz.
It has been hard to train my brain to stay in the moment. I do this for my own sanity. Once the brain begins to spiral out-of-control, I can no longer function with the responsibilities that life has thrust upon me.
Some of his many achievements include his promotion of Shabbat observance in Germany, and his role as editor of a monthly journal titled Der Sabbath from 1910 until 1914 – when WWI ceased publication.
Leading the antisemitic discrimination against the Jews in New Amsterdam was Stuyvesant, who was strongly committed to the supremacy of the Dutch Reformed Church, determined to promote morality and social cohesion through the enforcement of Calvinist orthodoxy, and unwavering in his desire to deport Jews from the colony.
Today, I love trying to recreate those moments with my husband and daughters and make new memories that will surely last a lifetime.
Grilling with our family alongside others of various stripes, brothers and sisters all, filled me with a rush of pride and sense of belonging that Fourth of July celebrations never quite did.
In the Talmud, foods are class-based. You just do not read of rabbis stating that they drink the common beverage, date beer, but only if it is of the single origin variety, brewed locally in Neharda'ah.
I have a rule though: once you flavor and layer your hamburger with whatever you want, you cannot put it down. Otherwise, you risk ruining the sandwich by making the bread soggy with all the juices that come out.
Most importantly, the backyard barbeque is a way for us to just get together and have fun eating and schmoozing.
This is not the first time that Hubby has called me mama, although usually he self-corrects, and says Oh yes – I should not call you that! You are my wife.
Everywhere we look, America is in disarray. From transgenderism to diversity, equity, and inclusion, to the concept of toxic masculinity, to extreme environmentalism, to the growing abandonment of Judeo-Christian religious values, to moves to break up the traditional nuclear family, our entire culture is being turned upside-down.
Soviet Russia's complex pact, and later disbandment, with the Nazis left a troubling legacy in Soviet Russia, and mention of the Holocaust and the murder of Jews was forbidden.
Some authorities suggest that he adopted his views on Jews because he understood Judaism only through the lens of Christianity and that he reduced Judaism to a religion without considering its nationalistic character and, as such, he excluded Zionism from the Jewish identity.
By Chaim Saiman
It is hard to imagine the study of Torah without debate and machloket – indeed what would the Talmud look like shorn of the multiplicity of debates and disagreements that propel its dialogue forward?
To think of the Sanhedrin as merely an institutional feature of enforcing Jewish law would be to miss the central role Jewish legal institutions – whether it be the Sanhedrin of old or the modern day beit din – play in the ethics of Jewish law.
As a number of traditional sources point out, such legislation of the details of biblical law was not decided solely upon the basis of decoding the text or Talmudic logic.
Instead of the lofty goal of creating a Sanhedrin with the intent of creating consensus and unity, we could start the other way around. Start off with achdus, and a global movement to increase ahavas Yisrael among our people.
The Greek term Sanhedrin reflects a new name given to the zekeinim we know from the Torah. So Sanhedrin represents Jewish ability to determine law and justice, even as it is subjugated under an outside imperial culture.
By Alan Zeitlin
Jake Tapper and Dana Bash will moderate the CNN June 27 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump that will certainly feature some questions about Israel, Iran and antisemitism.
Those of you who know me will be frightened by what I am writing, but I must insert here that I do not hate Hubby. I forgive him, over and over and over. I am fortunate that he still expresses his love for me, and when he does, I see glimpses of the man I cherished for most of our time together.
Modi performs all over the world, and since the events of October 7, he has ended each show with Hatikvah, including in front of audiences in Germany, Holland, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
One particularly memorable item was a photocard of himself and his crew standing in front of the Sphinx on which he has written In Mitzraim just at the right time of year; expect to be in Palestine for Pesach.
With a track record of mentorship, volunteerism, and community involvement, Johnson embodies the values of integrity, compassion, and service that are essential for a Surrogate’s Court judge.
Popsicles came in varying colors and flavors. Vanilla white, lime green, chocolate, banana yellow, cherry red, etc. Yet they are all labeled as popsicles.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
The process of making a popsicle – mixing ingredients, freezing them, and transforming a liquid into a solid – parallels one of the most popular and treasured themes in Judaism: the power and privilege of transformation via teshuva.
As the environment in galus heats up, we have a choice to make. Is my strength going to come from inside, or will I allow my environment to change my trust in Hashem?
By Nachum Segal
Maybe the popsicle is the same or even better in taste and flavor in 2024, but for me, the frozen treat of yesteryear simply has a whole host of accompanying ingredients that make the memories even tastier.
I looked for other ways to support Israel and one of those ways became buying Israeli products. I've been looking for those watermelon popsicles with candy seeds but to no avail. If you do come across them, please let me know.
