יום חמישי, ו׳ תשרי תשפ״זThursday, September 17, 2026
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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.
It’s true that Executive Function Disorder is becoming a hot topic in education these days. Of course, that is not because more children and adults are dealing with it, but rather because experts have given it a name and have devised ways to deal with its accompanying difficulties.
Even when things are going well, we may have bruised feelings when we feel a stronger connection earlier that the person we are dating or feel ready before they do. We are all responsible for our own feelings. We get to decide on the risks we take with them.
We have one homeland, although we have lived in many. And while we might not always agree, we are always stronger when united.
This letter was written in the month of Sivan, 1881, coinciding with the heat of chaos and turmoil that enveloped the Iraqi Jewish Community.
By Ariela Davis
It’s been a heavy year but we are trying to build ourselves back up within our new reality... It’s a crazy reality to look around the world and feel that they’ve scrolled past while we have real family and friends still over there; it’s all still very real and raw for us.
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.
By Jason Maoz
Sponsored by Assemblyman Simcha Eichenstein, along with Citizens Bank, the Extravaganza was held on the first day of Chol HaMoed Pesach, which turned out to be the perfect day for outdoor fun – clear and sunny with a cool breeze.
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.
By Marc Gronich
The budget fails to do anything to protect the safety of New Yorkers. Governor Hochul’s strategy to tackle retail theft is to establish a task force and throw money at the problem, Ortt said.
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 Marc Gronich
We can tell Chuck Schumer that he can take his pledge and move his offices over to the minority leader's office because there is a Republican majority coming to the Senate to make sure that our ideas are being implemented.
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.
With tulips, it’s all downhill. They shoot up awkwardly after being under the blaze of your dining room table lights for 24 hours and soon lose their color, shape, and glory. They begin to die.
One of my all-time favorites is the bird of paradise. Until I moved to Israel I had never seen, nor heard of it.
What that phrase, Yesh prechim ve’ein bo peirot, means to me is, certain isms out there may look attractive and draw you to them – think of Jews in the 1920s flocking to Communism – but don’t expect to successfully transmit these ideas onto the next generation.
By Ben Rothke
Weissman's book analyzes the dead and the afterlife as manifested in R’ Yehuda HaChasid’s thoughts and how he came to them. In a somewhat radical approach, the book shows the significant Christian influence on R’ Yehuda HaChasid.
Digitizing the system through Market also allows for Met Council to communicate with clients about availability of certain items in the warehouse and hours of operation on a given day, as well as to keep accurate inventory to ensure that when an item is listed as available, it actually is.
This was a very distressing situation. Hubby was holding his head as though it was about to split open. I called our private geriatrician who said he thought we should get Hubby a CT scan. Perhaps there was a bleed in the brain causing all the pain?
One of the first to foresee the impending Holocaust, Rav Herzog wrote countless letters to European Jewish leaders warning about the coming cataclysm and urging them to leave but, sadly, his entreaties went largely unheeded.
It was on the last moed that our world fell apart, terrorists tortured and kidnapped our brothers and sisters. Did we imagine that we would approach this moed of Pesach with them still in captivity?
Whether it's a time for growth, reflection, mourning, celebration, or rest, understanding the significance of moed encourages us to embrace the present moment fully, trusting in the divine timing of our journey.
By Keshet Starr
Moadim offer a parallel approach. We live our lives on the dance floor, and that’s okay – we are here to learn, to do, to give. But the opportunity moadim provide to go up to the balcony helps us recalibrate when needed, and notice the things that have crept up on us.
By Hillel Fuld
Judaism is about sanctifying every aspect of life including time. But the word muad teaches us that consistency is only positive, assuming that the act you’re doing constantly is a positive one.
We are looking forward to Mashiach coming and leading us through this time in history. We are looking forward to the third Beit HaMikdash being built and the ingathering of the exiles from all over the world.
A house filled with chutzpah is an unsafe home. The world is an especially frightening place these days; when you parent in unity, the whole environment feels good. The child will not have to look to the wrong outlets for love.
The minute the food landed on the table Hubby was in full rejection-mode. I placed a few chunks of potato on his plate, two pieces of zucchini and one leg of the chicken. What the hell is this? You expect me to eat this? It will make me sick!
