As Yom Kippur approaches, scholars, therapists and Hersh Goldberg-Polin’s mother explore why we pray, why Jewish prayer engages body and community, and why people often turn to a higher power precisely when they feel most helpless Anat Lev Adler https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/17/yk14886692/yk14886692_120_0_1661_935_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rjladw6tze Sun, 20 Sep 2026 11:36:44 +03:00 The Days of Repentance, culminating in Yom Kippur, are among the most concentrated and emotionally charged periods of prayer in the Jewish calendar. Even people who rarely enter a synagogue during the rest of the year often set aside everyday distractions to join the collective rhythm and language of Jewish prayer. And it is not only during the High Holy Days. Many people who do not consider themselves religious, observant or even believers find themselves praying in moments of distress and crisis, reaching toward a higher power as if grasping for a psychological lifeline. But prayer, says Dr. Shraga Bick of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Department of Comparative Religion, a scholar of Judaism and Christianity who studies prayer rituals, is not a transaction with God and should not be understood simply as a way of obtaining something from Him. So what is prayer? “It is a ritual act whose purpose is to bring human beings into the service of God, through words but especially through the body, because so much of prayer happens through the body: swaying, movement,” Bick says. “On Yom Kippur, you cannot write the prayer on a piece of paper and send it to the synagogue. A person has to actually be there for many hours, standing, holding the prayer book, moving, swaying, bowing. Prayer is therefore a distinctly physical event.” Then where do the soul and longing come in? “We often think of prayer as something that emerges spontaneously from the heart, in quiet intimacy. But Jewish prayer takes place through the entire body, while I am surrounded by other people in the synagogue and everyone hears everyone else’s voice. “Of course, alongside collective prayer there is also a model of personal prayer, but that is only one part of the ritual, one element in an entire puzzle.” A wish list for God One of the figures who came to embody prayer for many Israelis after October 7 was Rachel Goldberg-Polin, mother of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was murdered in Hamas captivity. In the months after her son was abducted, Goldberg-Polin became known not only for her public campaign to bring the hostages home, but also for a deeply personal language of faith and prayer that came to resonate collectively. “I grew up in Chicago in a secular family, and yet three times a year my parents would take off work and all of us would go together to synagogue,” she says. “Those were the High Holy Days, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The prayers were long and mysterious. We had no idea what the words in the prayer book meant, and we didn’t know the choreography or rules of the ritual: when to sit, when to stand, when to step backward and when to step forward. We were like strangers who had wandered into an intricate dance in an unfamiliar land. “In retrospect, it seems like a perfect recipe for disaster, like deciding once a year to run a marathon without training or exercising at any other point during the year. If, by some miracle, you make it to the finish line, you’ll be in tremendous pain and will have no desire to challenge yourself again. In my family’s case, that meant an entire year would pass before we entered a synagogue again. Until then, the ritual was over. Goodbye and see you next year.” At first, Goldberg-Polin says, prayer itself seemed complicated and confusing. “On the surface, it can feel as though we are drawing up a wish list and submitting it to some idea of God, who is himself elusive and difficult to comprehend. But the word tefillah, prayer, itself hints at what we are hoping to accomplish through this interesting opportunity.” What do you mean? “The Hebrew verb lehitpalel, to pray, is reflexive. It describes something we are doing to ourselves. The root, p-l-l, also carries meanings connected to judgment and evaluation. “So instead of seeing prayer as a shopping list directed toward an outside entity, when we pray we are actually undertaking an exercise in introspection and even self-examination. It isn’t easy, and it isn’t supposed to be easy. We ask: What matters to us? What should we focus on? What is our purpose here? What is our meaning?” That language of purpose and self-examination has become closely associated with the legacy of her son Hersh. Rachel Goldberg-Polin: “Instead of seeing prayer as a shopping list directed toward an outside entity, when we pray we are actually undertaking an exercise in introspection” What is prayer for you? “During this serious and solemn holiday season, I remember a conversation I had with a friend years ago. ‘The moment I believe there is a God, I’ll start praying and build a relationship with Him,’ she told me. “I understood what she meant, but I thought that in other relationships the formula is reversed. First you meet someone and think, ‘This person seems special, and perhaps it is worth investing in getting to know them more deeply.’ Then we start thinking about them and acting accordingly: inviting them for coffee, calling to see how they are, asking them to go for a walk, stopping by when they are sick. “Slowly, through effort, we create a connection, and one day we are amazed to discover that a relationship has been born. Jews believe action is one of the building blocks of what will come later. That is true with our families, our friends, our people and our Creator. Relationships deepen through actions and deeds. Sometimes that means beginning without knowing in advance where it will lead.” Goldberg-Polin points to the teachings of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who spoke of a “leap of action” rather than simply a “leap of faith.” What does that mean? “That a person must go beyond his own needs and do more than he understands, in order to understand more than he does. ‘I felt my legs were praying,’ Rabbi Heschel said of marching alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1965 civil rights march in Selma, Alabama. “That is the essence of prayer. Not only to think or believe, but to act.” Order and fixed wording Prof. Elisheva Baumgarten, dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a scholar of medieval religious history, says evidence of prayer and appeals to gods or supernatural powers can be found across cultures going back to prehistoric times. “The sociological assumption is that people have always prayed and turned toward forces greater than themselves, because there have always been circumstances we did not know how to cope with on our own,” she says. “From the beginning of the biblical story, we see human beings speaking to God and making requests, while God positions Himself as the one who responds and makes decisions. There is individual prayer and there is organized prayer, and there are differences between them. When people pray together, there has to be order and a fixed text.” Which came first? “Clearly, personal prayer came first. Communities grew out of the personal, and prayers developed within those communities.” Bick says spontaneous prayer is almost instinctive in moments of danger. “We all know that when we find ourselves in circumstances where we need help, whether a lion is chasing us, we are sick or our son has been wounded in Gaza, we automatically begin making requests. Something bursts out of us that can be called prayer. “But there is always tension between the collective ritual side, which depends on prayer as something ordered and structured, and personal prayer, which is free and spontaneous and in a sense responds to institutionalized prayer.” How does Judaism view prayer? “In the Bible itself, there is no commandment to pray. Prayer takes shape as something governed by laws and rules only toward the end of the first century, and it becomes a central religious obligation in both Judaism and Christianity. “It then develops into a powerful tool for creating an emotional community and producing a similar effect on the individual psyche. Just as all of us stand together during a memorial siren, we pray together in synagogue on Yom Kippur, cry together during Kol Nidre, move together and plead together. “Even a secular person generally won’t pray alone on Yom Kippur, but will come to synagogue and pray with the community. We felt something similar in Hostages Square, when the crowd became an emotional community whose members stood together shouting, ‘Everyone now,’ and a collective shiver went through us.” Who were we shouting to? “That is a good question, and everyone will have their own explanation of who they are praying to. But before that comes the tremendous communal partnership expressing a shared longing. That is one of the original purposes of collective prayer, beyond the prayer of the individual. “Prayer is not a situation in which someone is supposed to stand there asking for something, imagining that if they shout loudly enough there is some God in heaven collecting enough requests and that whoever asks nicely enough will have their wish granted.” But that is often what people are told: Pray, ask, focus and you will receive. “There have been major disputes over precisely this question since late antiquity. Thinkers already argued then that prayer is not supposed to change anything. “God cannot be manipulated. He does not perform magic and does not simply respond to requests. Prayer is instead an act of communion or conversation with the divine. For some thinkers it is an attempt by the soul to resemble or draw closer to the divine; for others it is part of serving God. But either way, it is not supposed to serve material, utilitarian goals. “And if we look at reality, it is difficult to find support for the idea that prayers work in that direct utilitarian sense. Only a small proportion of people would say that their prayers were actually answered. “What needs to be understood is that for most thinkers, prayer is not a mechanism for manipulating the divine or obtaining benefits from God through the act of praying. One indication is that personal requests occupy relatively little space in Jewish liturgy and sit at the margins of the prayer service. “Prayer is general. It is not intended for one specific moment or one specific person. Above all, it is a conversation with God, or standing before God, as part of serving Him.” Dr. Shraga Bick: “When we find ourselves in circumstances where we need help, we automatically begin making requests, and something bursts out of us that can be called prayer” Bick notes that for roughly the past two millennia, words have become one of the primary means by which people practice religious worship, making language itself a central ritual instrument, whether prayer takes place publicly or privately at home. Clean white clothes If prayer is primarily an act of worship rather than a way to obtain things from God, why does distress so often trigger an automatic appeal for divine intervention, even when people know that the outcome they ask for may never come? Bick says that even when people understand the limits of prayer as a practical mechanism for changing reality, they may still hold on to the hope that prayer can somehow affect what happens to them. Baumgarten says the very act of articulating the request may itself carry psychological force. “When we pray, we name our desire. We say and define what we want to happen,” she says. “Giving a name to the request we direct toward a supernatural figure, together with all the conditions surrounding prayer, creates a very powerful and basic psychological act. “The request itself and the effort, whether through fasting, singing, swaying together, concentrating or simply recognizing that ‘now I am praying, I am wearing clean white clothes, I am concentrating and standing quietly,’ can provide psychological comfort.” For Gefen Englard-Antebi, a drama therapist and lecturer at Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, prayer can also become a tool inside psychotherapy. About a year ago, as part of her doctoral work at Bar-Ilan University, she established what she describes as the first center in Israel, and possibly the world, devoted to emotional therapy through prayer. Her clinic now regularly treats dozens of patients using established psychological approaches while incorporating prayer as one of its central therapeutic tools. How does prayer become a psychological treatment tool? “When the relationship with God enters the clinic, it is not only a treasure trove of the psyche. It also becomes a kind of litmus test through which we can examine different aspects of a person’s emotional world and behavior, including their relationships. “There is so much valuable psychological information contained in the patient’s relationship with God, including patterns of early attachment to parents and other key figures, that I would not necessarily be able to reach from other places. That is one of the things that happens in prayer-based therapy.” Her central research question, she says, concerns what moves inside a person when they enter a living ritual of prayer, and what a person’s manner of praying may reveal about their inner world. Her underlying premise is that prayer, among humanity’s most ancient forms of reaching toward something greater than oneself, may offer a window into emotional processes that can otherwise remain hidden. And what about prayer