As we approach the one-year anniversary of October 7th on the Hebrew calendar (Simchat Torah – כ”ב בתשרי), it is hard to be optimistic. Rockets have been falling constantly from Hezbollah in the North reaching well past Haifa into the center of the country. We mourn the loss of life of 4 Israeli soldiers killed […]
מה זה אומר להיות יהודי היום? “קשה להיות יהודי”. זה הביטוי המפורסם שהמשורר היהודי שלום עליכם כתב עליו מחזה (או ביידיש: ” שווער צו זייַן א ייִד”) בראשית המאה הקודמת. בתקופתו של שלום עליכם, באמת היה קשה. היה ניתן להאמין שלפעמים מבחינת העולם ראשו של היהודי עדיין מונח מתחת למאכלת רק מעצם היותו יהודי. והיום, […]
By Rabbi Jonah Pesner I write these words as I return from Israel as part of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations mission commemorating the first anniversary of the October 7th attacks on Israel – the most violent massacre of Jews on a single day since the Shoah. I share the following […]
Today is October 7th – Today is day 365. Today we mark one year on the Gregorian calendar since the day that will live in infamy. It is a day referred to by its date, and everyone knows what we mean when we say “October 7th” or “the 7th”. Some compare it to the Israeli […]
“תִּכְלֶה שָׁנָה וְקִלְלוֹתֶיהָ, תָּחֵל שָׁנָה וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ“ “May the curses of the past year fade away, and may this year begin with its blesings” Iran is often compared to an octopus. The terror and desire to destroy Israel comes from its head but is enacted through its many far-reaching tentacles. For the past few decades, […]
:וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלָי מִצָּפוֹן תִּפָּתַח הָרָעָה עַל כָּל יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ (ירמיהו א:יד) “And GOD said to me: From the north shall disaster break loose Upon all the inhabitants of the land!‘” (Jeremiah 1:14) I was struck this week by a headline that said “Israel’s Bombardment of Lebanon” as if that told the whole story […]
September 20, 2024 – י״ז אֱלוּל תשפ”ד Many of us will always remember where we were on October 7th. Previously, I had three specific dates that I will always remember: The famous handshake on the White House Lawn between Yitzhak Rabin, Yasser Arafat, and Bill Clinton to formalize the Oslo Peace Process on September 13, […]
Friday September 13, 2024 – י׳ אֱלוּל תשפ”ד בְּרֶ֥גַע קָטֹ֖ן עֲזַבְתִּ֑יךְ וּבְרַחֲמִ֥ים גְּדֹלִ֖ים אֲקַבְּצֵֽךְ׃ בְּשֶׁ֣צֶף קֶ֗צֶף הִסְתַּ֨רְתִּי פָנַ֥י רֶ֙גַע֙ מִמֵּ֔ךְ וּבְחֶ֥סֶד עוֹלָ֖ם רִחַמְתִּ֑יךְ אָמַ֥ר גֹּאֲלֵ֖ךְ יְהֹוָֽה׃ (ישעיהו נד:ז-ח) For a little while I forsook you, But with vast love I will bring you back. In slight anger, for a moment, I hid My face from […]
Friday September 6, 2024 – ג׳ אֱלוּל תשפ”ד It didn’t have to end like this. This was not the ending that we expected. This was the nightmare scenario that we all knew could happen deep in our consciousness, but we hoped and prayed that it wouldn’t. Now we are grieving and many of us are […]
Friday August 30, 2024 – כ״ו אָב תשפ”ד רְאֵ֗ה אָנֹכִ֛י נֹתֵ֥ן לִפְנֵיכֶ֖ם הַיּ֑וֹם בְּרָכָ֖ה וּקְלָלָֽה׃ אֶֽת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁמְע֗וּ אֶל־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָנֹכִ֛י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם הַיּֽוֹם׃ “See, this day I set before you blessing and curse: blessing, if you obey the commandments of your God יהוה that I enjoin upon you this day;” At […]
