Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

(April 15, 2024 / JNS)

A rap artist who turned around his hard-partying lifestyle after a near-death experience when he was a teenager and became a rabbi now sees surging success with his newest single.

Rabbi Moshe Reuven Sheradsky, 31, has hit the No. 1 spot on the Israeli musical charts with his song Red and Yellow. He spoke with JNS about the spiritual influences on his music and whether the antisemitism of Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) signified a potential trend in hip-hop.

Lyrics in his hit song reference the near-death experience (someone spiked his drink at a party when he was 16) that Reuven credits with changing the course of his life, putting him onto the path that brought him to Orthodox Judaism and now pop-music acclaim.

I remember the day I almost died/Laying down in the corner looking straight at the sky/And Im in this room asking why/Can I live till tomorrow and give life another try? Sheradsky raps.

He then vows to live a purpose and that he himself, like Jacob (Israel), had to fight an angel.

Sheradsky told JNS that part of why and how I changed my life as a teenager was because I saw how evil things can be.

In an interview with Jewish News, Sheradsky said that almost dying was a turning point in the realization that my life had to be better than this. I felt God was giving me an ultimatum that I must embark on a more meaningful path or it would be wasted.

Sheradsky grew up in a Conservative Jewish household in Hollywood, Fla. Following his traumatic party experience, he stopped going out on Friday nights, fully observed Shabbat, only ate kosher and grew a beard which my brothers constantly teased me about. He said that being at Chabad had a profound influence in igniting a quest to find out more about Judaism.

Sheradsky went on to study at a yeshivah in Israel and at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, N.J., earning his semicha in 2021 and becoming a rabbi affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch movement.

Discussing biblical figures who influenced his music, Sheradsky told JNS that when it comes to writing, Moses and King David stand out. Moses was always for the people. He was the embodiment of what a true leader really should becompletely given over, complete self-sacrifice.

Sheradsky said that when he writes his songs, Im not just writing for myself, but I consider that my personal experience is also the listeners.

He says his inspiration comes from a personal place that details my journey with Hashem in a way that the listener can relate to and resonate with. He said people have told him that they are inspired by the lyrics and that they connect through them.

King David also looms large as very impactful on my writing, Sheradsky told JNS. He was a poet and a king, and the way he was open to Hashem, even about his enemies, his concerns, his worries, his troubles, his shortcomings. Hes inspired a lot of that in my relationship with Hashem and in my writings.

Sheradsky noted his parents pride in his accomplishmentsand their surprise. My brothers and friends are amazed, he said. Nobody could have expected things to turn out this way not even me.

He acknowledges that it has taken a lot of time and a lot of work to get to where I am now, and I feel blessed that God was behind me to give me a push in this direction.

Antisemitism in hip-hop has been a concern

On social media, the rapper-rabbi has grown a following of 1.7 million on Instagram. I just thank God that people from all backgrounds have gravitated to my music, Sheradsky said. I just have a goal to make this world a better place, to make it a more positive place with my music. To make it a more Godly place.

Sheradsky sees the darker tendencies in the world of hip-hop, telling JNS that Yes statements had an impact and a negative one. You see antisemitic statements from people that resonate with that culture more, to be more acceptable and frequent.

Yet at the same time, Sheradsky said people also see through it; many have seen how ridiculous such statements are.

He added that when people admire celebrities, they tend to also adopt their viewpoints about the world or life, or even just repeat them for the sake of fitting in or being with the times. The youth of the world has a large impact on whats socially acceptable, and the problem of antisemitism in hip-hop has definitely been a concern.

Sheradsky lamented how misinformed and thoughtless it all is, especially when it comes to Israel. They dont know what sea and what river. And to them, its irrelevant. Whats the truth have to do with fitting in or sounding like a humanitarian or trying to sound like youre ahead of the times? he asked rhetorically.

Still, like the Chabad rabbi he now is, he expressed optimism, saying I do believe many people have a lot more sense. The majority of America and most age demographics side with Israel primarily.