What are the causes behind output failure? Are we discussing actual dysfunctions of the brain – or does the term merely whitewash certain flaws in character?
For this column, I thought I would share two Pesach Seder plates hailing from Germany that are in my personal collection.
The essence of this message is simple. It’s to continue living by the same traditions and values that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Covert narcissists are insecure, they can be passive aggressive and hypersensitive to criticism, but they have no problem being critical in a passive way.
Time to set some boundaries. This has to be done right away before you are all gathered at the Seder table.
By Ariela Davis
We felt it was an obligation that we speak about in our tefillot every day. We ask to be here and if we can make it work, we should be here.
By Marc Gronich
I’ve been watching politics for many years. We always see you [Weber] here. As far as I’m concerned, you, Michael Lawler and you, Mr. McGowan, are the most active politicians here. We always see you and you’re always close to the community and we appreciate that very much, Lichter told the lawmakers.
By Jason Maoz
Welz set the tone for the tributes that were to follow for Rabbi Pikus, describing him as a true giant in delivering chesed to our community and declaring that everything we build stands on the foundation he helped create.
That feeling of freedom after years of emotional and physical torture can be felt even more fully when reading Bodek’s Zaidy’s War: Four Armies, Three Continents, Two Brothers. One Man’s Impossible Story of Endurance. He tells the shocking true story of his grandfather’s fight for survival during World War II.
The author’s treatment of Yom Kippur is surprising. Rather than define the day in its more familiar sense, as a day of atonement, Rabbi Fohrman focuses on the language around the fact that Aharon’s sons die as a result of their sin at the beginning of the parsha.
Leeser is best remembered for his extensive English translations and prolific writing for the American Jewish community, having authored numerous books and translations, edited a newspaper and full translations of the siddur and Tanach in an era where books written by Jews in English were nearly non-existent.
I greatly enjoyed studying all of these works, and I especially enjoyed reading them together. Each offers something important that the others do not, and each is an outstanding example of a different subgenre within contemporary halachic/Talmudic literature.
There is an ongoing debate amongst scholars as to whether the earliest text of Dayenu was created before or after the destruction of the Second Temple.
By Tzivia Emmer
The Baal Shem Tov taught that we must learn from everything we see. Unexpectedly, seeing through eclipse glasses taught me something tangible about how change can work and especially how the unfolding of Jewish history is a trajectory along a path that leads to a radical switch.
We are humans, not machines. Perfection isn’t the goal; growth is. Even the greatest leaders in Jewish history, starting from Abraham and Moses, made some serious mistakes. No one is infallible.
By Marc Gronich
This effort is a token of appreciation to give back to worthy individuals. Every family gets a list of more than 100 items to order from. Everything is pre-ordered. This location assists 3,000 families.
During these crazy times with our hearts in Israel the four promises of redemption really resonate. Now more than ever we pray for Hashem to save us from Hamas, bring our hostages home and out of Gaza, bring them all back to Israel, and have our nation come together as one.
Motherhood is a fascinating rollercoaster ride and the ultimate tool for self-growth; nothing is as challenging or rewarding as being a mom.
By Solly Hess
According to the Gemara, the fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, daled, represents a poor person. When studied closely, we learn that rather than impoverished, it corresponds to selflessness.
By dvora
Four extraordinary mothers, women that shaped and molded our Judaic history.
Towards the end of the Seder, there is a song we sing that answers the question of how many matriarchs launched the people of Israel. Four.
If 90 Seconds was the book I couldn’t put down, Angels in Orange is the book I could hardly pick up. But it is a critical book for every Jew to have.
In his new role, Professor Aharoni Aronoff will teach the practice of business diplomacy and non-product branding to both undergraduate and graduate students and will represent Touro in public forums.
You might be scratching your head (do diaries have heads????) and wondering why this irresponsible wife did not call the paramedics and rush hubby to the hospital for CT scans and MRIs. That would have been the proper approach for a younger and healthier person.
What Exactly Is ADD? ADD is a neurological disorder characterized by inappropriate levels of inattention, over-activity, and impulsivity. Symptoms arise in early childhood but are not always identified correctly.
By dvora
I am writing to you because I have been fired from my job for doing the right thing!