during crisis, as an appeal to a higher power? “There are moments when we feel as though the boat of our life is being tossed around, and everyone experiences that somewhere different, with a partner, in a career, in something personal. Then a person seeks prayer as something that can hold the pain for us, the gap between reality and how we wish reality were. “Many hostages who returned spoke about having conversations with God during captivity and genuinely feeling that someone was holding their hand. “The psychological movement of prayer contains both surrender and longing at the same time. On one hand, this is my situation: I am a hostage in Gaza. On the other hand, I have someone who can hold the hope for me that I will get out of here. “We saw differences in the hostages’ relationships with God. According to their own accounts, some asked God how He was doing. Some made promises to Him. Some asked Him for signs. The mechanism was different for each person, but in all these cases there was a relationship with a power they believed was holding their hand, and they prayed with tremendous faith.” And for someone who did not grow up in a religious home, how does that faith emerge? “It is never external. It is always internal. Faith truly occurs at the moment when you have examined your inner world and genuinely believe that you are worthy in your own eyes. “When that happens, the inner process of connection and development arrives, and it can be an extraordinary process.” message ryl4hp2fml Beitar Illit man, 49, was stopped at Romanian border after Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage and taken for military service; family has lost contact; 3 other pilgrims arrested Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/13/SJe1gdDNtGg/SJe1gdDNtGg_1_0_2238_1260_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/ryl4hp2fml Sun, 20 Sep 2026 08:15:54 +03:00 An Israeli citizen who was born in Ukraine was detained while returning from the annual Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage to Uman after Ukrainian authorities determined he was subject to military service, according to his family and people familiar with the case. The 49-year-old man, a resident of Beitar Illit, a predominantly ultra-Orthodox city in the West Bank, was stopped at Ukraine’s border with Romania after spending the Jewish New Year in Uman. He is one of four Breslov Hasidim reported detained in separate incidents connected to this year’s pilgrimage. The man, who has lived in Israel for many years, is married and studies at a yeshiva. He became religious later in life and holds Israeli citizenship but was born in Ukraine. During a document check at the border, Ukrainian authorities determined that he was subject to the country’s military service requirements, according to people familiar with the case. He was detained and taken for military service, they said. His family has since lost contact with him and says it does not know where he is being held. Ukraine has maintained wartime mobilization measures as it continues to fight Russia’s invasion. Ukrainian law imposes military obligations on eligible male citizens, though the circumstances in which dual nationals living abroad may be subject to those requirements depend on their citizenship status and other factors. “He spoke to them in Ukrainian and was joking around with the soldiers there, and then they took him aside, checked him and discovered that he was required to enlist, and they simply detained him,” a person familiar with the case said. His family has been unable to reach him and is deeply concerned about his whereabouts. Members of the Breslov community who have tried to intervene said they have also been unable to determine where he was taken or secure his release. “We are at a loss,” one activist familiar with the case said. “We approached all the rabbis and activists in Ukraine, and no one has a solution for how to get him released.” Another person familiar with the case described the situation as “tragic,” saying the man has few connections who could assist him and that his family cannot afford to hire an attorney. The Foreign Ministry told the family that it did not yet know precisely where the man was being held and was working to locate him. Uman, a city in central Ukraine, draws tens of thousands of mostly Orthodox Jewish pilgrims each year for Rosh Hashanah. Followers of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement who died in 1810 and is buried in Uman, regard praying at his grave during the holiday as having particular spiritual significance. The pilgrimage has continued despite the war with Russia. Three other Breslov Hasidim were detained in separate incidents in Cyprus and Moldova in connection with their journeys to or from Uman. One was arrested after landing in Cyprus on his way to Ukraine. About a year earlier, he had sent a suitcase containing khat, a plant with stimulant properties that is restricted or illegal in a number of countries, to Cyprus, according to people familiar with the case. He ultimately decided not to make that trip, but the suitcase arrived at its destination. His name was subsequently flagged by authorities, and he was arrested when he attempted to enter Cyprus on his latest journey. Two other pilgrims were detained in separate cases in Moldova, a common transit point for Israelis traveling to Uman because commercial air travel to Ukraine remains severely restricted by the war. One was arrested after allegedly striking a local resident with a vehicle and seriously injuring the person. A court extended his detention by 40 days. The fourth man was arrested in Chisinau, Moldova’s capital, while returning from Uman after authorities allegedly found forged passports in his possession. He was released on bail Friday but was ordered to remain in Moldova while legal proceedings continue. message syyqy5nfge Watch the crowds: A few hours before the start of the Yom Kippur fast, crowds arrived at the Western Wall in Jerusalem to say prayers of forgiveness and break vows. Netanyahu led a prayer for the peace of IDF soldiers  Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/19/Sy2gCP2Yfe/Sy2gCP2Yfe_0_123_1280_721_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/syyqy5nfge Sun, 20 Sep 2026 01:51:02 +03:00 Tens of thousands of worshippers gathered overnight Saturday at the Western Wall for the final Selichot service before Yom Kippur, marking the culmination of the month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. According to the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also took part in the prayers alongside Israel’s chief rabbis, Rabbi David Yosef and Rabbi Kalman Ber. The event opened with the traditional annulment of vows ceremony. During the mass prayer service, cantors and liturgical singers led the crowd in hymns, prayers and the recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, which according to Jewish tradition were invoked by Moses as an appeal for forgiveness for the people of Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf. During the Selichot service, Netanyahu recited a prayer for the well-being of IDF soldiers and later told the crowd: “May you be sealed for a good year. Happy New Year.” According to Sephardi custom, Selichot prayers begin on the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul, while according to Ashkenazi custom they begin on the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. In most communities, the prayers are recited after midnight or early in the morning, times that Kabbalistic tradition regards as an “auspicious hour” when prayers are especially likely to be accepted. Nearly 20 mass Selichot events were held at the Western Wall, with the final service on the eve of Yom Kippur the largest of them. President Isaac Herzog and other public figures also attended Selichot services there. Former hostages, whose return had been the focus of prayers during Selichot over the past two years, also attended the special services this year. Among them were Noa Argamani, Itay Regev, Omer Shem Tov, Bar Kupershtein, Eliya Cohen and his new wife, Ziv. During Selichot events in recent days, Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz and the cantors offered prayers for the safety of IDF soldiers and security forces, for national unity and for Israel’s peace and security. At the Selichot service held overnight Thursday into Friday, Rabinowitz offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the return of the hostages. He told the tens of thousands gathered: “Tonight, from the Western Wall and Hostages Square, I want to say to You, Master of the Universe: Look down from heaven and see how, in our most difficult hour, we stood together. We did not always agree on the path, but we all shared the concern, the prayer and the hope. “For such a long time, all our hearts were held captive — until the last hostage returned. In the merit of this sanctification of God’s name, the solidarity and courage of the hostages, who sanctified God’s name in the darkest places and continue to do so even now — open the gates of heaven for us and send us a good and blessed year.” message by67gr2tze When does the fast begin Sunday evening, what takes priority under Jewish law, who may eat or drink, what else is prohibited and why many worshippers traditionally wear white ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2022/10/05/H1lgT8tNjMo/H1lgT8tNjMo_0_294_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/by67gr2tze Sat, 19 Sep 2026 20:23:27 +03:00 Yom Kippur 2026 begins on the evening of Sunday, September 20, corresponding to the start of the 10th of Tishrei, and ends on the evening of Monday, September 21. Yom Kippur 2026 fast times Yom Kippur begins Sunday, September 20, 2026: Jerusalem 6:03 p.m., Tel Aviv 6:20 p.m., Haifa 6:12 p.m., Beersheba 6:21 p.m., Petah Tikva 6:00 p.m., Modi’in 6:20 p.m., Netanya 6:19 p.m., Ashdod 6:19 p.m., Ashkelon 6:11 p.m., Safed 6:12 p.m., Tiberias 6:10 p.m., Eilat 6:09 p.m., Kiryat Shmona 6:07 p.m. Yom Kippur ends Monday, September 21, 2026: Jerusalem 7:14 p.m., Tel Aviv 7:16 p.m., Haifa 7:15 p.m., Beersheba 7:15 p.m., Petah Tikva 7:15 p.m., Modi’in 7:15 p.m., Netanya 7:16 p.m., Ashdod 7:16 p.m., Ashkelon 7:17 p.m., Safed 7:13 p.m., Tiberias 7:13 p.m., Eilat 7:14 p.m., Kiryat Shmona 7:13 p.m. A ‘Sabbath of Sabbaths’: What is prohibited on Yom Kippur? Yom Kippur, observed on the 10th of Tishrei, is described in the Torah as a “Sabbath of Sabbaths.” The day combines the prohibition on work observed on Shabbat with abstention from other physical activities: eating and drinking, washing and applying oils or creams, wearing leather footwear and marital relations. This withdrawal from ordinary physical life is intended to create space for the spiritual purpose of the day. Work: The prohibition on work applies on Yom Kippur as it does on Shabbat. The day’s additional restrictions apply throughout the same period. According to Jewish law, the final pre-fast meal must be completed by the candle-lighting time. Cycling and watching movies are also included among activities that should be avoided, although they are not among the most severe prohibitions. Throwing stones is prohibited as well and is considered more serious because it may also constitute an offense against another person and, in some circumstances, endanger life. Those who do not feel comfortable in synagogue are encouraged to use the time for reading and study, meaningful conversation, reflection and introspection. Eating and drinking: Jewish law requires abstaining from all food and drink on Yom Kippur, and it is preferable to avoid brushing one’s teeth or rinsing the mouth. People who require medication or must eat because of pikuach nefesh, the Jewish legal principle that preserving life overrides most other commandments, as well as pregnant women, women who have recently given birth, nursing mothers and soldiers whose duties could be impaired by dehydration or fasting, should consult medical professionals about their needs and a halachic authority about the scope of any exemption. In some cases, Jewish law permits eating and drinking in measured amounts known as shiurim. Chief Rabbi David Yosef has ruled that soldiers engaged in combat or active operational duties are exempt from fasting when fasting could compromise their mission, and they should not impose additional restrictions on themselves. Eating and drinking in measured amounts: Every nine minutes, a person who has been instructed to use this method may consume up to 27 grams of food, roughly two biscuits or the volume of a full matchbox, and up to 37 milliliters of liquid. It is recommended to prepare a measuring cup in advance. Those required to eat or drink this way are advised to begin at the start of the fast rather than wait until their condition deteriorates to the point that they must abandon the fast entirely. Washing and applying creams: Jewish law prohibits bathing and applying creams or ointments for pleasure. Washing hands after waking and after using the bathroom is permitted, but only up to the knuckles. Babies may be cleaned as necessary, even if the caregiver’s hands become wet with water and soap. Footwear: Leather shoes are not worn on Yom Kippur. Shoes made of fabric or plastic are generally permitted. Someone who must walk a long distance, pass through dirty streets or perform duties requiring protective footwear, including soldiers and nurses, may wear suitable shoes when no practical alternative exists. Marital relations: In addition to the prohibition on sexual relations, Jewish law calls for married couples to avoid other forms of physical intimacy, similar to the restrictions observed during the