The biggest problem appears with the younger groups, the ones that are most interested in pop culture, on social mediathose are the groups where theres the most misinformation, he said.

Since forever, Esau hated Yaakov [Jacob], Sheradsky told JNS. But for the most part, Israel and the Jewish people are stronger than ever, and people are seeing the reality of how mistreated weve been more than ever, and thereby showing support.

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Chabad rabbi-rapper reaches top of the charts in Israel with 'Red and Yellow' - JNS.org - JNS.org

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

Neulander, 82, was observed unresponsive by correctional officers inside a prison infirmary unit on Wednesday, April 17, according to NBCPhiladelphia.com and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Prison officials have not released a cause of death, however, he was listed as "deceased" on the state's Department of Corrections website.

Neulander the founding rabbi of Congregation Mkor Shalom of Cherry Hill, a Reform Jewish synagogue had been serving a life sentence since his 2002 conviction.

A graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, CT, the rabbi paid two men $30,000 in 1994 to kill his wife Carol Neulander, the mother of the couple's three children. Carol was bludgeoned to death with a lead pipe by the hitmen in the home she and her husband shared in Cherry Hill.

During the murder trial, one of the hitmen testified that Neulander wanted his wife dead so he could carry on an affair with Philadelphia radio personality Elaine Soncini. Sonici issued an on-air apology calling her two-year affair with the rabbi a mistake, adding that the relationship filled a void in the wake of her husband's death.

The case was made into a true-crime musical called "A Wicked Soul in Cherry Hill," written by Matt Schatz, a former Cherry Hill resident.

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Cherry Hill Rabbi Who Hired Hitmen To Kill His Wife Over Affair Dies In Prison - Daily Voice

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) Following Irans missile and drone attacks on Israel, some in north Alabama who have connections to the country are reacting.

There was deep worry, our hearts were breaking once again, said Rabbi PJ Schwartz. Schwartz leads Temple Bnai Sholom one of Alabamas oldest synagogues located in Huntsville.

He says there were concerns about the attacks becoming a repeat of what occurred in October.

There were procedures and processes done that were able to respond to the situation very differently than what happened on October 7th, Schwartz said.

Although Saturday was much different, Schwartz fears elevated tensions in the Middle East could lead to something bigger. With no reported deaths, the rabbi says the international support Israel received helped save lives.

According to Israeli defense officials, 99% of the hundreds of missiles and drones fired by Iran were intercepted with the help of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Jordan. That kind of collective support is why Rabbi Schwartz feels encouraged.

It helps all of us understand that Israel may not be as alone as it has felt as of late the response has been overwhelming, Schwartz told News 19.

All eyes are on the Middle East as many await Israels response to the attacks and what it will look like. There are far more things that are unknown than known for us to be able to make any prediction as to whats next, Schwartz said.

Officials have said the US will not take part in Israels expected response, but President Joe Biden met with G7 leaders Sunday condemning Irans attacks while pledging their collective support for Israel.

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Very concerning: Local rabbi reacts to recent attacks on Israel by Iran - WHNT News 19

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

Todays pages, Bava Metzia 51 and 52, discuss prohibitions on financial exploitation. Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin joins us to ask: Why do markets exist? What do they have to do with societal redemption? Why do we chase things we dont really want, and certainly dont need? And what does Martin Shkreli have to do with the Talmud? Listen and find out.

Take One

Bava Metzia 51 and 52

Greed is ... good? with Rabbi Dovid Bashevkin

April 19, 2024

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Take Oneis a Tablet Studios production. The show is hosted by Liel Leibovitz and is produced and edited by Josh Kross, Robert Scaramuccia, Quinn Waller, and Elie Bleier.Our team also includes Stephanie Butnick, Courtney Hazlett, and Tanya Singer.

Listen to theTestimonies Archive, a partnership between Tablet Studios and the USC Shoah Foundation, for eyewitness audio accounts from Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks.

