The devastation was devastating. Block after block stacked with the carcasses of dead houses. Walls punctured by bullet holes and living rooms strewn with debris. Bathrooms with the pipes pulled out, and silent bedrooms filled with broken toys….
Category: Other
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Preserving the Carcasses of Dead Houses
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We just went to the beach to celebrate Hanukkah…
They say you never know when it’s going to be your last. It’s 8:07 p.m. The hell began apparently just one hour ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago. I am writing on my sister-in-law’s iPad because I don’t have my phone, I don’t…
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Hanukkah – The Battle Is Not Yet Over
Tonight, Sunday, Jews around the world will once again light the 1st candle of Hanukkah, the holiday that marks the victory 2,200 years ago of the Jewish Maccabees against the Selucid Greeks. Each evening, we will add one more candle during the…
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*The Sufganiyah and the Dreidel: How to Look at Life*
Hanukkah teaches us to look beyond what is on the outside and to focus on what is inside. Two familiar symbols—the sufganiyah and the dreidel—offer a clear lesson about life, guided by HaKadosh Baruch Hu. The Sufganiyah By way of derash,…
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How Israel’s Calendar Protects against Holiday Hijacking
Floating Hebrew Dates, a Surprising and Clever Shield for National Identity Commemorative days — whether holidays or solemn observances — are more than days off. They serve as powerful markers of identity, memory, and narrative. Around the…
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The Strength of Torah in the Darkest Corners
“I just remember praying to God, begging him, saying ‘save me, I’m in your hands now. It was a sentence I often said in captivity.” This is how Bar Kuperstein, an Israeli hostage held by Hamas, described one of his scariest days in…
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Oy to the World: The Jewish Hand in the Holiday Mix
While many may not realize how deeply Jewish composers have shaped the sound of Christmas, this rabbi explores that shared musical legacy and concludes with a Chanukah reimagining of a beloved classic. It all begins around Thanksgiving. The…
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The real Chanukah miracle
Settling into my seat in synagogue one morning earlier this week, I suddenly noticed a rifle propped up against the wall. The scene was jarring. Though this summer will mark 15 years since we made Aliyah, there are still some sights that can give…
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Hanukkah in Jerusalem: Light without Apology
When Jewish Time Occupies Jewish Space
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The Cost of Speaking Over Our Own Margins
Why Jewish moral conversations must widen their frame In recent years, a familiar claim has taken hold in American Jewish cultural discourse: Jews are powerful. We are wealthy. We are influential. We dominate media, publishing, law, finance, and…
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