period of niddah. A basic principle of Yom Kippur law is that avoiding prohibited acts takes precedence over performing positive commandments. For example, it is preferable to remain at home, rest and complete the fast than to attend synagogue if doing so would require breaking the fast, even by eating or drinking only measured amounts. How do you prepare for Yom Kippur? The eve of Yom Kippur: The morning Selichot penitential prayers are shortened. Many people traditionally immerse in a mikveh, or ritual bath, or in another source of natural water such as a spring, flowing stream or the sea. The custom reflects the teaching in the Mishnah: “Just as a mikveh purifies the impure, so the Holy One, blessed be He, purifies Israel.” Mincha: The afternoon prayer is held earlier than usual. The first confession, or Vidui, of Yom Kippur is recited during Mincha so that the final pre-fast meal follows an initial confession. Over the course of Yom Kippur, a total of 10 confessions are traditionally recited. Confession: According to Maimonides, confession is the central mitzvah of repentance and atonement. In all approaches, it is an essential element of repentance. A person acknowledges sins, expresses regret and asks forgiveness. The most basic formulation echoes the confession of the High Priest: “I have sinned, I have done wrong, I have transgressed before You.” Today, the shorter confession begins with the alphabetical poem Ashamnu, “We have sinned, we have betrayed, we have robbed...” The longer Yom Kippur confession, Al Chet, “For the sin we have committed before You...,” follows a doubled Hebrew alphabetic structure. Some worshippers also add specific sins they personally remember beyond the standard liturgical text. The final meal: The last meal before the fast must end by candle-lighting time. It is considered a festive meal. There is also a mitzvah to eat throughout the day before Yom Kippur in preparation for the fast, particularly during this meal. Customs vary among communities and families, alongside practical advice about what is healthiest to eat before fasting. Candle lighting: Candles are lit as on Shabbat and Jewish festivals, with the blessings for lighting the Yom Kippur candle and Shehecheyanu. Many families also leave a memorial candle burning throughout the day, which can later be used for Havdalah at the end of Yom Kippur. Some also light candles in memory of deceased relatives whose names will be recalled during the Yizkor memorial prayer. What do people wear on Yom Kippur? Some worshippers traditionally wear white on Yom Kippur, and many men wear a tallit, or prayer shawl, during the evening service as well, unlike on ordinary evenings. Prayers: General guidelines Kol Nidrei: Most Jewish communities open Yom Kippur with the collective annulment of vows known as Kol Nidrei. The cantor and two respected members of the congregation form a symbolic rabbinical court and release the congregation from certain vows. Whether this declaration has full halachic force to release a person from verbal commitments is debated, and it certainly does not erase financial obligations. Despite the legal uncertainty surrounding its technical effect, Kol Nidrei has become one of the most powerful symbols of Yom Kippur because of its place at the opening of the day, the gathering of the entire congregation, its emotional and historical weight and the sense of being released from the past and beginning again. Maariv: The evening service follows the regular structure with additions for Yom Kippur. Among the most prominent changes are saying “Blessed is the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever” aloud during the Shema, the special Yom Kippur Amidah and the recitation of liturgical poems, Selichot and confession after the Amidah. Some communities also recite additional hymns and Psalms. Shacharit and Musaf: The morning and additional services follow the general pattern used on Shabbat and festivals, with Yom Kippur additions. Confession is recited during both Shacharit and Musaf, in the silent prayer and again during the cantor’s repetition. The Torah reading describes the High Priest’s Yom Kippur service in the Book of Leviticus. A second Torah scroll is used for the reading from Numbers describing the day’s additional offerings. The Haftarah is from Isaiah and focuses on the proper meaning of fasting. During Musaf, the congregation recites the Avodah, recounting the High Priest’s Temple service. Yizkor is recited after the Torah reading and before Musaf. Mincha: The afternoon Torah reading is from the section of Leviticus dealing with forbidden relationships. The Haftarah is the Book of Jonah, recounting the repentance of the people of Nineveh. Two additional confessions are recited during Mincha. Selichot and liturgical poems are shortened so that the concluding Neilah service can begin before sunset. Neilah: Yom Kippur is the only day in the Jewish calendar with a fifth prayer service. Neilah begins late in the afternoon, traditionally when “the sun is at the treetops,” and concludes after nightfall. The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are recited repeatedly, and language referring to being “written” for life is changed to being “sealed” for life, reflecting the belief that the judgment of the day is being finalized. The congregation attempts to complete the Priestly Blessing before sunset. The service ends after nightfall with a long blast of the shofar during the final Kaddish. After Yom Kippur: Once the fast ends, the evening Maariv prayer is recited as after other festivals. Many people also perform Kiddush Levana, the blessing over the new moon. Sukkah: Many have the custom of beginning preparations for the sukkah immediately after the post-fast meal, fulfilling the idea of moving “from strength to strength” from one mitzvah to the next. Praying alone Those who are unwell, conserving their strength for the fast, avoiding the heat or simply feeling weak may pray alone rather than with a minyan. Former chief rabbi David Lau has ruled that someone praying alone should recite the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy only with the Torah cantillation, as though reading Scripture. Vidui, Avinu Malkeinu and Yizkor may be recited normally. It is appropriate to add to the prayers the supplication “El na refa na tachalu’ei gefen poriyah,” based on the Mishnah in Tractate Ta’anit. Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon holds that a person praying alone may recite Kol Nidrei without the wording referring to the period “from the previous Yom Kippur until this Yom Kippur.” Rabbi Oren Duvdevani, however, holds that someone praying alone should begin with Tefillah Zakah and should not recite Kol Nidrei because it has the legal character of annulling vows and therefore requires a rabbinical court. If more than four men are present in a home, Kol Nidrei may be recited with three serving as the court for another person. In such circumstances, it should be said before sunset. The Shehecheyanu blessing should be recited before sunset, thereby accepting the sanctity of the day. Women traditionally recite it when lighting candles. Immediately after the evening Amidah, a person praying alone may recite the Selichot printed in the prayer book. The Thirteen Attributes may either be omitted or recited with Torah cantillation. The confession should then be recited again. Aramaic supplications should be omitted when praying alone, and the same rule applies each time such passages appear in the Selichot. After each Amidah, it is appropriate to repeat the confession. Yizkor may be recited alone, together with a pledge to give charity in memory of the deceased. The Avodah service may also be recited, including bowing, although a person praying alone does not need to spread a covering on the floor in the same way commonly done in synagogue. All of the liturgical poems normally recited during the cantor’s repetition may also be said privately, without the blessings belonging to the repetition itself. Care should be taken to recite Neilah at the proper time, beginning in the late afternoon. After sunset, the verses of “Shema Yisrael” and the sevenfold declaration “The Lord is God” may still be recited. A person praying alone may sound the shofar 21 minutes after sunset. After the evening prayer, Kiddush Levana may be recited. Havdalah and ordinary work are permitted under Jewish law only once Yom Kippur has ended. Halachic guidance provided by Rabbi Yehuda Brandes message sjlbcentzx Eric Zemmour, expected to run for president next year, said his parents told him as a child to remove his kippah outside synagogue, adding that French Jews now rarely wear one in public for fear of antisemitic attacks ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2021/12/06/SJ11ecSnSsFt/SJ11ecSnSsFt_0_240_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sjlbcentzx Sat, 19 Sep 2026 15:27:05 +03:00 Eric Zemmour, leader of the far-right Reconquête party, voiced support for banning the wearing of kippahs in public spaces in France, alongside a ban on Muslim headscarves. In an interview this week on BFMTV’s “Face à BFM,” Zemmour was asked whether his proposed ban on religious symbols should also apply to the kippah. “In public spaces, yes,” he replied. Zemmour, who is Jewish, said during the interview that when he was a child, his parents asked him to remove his kippah when he left the synagogue. He said this reflected the “spirit” of French secularism, which he defines as keeping religious affiliation discreet in public. Zemmour, 68, also said Jews in France now rarely wear kippahs in the street because of the danger of antisemitic attacks. He described enforcing a ban on religious symbols as an “absolute priority,” with particular emphasis on banning the Islamic headscarf. Zemmour, who said he will run in next year’s presidential election, previously sought the presidency in 2022, winning just over 7% of the vote. He is Jewish and of Algerian descent and has long advocated hard-line policies on immigration and Islam in France. He has previously called on France’s large Muslim community to choose between “Islam or France” and proposed banning parents from giving children non-French names such as Mohammed. His 2027 candidacy was confirmed this week. Although Zemmour is Jewish, some of his most vocal critics come from France’s Jewish community. Among other arguments, they say what they describe as his hostility toward Muslims makes it harder for them to persuade French politicians that Jews face a growing threat from Islamist antisemitism, and that his rhetoric risks portraying Jews themselves as racist. Writer Bernard-Henri Lévy has previously said Zemmour is “dangerous” and “dishonors Jewish morality.” In other excerpts from the interview published by i24NEWS, Zemmour also detailed several of his immigration proposals, including deporting foreign nationals convicted of crimes, undocumented migrants and foreigners who rely solely on social welfare benefits. He also wants authorities to be able to require a foreign national legally residing in France to leave the country after a prolonged period of unemployment. Zemmour said advances in artificial intelligence and robotics could make it possible to replace some of the migrant workforce. message s14ygoctml False claims that Israel and Jews orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks are finding new audiences online, fueled by social media, coded hate and gaps in education Shmuel Munitz https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/17/S10R00dFFGe/S10R00dFFGe_0_227_929_523_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s14ygoctml Fri, 18 Sep 2026 15:00:12 +03:00 “You want it darker,” Leonard Cohen sang in his haunting song. Anyone scrolling through social media exactly a week ago, on Sept. 11, could have felt that darkness. On the 25th anniversary of the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil, countless posts and comments revived antisemitic conspiracy theories falsely claiming that Jews or Israel were behind the attacks carried out by al-Qaida. Such theories have circulated online for years, but they increasingly appear beyond the internet’s fringes. Where Jews were once falsely accused of poisoning wells or using children’s blood to make matzah, modern antisemitic conspiracy theories often recast major disasters as covert operations by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. Some of the material circulating online uses imagery reminiscent of the Nazi propaganda newspaper Der Stürmer, depicting Orthodox Jews with sidelocks and exaggerated noses, drawing on longstanding antisemitic stereotypes. Other posts use a juice-box emoji as coded shorthand for Jews, exploiting the similarity in English between the words “juice” and “Jews” in an apparent effort to evade automated moderation. “It's a massive problem,” said Liora Rez, executive director of StopAntisemitism, a U.S.