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Take One, Talmud to Go Bava Metzia 51 and 52 - Tablet Magazine

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

Its a few days before Passover and Jews in Israel and in the diaspora are preparing for Passover by cleaning the house and baking matzahs.

Last night, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto arrived at the mitzvah bakery in the Williamsburg district of New York. Surrounded by his sons, his successor Rabbi Yoel Pinto and Rabbi Meir Eliyahu Pinto, Rabbi Pinto himself inserted the matzahs in the oven and baked them for Passover.

After observing the commandment of baking matzah, Rabbi Pinto spoke inspiring words to his students and others in the bakery. He explained, "Passover is the holiday of freedom. True freedom begins in a persons heart. We all have leaven in our hearts, in our feelings, and in our thoughts. We have lost our integrity and a straightforward view of the world.

"Passover has the power to liberate us from our bad habits and start a new, unfettered beginning. Its sears the leaven inside us and resets the brain and the heart," said Rabbi Pinto.

Afterwards, Rabbi Pinto returned to his home in Manhattan, where he gave an inspiring Torah talk about Passover. During the talk, Rabbi Pinto answered dozens of questions sent to him from around the world.

This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel

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Passover is the time to reset oneself - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

Imagine someone who lives all alone, with no connection to the outside world. One bright sunny day, in the middle of the afternoon, the skies grow dark and the sun is completely covered up. Not comprehending whats going on, this person is understandably very frightened. If they wouldve known about the total solar eclipse, they would understand that its not scary, its an opportunity to discover and appreciate heretofore unknown sights of our good ol sun. Having the right knowledge is key to understanding your surroundings.

While watching the eclipse on my own front lawn, surrounded by family and friends, I invariably had to think back to another moment when my world temporarily went black. Six months earlier, on October 7, my nation was attacked. Then too, and sometimes still now, it seemed like it would be dark forever. But the darkness is just temporary, and with the right kind of glasses, can be a chance to see goodness and kindness unfold in so many areas.

Next week, starting April 22, Passover will be celebrated by Carbondale and SIUs Jewish community, who will join family and community Passover Sedersthe festive ritual-filled dinner on the first two nights of the eight-day holiday.

Passover celebrates the miraculous exodus of the Jewish people from slavery in Ancient Egypt some 3,330 years ago and is traditionally celebrated together with family and friends, making it the most observed Jewish holiday in the United States.

Post October 7, many questions come to mind. How can we celebrate a holiday of freedom when over 130 hostages are still being held in Hamas captivity? How can we celebrate with family as thousands of families have been torn apart by this war? How can we conduct joyous Seders in light of rising antisemitism? When the world seems to condemn the Jewish state for protecting its citizens in the aftermath of an attack which killed the most Jews in one day since the Holocaust. When Jews were butchered, burned, raped, and tortured, just because they were Jewish.

Im not the first rabbi to have this conundrum. Throughout the ages, the Jewish people have suffered persecution, from the hands of the Ancient Egyptians to the Crusaders, from the Assyrian-Greek empire to the Nazis. Yet we have always celebrated Passover and have always joyfully continued being proud Jews. As we traditionally say at the Seder: For not just one alone has risen against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise against us to destroy us; and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand!

My mentor and teacher the Rebbe Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, whose leadership inspired the founding of Chabad of Carbondale and SIU, taught us that a little bit of light can overcome a lot of darkness. Ultimately, by illuminating our own corner of the world, we can actually impact events on the other side of the world, through going out of our way to share kindness, and respect in the face of horror, malice and evil.

During past conflicts in the Land of Israel, and during other times of danger for the Jewish people, the Rebbe, made practical suggestions of mitzvahs to elicit Gds protection.

Among them are coming together in unity for prayer, men putting on tefillin, women to light Shabbat candles, putting a mezuzah on ones doors, giving charity and doing acts of kindness, and studying Torah. These acts must be proportionate to the hate and evil.

Here in Carbondale, I have seen an increased awaking among the Jewish community over the past 6 months. Individuals, both Jewish and non-Jewish alike, have come over to offer support and prayers, and everyone wants to be able to have a positive effect on the world.

