Halacha is how a person progresses from his current state to a state of similarity with the Creator, i.e. to a state with an intention to bestow, adhered to the Creator according to the force of bestowal that the person acquires. The…
November marks the memory of two major events in European history that still resonate in today’s continent: Kristallnacht, the beginning of the systematic persecution of Jews that culminated with the Holocaust; and the fall of the Berlin Wall, the beginning of…
From Rockets to European Labeling of Israeli Products. When Will Threats Against Israel Stop? Around 450 rockets have been fired at Israel in the last few days and still counting, despite the announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and the…
“We have a Nazi problem in Dresden and have to do something about it,” said a city council member who succeeded with local lawmakers in passing an initiative to declare a “Nazi emergency.” This story is not a throwback to the 1930s…
Globally, almost 4 in 10 murders of women are committed by a male intimate partner, and Israel is no exception. In the last few days, crimes against women at the hands of their sentimental partners have shaken Israeli society, which is wondering…
Anyone can become a Jew, no matter whether one is French, Italian or any other nationality, because Jewishness is not via lineage. To become a Jew means to adopt a certain way of thinking, an attitude toward life and its…
What does it mean to follow the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot? It means agreeing to erect a Schach, a thatched roof made out of plant scraps, which connects us under a single idea of unity, “as one man with one…
The best Schach is the inner Schach that we build out of “waste of barn and winery,” i.e. what our ego considers wasteful, ideas of love, unity, brotherhood and concern for others. We raise this Schach above our heads, making it the roof of our temporary…
Israel should not get involved in Syria. It makes no sense for Israel to get involved in such conflict zones. Israel is not a superpower. It’s a small nation, and it’s finding it hard enough to survive as it is.…
Synagogues across the globe are shutting down their doors for good. Demographic changes, financial problems, assimilation, and lack of interest in Jewish life among younger people, as well as the feeling of insecurity due to anti-Semitic attacks, are among the major factors that contribute to…
The shooting attack near a synagogue in Halle, Germany was yet another dreadful act of anti-Semitism on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. However, it could have been much worse if the 27-year-old attacker, who identified with the far-right,…
Post-trauma from recurring anti-Semitic incidents, the Holocaust and the pogroms has permeated entire generations of Jews. In Israel, anxiety and traumatic events are part of the daily reality affecting children, adolescents and the population in general. The average Israeli has experienced…