-based organization that campaigns against antisemitism. “So sadly, it's been happening year over year, more and more. Antisemitic theories circulating on social media at 100 miles an hour every day, day in and day out, specifically post-October 7.” Rez said younger Americans who lack knowledge about the Sept. 11 attacks can be particularly vulnerable to false narratives online. “Students, kids, young adults, young professionals, are not learning that al-Qaida, Osama bin Laden, radical Islam – that ideology, those individuals – were behind the 9/11 attacks,” she said. “What they are seeing is just complete lunacy on social media, which stems particularly from a rumor, or actually a lie, that turned out to be concerning five dancing Israelis on a rooftop. That it was completely false.” Rez said education is central to combating such misinformation, arguing that relatively few states require comprehensive instruction about Sept. 11. “If you look at the United States, only two states mandate 9/11 education, and those are Arizona and Florida. There's a handful of other states that suggest to teach it in the classrooms. But again, there's no strict laws mandating education around the September 11 attacks,” she said. “You take the fact that there's absolutely zero education in 48 out of 50 states in America, excluding Arizona and Florida, combine it with the antisemitic rumors and lies that you see online, and it creates the perfect storm of what you are seeing.” The ‘dancing Israelis’ conspiracy theory Screenshots of social media posts and comments reviewed for this article show how the conspiracy theory continues to circulate. Some posts were later removed following reports that they spread misinformation or promoted hatred, but similar claims remain widespread. When the IDF’s official Facebook page and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s official account posted messages commemorating the Sept. 11 attacks, numerous commenters repeated the false claim that Israel was responsible. Similar comments appeared beneath Sept. 11 posts by Americans with no particular connection to Israel. Like many conspiracy theories, the so-called “dancing Israelis” narrative begins with a real event before layering unsupported claims onto it. On Sept. 11, 2001, after the attack on the World Trade Center had begun, a New Jersey woman reported seeing several young Israelis photographing themselves with the burning towers in the background. Some were standing on or near a moving van. Their demeanor appeared cheerful to her, raising her suspicions and prompting her to contact police. Five Israelis were subsequently detained for more than two months and investigated by the FBI. Investigators ultimately found no evidence that they had participated in the attacks or had advance knowledge of them. Box cutters were found among their belongings. The Israelis said they needed the tools to open boxes because they worked for a moving company. The five eventually returned to Israel after authorities determined that they had violated U.S. immigration laws. One later said their purpose in taking photographs that day had been to document what was happening. The episode nevertheless became the basis for one of the most persistent conspiracy theories surrounding Sept. 11. Some conspiracy theorists claim the five were Mossad agents celebrating the success of an Israeli plot. Others characterize the attacks as a supposed “false flag” operation — an attack carried out in a way intended to conceal the perpetrator and place blame on someone else — designed to draw the United States into wars against Israel’s enemies in the Middle East. The evidence established by U.S. investigators contradicts those claims. The FBI identified the 19 hijackers as members of al-Qaida who had been trained by the terrorist organization and carried out the operation under bin Laden’s direction. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks, including hundreds of Jews and several Israeli citizens. Rez also pointed to television footage showing some Palestinians celebrating after news of the attacks spread, including scenes of people handing out sweets and cheering. Such footage was widely broadcast at the time, though it did not represent Palestinians as a whole. “I remember watching Katie Couric specifically documenting this in complete dismay how people can be happy about such tragic events,” Rez said. “But again, it wasn't the Israelis that were celebrating it. We have documented video news footage of Palestinians in the West Bank, in Gaza, giving out sweets, baklava, candy, celebrating, rooting, about the fact that 3,000 Americans were massacred on that day.” There were radical, anti-Western Muslims who celebrated Sept. 11 in real time, and now people claim Israelis celebrated it. In psychology, that is called projection. “Correct. radicals in the Islamic world, specifically Iran and their proxies, always refer to Israel as little Satan and obviously the United States as the big Satan.” Who is spreading these conspiracy theories? “So sadly, we're now seeing it on both sides of the aisle. Immediately post 9/11, it was more these alt-right figures, but now, radical Islamists and lefties have really kind of piggybacked off of what these right-wing extremists have been spewing. “These people hate each other, and what they have in common is their hatred of Jews. Their goal is to stereotype the Jew as a villain, isolate the Jew, vilify the Jew, create as much hatred towards the Jew as possible.” Some might argue that many of the people commenting on or liking this material are actually bots, so perhaps it should not be taken too seriously. What do you think? “I completely disagree. It can start with bot networks, but people don't realize they're bot networks. They're influenced by the rather large volume of bot messaging. And they become or they start to think that this is normalized, this is what the mass populations are saying. “Bot networks and those that direct them, they're very smart. They're looking to influence not a 55-year-old who's already set in their opinion or a 40-year-old. They're influencing 25 and under, where that frontal cortex is still not mature; people are very easily influenced, and they try to convert their ideas to more radical ideologies. “And it's not just antisemitism. It's anti-Western society, anti-capitalism.” Making antisemitism carry a cost StopAntisemitism has adopted a strategy centered on publicly identifying people it says engage in antisemitic conduct. “Our main concern is everyday community members, whether it's physicians, attorneys, those that do hair and makeup and come into our homes, for simchas, whether it's educators whose teaching and influencing our children,” Rez said. “We're interested in those individuals who are spewing hate, whether it's publicly or online. “So that's where we come in and create consequences for antisemites, create consequences for those that demonize and propagate hate towards Israel, towards the Jewish people, and ultimately bring it to the attention of their communities, their employers, so on and so forth. No, you're not going to be able to spew hatred against the Jewish people without any type of consequence.” Journalists constantly face a dilemma: Should we report on false conspiracy theories, or is it better to ignore them so we don’t amplify them? “Great question. Sticking our heads in the sand is no longer working. Addressing every lie is needed, especially when they are spread at high volumes, such as the ‘five dancing Israelis.’ “There's clearly documented evidence to dispute it. And there's, again, documented evidence of Palestinians dancing and cheering during the 9/11 attacks. So, no, I think these conspiracy theories need to be disputed head on.” message s1bily5tgx Two years before the Yom Kippur War, the Rebbe warned Israel’s intelligence chief against relying on the Bar-Lev Line and deals with Egypt; a new book revisits his strategic thinking and its lessons for Israel today Itzchak Tessler https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2022/03/07/B1ZJEoQZ5/B1ZJEoQZ5_0_213_1001_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1bily5tgx Fri, 18 Sep 2026 12:21:07 +03:00 Imagine that, before the October 7 massacre, a Hasidic rebbe had sent a letter to then-Military Intelligence chief Aharon Haliva, warning him against the prevailing “conception” that Hamas had been deterred and that Israel was protected by the “smart fence” surrounding the Gaza Strip. As it turns out, something strikingly similar actually did happen. Two years before the Yom Kippur War, the Lubavitcher Rebbe sent a letter to Maj. Gen. Aharon Yariv, then head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate. In it, he warned that reliance on the Bar-Lev Line and on partial agreements with Egypt resembled the mistake made in Europe when military planners relied on the Maginot Line, only to see it bypassed during Nazi Germany’s blitzkrieg in World War II. A copy of that historic letter appears in Make Peace: A Strategic Guide for Achieving Lasting Peace in Israel, by Rabbi Elisha Pearl — a study of the political and strategic thought of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the Lubavitcher Rebbe and seventh leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. “The war that broke out on October 7 was really the reason I wrote the book,” says Pearl, a Chabad Hasid who moved to Israel from New York four years ago. “I was at 770, Chabad’s world headquarters in Brooklyn, that day, and of course I was deeply shaken by what had happened in Israel. The following day, I met with Rabbi Shmuel Avtzon, who heads Sichos In English, the official English-language publishing house for Chabad literature, where I work. “We agreed that everything else had to be set aside and that we needed to focus on the Rebbe’s teachings about the Land of Israel. We believed there was an urgent need, given the situation, to spread the Rebbe’s message about Israel’s security. At first, I thought it would become an op-ed, but people urged me to turn it into a full book. After nine months of research and writing, the book was published in English and sold more than 20,000 copies. My friend Rabbi Levi Avtzon, a community rabbi in South Africa, encouraged me to translate the book into Hebrew, and eventually we partnered with Sella Meir Publishing to translate and publish it in Israel.” From the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s letter to the head of Military Intelligence before the Yom Kippur War: “Since you touched upon the question of a partial agreement, I will allow myself to ask whether you might be able to explain something that has greatly puzzled me for approximately three years. It is well known and universally accepted among experts, without exception, that in our era a defensive approach modeled on the Maginot Line and the like — that is, relying on fortifications and on military units that are ‘fixed and bound’ to bunkers and so forth — is simply not the proper method in an age of jet aircraft and paratroopers, particularly when the front extends for hundreds of kilometers, combining the Suez Canal front with the Mediterranean front. “Rather, the strength of an army lies in its mobility and in its ability to move rapidly from place to place. This is true even where there are natural defensive positions — mountains, hills and the like — behind the line, and all the more so when one is situated in a desert. Even when such a line is several kilometers deep, the minimum territory involved in a partial agreement would certainly extend beyond the depth of the line itself. And yet enormous sums of money and tremendous energy have been invested in this defensive line.” What do you think Israelis need to know? “The book was originally intended to educate the English-speaking public, which views the conflict from afar. In Israel, we all live it up close. So I wouldn’t presume to tell Israelis what to do. At the same time, I would humbly suggest that the book has something to offer Israelis as well.” “A bold intellectual movement” Pearl, 33, was born in Brooklyn to a Chabad family that wanted their son to receive a broad education. He studied at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, and came to Israel at 18, where he spent two years at Yeshivat Har Etzion, a hesder yeshiva that combines Torah study with IDF service. It was there that he began studying the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s writings on the Land of Israel in greater depth. “I had a Chabad study partner from Boston, and we learned together. After two years, he enlisted in the IDF, while I returned to New York to study philosophy, psychology and rabbinic studies at Yeshiva University,” he says. “At the same time, I began working in Chabad outreach, particularly through the Chabad on Campus initiative across the United States. That took me to campuses across the country and exposed me to very different kinds of Jews, including many Israelis who had left the country. One experience that stood out was a month spent running a Chabad House in Nepal for Israeli backpackers who had arrived there after completing their military service.” Pearl, who also studied at Chabad’s world headquarters, eventually began working full-time as a researcher of Chabad texts. “At first I focused on writing about Jewish law, but I was drawn toward Hasidic thought, and I mainly wrote and researched theological and psychological themes in Hasidism. In 2022, I decided to move to Israel for good, drawn by what I saw as the richness and vitality of Jewish life, and a spirit of depth and innovation in Torah study, Talmud, Jewish law, Kabbalah and Hasidism.” In recent years, several books analyzing the Lubavitcher Rebbe and his teachings have been published in Israel. What they have in common is that they were written by people who did not come up through Chabad’s classical yeshiva system. Why is that happening? “From its very beginning, Chabad was a bold intellectual movement. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, known as the Alter Rebbe and the founder of Chabad Hasidism, was deeply versed not only in Talmud, Jewish law and Hasidism, but also in Kabbalah, Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed, psychology and even the science of his time. Many of the followers drawn to him had similar intellectual interests. “When the Rebbe Rashab, Rabbi Shalom Dovber Schneersohn, established the Tomchei Temimim yeshiva in 1897, it was during a turbulent period marked by the rise of the Jewish Enlightenment and communism. He created an educational system designed to produce ‘warriors of the House of David’ — young men capable of transmitting Judaism to the Jewish people as a whole, to every Jew. “The students of Tomchei Temimim were the ones who sustained Jewish education underground in Soviet Russia with extraordinary self-sacrifice, and they later became the backbone of the worldwide army of Chabad emissaries. “Later, the Lubavitcher Rebbe built an infrastructure — an enormous enterprise that presented Chabad thought in clear and accessible language. Today, that enterprise is bearing fruit. In the American Chabad world, Rabbi Naftoli Hertz Pewzner wrote The Basics of Chassidus. Rabbi Levi Shmotkin wrote Letters for Life, on the Rebbe’s psychological teachings, which became a bestseller. And Eli Rubin, a Chabad Hasid who did come through the yeshiva system, published Kabbalah and the Rupture of Modernity with Stanford University Press, an intellectual history of Chabad centered on the concept of tzimtzum.” Warnings against strategic mistakes In Make Peace, Pearl analyzes the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s warnings regarding ceasefire agreements with Egypt at the end of the War of Attrition. The Rebbe argued that the Egyptians had no intention of honoring those agreements. The Rebbe also warned against Israel’s willingness to pay what he regarded as an excessive price for the return of captives, and opposed the principle of “land for peace,” arguing that such concessions would not bring peace but would instead encourage the enemy to attack. “We saw that happen in 1993, after the Oslo Accords,” Pearl says. “And in the wake of the October 7 massacre, many Israelis began reconsidering their assumptions. Those who had regarded unilateral withdrawal as a path to peace ran up against a simple reality on October 7 — they really do hate us, and they want to kill us. “More broadly, it seems to me that the world is abandoning Francis Fukuyama’s ‘end of history’ thesis, and several developments are driving that process — the rise of artificial intelligence, the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war. All of them are forcing us to reassess long-held assumptions. “In Israel, of course, all of that comes on top of a very local sense of existential threat that October 7 brought home.” Pearl examines cases in which the Lubavitcher Rebbe warned against mistakes Israel was making, including its reliance on the Bar-Lev Line against Egypt and its policies toward the Palestinians. This raises another question: Why did neither the Lubavitcher Rebbe nor his predecessor and father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, warn of the danger facing European Jewry during World War II? During the Holocaust, the Nazis murdered the Rebbe’s younger brother, Dovber Schneerson, as well as his wife’s younger sister, Sheina Horenstein, who was killed at Treblinka along with her husband. “I know there are people who will say that the Rebbe foresaw everything. But the Rebbe himself did not claim that,” Pearl says. “Before the Six-Day War, he began warning that Israel was in grave danger. He wanted to use his standing as one of the leaders of the Jewish world to strengthen the morale of Israelis; he also believed that Jewish men putting on tefillin and Jewish women lighting Shabbat candles generated spiritual merit that could protect the Jewish people. “That was why he launched the mitzvah campaigns encouraging the observance of these commandments. At the same time, he wanted to strengthen the morale and courage of the soldiers, based on the idea that if people believe in something, and if they connect with the Jewish tradition, they will inevitably become better soldiers. “The next stage came when the Rebbe began addressing these questions publicly, both in his talks and in letters to senior figures such as Ariel Sharon. He encouraged a firm security posture based on deterrence and offensive action rather than defense. He called on Israel not to return territory and opposed granting autonomy to the Palestinians.” And yet the Rebbe did not broadly encourage Chabad Hasidim to enlist in the military. “First of all, in the 1950s and 1960s, many Chabad Hasidim served in the army, including many well-known contemporary Chabad rabbis and teachers. But during the 1970s, Chabad in Israel moved more toward the Haredi world, and fewer Hasidim enlisted. “It’s also worth remembering that, as a matter of principle, the Rebbe did believe Israel needed a ‘tribe of Levi’ — a cadre of people who serve as the repository of Jewish values, devoting themselves to Torah and to study in yeshivas. His concern was that blanket conscription at 18 would put that at risk. “There is a military logic to it too. The IDF already sends young men and women off to study political science, intelligence or physics, because an army is a complex organism. Front-line soldiers are the ones taking on the greatest personal risk, but an army also needs people who are exemplars of religious values and virtue. “But unlike much of the broader Haredi world, the Rebbe did not support the idea of an entire ‘society of learners.’ And over the past decade there has been a sharp increase in the number of Chabad Hasidim enlisting in the IDF, including in combat units, for both pragmatic and ideological reasons. “Today, enlisting is a standard option in mainstream Chabad yeshivas in Israel. A young man who chooses to draft is not stepping outside his community, and in many yeshivas the staff will help him plan it. Alongside that, there has been a large influx of Chabad Hasidim from Diaspora communities who come to Israel specifically in order to serve as lone soldiers.” Where does Israel go from here? “I believe the Rebbe had remarkable clarity on several levels — regarding what does not work militarily, what does work militarily, questions of narrative and values, and a wide range of practical insights concerning the international community and Jewish settlement of the land. “To my mind, part of the Rebbe’s uniqueness lay precisely in this combination. Obviously, he was a profoundly religious man who regarded the Torah and the Jewish tradition as concrete realities in every sense. At the same time, he was also a man of the wider world, with broad horizons and a bold strategic mind. “Ironically, Israel today seems to me to swing between runaway messianism and excessive idealism on one side and defeatism on the other. The Rebbe, by contrast, charted a sober path that can offer direction and inspiration to Israel today.” “I do not presume to claim that I possess the solutions to Israel’s challenges, nor do I believe this book is some kind of miracle cure,” Pearl concludes. “My claim is much more modest: on this question, as on so many others, the Rebbe’s teachings are a gateway to deeper and clearer thinking — for this generation of Jews and the next — about how to build a vibrant Israel.” message bkysld9yfg A single Hebrew word in Moses’ final song reveals a deeper warning about abusing the systems meant to guide us — and why Ha’azinu’s message of responsibility, wisdom and moral purpose resonates as Yom Kippur approaches Michael Eisenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/18/ByQwDO5FGl/ByQwDO5FGl_0_0_1536_1024_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkysld9yfg Fri, 18 Sep 2026 11:34:09 +03:00 The Song of Ha'azinu, which gives its name to this week’s Torah portion, is arguably the most complex and cryptic text in the Torah. Written in a layered style of hint, homily, and secret, it outlines the character and historical trajectory of the Jewish people until the end of days. Moses warns the nation of their future rebellions, and noting their stiff-necked nature. Among its soaring poetry and stark warnings, I want to focus on a single verse from the song’s opening section and decode its profound meaning by analyzing one specific word. The verse cries out: "Do you thus requite the Lord, O vile and unwise people? Is He not your Father who acquired you? He has made you and established you" (Deuteronomy 32:6). The exact word that demands our close attention is "vile" (naval). This same word appears again in the middle of the song, where God delivers His devastating response to the nation’s betrayal: "They have roused Me to jealousy with a no-god... and I will rouse them to jealousy with a no-people; I will provoke them to anger with a vile (naval) nation" (Deuteronomy 32:21). The classic commentators grapple with the exact definition of this term. Rashi frames the verse as a rebuke for forgetting God's past favors, defining a "vile people" as ingrates who forget the good done for them, while the "unwise" are those blind to future consequences. The Ramban cites Onkelos, who translate naval as a fool, making a "naval/vile people" those who foolishly grew tired of keeping the Torah. The Ramban himself aligns with Rashi but emphasizes active, malicious ingratitude: repaying good with evil. The Sforno adds that this vileness prevents Israel from fulfilling its destiny to lead humanity. Yet, despite these interpretations, a textual difficulty remains: if an ingrate is something entirely different from a fool, how do they logically pair together here? Alternatively, if a naval is simply a fool, what does the addition of the word "unwise" actually contribute to the verse? A deeper look across the biblical text reveals that the root word naval always describes a very specific and dangerous phenomenon: the exploitation of a system. It is not merely the ugly human trait of ingratitude or returning evil for good. It is the cynical manipulation of collective powers, communal norms, or structures, for selfish personal gain. We see this clearly when Shechem, a local prince, violently assaults Dinah. The Torah notes that Jacob’s sons were outraged "because he had wrought a vile deed (nevalah) in Israel... which ought not to be done." Beyond the horrific personal violation, this was a shattering of fundamental societal norms. Hence, the verse continues “ought not to be done”. Similarly, during the conquest of Jericho, Achan steals from the spoils strictly dedicated to God. This selfish act causes a military defeat for the entire nation, and the text explains that he is punished "because he has wrought a vile deed (nevalah) in Israel." He compromised the integrity of the national military system. We see this systemic abuse again with Amnon and Tamar. Because Amnon is a prince, utilizing the royal system’s power to silence and trap his sister, Tamar begs him not to commit "this vile deed (nevalah)," recognizing it as a severe abuse of systemic authority that undermines the moral fabric of the entire nation. This dynamic is perfectly embodied by the biblical character literally named Nabal (Naval in Hebrew) the Carmelite. Nabal was a wealthy man who callously dismissed David’s men when they asked for food as a token of appreciation for guarding his flocks from bandits. Instead of showing basic solidarity, Nabal exploits the regional security system David provided, completely denying any obligation to financially support it. As Ramban notes in a different context, he was a "scoundrel within the bounds of the Torah" - someone who technically breaks no law but entirely violates the core spirit of the system. With this framework, Moses's cry in Ha'azinu comes into sharp, undeniable focus. "Do you thus requite the Lord, O vile and unwise people?" is a direct confrontation about how Israel interacts with the ultimate system they were given. At the start of Deuteronomy, Moses declares that the Torah is our system of wisdom: "Observe therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples." A "vile people" takes the extraordinary system God designed - the education, the capabilities, the spiritual framework - and cynically exploits it to evade its true purpose. Onkelos expressed this by translating: a people who received the Torah but did not grow wise. They mastered the system but entirely missed its transformative point. Thus, naval refers to this corrupted exploitation of the system, while "unwise" refers to the foolish inability to see the self-destructive consequences of doing so. The verse continues: "Is He not your Father who acquired you? He has made you and established you." God did not merely create Israel; He built the framework of reality with the Jewish people as its foundational bedrock. In modern technological terms, we were installed as the primary hard drive embedded at the heart of the human story. Because of this immense responsibility, the punishment outlined in Ha'azinu is chillingly precise: "I will provoke them to anger with a vile nation (goy naval)." This is a flawless measure-for-measure consequence. Because we corrupted our own system, we are subjected to enemies who exploit our system against us. These enemies expertly weaponize our own systemic values, our profound commitment to freedom, our democratic norms, and our deep moral sensitivities, to relentlessly attack, isolate, and delegitimize us on the global stage. A historical example is the Disputation of Barcelona in 1263, where the strategy was to turn our own system of values and concepts against us. A contemporary example is the dubious acclaim and the long, thunderous vule applause for the Israelis behind the film NAZA. We read Parashat Ha'azinu on the Shabbat that bridges Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, so the song of Ha'azinu prepares us for the Yom Kippur haftarah. Yom Kippur Haftarah features the prophet Isaiah condemning people who technically follow religious laws while exploiting