We want to focus on the positivity. All of the programs weve hosted the past 6 months, have been dedicated to the safety and security of the Jewish people in Israel, around the world and for peace in the world. Weve done that by emphasizing the three pillars of Prayer, Charity and Torah study.

This Friday, April 19 marks 122 years since the Rebbes birth. Since 1978, the President of the USA designates the Rebbes birthday as Education and Sharing Day U.S.A.

In 2023 President Biden wrote: The Rebbe told us, We must translate pain into action and tears into growth. That is what education makes possible. Children are the kite strings that hold our national ambitions aloft everything America will be tomorrow depends on how we deliver for our young people today. So let us remember his teachings. Let us prepare our children to be tolerant, curious, and moral, ensuring that they lift up others as they rise.

This is the message we want to share with the community. Do another act of kindness, and lets educate our children with values of ethics and morality.

Ahead of Passover we are seeing an increased interest in celebrating this year. Our goal is to lower the barriers to Jewish engagement and ensure everyone feels welcome and included, and has the opportunities and resources they need to celebrate the holiday.

In the 1960s and 1970s there was a movement calling for adding an empty chair and setting aside an extra matzah at the Seder table as a stark reminder of the 3 million Soviet Jews who were not free to attend a Seder.

The Rebbe, however, was not pleased with this suggestion. So you have an empty chair. Go out into the street where you live, and find Jews who dont know how to celebrate the Seder, or dont even know what a Seder is, and sit them down at your Seder table!

When we celebrate freedom, we will bring freedom to the hostages.

When we celebrate with family, we will help bring families together.

When we share joy and positivity, we will bring much needed joy and happiness to the world.

The great Jewish Rabbi and philosopher Maimonides teaches us that we should view the world as a balanced scale. On one side are all our collective merits, and on the other side are our collective failings. If one performs one good deed, he tips his balance and that of the entire world to the side of merit and brings deliverance and salvation to himself and others.

While the world turned dark for a few minutes, the sun was shining brightly all along. We wore the safety glasses because of the suns bright rays. At times it feels that we are engulfed in darkness, we see war, hatred, bigotry, poverty etc. But the eclipse reminds us, there is a bright future ahead of us, a time of world peace, a world of tolerance, and a pursuit of righteousness.

All it takes is one action, one good word or one positive thought that can tip the scale and bring salvation to us all.

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Letter to the editor: A Rabbi's message on Gaza - Daily Egyptian

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

For Jews, Passover is a time of liberation. The Exodus story tells the tale of a slave population liberated by divine intervention. Its a story of hope for many persecuted peoples, including the Black Church in America, inspiring African American spirituals such as Go Down Moses.

Its also a violent story, culminating with the plague of the slaying of first-born Egyptians finally convincing Pharaoh that the Israelites were more of a deficit than a benefit. Its probably the most graphic and vicious depiction of divine violence in scripture.

In the Haggadah (the liturgical text used at the Passover Seder) Jews celebrate their freedom by telling that story. Since the founding of the state of Israel that story has had special resonance and challenging implications, in part because Jews were now sovereign, and in part because Jews now ruled over another people. The story of Passover is one of liberation into freedom. Told in one way, the story of the state of Israel is that too, but its also a story of limiting the freedom of others. How can the story be both a celebration of liberation and a warning against hegemony; a story of freedom and a story of unfreedom?

This year the incongruities are much more acute. Jews worldwide will sit at a Seder and tell this story while children starve in Gaza, while mothers become childless, while people become homeless, while the stench of death fills the spring air. They will sit and tell this story still traumatized by the ruthless murder of 1,200 in Israel (including both Israelis and non-Israelis). But it isnt the blood of the sacrificial goat that stains their homes, its the blood of their families and comrades, hostages whose fate is still unknown, and of the 33,000 killed in Gaza so far. And it is the story of experiencing the fear of bombardment by another sovereign nation. What doeswhat canthis story teach us in this moment of tragedy, atrocity, and vengeance?

