Category: Other

The first Rashi in the Torah notes that the Torah should have started with the commandment of “Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem.” The Mitzvah of renewing the month as the new moon is seen. Since this is when the Yidden finally left Egypt and were…

Sometimes it appears that the world has gone crazy. In recent years, people who otherwise appear to be sensible and compassionate ignore, excuse, justify and even celebrate the slandering and physical attacks on Jews and the Jewish state. It…

How Come They Are Not Ashamed To Hate Publicly?

A man recently confronted another passenger on a cruise ship after noticing large swastika tattoos across the man’s chest. The Jewish passenger called security. Around them, people lifted…

I remember being 20 years old, flipping through TV channels and always coming across Shalom Brasil. The program used to showcase events from the Jewish community. I would watch for a few minutes, not understanding much, but I knew it was…

In the midst of war, how does the Torah portion speak to us? As a Jewish American, I can’t even answer that question because it contains an “us”. How can there be an us when my life is so different from yours? How can I possibly imagine…

Our Jewish tradition warns against the character flaw of ingratitude. The Sages (in Midrash Shemot Rabbah) even point out that a person (like Pharaoh) who ignores or denies the good done for him by others will ultimately ignore and deny the…

This Shabbat we read the double portion of Vayakhel–Pekudei as part of the weekly Torah cycle. Because it is also the eve of the month of Nisan, we read an additional section from Exodus 12, known as Parashat HaChodesh, which introduces the…

We are living in historic times!

Who among us can have failed last week to recognise the stark truth of Ramban’s famous saying ma’aseh avot siman le-banim – “what happens to our ancestors is a signpost for [what will happen to] their…

President Trump on Thursday endorsed Brandon Herrera, the de facto GOP nominee for a Texas congressional district whose past comments about Nazis have drawn scrutiny.

“Brandon is strongly supported by many Highly…

There are two internationally important events each year in the publishing calendar: the Frankfurt Book Fair in the autumn and the London Book Fair in the spring. There are others but they’re also-rans: these are the two that matter most,…