legal loopholes to maintain oppressive servitude. The prophet demands a massive systemic repair: "To loose the fetters of wickedness... and let the oppressed go free." We are called not just to follow the rules, and certainly not to exploit them, but to embody the upright and the good in every facet of life. Only when we stop exploiting our own systems and fully commit to their higher moral purpose, can we become a true beacon of light, fulfilling the Torah’s ancient promise of being a truly wise and understanding people in the eyes of the entire world. message h1fctcyyfl Police arrested a man suspected of throwing bags filled with flammable liquid at a side entrance in Wuppertal; no one was hurt, and authorities have not yet established a motive Zeev Avrahami https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/17/Sk1H009FYze/Sk1H009FYze_0_0_1032_580_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1fctcyyfl Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:09:10 +03:00 German police arrested a man Thursday on suspicion of attempting to set fire to a synagogue in the western city of Wuppertal, days before Yom Kippur, as Jewish leaders warned of an increasingly open climate of antisemitism. The suspect allegedly threw several bags filled with flammable liquid at a side entrance of the synagogue and set them alight before fleeing. The flames were extinguished within minutes, no one was injured and the building sustained only minor damage. Police arrested a suspect shortly afterward and opened an investigation. Authorities have not yet publicly established a motive for the attack. German media confirmed that the incident occurred Thursday afternoon at the Bergische Synagoge in Wuppertal. The attack came during the Jewish High Holiday period and three days before Yom Kippur. “Once again, during the Jewish High Holidays, there has been an attack on a synagogue,” Josef Schuster, president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, told the Jüdische Allgemeine newspaper. “What deeply disturbs me is the composure with which the perpetrator carried out this attack in broad daylight in Wuppertal. There is no trace of any sense that he was doing something wrong or of shame. This act demonstrates how far the normalization of antisemitism has progressed.” Schuster said attacks timed around Jewish holidays were intended to spread fear and increasingly push Jewish life out of the public sphere. “We will not be deterred,” he said. “In three days, on Yom Kippur, the synagogues will be full. It is the responsibility of the security authorities to ensure the safety of worshippers.” Schuster’s comments came against the backdrop of another rise in recorded antisemitic incidents in North Rhine-Westphalia, the German state where Wuppertal is located. The Research and Information Center on Antisemitism in North Rhine-Westphalia, known as RIAS NRW, documented 1,102 incidents in 2025, up 17% from 940 a year earlier. Wuppertal, a city of roughly 360,000 residents, is home to a Jewish community of about 2,500 people. Same synagogue attacked in 2014 The incident also revived memories of a previous arson attack on the same synagogue in July 2014, during the Gaza war. Three Palestinian men threw six Molotov cocktails at the building, starting a fire that was quickly extinguished. No one was injured. A German court later handed the three suspended sentences and community service. The court did not find sufficient evidence of an antisemitic motive, accepting that the men had acted out of anger over the fighting in Gaza rather than with the specific intention of attacking Jews. Higher courts later upheld the outcome. That ruling drew criticism from Jewish organizations, which argued that attacking a synagogue over Israeli government policy itself reflected antisemitism. The motive behind Thursday’s attempted arson remains under investigation, and German authorities have not yet classified it as an antisemitic attack. Schuster, however, said its timing and target should heighten concern as Jewish communities prepare for Yom Kippur. “We want to and will continue to practice our religion,” he said. message sjv0pwyyzl Anutin Charnvirakul’s remarks come days after four Jewish graves were relocated and amid a probe of Chabad in Phuket, though he said his warning was not directed at any one nationality Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/15/r1GiZlKIFMl/r1GiZlKIFMl_53_0_1149_646_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sjv0pwyyzl Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:21:52 +03:00 Thailand’s prime minister issued a blunt warning to foreigners accused of breaking the country’s laws or exploiting local residents on Thursday, telling them to leave and saying those who come to the country should make an honest living. “If you come here, come and earn a living honestly,” Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said during a policy briefing at the Interior Ministry in Bangkok. “If you’re going to die, go die back home.” He said foreigners who obey Thai law and do not take advantage of local residents remain welcome in the country. The remarks came days after four Jewish graves were removed from a cemetery in Chachoengsao province, near Bangkok, following a decision by local authorities not to renew the site’s operating license. They also come as authorities in Phuket conduct a broad review of the local Chabad center, including its land ownership, building permits and commercial licenses. Anutin did not explicitly direct his remarks at Jews or Israelis. Thai media reported that his comments were made as he discussed wider enforcement against foreigners accused of illegal activity, including the establishment of private cemeteries and religious sites without proper authorization. The prime minister said foreigners who behave violently, threaten or intimidate others should face the full force of the law. He singled out Phuket and Surat Thani as areas requiring particular attention and instructed provincial governors to use their legal authority against foreigners involved in unlawful businesses or other illegal activities. Anutin also addressed a request to establish a private cemetery, saying religious sites cannot simply be established independently and must respect Thai law, society and culture. His remarks followed weeks of scrutiny surrounding a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao. The cemetery was originally licensed in 2021, but authorities declined to renew the permit in 2024 after determining that conditions at the site no longer met regulatory requirements. Thai authorities later ordered the structures removed and the four graves transferred to a legally licensed cemetery in Chonburi province. Three of those buried were Israeli men and the fourth was a British woman, according to information released by Thai authorities. One burial took place while the cemetery’s license was valid, while the other three occurred after it had expired. Authorities said the identification was based on grave markers, death certificates, death notifications and passports rather than full forensic identification. The four graves were subsequently relocated with the involvement of members of Thailand’s Jewish community, Chabad rabbis and representatives of Israel’s ZAKA emergency response organization, with the reburials carried out in accordance with Jewish religious law. At the same time, officials in Phuket have opened a seven-day review of Chabad Patong. The investigation is examining the center’s land ownership and acquisition, permitted land use, building permits and commercial licenses, as well as whether people connected to the Chabad center overlap with shareholders in the company behind the Jewish cemetery. Authorities have not announced findings of wrongdoing by Chabad Patong. Anutin said Thursday that he had signed an Interior Ministry deportation order and instructed officials to act immediately when foreign nationals meet the legal criteria for removal. Governors should not delay deportations because of uncertainty over who will pay for an airline ticket, he said, adding that the government could cover the cost. He also ordered provincial authorities to intensify scrutiny of suspected violations involving foreigners, including the use of Thai citizens as nominee owners of property or businesses, illegal employment and the use of Thailand as a base for criminal activity. Another issue raised by the prime minister was the reported use of signs barring Thai citizens from entering certain establishments. Anutin told governors to remove such signs where the restrictions are unlawful and said businesses displaying them should face closer examination by authorities. Despite the tough rhetoric, Anutin stressed that the measures were not aimed at citizens of any particular country. He said Thailand would continue to welcome foreign tourists, residents and investors who obey its laws and contribute to the country, while authorities would act against those accused of exploiting local people or engaging in illegal activity. message rokcirscs Week 7 follows Daniel from his emotional arrival in Israel and farm work before his MBA to sharing his story at ynet Global’s Aliyah Summit, while Arielle searches for a Tel Aviv apartment and begins to feel truly at home ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/19/SJ9quz5EGe/SJ9quz5EGe_459_2_630_355_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rokcirscs Thu, 17 Sep 2026 16:00:00 +03:00 Week 7 of the aliyah vlog marks a turning point for both Daniel and Arielle. For Daniel, the long-awaited moment finally arrives: he lands in Israel and begins the life he had spent weeks preparing for. What follows is a rapid shift from the emotion of Ben-Gurion Airport to farm work before his MBA, and then to sharing his aliyah story on a ynet broadcast. For Arielle, the milestone is different. Already in Israel with her family, she begins turning Tel Aviv from a destination into a home, searching for an apartment, imagining the family’s new routine and reaching the point where the move finally feels real. ‘We’re home’ Daniel’s Week 7 begins with the moment everything changes. “Landed in Israel,” he says shortly after touching down. “That’s crazy.” Then comes an even simpler declaration: “We’re home.” At the airport, Daniel is still processing the fact that the journey he had been documenting is no longer about preparing for aliyah. “So we’re in the airport, we’ve just landed and look at... wow, welcome home,” he says. “That’s pretty crazy.” But the excitement is paired with a clear sense that the landing is only the beginning. “I can’t wait to continue the journey in Israel and build my life here,” he says. From aliyah to farm life Daniel’s next stop is not a classroom or office. Before beginning his MBA, he heads to work on a farm. “We’re going to be doing some farming before I get into my MBA,” he says. The scenes quickly move from the symbolic milestone of making aliyah to the much more physical reality of daily life: vegetables, soil, watering, weeds and early mornings. At one point, Daniel jokingly calls himself “the king of the weeding.” The routine also means getting up long before sunrise. “Guess who woke up at 4:30 in the morning?” he says. Still, his assessment is positive. “Farm life is nice.” The Israeli heat soon becomes part of the experience as well, forcing a break during the hottest hours of the afternoon. The contrast is sharp: within days of the airport welcome, Daniel is already immersed in a completely different rhythm of life. Taking the aliyah story to ynet Global Week 7 also brings Daniel’s journey onto a larger stage. After documenting his aliyah process for weeks, he appears on an international ynet Global broadcast and talks about what it has been like to share the experience publicly. Daniel explains that he had been working with Nefesh B’Nefesh on a weekly vlog over the previous two months, giving viewers a look at the less polished side of making aliyah. That includes, in his words, “headaches, drama and all the benefits.” For Daniel, the appearance becomes a chance to reflect on a process that had until recently been focused almost entirely on getting to Israel. “It was such an amazing experience to be able to share some of that insight,” he says. “I’m so grateful for this experience.” Arielle looks for a place to call home Arielle’s Week 7 story begins with another kind of realization. “It’s really hitting me that we are living in Tel Aviv,” she says. “I freaking love this city.” After the disruption of the move itself, the city is beginning to feel less temporary. “We’re here,” she says. “I can’t believe it.” A major part of that transition is finding a permanent home for the family. Arielle takes her family to see an apartment they had previously toured remotely and hoped would become theirs. “We are taking the family to see our hopeful apartment,” she says. The plan is to see it in person, finalize the details and, if everything works out, move in soon. “Fingers crossed.” The uncertainty does not last long. “This is our new apartment,” Arielle says. “I love it.” One feature immediately stands out. “My favorite part of the apartment is this amazing wraparound garden,” she says. Outdoor space had been particularly important to the family, and Arielle is visibly excited by what they found. “I’m really happy,” she says. “This is like our dream apartment.” ‘Where I’m supposed to be’ The apartment gives Arielle’s Week 7 story a tangible payoff, but the emotional payoff comes later. Standing in the new space, she admits the experience is beginning to overwhelm her. “I’m literally so happy,” she says. “I think if I had more energy, I would