A largely unknown Lithuanian rabbi from the early 20th century was keenly aware of the hazards of power and the inevitability of violence, even before the State of Israel was established. Aaron Shmuel Tamares (1869-1931) was a rabbi, an essayist, a Hebraist, and a pacifist from a small town in the Bialystok region. Early in his career he wrote a lengthy essay called Herut (Liberation) published in 1906, just three years after the Kishinev pogrom and a year after the first Russian Revolution in 1905.

The violence spreading in Europe would eventually lead to World War I and the deaths of millions of civilians. This essay was also written shortly after the death of Theodore Herzl in 1904 and the rising popularity of Zionism, which Tamares was initially sympathetic to, having attended the Fourth Zionist Congress in London in 1900. But he had returned disillusioned with many things about the meeting, including the reflexive nationalism he witnessed and his skepticism in nationalism as an arm of violence and dispossession. He subsequently abandoned the Zionist project.

Some of this may have seeped into his essay which depicts Egypt as the prototypical imperial power and the Israelites as an enslaved population unable to fully grasp the implications of their own servitudeand thus unable to psychologically liberate themselves from it.

For Tamares, the Exodus narrative isnt merely a story about liberation, but more importantly a warning to the Israelites and their progeny: Dont become like Pharaoh, which for him meant dont dominate others. Tamares writes:

All of this [the story of the Exodus] can be used to explain the final plague in Egypt, in which God executes death [to the first born of Egypt]. This judgment was deployed by Godself, as the Haggadah explains: I passed over the night, I, and not an emissary. This seems odd as God could have enabled the Israelites to wreak vengeance on the Egyptians. However, God did not want to even show the Israelites how to use the power of the fist, even in a moment of defending themselves against the evil ones. This is because, at that moment, while they would indeed be defending themselves against the aggressors, in the end they would have become aggressors.

Therefore, God took great pains to prevent the Israelites from enacting any vengeance against the evil ones; so much so that he prohibited them from even witnessing it. Thus, the [violent] act was deployed in the middle of the night in the darkest hour of the night. God also warned the Israelites not to leave their houses, all to separate them from this destructive act, even to witness it passively.

In fact, God prohibited Israel from witnessing Gods violence to prevent the violence that is within Israel to be released. Because once that violence is released there is no longer the ability to distinguish between the righteous (the innocent) and the evil (the guilty), and the one who is the defender (the recipient of violence) will become the aggressor (the perpetrator of violence).

And all of you should not leave your houses until the morning (Ex 12:22).that you should not become the destroyer. This means that by distancing oneself from participating in the vengeance against Egypt one is prevented from unleashing the destroyer (violence) that is within you.

Tamares knew that violence lurked beneath the faade of servitude, as it has throughout history. And Zeev Jabotinsky was quite clear in his famous essay The Iron Wall that Arabs will surely revolt against Jewish sovereignty in their land. And there may even be justice in enabling those persecuted to act out in vengeance against their persecutors, as we saw in cases of Jews liberated from concentration camps attacking German officers. This is the way of the world.

But Tamares argues that the Jews as carriers of Torah come to the world to counter that inclination, and the Exodus story is its quintessential exemplar. Yes, violence had to be done for the Israelites to be liberated, in order for the master-slave dynamic to collapse. But it was God who would enact that violence, not the Israelites. In fact, as weve seen, God forbade the Israelites from witnessing the violence, in order to prevent them from becoming aggressors themselves.

In this sense, for Tamares the story is as much a warning to Jews as a celebration of Jewish freedom. There is nothing to prevent a nation, any nation, from becoming like ancient Egypt as depicted in the Hebrew Bible. In fact, for Tamares, that is the great occupational hazard of nationalism. Tamares knew that as he was suffering its initial consequences in 1905, and he knew that Zionism held the potential as well. In a later work after World War I, Knesset Israel and the Wars of the Nations, he goes as far as to argue that a national homeland (erez moledet) is idolatry.

