יום שישי, כ״א תשרי תשפ״זFriday, October 2, 2026
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By Sara Blau
Sometimes, we experience what we perceive as a failure... But each failure can be repurposed creatively, and channeled into a better future for ourselves and for others.
Eventually the towels weren’t needed anymore, and although the chairs are twenty years old, they mostly remained stain free and we were spared the sticky indignity of the old school plastic covers.
But the key to stickiness is in the sharing. If there is no sharing, nothing sticks. A word can’t become a name. A second question is never asked.
Some people are willing to ignore the bad and focus on the good, while for others, their focus is squarely on the bad, despite the overwhelming good.
It's worth asking ourselves, in this situation, is there something going on for this person that I haven't experienced? Is there something here about which I could be more understanding?
By Ariela Davis
At a short lull, I tore upstairs to put on a new Yom Tov dress and yes, my sheitel. I told myself that even if I was spending my entire day in a bomb shelter, this was going to be my way of not letting Hamas take away our Shabbat and Yom Tov.
Sheitels are often necessary for work purposes outside of Israel where it would not be professional to wear a hat or a scarf. In Israel, there is no need to wear a sheitel for professional reasons.
I made the difficult decision to not wear my tichel this week as I often do, and instead opted to put on my sheitel. Fearing for my life – yes, even here in the very Jewish city of Los Angeles – I have not wanted to take any chances.
By David Curwin
The German word derives from the Indo-European root *skeyt, meaning to cut, part, separate. That ancient root also gave us the English verb to shed, meaning to cast off.
Sarah’s judgment – her careful balancing of competing demands – is ultimately correct. It is only by following her judgment that the future of the Jewish people will be assured.
In the wake of recent events, the message has taken a decidedly different tone. The story of Sarah resonates with me in new ways.
By Nachum Segal
Sometimes it is easy to allow our speculation about yesteryear to cloud the reality of an amazing national mother (and father) having really existed.
It is written that her tent always glowed with the glimmer of Shabbos candles and smelled from an intoxicating aroma of fresh challah dough. She taught us that these are special mitzvos for us Jewish women to uphold and cherish.
Hashem holds our deposits, ready for redemption at a later time. Hashem remembers our deeds even when we forget them.
Semicha bridges the generations. It connects the chain of tradition that began with Moshe and Yehoshua and, while not officially so, each new class of budding rabbis who seek to serve the needs of the Jewish people in their generation.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
As soon as I hear the word semicha I think of support; as if you are someach on a person; you can rely on that person.
Once I asked him how many generations back his family were rabbis? He answered at least ten, but probably going all the way back to Moses. And you felt that you were learning Torah – and stories! – from rabbis going back to Sinai.
Faith is a hard concept to grasp. However, faith or emunah and relying on a supreme being to get us through the tough times is how we are different from other nations.
By Keshet Starr
The figures in Genesis don’t just passively go about their lives; they yearn, they rage, they see the with jealousy, they love, they cry, they mourn.
This is what Genesis means to me. We start with the creation of the world. And we go through the Torah again. It is a brilliant time and a brilliant feeling.
Rosh Hashana helps us reset, recognizing that Hashem is the Creator of the world and is continuously involved in the world.
By Hillel Fuld
In both the Torah and life itself, establishing a robust foundation is imperative for unlocking our full potential. Genesis, in this context, is our why, and no other starting point would suffice.
Because the Torah is timeless. It’s for 1st graders. It’s for 12th graders. It’s for everyone in between and beyond.
By Eli Lebowicz
It was a full-circle moment because I had recently opened my yearbook from 12th grade and saw that for the section that guessed what everyone will be doing in 10 years, mine apparently said, comedian.
By Avi Ganz
While a dictator may rule over or control many people, an absolute monarch possesses both unlimited power and a sense of being beholden to his kingdom.
My favorite part of school restarting is the sound of children davening filling the hallways. Each one different, their voices come together in unison.
Leaders should be reminded of their privilege and literally feel the weight of their responsibility, whether it entails actual power or (only) a mandate to exemplify grace and dedication to public service.
That moment was a personal Rosh Hashana for me. When I felt anxious or fearful, I was able to remember that crowning Hashem gives peace of mind.
