I have been studying Rav Yitzchak Hutner’s writings on the holidays this year with a small group. They are deep and illuminating and help make otherwise esoteric aspects of our Chaggim become fascinating facets imbued with evocative symbolism….
Category: Other
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As A Jew: How today’s challenges are rooted in Yaakov & Channukah
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The Cats Have Decided I Shouldn’t Be Left Unsupervised
Embed from Getty Images On responsibility, quiet scrutiny, and the disconcerting accuracy of feline observation — and yes, I’m aware they’re not literally convening, evaluating, and documenting my choices… they’re not, right? There are…
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Before the Internet: How We Solved Factual Disagreements
Scene: A living room in 1975. Two friends, Moshe and Chaim, are watching a Mets game on TV. Moshe: “Remember when the Mets won the World Series in 1969? And then they went to the World Series again in 1972 but lost to the Athletics”…
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Zionism Is Binary – Communicate This
Let me ask you one yes-or-no question. Answer it honestly, and we’ll know exactly where you stand on “Zionism”: Do you want the State of Israel – the world’s only Jewish state – to continue existing in some form? Yes → you are a…
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The Miracle of Your Other Half
I want to wish a Happy Birthday to my other half. I am born in the Hebrew month of Cheshvan, which represents turning darkness into light. Each month has a letter from the Hebrew alphabet that emanates and defines the energy the month. My husband…
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Parshat Vayeitzei 5786
“Then Yaakov kissed Rochel and he raised his voice and wept.” Bereishis 29: 11 In this week’s Parsha we read about how when Yaakov met Rochel at the well, he experienced conflicting emotions. He felt tremendous joy at having finally met his…
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An escape escalator to heaven or the divine call to earth?
Israel's draft-evaders need a theological recalibration: A return to Jacob's vision in which God pulls him not away from the world but into it (Vayetzei)
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From Lord’s to the Land of Milk and Honey: A Cricket Tale beyond the Ashes
Between Tests and Traditions: Cricket’s Unlikely Journey into Jewish and Israeli Life As Australia and England renew their rivalry in the 2025–26 Ashes, millions tune in expecting the familiar rhythms of a storied contest. The crack of…
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When Ordinary People Become Israel’s Shield
At the Jewish Federations of North America General Assembly, I’ve interviewed countless leaders and innovators. But every so often, someone sits down across from you whose story hits differently — raw, unfiltered, and deeply human. That was…
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Counting seven clean days: Female-halachic dissonance
One woman wrote to a rabbi in 2021: “It’s terribly frustrating that I feel powerful attraction to my husband specifically in the week of the 7 clean days, with the height of desire occurring on mikveh night, and the following day. After that,…
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