Jews will sit down to a Seder this year with many mixed feelings. The trauma of October 7; the humiliation, the anger, the desire for retribution, and justifications for the horrific violence in Gaza to innocent victims. And there may be added enthusiasm to utter, toward the Haggadahs finale, just before the door is opened to welcome Elijah the Prophet: Pour out Your wrath to the nations who do not know You. But Tamares teaching should also be present: Do not become like Pharaoh. Dissonant as it may sound, in Tamares view, its the gift that Jews as inheritors of Torah are meant to bring to the world.

One cannot destroy Pharaoh by becoming Pharaoh. Normalcy cannot come at the price of this lesson. Because if it does, Tamares proclaims later in this essay, all of human civilization is in peril. A world of Pharaohs is not desirable. Nor sustainable. Violence does not redeem. It only enslaves.

Aaron Shmuel Tamares, Herut chapter 6, p. 44 [translation by Shaul Magid].

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TO ONE EARLY 20TH CENTURY RABBI SKEPTICAL OF ZIONISM, PASSOVER ISN'T SIMPLY A CELEBRATION OF ... - Religion Dispatches

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

As Jews around the world read the haggadah at their seder tables every year, they encounter a passage instructing them to see themselves as if they personally left Egypt. This year, some of them will also have on their seder tables a symbol of the perseverance of women traumatized in captivity.

In light of testimony that Israeli women have suffered rape and sexual assault at the hands of Hamas, Rabbanit Leah Sarna is encouraging seder participants to connect with the Israelite women of long ago by putting a mirror on their tables.

Those women, according to Jewish tradition, used mirrors in the course of reempowering themselves after facing sexual trauma a way, Sarna wrote in the Jewish publication Lehrhaus, of fighting to create Jewish babies and reclaiming their autonomy.

Recall the historic suffering and endurance of Jewish women past and present, and let us hope and pray that that same healing will someday be found by our brothers and especially sisters in Gaza being tortured today, Sarna wrote.

Sarnas mirror custom is one of many that rabbis, educators and Jewish organizations have put forward as Jews seek to use the ritual canvas of the seder as an opportunity to grapple with the Oct. 7 attack, the Israel-Hamas war and the estimated 130 hostages still held captive in Gaza.

The holiday, which begins Monday evening, comes as the war has passed the six-month mark, while Irans unprecedented attack on Israel has raised alarm throughout that country and beyond. Meanwhile, there is no immediate prospect on the horizon for the hostages release. In response, some of the new rituals add to the seders symbolism, while others seek to adapt age-old practices to the present day.

Something thats helpful and so beautiful about the seder ritual is this feeling of contextualization of Jewish oppression, Sarna, a rabbi and educator at the Drisha Institute for Jewish Education in New York City, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The oppression and resistance of Jewish women, she said, has to be a part of that story.

She added, Its a part of our story now. And its been a part of our story, I would say, since Egypt, and I think we need to write it in more explicitly than we ever have before.

Sarna isnt the only one placing women at the center of her ritual innovation. This year, Jewish Women International is encouraging families to add flowers to their seder plates, as a way to stand in solidarity with the women of Israel to honor the memory of those who we lost at the hands of Hamas and other terrorists, to give hope to those who survived, and to share our strength with those who are still held hostage.

One Jewish website suggests adding pomegranates to the seder plate as a symbol of standing with Israeli women and offers a free two-page haggadah supplement on the topic. The practice of adding new items to the seder plate has been adopted in the past to draw attention to issues ranging from feminism to unjust labor practices.

Some are adapting rituals created for crises of recent decades. Next week, many seder tables will include an empty seat to represent the hostages a gesture that was made last year on behalf of jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and, before that, for Soviet Jewry. Some families will place a yellow ribbon on their tables, a symbol that has come to represent advocacy for the hostages release, while some will also wear yellow.

Others hope to allude to the hostages by taking away from the seder table, rather than adding to it. In an essay for JTA, Rabbi Elie Kaufner suggests using less matzah at seders this year to draw attention to the feeling of absence.