By Akiva Kra
Seeking mechila enables us to confront our past mistakes, paving the way for fewer errors in the future. It's an acknowledgment of our imperfections and a genuine desire for self-improvement.
It’s a two-step dance: the injurer needs to be able to humble themselves by admitting they were in the wrong and to ask for forgiveness. The injured party needs to consider whether the pain they feel is too great to let go, or whether carrying it around is poisoning them.
The pre-Yom Kippur mechila rush does no one any favors – but everyone who comments on this speaks from the perspective of those who ask for it.
By dvora
As we travel the maze of life, sometimes gloomy and overwhelming, the inclusion of the yud, Hashem, brings faith and hope. It allows us to exit the darkness, as we are led to His light.
How do you forgive those who are chayav mita, deserving of death for murdering their victims’ future on so many levels, emotionally, physically, socially and financially?
It's not the time for individual recognition but to shed our persona and unite in one unified voice of prayer and teshuva.
By Martin Bodek
Fun fact: I originally thought the word prompt said “kvittel,” and I wrote several versions of what the lifecycle of a kvittel is once it’s placed in the Kotel. I noticed my error and did teshuva really quick.
In Israel, on Yom Kippur, everyone – religious, traditional, secular – is wearing white. We all stand as equals.
When you remember the kittel has no pockets, as we can’t bring anything with us at death, the message is apparent: our most meaningful experiences in life have nothing to do with our possessions.
On all of the occasions that a kittel is worn it symbolizes beginning life again with a clean slate and with the commitment to continue pursuing a higher level of spirituality.
While it is true that youngsters lack the capacity to appreciate the full meaning and implications of these episodes, I wonder if adults are sometimes guilty of projecting their own discomfort in discussing these matters onto children.
By Chaim Saiman
Avraham turned his inner world inside out for G-d, such that G-d should reverse the world’s course for us.
The shofar that is sounded during Rosh Hashana is connected to the ram that was substituted for Yitzchak and what living as a frum Yid is predicated on – fear and love of G-d.
In all the Torah, restraint is most strongly exemplified by Avraham Avinu working against every human impulse he had, and Yitzchak, holding very still as his elderly father bound him tightly to slaughter him at Hashem’s mysterious command.
While there is a growing surge to read the Akeidah as a “misunderstood test” (an interpretation that has prima facie appeal), it is difficult to accept this conclusion when the Akeidah possesses a central place in our prayers and the Bible itself.
They say Hashem provides the cure before the disease; sometimes, like Avraham Avinu, we need only open our eyes and acknowledge how Hashem has placed those who can help us within our midst.
Hashem transcends time, existing in the past, present and future simultaneously. If we ask Hashem to judge us based solely on our existence in this frozen moment, we would fail miserably.
This was an extraordinary ram, one of G-d’s final creations made at the end of the six days of creation just before the first Shabbos (Avos 5:6). Its mission was predestined 2,000 years before it was called into service.
By Adina Broder
Since Hashem had all of this foreknowledge, wouldn’t it have been kinder for Him to create a small, weak animal to deposit in the thicket for Avraham to find?
By Sara Blau
So, what's a Jew living in the Diaspora to do with that feeling, if they are currently not in a position to pick up and move there?
While classically the Diaspora refers to geographic relocation and isolation, I can’t help but think about individuals who feel isolated from their communities as if in personal diasporas.
To all my loved ones and friends, and to everyone I know, when the time is right for you, leave the Diaspora and come join me.
Life rarely moves forward in a straight line. Likewise, we should not feel obliged to follow a logical and direct progression in our spiritual development.
At the same time, I yearn for the homeland. Israel is such a unique place. As comfortable as I am in the Diaspora, there is an inner call to return home.
I was always amazed by the lyrics of the Israeli folk song, Yesh lanu tayish, l’tayish yesh zakan – We have a goat, our goat has a beard…
I constantly struggle over the meaning of external manifestations of inner feelings. If I am feeling a certain way on the inside, is there any value in expressing it externally?
By Daniel Eleff
There is something beautiful about being instantly, recognizably Jewish. I have traveled bearded to seven continents and met all kinds of people who see the beard, tzitzes, and yarmulka and want to learn more.
