יום שבת, כ״ג אלול תשפ״וSaturday, September 5, 2026
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Chazal observe that lifespan, children, and livelihood are not contingent on merit or effort but on mazal. In these matters, we usually need to do what is considered to be the normal hishtadlus.
Chani appraised the self-righteous young woman, who herself looked rather unkempt in her baggy clothing, scuffed shoes, and unruly haircut. Was the ink even dry on her diploma? What did this young woman’s own apartment look like, that would give her the right to pass judgment?
By Dena Meyer
Rebbetzin Neustadt describes a Jewish woman as having the roots of the family tree. A tree’s roots are hidden deep into the ground tapping into an unlimited source of water for nourishment.
Indeed, the October 7 massacre was no more and no less than a blip on the radar screen for Hamas, which has been waging war against Israel since its creation in 1987 – in Israel proper and against the Jews the world over, and against the Western nations as well.
I appreciate your willingness to put in the work. You are happy to do the “right thing.” You just don’t know what that is anymore.
What makes this edition even more significant is its place in the history of Hebrew printing.
By Mendi Glik
For those of you who are hearing about them for the first time, run to YouTube or Spotify right after Havdalah. Your Chol HaMoed travels are going to be a lot of fun – their music and rhythm are very upbeat.
This “keeping up with the Joneses” mentality can occur at every wealth level. You will never be able to earn your way out of this approach to life.
The long-term consequences of Carter’s engagement with groups like Hamas were reflected not just in diplomatic circles, but also in the shifting narratives of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within American discourse.
The subtitle Forty Heroes is not entirely accurate – there are 41 stories in the Hebrew and 43 in the English version, beautifully translated by Sara Daniel – but the word heroes is incredibly apt.
By Maayan Zik
I follow Chabad traditions and usually a gartel of that caliber is worn by married men. It turns out that bar mitzvahed boys in Chabad also wear a gartel, but it’s thinner and hidden under the shirt. It is the difference between a single man and a married man.
We could hand-wring over this, as some do, seeing it as a turning away from a more rigorous Judaism to one that is more accepting.
The gartel is serious business, but also a reminder that even in the most disciplined practices, there’s room for personality, preference, and humor.
A common custom is to wear a gartel either in accordance with the last approach or because it signifies the differentiation between what is higher and lower about people.
The struggle for every Jew is finding a way to strike a balance between physicality and spirituality. Most of us are not in an environment that is fully focused on ruchnius.
The young Israeli's most notable achievement was securing his first-ever Grand Slam singles victory in the first round.
The intensity of the match was matched by the fervent atmosphere created by Sasson's supporters.
In our community, with its many large families, very often a rebbe or a teacher will be privileged to teach several siblings of one family. If big brother is a super-achiever, most likely his younger brothers have heard the refrain Why can’t you be more like your brother? Parents must avoid the impulse to do the same thing.
Yes, there are those who have unrealistic expectations and standards, both men and women alike. It is important to be able to compromise and never settle. But that is a whole other topic.
As Yom Kippur approaches, we are called to reflect not only on our choices, but also on the apparent randomness that shapes our lives.
As we find ourselves between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Rav Amital is the perfect figure to reflect upon.
Printed with the Hadrat Kodesh commentary and following the customs of the Kahal Kadosh Ashkenazim, this impressive edition stands out not only for its rich liturgical content but also for its craftsmanship.
By Irwin Cohen
Harold is saving the best for last. He wants to have a bar mitzvah next year at 103. After all, it's only 90 years past due.
Effi ran up to the car to greet his brother-in-law, who addressed the rest of the crowd like a royal pausing to greet the peasants from his carriage.
By Mendi Glik
When preparing for a performance, it’s very important to know how to choose a piece. It’s not enough for the cantor just to like the music. It has to be a piece that matches his voice.
By Marc Gronich
The event was emceed by Assemblyman Kalman Yeger (D - Midwood), who spoke strongly about antisemitism in government, singling out New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, among others.
As members of Klal Yisrael, I would hope that we would all offer empathy and compassion. Telling someone NOT to feel is not our way. Discouraging someone from feeling sad or mad or hurt doesn’t work. It doesn’t erase feelings.
Perhaps you’re thinking of cherubs. Those may be described as having a childlike face, based on the Talmud. But cherubs are also characterized in Tanach as weapon-wielding guardians, and several medieval Jewish thinkers see them as referring to intelligence, so that reference doesn’t fit either.
By Eli Lebowicz
Yes, we’re flawed, but that imperfectness makes us strive to do better.
By Adina Broder
Angels are perfect in obedience, yet they lack free will. This leads to a paradox: while it is true that they are incapable of sinning, they are also unable to choose virtue, being forced to comply with their directives without the option to disobey.
My hope is that our students see in their teachers not unattainable angels, but human beings reaching upwards – and that they too will be moved to live in an angelic way, lifting themselves and those around them closer to Hashem.
Angelic, to the Chumash, seems to mean something else entirely: something that is wildly interventionist – even sometimes violent. Angels do not stand by and passively watch. They engage.