This morning, I began composing a list of Hubby’s needs which he expresses from moment to moment. Like all sufferers from this condition, he is able to identify what he wants, and yet is unable to resolve his need.
This collection, originally gathered by Solomon Schloss (1815-1911), had one of the most remarkable provenances a collector or institution could hope for – namely, that all the items had a highly detailed, provable pre-war provenance.
The oldest surviving Yale seal may be found on the 1749 master’s diploma of Reverend Ezra Stiles, who went on to serve as Yale’s president (1778-1795).
In Ma'aseh Tuviah, Kohn discusses Copernicus's system but finds it incompatible with Jewish teachings.
Morahs are our children’s guides as they develop their first experiences outside the home. It is not surprising, therefore, that but my morah said it has to be done this way… is one of the most sacred instructions in our home.
By Adina Broder
Educators need to teach from the heart in order to have the greatest impact on their students. This requires teaching with sincerity, patience and empathy, which creates a nurturing environment in which students feel safe to question, explore and create.
Morah, rooted in the same shoresh as Yirah – fear, they say. But as I pondered over the cholent this past Shabbos, I concluded that it's more about awe, a reverence beyond measure.
By Eli Lebowicz
If you don’t think being a teacher is tough, try to remember what life was like during the beginning of Covid when kids were home or doing Zoom school and we were all struggling.
Next time you are about to act, whether it be a kiddush or (chas v’shalom) a chillul Hashem, remember who you are, a morah.
There is a condition called sun-downing in dementia. I truly do not understand it fully, but for many people with memory loss, when the sun goes down (quite literally), their level of anger, delusions, and animosity rises.
What was published, though, was nearly all after his passing, and much of it is obscured in the murkiness of what was authentic, what less so, what was expounded from his teachings and what was a commentary by his disciples.
my favorite tale of a Jewish horse thief is Sholem Aleichem’s generally unknown Moshkeleh Ganev (Moshe the Thief), which he serialized in twenty episodes in a Warsaw Yiddish daily before it was published in book form in Warsaw (1913) and, after Aleichem’s death in 1914, in Kiev (1927).
It's become quite apparent that many college campuses today have morphed into a hotbed of Jew hatred. So it's nice to know that with Rabbi Eliyahu and Shaindy Raskin around, students attending Brooklyn Heights institutions can focus on their studies knowing they have the academic, professional, and religious support of such a dedicated couple.
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
For us, as we count down the days to Shavuot and the plethora of dairy we will be indulging in, let’s use our milchig food as a symbol to reconnect ourselves to Torah – and of course to Eretz HaKodesh, a land filled with milk and honey.
Funny enough, the data shows that using the term milchig isn't just Ashkenormative but it's Litve-normative!
There are numerous explanations for why we eat a dairy meal on this holiday. One of the reasons that underscores this connection is that just as milk spoils in fancy vessels but is preserved well in cheaper ones, the Torah is best preserved in a humble and accepting individual.
By David Curwin
While the average Israeli won’t know the word milchig, they will know the English cognate milky. It’s the name of a very popular chocolate dairy pudding.
The Rema (Yoreh Deah 87:3) anticipated the popularity of these substitutes when he wrote that anyone cooking a meat product in almond milk should place almonds on the table, to indicate the origin of the liquid and to avoid mar'is ayin, or the appearance a halachic violation.
Normally, I would have winced at his display of impatience, but as we were in these long corridors, quite alone, it really did not matter. Scream away.
While there are sporadic quotes in the era of the Rishonim to the Jerusalem Talmud on the Seder Kodshim portion, no portion of it survives today.
Noah’s plan for a temporary Jewish homeland in the United States – the restoration of the Jews to Eretz Yisrael and the reestablishment of Jerusalem as the eternal Jewish capital was always the ultimate goal – may have had its genesis in his removal from a high government position because he was Jewish.
If we valued, recognized, made more space for the wisdom of the hands, we'd allow more people to feel successful, accomplished, seen in our community.
As we fight an enemy on our border, it’s not walls that will save us and establish peace.
Just as Hashem opened Himself to be witnessed, we too have the sacred capacity to truly be there for each other. We can create space to hold another's story – their struggles and their greatness – even if we can never fully understand.
By Maayan Zik
For all the community love that was proposed, the few walls that were built surely declared the opposite. Once some of the walls were pointed out, the discussion went in a better direction.
We must remember that these walls are considered holy as they are frequented regularly by Jews from around the world who come to visit and pray.