By Anat Coleman
We no longer rely on these outward signs, like growing a beard, in the hope that others will treat us with respect; we've learned that respect is earned through action.
From the goatees of pre-war German rabbis and post-war American rabbis, to the never-groomed beards of Chabadniks, to the thick mustaches of religious Zionists in the 1970s and 1980s, facial hair can signal group identity and ideological affiliation.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
When an officer claims that “they had no choice” but to follow the chain of command, this is proof that it’s not the case. We all have the ability to make choices. No one is absolved from acting morally.
Even though some may seem rude, or impatient, they still have my best interests at heart – even though they may give confusing and conflicting directions (seemingly on purpose).
By Ariela Davis
While everyone has the right to protest, no one should be able to shut down a highway, keeping people in need of medical attention away from hospitals and workers away from their jobs.
The Torah is not saying that all Jews need this. Rather since some Jews need law enforcement, the Jewish nation will require it as a whole.
Rashi's interpretation of the term, namely, those who have the authority to enforce the law, looms large in its modern usage – everyone is afraid of the mishtara!
Researcher and author Brene Brown wrote about what her mother taught her about other people's pain. The lesson was simple: Don’t look away. Don’t pretend not to see hurt. Look people in the eye. Even when their pain is overwhelming.
By Ira Stoll
Seemingly basic acts of abstaining from cruelty to others are a way of honoring G-d by acknowledging the dignity of all G-d’s creatures.
I am proud that this forced CUNY to clear their blindness and promise to institute measures that would make it clear that antisemitism would not be permitted on its campuses.
Life sometimes feels like being a blind person in a restaurant. It's going to be good, they say. It will be good, they insist.
In life, we also have blind spots. There will be decisions that come our way that we will not be able to fairly judge, our biases or desires will blind us.
Thus has it ever been. Jews have been vilifying each other and attacking each other for thousands of years. What's new?
By Solly Hess
During the Kedusha prayer, I abandon gravity as much as I can. We lift up off our heels several times upwards to intensify our dedication to G-d. For me, the need to release my illusion of control is critical.
Hashem creates each and every one of us to be special in our own way. Why waste our lives comparing ourselves to others?
I find it interesting that the three weeks are always in the summer months, a time when we feel free and happy, and all of a sudden, we are hit with a mourning period where nine of those days we refrain from swimming, eating meat, and drinking wine.
We often try to bury our vulnerabilities and wounds. The pain or shame can simply feel too great. But when we face them, we can integrate these aspects within ourselves.
You need to understand that Hashem is in our life every single day. So, there is no need to worry. Take comfort in the fact that you are being worked with.
Using the Lashon Kodesh reveals its true majesty. It encompasses not only the art of comforting but also the radiant restoration of hope, the gentle touch of healing, and the grace of solace for all souls in need.
By Keshet Starr
As we commemorate the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, we are reminded of G-d’s promise to the Jewish people: Nachamu, nachamu ami – comfort, comfort my people.
By Hillel Fuld
Sometimes, in order to achieve comfort, you need to stop, look around, and just be. That is what we have Shabbat for and that is what we learned from G-d and how he rested on the seventh day.
To know they must not suffer in silence and that there is an army of people who have their back – that is comfort.
These somber laments/dirges expressing public mourning and grief are composed with short meters resonating with sentiments of loss and incompletion.
The word dirge has an odd etymology. It originally stems from the Latin imperative root dirige, meaning direct!
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
They aren’t meant to be quickly scanned, but rather require us to take the time to read, reflect and connect to our national tragedies, both thousands of years ago and even in contemporary times.
By Maayan Zik
To never forget the pain/That remains/To never settle too long in grief/And continue in faith and belief/That our dirge, like clay/Is formed into something lighter to play
By Nachum Segal
The dirge and the timely nusach and the attention to the kumsitz and slower paced singing, all play a positive role in setting the mood and getting in the mood for a national time of sadness and mourning.
By Rachel Kohn
The events of the Tanach had never felt so close and so real to me, like time compressed, and I could see everything in my mind's eye: the riverbeds and streams, sweeping hillsides, and rocky wilderness.
October 2, 2026 