As the Romantic movement reached its crescendo across Europe in the early nineteenth century, few collaborations seemed as unlikely – and as fruitful – as that between Lord Byron, the scion of English nobility and a literary enfant terrible, and Isaac Nathan, an observant Anglo-Jewish composer and musicologist.
Because birth order can affect most children in the same ways, there are ways that you can help your children overcome weaknesses that birth order has thrown their way.
Any misstep is publicized globally, and with social media, it's on display almost immediately and intensely. That is the price of being royal – of being in the extremely tiny minority. Of having all eyes on you on the balcony.
In some situations, divorce is the best solution; however, there are too many divorces due to interfering in-laws, immaturity in the couple, and other factors that can be remedied. I believe that many of the marriages that end in divorce can be saved.
As a follower of Rabbi Hirsch, he believed in the formula of Torah im Derech Eretz, which he defined as steadfast loyalty to Torah and tradition combined with participation in the social, economic and cultural life of the country where the Jew has been welcomed as a citizen.
We recall that a person suffering from a phobia – such as claustrophobia – acknowledges reality. He is not deluded; he knows his fear is irrational. This is fundamentally different from someone who insists that their distorted perception is correct.
By Mendi Glik
Do not have any excuses. The Torah is not far away. You don’t have to reach the heavens or cross the ocean in order to learn Torah and do mitzvot.
By Irwin Cohen
First thing that impressed me about him was how he spoke about October 7. He was filled with compassion for the Jewish people and for the soldiers defending Israel. He bought protective vests, armored vests, for soldiers so they should be safer when they go into battle.
We can argue that Yaakov was destined to replace Eisav as having the right of the firstborn, and thus that Rivka’s deceiving Yitzchak, which brought about that result, had Divine sanction.
Chani and Mindy exchanged a glance, silently communicating, I’d get my dysfunctional family out of debt and back into their own house! But Mindy only said, I’d get a bigger house, for sure!
Switching yeshivas is a significant life decision. It will be disruptive, and another school may have a different style, hashkafa, or other attributes that don’t make it your first choice. However, tough choices need to be made to address your predicament.
Mikneh Avraham occupies a singular place in the evolution of Hebrew grammatical literature.
By Marc Gronich
I’m not bottling it up. I’ve cried many times. I cry every single day. Someone said I have a heart of metal. That’s not correct.
First, you need to believe in the system. You need to have faith in your parents and their research. You need to have confidence in their understanding of you and your wants and needs.
What begins as a disheartening struggle through fertility treatments gradually evolves into something far more transformative.
Although it has become one of the most familiar and participatory rituals of the High Holiday season that is embedded in contemporary Jewish practice, the extralegal origins of Tashlich and the controversies it once generated have largely been forgotten.
We notice what screams for attention: a fractured relationship, a career setback, a health scare. But what about what seems fine? A marriage that’s good enough. A spiritual life that’s lukewarm. A job that’s steady but uninspired. These don’t collapse from catastrophe. They wither from neglect.
By Zev Newman
What makes the book resonate is its sharp balance of the personal and historical.
Let’s get this year started with great wines, sweet and dry, ones that bring smiles to all those partaking in the Yom Tov meals. And may those smiles stay on for the whole year and beyond! L’chaim!
It insists that sweetness and substance go together. That what delights you also roots you. The juice is only there because the seed is there. The beauty of the moment is carrying something hard, lasting, alive.
By Ariela Davis
Of all the Rosh Hashana simanim, the pomegranate is the one that stands out most aligned with Rosh Hashana – be it from the fabled 613 seeds it holds (has anyone actually ever checked that?) or its majestic crown, reminding us that Hashem is the ultimate king.
How unusual it is to have a fruit with its own royal crown, and timed to ripen just as the holiday of G-d’s kingship arrives.
By Sara Blau
We ask Hashem: don’t judge us by our “peel” – the outer mistakes and shortcomings – but by the fruit inside, the pure intention and the desire to be close to You.
By Anat Coleman
I loved the idea that every pomegranate contains 613 seeds – one for each of the mitzvot – tucking sacred meaning into something as everyday as a piece of fruit.
The thematic motif of the book is the life lesson that Tamir wishes to impart: Just like in sports, often we will miss our goal. There is no need to dwell on it; instead, rebound and pivot in order to continue scoring in life.
On one side, you have something like a letter he wrote to a little girl in his congregation who had lost her pet bird – he turned it into a gentle lesson about memory and care. On the other, you see a leader constantly pressing forward, urging Senator Javits to speak on behalf of a day school.
While at different points there is negative press surrounding the use of time outs, many psychologists and educators believe that when used correctly, a time out can be effective and valuable.
Our shidduch crisis is challenging. This column is my effort to make a dent in the crisis.
Surrounded by caring staff, doting close friends, and beaming loved ones, it was a festive party that few assisted living facilities have the honor and opportunity to experience.
If we have wronged someone, it is essential to seek their forgiveness before turning to Hashem.
By Mendi Glik
The navi Yishayahu compares the return of Am Yisrael to Eretz Yisrael as doves who return to their home. The navi continues and describes how the gates of Israel will be open day and night for Jews to return home.
