Category: Other

Second anniversary of October 7.

We constantly construct narratives in our heads about our place in the world and how the world functions. Our background, including the languages we speak, forms a foundation of how we interpret reality. Or so-called reality. While it’s…

Last night I could see the moon

peeking through the leaves of the trees lining the lane,

its silver disc nearly full, shining its light

on the darkness below.

And tonight it will peek

through the roof of our sukkah,

which we finished…

In his commentary Nesivos Shalom on the Chagim, the Slonimer Rebbe explores the unique energy of Sukkot — the holiday we call Zeman Simchateinu, “the time of our joy.”

While all three pilgrimage festivals include a mitzvah to rejoice,…

The Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, was intended to take away from Israelis their sense of security, and it succeeded, at least for now. A few days after the attack, Yossi Klein Halevi wrote, “Even more than the atrocities themselves, what…

In the lobby of my synagogue is an elegantly set table waiting for the hostages being held in Gaza to gather around it and enjoy a beautiful Shabbat or Yom Tov meal. I’ve taken it upon myself to kindle Shabbat candles every Friday…

For years, the world claimed Palestinians spoke with one voice—Hamas’s voice. That was a lie. Today in Gaza, new anti-Hamas militias are proving it. And they are not fighting Israel. They are fighting alongside the IDF to free their…

This piece is part of a four-part essay. In Part One, we prised apart Tucker Carlson’s flashier claims and corrected the false notes and misleading arithmetic he smuggled in with a smile. Now, in Part Two, we take up his…

After completing the High Holidays, the global Jewish community is now entering Sukkot (the Festival of Booths), which is arguably the pinnacle of the biblical calendar. Sukkot is not only the last and the longest of the holidays in this…