Category: Other

Making a commitment is paramount to any situation. God, choices, relationships, and commitments go hand in hand, and this is how it goes. People (even my six-year-old) have this deep and existential question: “Since Hashem knows and…

An Open Letter to Nataliia Sychkova and Liudmyla Vlasova

Dear Natasha and Liudmyla,

I spent a long time thinking about how to begin this letter, and at a certain point I understood that I did not want to begin it beautifully; what mattered to…

Somaliland’s Re-Recognition :Correcting a Distorted Narrative.

Somaliland is a self-governing, peaceful, and democratic state located in the Horn of Africa. For more than three decades, it has maintained its own government, constitution,…

I had just finished briefing my soldiers for their next shift when I heard the sound of a message on my phone. I have a special notification for messages from my wife, so I know to give them priority. I take the phone out of my vest and read the…

Learning lessons from Jacob’s assessment of each of his children and guiding each child based on their unique strengths and challenges, not the version we imagine.

At the opening of Parshat Vayechi, we read:

וַיִּקְרָ֥א…

I never favored his politics. Nor did I travel in his elite circles.

Like most Americans of a certain age, however, I had fond memories of Rob Reiner as Meathead in the legendary 1970s sitcom “All in The Family.” And, of course, I loved…

At the end of Parashat Vayechi, Jacob gathers his sons and declares:
“Assemble yourselves and I will tell you what will happen to you at the end of days.”

It is one of the most dramatic openings in the Torah. Jacob signals that he is about…

Progressive except for racism against Jews: Towards an understanding of the ‘hidden’ phenomenon of Left AntiSemitism by Philip Mendes

Since the October 2023 Hamas death squad massacre, it has become apparent that a global alliance exists…

“Is it safe for my son to go on shlichut in Australia?”
“Should our family not go to public menorah lightings this year?”
“Will there be security at outdoor Chanukah events?”

These were real questions I heard in the hours…