יום רביעי, ט״ו אב תשפ״וWednesday, July 29, 2026
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BROOKLYN, NY — The Rabbinical Alliance of America (Igud HaRabbonim), a national rabbinic organization founded in 1942, held its Rosh Chodesh Av Conference and Seudah on Wednesday, July 13, 2026 (28 Tamuz 5786). The prestigious gathering took place at Congregation Eitz Chaim of Flatbush in Brooklyn, New York, hosted by its spiritual leader and RAA […]
I promised myself that I would be the bubby I never was blessed with if I was zoche to have grandchildren.
Bubby isn’t a title that comes with biology. It comes down to what someone does.
By Keshet Starr
No matter which kind of bubby you have, the name brings up a larger question – how do we connect across generations?
I had two bubbies. Although the truth is that we spelled it Bobby.
By Hillel Fuld
It is usually a term of endearment and some people use it as a nickname for a baby and even for an adult.
Sometimes, in our little country, the most inspiring moments happen when and where you least expect them.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senators Andy Kim (D-NJ), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), and John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced the bipartisan Digital Age Assurance Act to protect children online by requiring operating system providers to collect and share users' ages exclusively with app developers so they can block kids from accessing age-inappropriate content. The bill prioritizes protecting kids' privacy with […]
The greatest factor affecting long-term growth is not the government's initial $1,000 contribution. It is consistent annual family contributions.
What in the world had Hashem been thinking when He put me and Binyamin together? Why was I condemned to suffer?
The result is not simply more commentary, but a panoramic view of how Jews have studied and understood the Torah across the generations.
A lot is said today about the way that parents “coddle” their children or are overly permissive with them.
The greatest gift you can give her is knowing that your confidence in her does not depend on her relationship status.
Works deemed too controversial, too politically sensitive, or too marginal for the printing press continued to survive through the older, quieter medium of handwritten transmission.
An hour in which nothing has to be managed, where the worst of it can be said out loud and the person hearing it neither flinches nor leaves, does something no technique accounts for.
The goal of dating is not to audition for Mr. Entertaining. It’s to let someone discover the real you.
The true measure of a catastrophe is not the moment of impact. It is everything that follows.
By Miriam Feit
And I, for one, would really like to know - WHO is behind the curtain running this frightening show;
Most of this obscenity has taken place in Labour controlled towns. That party, in thrall to Muslim voters, has been most energetic in trying to cover the evil up.
By Avi Woolf
I wanted to make the actual Churban relatable to people... We have a G-d who is longing to be home with His children, and He doesn't have a home.
By David Curwin
In the ceremony of Havdalah, the relevant sense is the last one. It marks the distinction between kodesh and chol, sacred and weekday: not physical separation, but making a distinction.
By Martin Bodek
I still dip the wine into my pockets and across my brow, so that I'll be rich and smart. One day. Hasn't worked yet.
I grew up going to sleepaway camps. Every Havdalah was with the whole camp. It was an experience, not just the fast 20 second deal which many people have. Singing Havdalah was one of my favorite parts of camp. After all, my name is Shira.
What about distinguishing between good and evil, between light and darkness? Can there be anything more obvious than that? Sadly, not at all.
We can only control what we can control. We can control our words and our actions. How people choose to interpret our words and our actions is beyond our control.
By Dr. Jon Lamm
The Nazis fought for total extermination... Therefore, to honor and to remember, to love and nurture, to daven and learn Torah, and to celebrate with Am Yisrael in our very own Eretz Yisrael is the ultimate act of defiance.
By Alan Zeitlin
In a debate between eight candidates seeking to be the Democratic Senate nominee in Maine, none critiqued his Nazi tattoo or allegations women have made against him.
From kosher meals and Shabbos accommodations to hospice care and dignified Jewish burial, Calvary Hospital is ensuring that Jewish patients and families receive compassionate end-of-life care rooted in faith, tradition, and respect.
Binyamin is responsible and industrious, an excellent provider. At times he can be quite generous. When I married my husband, we were penniless, you know. I didn’t know if his business would succeed or not, but I took the chance.
By Alan Zeitlin
Claims that Jews control FIFA all rely on the same idea: that Jewish people are the secret master manipulators of the world.
The more we know about how our children’s brains work, the better we will be able nurture stronger, more resilient children. Not only that, but it can make parenting easier and more meaningful.
Children, especially preteens, are forming their sense of self. Even comments intended to improve their health can become lasting wounds if they are heard as criticism.