With more than 130 of our people literally in captivity, the shock of seeing fewer matzot at the table, when we are used to seeing plenty, is appropriate, Kaufner wrote.

The new rituals come alongside the perennial bevy of supplements to the traditional haggadah text that seek to make the holidays themes relevant to the present day. This year, a number of haggadah supplements aim to help families discuss Oct. 7 and its aftermath during their seders from reimagining the Four Questions to reflections on other central Passover texts like Dayenu or the admonition that in every generation an enemy will attempt to destroy the Jewish people.

Rabbi David Lau, the chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Israel, shared a Passover prayer for the release of the hostages, meant to be recited before that passage. The prayer asks God to bless and protect our captive brothers and sisters, return them in peace to their families and homes and plant brotherhood, peace and friendship in the heart of all.

Others encourage adding new meaning to existing Passover customs.

In a blog post for the site Ritualwell, Rabbi Judith Edelman-Green suggests inviting seder attendees to write their own interpretations of the Ten Plagues. For blood, Edelman-Green writes, one could think of the young women and men who were brutally murdered at the Nova Festival on Oct. 7. For darkness, Where has Hope gone? Where is the Holy work of peace between peoples? Where is the government who takes care of her citizens?

Edelman-Green also offers a new way to think about the four children discussed during the seder. Instead of the traditional characterizations wise, wicked, simple and the child who does not know how to ask she suggests others, including a brave child to represent those who fought in the war, or the daughter who could not scream for the victims of Hamas sexual abuses.

The iCenter, a nonprofit focused on Israeli education, offers an online guide to 12 different moments in the seder, adapted for this year. From a reflection of a mother and daughter who have just returned to their home in Kibbutz Saad, to an exploration of art created to remember the hostages, the website reads.

The hagaddahs text recognizes that Jewish history repeats itself, something that Rabbi Danielle Upbin says makes new rituals superfluous.

Regarding the current crisis in Israel, no additional items are necessary, Upbin wrote in the Jewish Press of Tampa Bay. The traditional Passover Seder already speaks volumes. The Haggadah itself is a flavorful dissertation on the dichotomy between destitution and resilience, darkness and light, captivity and freedom. The Haggadah calls us to read the current crisis into its pages.

Sarna agreed that the seder is an inviting setting to discuss thorny topics. She said she recently heard from a friend who recalled being at a family gathering when two sisters began to argue about Israel.

And then they said, Oh, forget it. Lets leave it for the seder, Sarna recounted.

The seder itself describes, through the four sons, but also in other ways, groups of people who sit around having a seder arguing with each other and approaching things from really different perspectives, but they all come back to the table every year, Sarna added. And thats the best we can hope for this year.

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Empty chairs, mirrors and pomegranates: How Jews are bringing the war to their seder table - The Jerusalem Post

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

NEW YORK (VINnews) The annual Pre-Passover Security Briefing hosted by the (NYPD) in partnership with community and senior rabbinical leaders at One Police Plaza in NYC was a significant event that highlighted the collaborative efforts between law enforcement and the Jewish community to ensure the safety and security of all residents.

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This years briefing, organized by NYPD Deputy Chief Richie Taylor, was a critical gathering under the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams, who has placed a strong emphasis on community policing and building trust between law enforcement and the diverse communities they serve.

The event saw the participation of senior Jewish leadership, including Rav Reuvain Feinstein shlita. The presence of such esteemed leaders underscored the importance of the NYPDs commitment to keeping the Jewish community safe at all costs and in every possible way. The hosting of the summit by Police Commissioner Hon. Edward A. Caban and Deputy Chief Richard Taylor of Community Affairs NYPD further solidified the partnership between law enforcement and the community.

The program kicked off with a powerful rendition of the National Anthem by Beri Weber, an international Jewish music recording artist, setting a patriotic and solemn tone for the event. This was followed by a NYPD Heroes Video Presentation narrated by the iconic James Earl Jones, highlighting the brave men and women of the NYPD who dedicate their lives to serving and protecting the city.