Noting that the local paper mill in Vilna burned down and no paper was available locally, he apologizes for the delay in getting the process started as they were awaiting a batch of paper from Warsaw. Dismissing an option to print on low quality paper, the printer writes that in their vicinity such paper is not used.
The 1934 Fair represented the largest and most prestigious concentration of buildings executed in the International Style up to the time; it made a crucial contribution to a local evolution of modern form and details, and it formed the basis for the definition of the content of situated modernism and its promotion in Eretz Yisrael.
A dash of hope In the darkness of night Akiva, you have comforted us
Most of us find ourselves squarely in the category of Rabbi Akiva’s students and the angels. Yet, Rabbi Akiva had such a remarkable and unshakable trust in G-d that he not only recited Shema but relished the opportunity even then.
By Avi Ganz
After the plague that wiped out his myriad students, Rabbi Akiva could have faced the harsh reality that they weren't worthy.
The Talmud Bavli and the Talmud Yerushalmi recount that Rachel, daughter to Kalba Savuah, one of the richest men in Jerusalem, recognized the potential in Rabbi Akiva, an unassuming, uneducated shepherd.
By Akiva Kra
Rabbi Akiva taught us that a fence to wisdom is silence, the potential pitfalls of humor, the greatness of man for being created in the image of Hashem, how to view free choice, and so much more.
Only recently did I realize that Hubby’s aversion to broken cookies was deeper than even he could admit.
It is dated 1866, and written by the famed Rabbi Haim Palachi (1787-1868), the rabbi of Izmir, and author of over 80 published works and many others lost to the infamous recurring fires in Izmir.
When Samuel arrived in Jerusalem to commence his term as High Commissioner, he was deeply moved by his greeting, as the Yishuv welcomed him enthusiastically, calling him “the First of Judea” and greeting him with a seventeen-gun salute and endless words of welcome.
Empowerment: She empowered the women to take an active role in the community, recognizing their value and potential.
When the Jews crossed the Sea of Reeds and the Egyptians didn’t, Miriam whipped out her tambourine. She played, sang and danced with the other women.
Rashi teaches us that they were so confident that they were destined to be redeemed that the righteous women of the generation left with their instruments in hand.
Miriam – a woman of water and wellness, in whose merit a miraculous well provided Bnei Yisrael with water in the wilderness for forty years, sustained the fledgling nation physically and spiritually.
First, the biblical Miriam. One of the great female prophetesses (Masechet Megillah 14a). She was part of Bnei Yisrael’s leadership team during Yetziat Mitzrayim alongside her brothers, Moshe and Aharon. Her faith never wavered, and she led the women to redemption, tambourine in hand.
I went back to my cooking. I swear less than 60 seconds passed before he started the whole conversation once again. He had no recollection of my previous response. I repeated it just the same. It also had no long-lasting results.
This letter was written in the month of Sivan, 1881, coinciding with the heat of chaos and turmoil that enveloped the Iraqi Jewish Community.
Interestingly, a proposed Knesset bill in 2012 proposed to simplify the structure of the celebration so that Yom Ha’Atzmaut would always fall on a Thursday, but the proposal failed because many legislators and citizens were unhappy about a summary dismissal of the significance of the fifth of Iyar, the date on which Israel had declared independence in 1948.
I think many people have that moment when they realize suddenly, profoundly, that life is not forever. For me, that realization hit when I turned 30. I recall thinking to myself – "30, then 60, then 90, and then...what?!?" While depressing at first, I grew to appreciate the idea that if life just went on […]
By Martin Bodek
The word chai actually initially appears in the second parsha in the Torah, Parshas Noach 11:12, when discussing the age Arpachshad lived to before begetting Shelach.
The reason movement is so important is that it is the basis of action; and it is ultimately this G-d-like ability to act that is equated with life.
By Ariela Davis
There is nothing more meaningful than living in Israel during this time, which is especially felt during this month.
G-d is life – absolutely. He is the source of life (Psalms 36:10). Everything alive receives its life-force from Him, in proportion to how much it is connected with G-d.
I keep saying that I will straighten out my bed, my clothing and my room, but it is the depository of my exhaustion. If only I had a day with nothing else to do.
Although some 4,000 volunteers – again, most of them Yishuv youth – went house-to-house collecting money from the public, the Tax for Our Defense failed to meet the goal of raising 2.5 million pounds within a month.
By JJ Eleff
Flowers are Hashem’s present to all of us. It is one thing in this world that you can pick up anywhere and take with you, a little gift saying I made this beautiful world for you, enjoy it!
The cycle of life, the importance of difference and the seemingly incongruousness are there to contemplate. While there is timing to be respected, a consistency that lets you know what chag is before you simply by looking around you, there is also surprise and wonder.
September 4, 2026 