By Mendi Glik
Borzutzky came to Israel to study at the Rimon School of Music in Israel – where, of all places, he discovered the Jewish spark buried deep within him. Since then, he has made aliyah, fully returned to his roots, and started a family.
a problem many children of Holocaust survivors have to deal with – how to prove who you are, when the name on your birth certificate doesn’t match the name you grew up with after a legal name change.
By Marc Gronich
After quoting and translating the words of the Shema, Bennett continued, “Those words have sustained the Jewish people through every generation. They remind us who we are, where we come from, and that G-d Almighty watches over His people through every challenge and every triumph.
Over generations, the demands of the type of crop became the character of the people. Talhelm calls it the rice theory of culture: what people do for a living quietly shapes what a society values. And it persists.
The episode is not an isolated procedural lapse. It reflects a deeper assumption that runs through the National Institutions: that "Diaspora Jewry" holds one set of views, and that the institutions may speak in its name accordingly.
He is also toying with the concept of including an event plan board where users can make checklists and invite others to view their vendors and add their personal notes and comments.
East Meadow, NY - July 12, in The Lannin, Eisenhower Park, Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman, joined by committee chair Harry Singh and co-chair Chaudhary Akram and community cricket leaders, unveiled a plaque in a commemoration ceremony recognizing the historic ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which was held at the Nassau County International Cricket […]
You are doing your best to communicate, but you feel like no one is listening. You keep telling your family and friends that you don’t feel ready, and instead of validating you, they are minimizing your feelings.
If more experienced rabbis make aliyah, communities and institutions need to invest more seriously in developing the next generation of rabbinic leaders.
By Marc Gronich
New Measures to Address Gun Violence in N.Y. The past several weeks have been particularly busy in government and politics. Two examples: June saw the celebration of Dairy Month and Gun Violence Awareness Month, even though state residents are well aware that gun violence is on the rise in the state. Dairy Month was celebrated […]
A total approaching $5,000 is certainly at the upper end of the spectrum, but it is not unheard of in communities where certain brands and accessories have become an unofficial standard.
The World Mizrachi Movement has secured a new financial arrangement ensuring that yeshiva and seminary students participating in the MASA program are now eligible for the same significant subsidies as students in other MASA tracks. The achievement was the result of the ongoing efforts of Rabbi Doron Perez, Executive Chair of World Mizrachi, and Roi […]
The Jewish community in Prague under German occupation was reorganized under strict Nazi supervision and Edelstein rose rapidly within its leadership structure because of his administrative abilities, language skills, and reputation for discipline.
We can learn an important lesson from a shvitz. Just as the body seeks to return to its regulated state after being overheated, the soul seeks to return to its natural state of connection with Hashem.
Sometimes, I shvitz in worry, wondering when and how my kids will overcome their next challenge. Or how the war in Israel is going. Or the Jewish community here in America is faring.
By Anat Coleman
As temperatures climb, the city seems to shed layers. Shorts appear. Tank tops emerge. I remain covered. And start to shvitz.
In panic we feel sweat and call it threat. In our work we feel sweat and call it mine. Both times the body is simply telling the truth, and both times we paint over it with a meaning it never asked for.
I shvitz a lot – cooking meals on Friday for Shabbat, chasing after our three young children, rushing from one work event to another – and I'm grateful for all of it. The only thing I ask? Please just blast the A/C.
BROOKLYN, NY | July 14, 2026 — New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-48th District), joined by Assemblyman Kalman Yeger (D-41st AD) and Senator Sam Sutton (D-22nd SD), will hold a press conference this Thursday, July 16th, at 6:00 PM outside the 3218 Emmons Avenue Homeless Shelter to protest its planned conversion from a family […]
Everything changed from that day. No more smiles, no more evening walks, no more asking about the other’s day. Nothing between us would ever be the same.
By Mendi Glik
“These arguments surface every 10 to 15 years,” Ari says. “Books and pamphlets were written against MBD many years ago when he started because he used rock and pop styles. Music is fluid. Many people were against it. The older generation always says the same thing: The new music is too aggressive.”
We are told that beginning with Rosh Chodesh Av, we reduce our simcha. This is not meant to make us miserable.
There are multiple reasons why a middle school girl struggles socially. The simplest reason is that she needs to be taught social skills that come naturally to other girls her age.
If we eliminated every shidduch because of one disappointing interaction with a parent or sibling, very few people would ever get married. We all have moments when we fall short.
By Irwin Cohen
Fidrych had a great record of nine wins and two losses with an impressive earned run average of only 1.78 when he started for the American League at the All-Star Game.
By Ben Rothke
Amital taught his students that true strength lies not in unyielding rigidity but in the courage to adapt while remaining deeply anchored in one’s essence.