Gratitude does not just lead to joy. Gratitude produces joy. By tracing our blessings back through time, we cultivate the emotional soil in which joy grows.
Just the sight of her face brought a wrenching stab of pain, a reminder of his loss. How was he supposed to act around her now? There hadn’t been time to think about it, so all he’d managed to do was nod at her. Idiot! She must think he hated her.
In his preface, Yaakov ben Chaim offers a sober caution to readers: only those capable of comprehending these mystical teachings should engage with them, and the secrets within must not be disclosed to the unworthy.
Art historians and commentators, who are fascinated by the question of why Picasso singled out a specifically Jewish figure for The Old Jew, have presented many theories on the subject.
We don’t have to establish that you love your sister and you want to see her happy. We take this as fact. Regardless, the sadness, shame, and anger for feeling this way are eating at you.
In an unrelated case which was settled with the New Jersey Education Department in August, parents of special education students secured the right to “stay put” in private school settings while they fight their claims that public schools are not providing them with a free and appropriate education (FAPE) under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).
The word shehakol conjures happy memories of the first bracha under the chuppah, ‘shehakol bara l’chvodo’ – everything Hashem created is for His glory and honor.
By Akiva Kra
No matter how much effort you put into a recipe, whatever comes out, whether a crowd favorite or a kitchen disaster, ultimately exists because of His word.
The Baal Shem Tov taught that by speaking a blessing with awareness, we release sparks of holiness trapped in the physical.
Shehakol is the humble workhorse of blessings, ever ready, ever flexible, and ever reminding us that even in the mundane or overlooked moments of life (a sip of soda, a bite of chocolate), there is reason to pause, acknowledge, and give thanks.
To serve Hashem fully, we need to be aligned in everything: how we treat others, how we care for ourselves, how we grow emotionally, spiritually, physically. It’s not separate – it’s one. It's all Shehakol.
The presidential presence, while adding an undeniable buzz, also contributed to significant logistical challenges. Unprecedented security measures and long lines at the entrance gates led to a frustrating delay for thousands of ticket holders.
A child who struggles to read, follow directions, or write quickly may feel embarrassed in front of peers. This is especially true as children grow older and school becomes more publicly performative through reading aloud, presenting projects, or participating in class.
I do understand and empathize with singles who do not wish to go out unless they think that the suggestion makes sense as it is extremely frustrating to meet somebody that is totally incompatible at all right from the outset of the first date.
For us, the focus is building pro-social experiences for our students. So, we really spent a lot of time this summer investing in [asking] what does that look like? Neugroschl said.
We must remind ourselves that these experiences are not the “luck of the draw” or mere happenstance. Our strengths, weaknesses, and struggles – whether physical, emotional, or spiritual – are all a function of mazal, tafkid, and tikkun, designed for our ultimate growth and emanating from Hashem’s infinite love.
By Irwin Cohen
Rabbi Wein moved in many fields and was superb in all of them. What a resume he had.
By Mendi Glik
Moti used to listen to chazzanut for hours and try to analyze the pieces, to listen to the dynamics and understand their meaning.
Mindy felt guilty enough about depriving Chani of a fun Shabbos lunch that she behaved like a model mother and hostess for the remainder of Shabbos, lavishing care on Pinny and encouraging Chani to get out and attend a class in the neighborhood given by the rebbetzin of their shul. On the whole, Chani reflected, things had worked out quite well for her.
In this piece, I will cover accounts that may not be top of mind, but can be extremely beneficial for frum families with a range of wealth, lifestyle, and personal circumstances.
This handwritten volume, recording the names and yahrzeits of nearly 1,500 neshamot, was copied for the shul’s last rav, Rabbi Shlomo Baumgarten, just before he fled the Nazis in 1938. It is only thanks to that copy that we know what we know today.
Willpower is the scholar’s strength to seize back the microphone. To choose what I should do over what I want to do. But it is finite. Like a phone battery, it drains over the day, leaving the teenager in charge by nightfall.
No couple has a completely seamless dating experience. None. Sure, some daters go through this process with ease and some struggle, but regardless, there is no perfect dating journey.
While Jacob Frank emphasized transgression and mystical dialectics between good and evil, Eva’s theological voice, while less documented, seems to have emphasized divine femininity, purity, and mystical royalty.
An inflection point in this process was reached during the Covid school lockdowns of 2020-22, when many parents were shocked, even outraged, to discover what their children were being taught.
By Jason Maoz
Our commitment to helping our neighbors is well-served by events like this, which involve a collaboration between private businesses and not-for-profit agencies, said COJO Flatbush CEO Louis Welz.
What’s the point? Why so many? Are you actually going to read all those sefarim? Why not read them online?
By Rabbanit Dr. Adena Berkowitz
Our sefarim are not merely books with values and wisdom. They represent something far deeper. They hold honored places in our homes and their departure is akin to saying a tearful goodbye to loved ones.
I wondered then: Why is she selling these new sefarim from her bookshelf in Washington Heights? Were they not wanted anymore?
September 4, 2026 