By Irwin Cohen
After more than 70 years of watching the Detroit Tigers what team do I get to see now. Lakewood has the Blue Claws, the low minor league team of the Philadelphia Phillies, but I don't expect that their games are televised.
Then I started working. I worked for two years at the sales office of Max Factor Cosmetics. Benno started working at Neutra’s, and then we, little by little, became very integrated into American society. And we wanted to. We wanted to become Americanized.
Set realistic goals for what needs to be accomplished. It is important to focus on the most important areas such as the kitchen, dining area, and other places that chametz is generally found.
The map is rather rudimentary, with just a border and a few place names, but its appearance in print was a major achievement, anything other than text was very labor-intensive to include in the printing blocks of the day and thus costly.
It’s time to slow things down. Nothing has changed. Everything is still going smoothly. You still like each other. You still want to continue dating. The only addition, is that he is ready to discuss your future, and you are not – yet.
Gabe, which wines are you having this year for the four cups? I am asked this question every year, countless times. Does it really matter? It does, yes.
The biggest stumbling block for many investors is themselves. The tendency for people to get in their own way is usually what prevents folks from achieving success in the markets.
The diversity and creativity of the topics that were covered and the speakers from all over the world were nothing short of mind-boggling.
Over and above his public welfare efforts on behalf of milk pasteurization and preventing tuberculosis, Straus’s largesse and contributions were by no means limited to Jewish institutions and causes.
By the time Pesach rolls around on the calendar, we’ve already been through some. We’ve endured slavery, built the golden calf, and begged for water in the desert. Our practical day to day has not always been easy – our cleaning is practical.
By Marc Gronich
To my colleagues in government, including our United States Senator [Charles Schumer], we have an obligation to support the state of Israel and its government. We cannot and should not ever tell the Israeli people what to do with their government. We don’t want others interfering in our elections and we should never interfere in theirs.
Although not present in my circles, it's hard not to admire the grandeur. It’s also hard to mistake the shtreimel as anything but a sign of proud Judaism.
By Jordana Baruchov Grreenfield
The shtreimel serves as a tangible connection to the rich cultural heritage of Eastern European Jews. By wearing the shtreimel, individuals affirm their identity and connection to their ancestors who also wore similar attire.
Shtreimel signifies pride in Judaism and in traditions. It’s pride in connecting our current to our past.
My shtreimel is my symbol of Jewish pride and not because it’s become trendy, but because I’ve been wearing it since the day I got married in the tradition that goes back in my family several generations. It’s my greatest honor and privilege to do so.
By David Curwin
Another possibility is that shtreimel is related to the Polish word stroj meaning uniform, clothes. Maybe it meant the “uniform” of those Jews wearing it, or perhaps it also had a specific association with head coverings.
Dementia is a bear. The questions he is asking are valid. The conclusions are not.
Sometimes parents may not know if their child is being bullied. Some children are intimidated into secrecy. They may also keep quiet because they feel ashamed that they have allowed this to happen. They may fear that the parents will either criticize them or will intervene in a way that will make everything worse.
You didn’t have to be rich to have a cleaning girl in the house, a live-in. You always had live-in help because there were so many of those peasant girls who would come and… We would have sometimes two in the house.
I want you to know that you are not alone in this dilemma and drinking has made Purim a challenging Yom Tov for many women. I am not a Rav but I know there are men who do not drink on Purim and keep all the other mitzvos.
By Ariela Davis
The challenges of making aliyah on a short timeline and in the midst of lockdown were many, but Tali says, Once we made the decision, Hashem carried us on His back to our new life...
Another well-known example that I obtained recently is the first edition of the Shu"t Meshiv Davar, containing the responsa of R. Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (1816-1893), best known by his acronym the Netziv, who served as rosh yeshiva of the Volozhin Yeshiva for decades.
Someone is calling you to ask about this person’s character, intelligence, background, and more. They are not asking you to predict the future, to see through your crystal ball, or to decide the fate of the person they are calling you about.
By Marc Gronich
The way state aid works, students are entitled to aid, not schools. Schools in New York state do not get state aid from the state. Students are entitled to certain aid based on choices parents make.
The source of each quote, paraphrase or inspiration in each chapter is cited in a lengthy appendix at the end of the book. And the sources extend beyond the usual ones, even to Rambam's extensive medical writings and letters.
September 11, 2026 