The incumbent who selects his own successor tends to do one of two things: pick a mirror, or retain control through the pick. Bob Iger did both in 2020. The Torah removes the choice from the incumbent entirely.
But as Israel approaches another national election, here is a question worth asking: How many American Jews actually understand how Israel elects its government?
All of our nation’s suffering is rooted in the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash. More precisely, our suffering is rooted in what the destruction reflects – distance between us and Hashem.
But what if this season isn’t a pause at all? What if it’s preparation? Use these weeks to become even more of the person you hope to bring into a marriage.
On one side, you see the unmistakable, bold handwriting of none other than Rav Meir Shapiro, the legendary visionary of Daf Yomi and Lublin. On the reverse is a letter by the Imrei Emes of Ger, Rav Avraham Mordechai Alter.
The year 2005 was the first time I ever truly felt the pain of Tishabaav.
Today Hatzalah is a lifesaving organization that also pioneered in the ambucycle, a motorcycle outfitted with everything necessary to start emergency medical treatment.
In my experience, the same volunteering spirit and leadership that compels people to join Hatzalah often is why they are the ones who often daven or blow shofar on the Yamim Noraim.
I think about the path that Hatzalah created for so many men to contribute and to be recognized for their contributions, and how important that was for their relationship to the Jewish community.
I’m also drawn toward the somewhat humorous Hatzalah culture that has become a bit of a meme, most recently in the comedy of Dovie Neuberger.
The Gemara teaches that Jews are responsible for one another. Few institutions translate that principle into action as literally as Hatzalah.
This Tisha B’av, it is imperative that we constantly remind ourselves that Achdut Bnai Yisrael does not happen by itself. It requires hard work, continuous perspective, introspection, due diligence and a love for acheinu.
Because the words of Torah gladden the heart, studying Torah is forbidden when Tisha B’Av is on a weekday, except for passages in Scripture that deal with the destruction of the Temple and other calamities.
I heard Binyamin walking up the stairs. I shoved the book back into Binyamin’s jacket. The door creaked open. I took a breath. Another one, and tried to shake off that sour sensation in my stomach.
You don’t have to be defined by your childhood experiences. Shaped by them? Sure. But you don’t have to repeat those experiences, you can use them to learn and grow as a parent.
A central halachic and emotional theme of the day is to avoid diverting our minds from this national mourning.
Something can be a zechus and still feel difficult at times. You can deeply believe in supporting your children and Torah learning while also recognizing that you have legitimate concerns about your own future.
By Mendi Glik
I need a car with a good, high-quality sound system. Different models come with different sound systems, and within each model, different trims have different setups.
The manuscript is a unique recension of the Lurianic Kavvanot, the intricate mystical intentions associated with prayer, for Shabbat and the Jewish festivals.
By Jodie Maoz and Melissa Shaw
Click on the image below to view a full-page version.
By Dovid Hirsch
It is estimated that at the time of the American Revolution, there were merely 2,500 Jews in the entire 13 colonies, most of them women and children. From that period, we have over 100 confirmed names of Jews who served the Patriot cause in uniform.
Dating endlessly after you have answered all your questions about said compatibility is a lesson in futility.
This is a walk through 250 years of history, told through the men and women whose vision helped fund a revolution, build railroads, rescue cities from ruin, and construct institutions that still anchor the global economy. It is a record Jewish Americans can read with pride.
Our sense of responsibility toward fellow Jews is deepened because Torah commands us to care for one another.
Showing that reading is a challenge and doesn’t just happen automatically is something that young children will recognize and identify with.
Daniel Kaminetsky, General Counsel of Agudath Israel said, “A small prayer gathering in a private home is not merely a land-use issue. It is a core exercise of faith. Zoning laws and permit requirements should not be used to burden religious worship in the home.
Perhaps freedom is not political or economic. Maybe real liberty is internal – something no government, culture, or oppressor can ultimately control.
A free country does not stay free by accident. Liberty must be taught, cherished – and occasionally sung slightly off-key.
The freedom to worship is one of our most fundamental liberties and we should hold on to it for dear life.
Liberty demands an ever-watchful stewardship. It means having the courage to speak up when it is hard rather than carrying the day over in silence, which is easier.
By Nachum Segal
Rules and guidelines and values should be appreciated for all they add to our lives while, at the same time, a live and let live approach can exist at their side.
I read in a magazine that the secret to marital harmony is having separate bathrooms. All my woman stuff that littered the medicine cabinet and sink counter– you know, the tubes and creams and make-up – well, they grated on his nerves.
July 24, 2026 