probably be crying right now.” Then, as the family prepares for its first Shabbat in Israel, she describes herself as feeling “at peace” and “where I’m supposed to be.” For both Daniel and Arielle, Week 7 is ultimately about what happens after arrival. For Daniel, it means moving immediately from the airport into the routines, work and experiences that will shape his new life. For Arielle, it means finding the place where her family can begin putting down roots. The milestone of aliyah may happen on the day the plane lands. Week 7 is about what comes next: the moment a move begins turning into a life. Catch up on the journey so far: Watch Week 1, Watch Week 2, Watch Week 3, Watch Week 4, Watch week 5 and Watch week 6. All three made Aliyah with the assistance of Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA. In cooperation with Nefesh B’Nefesh message s1ncfgykgg With thousands of Jews from the US, Canada, Britain and France expected in Israel for the holidays, organizers hope a Sukkot housing and absorption fair will help families turn interest in aliyah into concrete plans ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/17/B1bpWVGYYzx/B1bpWVGYYzx_0_64_2048_1153_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1ncfgykgg Thu, 17 Sep 2026 15:08:07 +03:00 Thousands of Jews from Diaspora communities are expected to arrive in Israel for the High Holiday season, filling Jerusalem hotels and giving Israeli organizations a chance to reach families who may be considering a more permanent move. Visitors are expected primarily from major Jewish communities in the United States, Canada, Britain and France, with hotels in Jerusalem reporting near-full occupancy over the holiday period. Organizers of a new housing and absorption fair say this year’s wave of visitors presents an opportunity to turn a temporary stay into a practical examination of aliyah, housing and long-term settlement in Israel. The Israel Home Expo, organized by the Israel Building Center, is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, during the intermediate days of Sukkot at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem. The event will bring together residential and investment projects from across Israel, alongside advisers specializing in mortgages, taxation, legal services and the aliyah and absorption process. The premise is simple: Rather than traveling abroad to pitch Israeli housing to Jewish communities, developers and service providers can meet prospective immigrants while they are already in Israel and experiencing the country firsthand. Organizers say the rise in antisemitic incidents abroad, combined with a stronger desire among many Jews to deepen their connection to Israel, has prompted some families to move beyond the idea of a holiday visit and begin exploring the possibility of relocation. The fair is intended to give those families a chance to compare communities, understand financial and legal considerations and speak directly with Israeli professionals involved in buying property and moving to the country. Eran Rolls, chairman of the Israel Building Center, described the holiday influx as a major opportunity. “The arrival of thousands of Jews in Israel during the Tishrei holidays is a national opportunity of the highest order,” he said. “The close ties we have developed in recent years with community leaders, rabbis and heads of organizations in the United States and around the world show clearly that the desire to build a home in Israel is not just a dream, but a real need.” Rolls said the expo is designed to connect visitors directly with Israeli communities and housing providers while they are already in the country. “While the airlift is bringing thousands of people to hotels across Israel, the fair at the International Convention Center is intended to connect them directly with communities, towns and construction companies,” he said. “We are not only offering real estate. We are offering them the opportunity to build the next chapter of their lives here.” message s1lwjjttfx The eagle metaphor in this week’s Torah portion, Haazinu, and Yom Kippur’s message of failure and renewal offer managers the same lesson: give people room to struggle and grow, while staying close enough to keep a mistake from becoming a disaster Ziv Elul https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/17/S1PBhyKFGe/S1PBhyKFGe_0_39_640_361_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1lwjjttfx Thu, 17 Sep 2026 07:31:29 +03:00 Some managers seem indispensable. Whenever a problem surfaces, they step in. They rewrite the proposal, call the client, settle the argument and make sure the job gets done exactly as planned. At first, that can look like leadership at its best. Over time, however, the cost begins to show. The organization may make very few mistakes, but it also becomes increasingly incapable of functioning without the person at the top. Employees quickly learn that every difficult decision can be pushed one level higher. Younger managers discover that when the pressure rises, someone more experienced will eventually enter the room and take over. The result can be an organization that is highly efficient in the short term but dangerously dependent in the long term. In trying to protect their people from failure, managers can deprive them of precisely the experiences they need in order to grow. The opposite approach can be just as damaging. An employee is handed a difficult assignment and told to “figure it out.” If things go well, excellent. If they fail, the experience is described as a learning opportunity. There can be value in that approach. But without clear limits on responsibility and risk, “empowerment” can become a flattering word for abandonment. This week’s Torah portion, Haazinu, suggests another model. In Moses’ final song, God’s relationship with Israel is compared to an eagle stirring its nest, hovering over its young, spreading its wings and carrying them aloft. Rabbi Isaac Arama, the 15th-century Spanish Jewish philosopher and author of Akeidat Yitzhak, reads the image as a remarkably precise description of education. The eagle does not keep its young safely in the nest until they are somehow completely ready to fly. It unsettles the nest and forces the fledgling to begin using its own wings. But it does not disappear. It remains close, watching carefully and ready to prevent a fall from becoming a fatal crash. That distinction is just as relevant to management. The goal is not to prevent employees from ever falling. Sometimes the fall is part of the learning process. The real questions are how far they can safely fall, what the organization can afford to risk and at what point managerial responsibility requires intervention. People do not become independent simply because their managers tell them to be independent. You cannot teach someone to make decisions while continuing to make every important decision for them. You cannot develop a young manager if, every time a meeting becomes uncomfortable, the boss takes control. Independence is learned by exercising independence. There is an echo here of Aristotle’s argument in the Nicomachean Ethics: We acquire abilities and qualities by practicing them. We become builders by building and musicians by playing music. Character, too, is formed through repeated action. We do not always become ready first and act afterward. Sometimes acting is what makes us ready. That is easy to accept in theory and much harder for a manager to practice. No one learns how to handle a difficult client without eventually handling a difficult client. No one learns to manage conflict if a senior executive enters every uncomfortable conversation and resolves it. A manager who genuinely wants to develop people therefore has to accept something uncomfortable: For a while, they may perform a task less effectively than the manager would have done it personally. That requires a different management routine. An employee arrives with a client problem. Instead of immediately providing the answer, the manager asks for three possible courses of action and a recommendation. A young executive must present to senior leadership. Her boss does not take the presentation away from her. He helps her identify the weak points, prepares her for difficult questions and then leaves the stage to her. A project manager makes a decision that is not optimal, but the consequences are limited and reversible. Instead of correcting it immediately, there may be value in allowing that manager to see the consequences and adjust. This is leadership that is willing to tolerate a small amount of imperfection in order to avoid a much larger problem: dependence. But that is only half of the eagle metaphor. The eagle does not merely shake the nest. It continues to hover. In managerial terms, autonomy does not mean disappearance. A good manager knows where the employee is, how serious the risk has become and when a mistake has stopped being educational and started becoming dangerous. Organizations therefore need to define their acceptable margin for error. Some decisions can be reversed the following morning. Others can damage a strategic relationship, violate regulations, endanger lives or create irreversible financial losses. Not every arena is suitable for learning through failure. The leadership challenge is to create spaces where people are allowed to make mistakes, correct them and try again, while drawing firm boundaries around situations in which responsibility cannot simply be delegated. The hardest part is timing. If the manager intervenes too quickly, the employee may never discover whether he can fly. Wait too long, and the cost of the fall may become unacceptable. The question, then, is not simply whether to intervene. It is when. That also demands something internally from the manager. Jumping in immediately provides a feeling of control. At the other extreme, refusing to intervene at all can become a way of avoiding responsibility. The much harder position is to remain close, watch someone struggle, know that you could solve the problem quickly and still give that person a little more time to work through it. That requires patience, confidence and a willingness to surrender the need to be the person in the room who always knows best. I know that tension well from my own experience. Early in my career as an officer, my main measure of success was completing the mission. I wanted us to hit the target, move quickly, know the details and never disappoint. That sense of responsibility also created a powerful desire for control. Developing people mattered deeply to me. Giving them enough room to make mistakes, learn from them and carry real responsibility themselves was much more difficult. Over the years, I came to understand that remaining accountable for a result even when someone else has made an imperfect decision is itself a managerial muscle. If you want to develop people, you have to learn to loosen your grip without disappearing. You have to accept that they will not always do things exactly as you would have done them, while still taking responsibility for the environment in which they operate. It is a muscle I am still working on. The fact that Haazinu is read this year on Shabbat Shuva, the Sabbath between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, gives the eagle metaphor another dimension. The idea of teshuvah, repentance or return, does not begin with the assumption that human beings will never fall. It begins with the opposite understanding: People make mistakes. We miss the mark. Sometimes we fail badly. But Yom Kippur also rejects the idea that a fall has to become a permanent identity. A person can stop, examine what happened, repair what can be repaired and choose a different direction. There is a subtle leadership lesson in that. If we want the people around us to develop, we have to allow them to be human. We should not define them by one mistake. Nor should we protect them so completely that they are never given the opportunity to make one. Our responsibility is to build a system in which a fall can become a source of learning rather than a final judgment. That idea also connects to a new song of mine, “Roots With Wings,” which will be released soon. The title grew out of a tension I have thought about for years: On one side are roots — identity, values and the knowledge of where we come from. On the other are wings — the freedom to grow, change and choose our own direction. Eventually I understood that the two are not opposites. Strong roots are not meant to tie us permanently to the ground. They give us a foundation deep enough to move away from it without losing ourselves. And wings do not require abandoning those roots. They allow us to grow from them. That is also one of a manager’s most important responsibilities. Give people roots: values, standards, culture and belonging. And give them wings: authority, independence, room to make decisions and the opportunity to build a path of their own. The same principle becomes particularly visible during leadership transitions. Reports this week named Microsoft vice president Ohad Yassin among the candidates to succeed Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk at the head of Microsoft’s research and development operation in Israel. Whatever the outcome, the possibility of promoting leaders from within an organization illustrates a broader principle. One way to evaluate long-term leadership is not only by the results a manager personally achieved, but by the layer of leaders developed around and beneath that person. A healthy organization should not reach a leadership transition and discover that all its knowledge, relationships and judgment reside