celebration
When Jakub Rybsztajn celebrated his 100th birthday last week, he raised his hands and offered a blessing to everyone in the room, paying that G-d continue to extend His graciousness to each of them. …
first person
Birthright Israel is back after a post-Oct. 7 hiatus, trying to find meaning in a nation at war. Last month, I spent ten days on a Birthright trip with 31 other American Jews ages 18 to 21. The …
gaza war
In the wake of the Hamas hostage crisis, a central and often-heard rallying cry has emerged from the Israeli and Diaspora Jewish communities: “Bring them home.” Instead, the call …
gaza war
Entering the ninth month of this terrible war has been especially harrowing. As our hostages continue to be held in unfathomable terror, my mind is consumed with the women, because we all know what …
gaza war horrors
In a chilling testimony before the Knesset, Rabbi Moshe Dickstein, who served as a reservist in the IDF’s Southern Command, provided disturbing details of the atrocities committed by …
Gaza War
Sara Krown, an Israel Defense Forces “lone solider” from the Five Towns, needs support and Hewlett organizations have bee stepping up. “She’ll say they don’t …
gaza war
U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle reacted differently to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress, something he’s done a record four …
history
The cries of ultra-Orthodox leaders echo through Israel’s political landscape. Protesters from Peleg Yerushalmi (Jerusalem faction) decry the potential conscription of haredi youth, even those …
history
The United Nations has long referred to Judea and Samaria as “occupied” Palestinian land, and the global body’s principal judicial arm, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, issued a non-binding ruling last Friday declaring that “occupation” to be ...
Politics
I’m not a big fan of Donald Trump, but I’m also not one of those rabid Trump haters who believe he’s a racist monster who will destroy our democracy and our Constitution if we allow …
kosher kitchen
Summer eating is the best eating of the year, as far as I’m concerned. It’s light and quick and relaxed and far less labor-intensive all the way around. The foods of summer are perfect in …
gaza war exhibit
An exhibit marking the one-year anniversary of the Hamas massacre will be open to the public on Oct. 7. The exhibit, sponsored by the Israel Military Intelligence Directorate, will display …
Food
From Le Chocolat on Central Avenue in Cedarhurst to Cacao Hagalil in Northern Israel, Chanie Koenig has shared sweets and positivity globally. “I love working with chocolate and I enjoy …
NYS News
Voter registration programs aim to make voting more accessible for people, and to encourage them to participate in the democratic process. But a recent directive from the state Board of Elections has …
gaza war
In the claustrophobic enclave of Gaza, life for its two million inhabitants became a protracted ordeal under the suffocating rule of Hamas. Ever since it seized power in 2007, the terrorist …
Politics
You have to hand it to Democrats: They sure know how to throw a party — for Republicans. In four measly years, Democrats managed to alienate moderates and help transform Republican …
torah
Embedded in this week’s parsha, Pinchas, is one of the great principles of leadership. The context is this: Moses, knowing that he was not destined to lead the next generation across the Jordan …
kosher kitchen
America loves ice cream. Worldwide, it is so popular that the industry sells over a BILLION gallons every year. (The number one country of ice cream lovers is New Zealand where people gobbled up …
This week in Torah
Embedded in this week’s parsha, Pinchas, is one of the great principles of leadership. The context is this: Moses, knowing that he was not destined to lead the next generation across the Jordan …
Jonathan Tobin
Most of the organized Jewish world is as outraged as the Anti-Defamation League. The decision of Wikipedia to label the ADL as an “unreliable source” on its site with respect to anything …
Ben Cohen
In an era dominated by social media and defined by short attention spans, it’s striking that longer, more involved debates hosted by elite institutions still matter. The Oxford Union …
Kosher Bookworm
W hile the popular jingle goes, “Summertime and the living is easy,” for the Jewish people, the summertime has proven to a hot time of the year, literally as well as figuratively. …
On Campus
At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on May 15, an alarming yet all too familiar scene unfolded. A group of masked youths …
More Opinion Columns
American Jews are experiencing our own version of Oct. 7 every hour of every day in every city. Like many Israelis, American Jews are only just now realizing the extent to which the world may …
Food: Dining In
America loves ice cream. Worldwide, it is so popular that the industry sells over a BILLION gallons every year. (The number one country of ice cream lovers is New Zealand where people gobbled up …
Travel
Nearly 1,800 North Americans have immigrated to Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas invasion, with an additional 2,000 newcomers expected this summer, Nefesh B’Nefesh reports. NBN, the nonprofit …
Health
Mount Sinai South Nassau dedicated its new Maidenbaum Health Care Heroes Plaza on Monday, using the occasion to salute the hospital’s doctors, nurses and other health care workers for their …