Early on in the post 10/7 conflict, I began to listen to podcasts featuring Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur. Gur had a very incisive approach to his analysis. It wasn’t ideological, it was extremely well informed, and it was clear eyed about the challenges faced by Israeli society, by …
A few minutes ago early this morning, my daughter returned home to Toronto.
In Israel on a seminar with educators and group leaders when the war with Iran began, like millions of others she spent most of a week in and out of a bomb shelter. She and her group were evacuated through Ashdod to…
For the second time in two weeks, I find myself compelled to write a new message hours before we publish our newsletter. Circumstances give me no other choice. It reminds me of November 1989, when my Modern European History course in my 2nd year at the University of Toronto had to be reworke…
It had been my intention to write this week about our friends and allies in Rockland’s LGBTQ+ community. As Pride month celebrations continue, let us not only passively recall but also actively assert that the identity and the rights that our community believes are being eroded - by the h…
It’s a byword these days, among us. Resilience is how we describe the way in which our people are continuing to weather this unrelenting storm we find ourselves in. We turn on the TV or social media, and see yet another protest, another violent attack, another scrawled swastika or vandaliz…
It was a burning hot summer, 34 years ago in Jerusalem. I had been backpacking for a month in Scotland and England, and had just got to Israel a few days earlier. The ninth of Av that year was on Shabbat, so the day-long fast commemorating the destruction of the Temple in 68 CE was pushed of…
The image is fixed. Seared in my mind, in my memory, forever. The lioness, Shiri Bibas HY’D, holding her boys in her arms, the fear and determination written on her face. The pictures and videos of her family life that we all saw in the aftermath tell a story of love, happiness, laughter a…
When we sing the song ‘Eshet Chayil’ as we welcome in the Sabbath, we recite the verses describing a woman secure in her role, proud of her vast accomplishments, appreciated for her wisdom, courage, and goodness. Today, I’d like to share the stories of three women of valor who share al…
I was looking for some notes from an almost-forgotten report I had written many years ago, and found myself searching through some very old emails from a little-used hotmail account several days ago.
I came across an old story I had saved back in 2003 - which I am not sure I ever used - tha…
I'd like to share a narrative with you, and two questions, not unlike some of those we ask on the Seder night. The purpose is to provoke thought and further discussion. The questions may provide an opportunity to turn a lens on ourselves, and draw conclusions, as we celebrate the story and t…
The Jewish people have a complicated relationship with the concept of gratitude. After the exodus from Egypt, we are told that the grumbling and complaining began immediately, and the idea of ‘God took us out of Egypt to have us die in the desert’ was repeatedly heard. And yet, some of o…
Last Friday, the Olympia neighborhood in Monsey and people across the nation were stunned and grief stricken by the sudden and tragic death of Rabbi Eliyahu (Eli) Fink z’l in an accident. R’ Fink was 43 years old, a father, husband, lawyer, journalist, educator and Rabbi. He founded the …
I had three conversations over the past two weeks that I have spent some time thinking about. The first was via Facebook messenger, the second was on the phone, and the third was via Zoom. The first one left me a bit discouraged, the second one tested my self-control, but the third one left …
Last night, I had the challenge and privilege of unexpectedly reading Megilat Esther for my family, as one of us was unable to attend reading at our shul. It’s been several years since I had done the reading, but I had learned it in order to teach it to my eldest more than 15 years ago as…
I know that many of you, our newsletter subscribers, have been reading these weekly messages regularly, for up to three years. It has been an honor and a privilege for me to write for our community, to share thoughts, ideas, convictions and consolation. It has been especially cathartic for m…