Opening remarks were delivered by Police Commissioner Hon. Edward A. Caban, who emphasized the importance of community partnership in ensuring public safety. This was followed by remarks from Rabbi Dr. Alvin Kass, the Chief Chaplain of the NYPD, who provided a spiritual perspective on the challenges facing the community.

An intelligence briefing was then presented to the community leaders by John Hart, Assistant Chief of the NYPD Intelligence and Counterterrorism Bureau, providing valuable insight into the current threat landscape and the measures being taken to address potential security risks. Special guests, including Dror Shitret, Chief of Security at the Israeli Consulate, and Emanuel (Ami) Magen, Regional Security Director at the Office of the Israeli Prime Minister, shared their perspectives on the challenges faced both in New York City and abroad, commending the NYPD for their dedication to protecting the community.

Captain Johnny Wong, Executive Officer of the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force, then delivered a briefing on hate crimes, highlighting the departments zero-tolerance approach to such offenses. The event concluded with closing remarks from Mark T. Stewart, Deputy Commissioner of the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau, reinforcing the commitment to collaboration and mutual support between law enforcement and the community.

The by-invitation-only briefing began with a hot buffet and intimate networking session, allowing community leaders and NYPD top brass to interact and discuss the pressing issues facing the Jewish community as they prepared for the upcoming Passover season. This networking session set the tone for an open and constructive dialogue between all parties involved, demonstrating a commitment to partnership and collaboration in addressing security concerns.

Through open communication, mutual respect, and shared commitment to public safety, the NYPD continues to be a beacon of hope and protection for all New Yorkers, especially as they approach significant religious and cultural celebrations like Passover. The Jewish leaders demonstrated their deep appreciation and admiration to the NYPD leadership and hosts.

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NYPD Pre-Passover Security Briefing With Community Leaders and Rabbi Reuven Feinstein - VINNews

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Posted By admin on April 20, 2024

Rabbi Itzik Schwartz from Chabad of Sheepshead Bay, NY, had 3000 sets of Shmura Matza to give out which should have been plenty. But then he read a letter of the Rebbe which changed everything.

Rabbi Itzik Schwartz from Chabad of Sheepshead Bay, NY, had 3000 sets of Shmura Matza to give out which should have been plenty. But then he read a letter of the Rebbe which changed everything.

Rabbi Itzik Schwartz shares:

When we planned the quantities for this years Matzah distribution, we decided to distribute to 3,000 familiesa goal we hoped to meet with a ton of effort. But then, I saw the following letter from the Rebbe, and I realized that the Rebbe wants more.

This is from Igros Kodesh Vol. 19 (letter #7292):

Surprisingly, it seems from between the lines and from information I have received from others, that this years Shmura Matzah operation seems to have been lessened compared to the previous years, although logically, it should have been the opposite.

I consulted with some friends and decided to purchase an additional 600 sets! That was also a lot of money, and I had a hard time believing that we could distribute it all (a total of 3,600 sets).

To my surprise, on the morning of Yud Nissan, we found out we had distributed it all! We want to make the Rebbe happy on his birthday, and purchase another 1,200 sets, to ensure that as many Jews as possible can eat Matzah on the Seder nights as the Rebbe wished!

I am starting an emergency fundraising campaign for $12,000. If there is money, we can buy the matzahs. BH we already raised $790.

I am reaching out to you, if you havent yet participated in Mivtza Matza this is your chance to do so. And if you have, you can add to your donation, and Hashem should bless you with all the brachos!

Zelle: [emailprotected]

PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=33ZP6UN4S7XXW

CashApp: https://cash.app/$ChabadSheepsheadBay

Credit Card: https://square.link/u/3rSx746A

The program is operated by Rabbi Yitzchak Schwartz, Outreach Director at Chabad of Sheepshead Bay, headed by Rabbi Shlomo Cohen, Director of Chabad Of Sheepshead Bay.

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We Had Plenty of Matza, But Then Something Happened - Anash.org - Good News

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