with one individual. In fact, the more successful a manager becomes, the more important decisions should be capable of being made well when that manager is not in the room. We often measure managers by the number of problems they can solve. Perhaps we should also measure them by the number of problems their teams no longer need them to solve. That brings us back to Yom Kippur. Managerial self-examination is not only about asking: Where did I make mistakes this year? It can also mean asking: Where did I hold on too tightly? Who did I deny enough room to grow? Which problem did I solve when I should have allowed someone else to solve it? And, in the other direction: When did I call something “independence” when it was really abandonment? When should I have been present because responsibility still belonged to me? The eagle in Haazinu offers a model built simultaneously on trust and responsibility. It does not keep the fledgling forever in the nest. It does not throw it into the air and disappear. It creates the conditions for flight, stays close and understands that the ultimate goal is not to catch the young bird every time it falls. The goal is to reach the moment when it no longer needs to be caught. The Eagle Test Before stepping into an employee’s problem, a manager can ask four questions. Is this a reversible mistake from which the person can learn, or a risk the organization cannot afford? Could this person reach the answer independently if I gave them more time or guided them with questions instead of answers? Do I genuinely need to intervene for the organization’s sake, or am I simply uncomfortable watching someone do something differently from the way I would do it? And finally, what should my intervention achieve beyond solving today’s problem? If I step in now, will this person be better equipped to solve the next one without me? message rk8n8h00tmx Israeli Andalusian Orchestra of Ashdod joins Raviv Kanfo’s Project for a special High Holy Days performance blending traditional prayers, Israeli classics and contemporary music, streamed live on ynet Global worldwide ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/16/SyopvrOYze/SyopvrOYze_230_288_567_319_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rk8n8h00tmx Wed, 16 Sep 2026 19:49:56 +03:00 The Israeli Andalusian Orchestra of Ashdod joined Raviv Kanfo’s Project for a special Selichot concert Wednesday, bringing centuries-old Jewish prayers together with Israeli classics and contemporary music in new orchestral arrangements. The performance was broadcast live exclusively on ynet Global for audiences in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. Held during Elul, the Jewish month leading into the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the concert connected ancient Jewish traditions with contemporary Israeli culture. Its arrangements blended Andalusian musical traditions, Mediterranean influences and modern Israeli sounds. Selichot are penitential prayers and liturgical poems traditionally recited in the period leading up to and during the High Holy Days. The prayers center on themes of repentance, forgiveness, introspection and spiritual renewal. The concert sought to bring those traditions to a broad audience, including religious and secular Jews, young and old, while exploring both the personal nature of prayer and its communal dimension. Moving between the atmosphere of the synagogue and the concert stage, the program paired ancient liturgical poetry with Israeli songs, highlighting a musical connection that has evolved across generations and remains part of contemporary Israeli culture. Ancient prayers, new musical interpretations Traditional Selichot poems that have become fixtures of Jewish religious and cultural life will receive new orchestral interpretations alongside works by contemporary artists. Over generations, Selichot poetry has also influenced musicians who have created personal works reflecting the themes associated with the season — introspection, repentance, reconciliation and spiritual reflection. The program included well-known Selichot prayers such as “Adon HaSelichot” and “Ya Shema Evyonecha,” alongside songs reflecting contemporary life, spiritual melodies and works rooted in Jewish tradition. Elad Levi, artistic director of the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra of Ashdod, described the concert as both a musical and spiritual journey. “We are thrilled to share our new Selichot concert with Jews around the world,” Levi said. “It is a personal and deeply moving journey — an opportunity for self-reflection, reconciliation and hope through music and prayer.” Levi said the collaboration with Raviv Kanfo’s Project grew from a desire to connect Jewish tradition with contemporary Israeli music. “Selichot poetry is a cultural and musical treasure that transcends communities and generations, and when these ancient prayers meet the orchestral language of the Andalusian Orchestra and the contemporary Israeli voice, a unique experience is created — one that honors our sources while giving them new life,” he said. “It is a great privilege for us to invite every Jew, wherever they find themselves and from anywhere in the world, to take part in this moving performance, even from afar.” Shalom Lotty, CEO of the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra of Ashdod, said the orchestra places particular importance on collaborations that bridge audiences, cultures and generations. “At a time when Israeli society — and Jews everywhere — are seeking moments of connection and meaning, we are proud to offer a performance that brings together tradition, culture and contemporary Israeli creativity,” Lotty said. The concert was conducted by Roy Azulay, with Levi serving as artistic director. message rygk5motml Ben Hassin, who traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan and fought alongside Peshmerga forces against ISIS, is expected in Israel after a reconciliation agreement with the family of a man he fatally shot ended the threat of a death sentence Itamar Eichner, Lior Ben Ari https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/16/Hym8RM00Yze/Hym8RM00Yze_0_0_1200_748_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rygk5motml Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:54:59 +03:00 Ben Hassin, a Canadian Jew with Israeli citizenship and Kurdish roots, has been released after 11 years in prison in Iraqi Kurdistan and is expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days. Hassin had been imprisoned following a confrontation that led to the death of a Kurdish man and at one point faced the possibility of a death sentence. His release was made possible after a sulha, or traditional reconciliation agreement, was reached with the family of the man who died. Money was raised last year to facilitate the agreement, which led to the removal of the death sentence that had been hanging over Hassin. Upon his release, Hassin recited the Jewish Shehecheyanu blessing, traditionally said to express gratitude on significant occasions, and thanked Eyal Siso, a former senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official who Hassin said had played a major role in efforts to secure his freedom. Efforts to obtain Hassin’s release were led by international attorney Alan “Avraham” Lowy along with a group of activists in the United States: Hershel Gottdiener, Shimon Rolnitzky, Meir Zvi Tauber and Shlomo Landau. The activists also issued a clarification regarding previous reports about Hassin’s case. They said information published about a year ago concerning his arrest, which at the time was presented as correcting allegedly inaccurate details about the case, was later found to have itself been incorrect and based on misleading information. After 11 years behind bars, Hassin is now expected to arrive in Israel in the coming days. According to a report by Yeshiva World News, arrangements have been made with the Aish HaTorah Jewish educational organization in Jerusalem, and Hassin has been accepted into its introductory program, where he is expected to study after arriving in Israel. His acceptance letter said the yeshiva looked forward to welcoming him to Jerusalem. A small fundraising effort is also being organized to help Hassin establish himself in Israel following his release, according to the report. The money is intended to help cover enrollment in his studies, clothing and other basic needs as he begins rebuilding his life after more than a decade in prison. Arrested after what his family described as self-defense Hassin, now 31, traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan 11 years ago to visit relatives and fight alongside Kurdish Peshmerga forces against the Islamic State group. According to an account of the case previously made public by his family and supporters, Hassin was traveling while on leave from fighting when the driver transporting him discovered he was Israeli and attempted to kill him. Hassin, who was armed, shot the driver in what his supporters described as self-defense. The driver died of his wounds several days later. Hassin was arrested in June 2015 and charged with murder. Because capital punishment is available for murder convictions in Iraqi Kurdistan, there were fears that he could be sentenced to death if convicted. The case was kept secret for a period before then-Deputy Minister for Regional Cooperation Ayoub Kara publicly disclosed it in November 2016. In a social media post, Kara said he had been in contact with Hassin’s father, Ilan Hassin, and was working to secure the young man’s release. Kara said at the time that Hassin, whose family originated in Kurdistan, had traveled there to visit his grandparents before joining Peshmerga forces fighting the Islamic State group. According to Kara’s account, the driver traveling with Hassin discovered he was Israeli and tried to kill him, prompting Hassin, who had a weapon, to shoot him. Kara also published a photograph of himself with Hassin’s father and a video in which he discussed the case. The post was removed following intervention by Israel’s military censor after the Foreign Ministry asked that its dissemination be halted. Israeli security officials criticized Kara at the time, saying the publicity could cause harm. Kara’s office responded that he had acted in coordination with Hassin’s family, which had asked for his assistance. Alongside the announcement of Hassin’s release, activists involved in efforts to secure his freedom reiterated their clarification regarding reports published about a year ago. They said information that had purported to dispute parts of the earlier account of Hassin’s arrest was subsequently determined to be inaccurate and had been provided as a result of deception. message b1uunivffg Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm says Chabad is cooperating fully and expects the review to find its operations legal, while distinguishing the official inquiry from hostile anti-Israel and anti-Jewish rhetoric by private groups Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2021/04/21/rkWwDl00TIu/rkWwDl00TIu_0_187_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1uunivffg Wed, 16 Sep 2026 11:59:32 +03:00 Following an order by Phuket’s governor for a comprehensive review of the activities of Chabad in Patong, Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm, a Chabad emissary in Thailand, said Wednesday that authorities in the country have recently stepped up scrutiny of activities involving foreigners to ensure they comply with the law. According to Wilhelm, that broader effort also includes matters relating to the Jewish community and Chabad houses. Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom on Tuesday ordered a comprehensive investigation into the activities of Chabad Patong after questions were raised over land ownership, permitted land use, construction approvals and commercial licenses connected to the compound. Authorities were given seven days to submit their findings. The Chabad house was also the site of a Rosh Hashanah dinner planned for 2,000 Israeli travelers that was canceled at the last minute on Friday after a pro-Palestinian demonstration was held in the area for several hours. “At the moment it is in Phuket, but it could certainly happen in other places as well,” Wilhelm said. “We are cooperating fully with the authorities and, as we have done for 30 years, we make sure to operate in accordance with Thai law.” Wilhelm sought to distinguish between the official actions of Thai authorities and private groups that he said have recently been promoting hostile rhetoric against Israelis, Jews and Chabad houses on social media and at demonstrations. “In our view, those groups do not represent the Thai people or the Kingdom of Thailand,” he said. Thai authorities stressed that the process is currently limited to an examination of documents and corporate connections and does not constitute a finding that any offense has been committed. Officials also said the review is not directed against any particular nationality, religion or community, but is intended to ensure that the organization’s activities and land holdings comply with Thai law. Responding to the initial reports Tuesday, Wilhelm said: “We have been in Thailand for 30 years, and throughout those years we have personally experienced the special hospitality of the Thai people, the mutual respect and the peaceful coexistence here between people of all religions and nationalities. We have always felt that we and our activities were respected, and we have tremendous appreciation for the Thai people and the kingdom’s authorities.” He added: “Our Chabad houses are completely legal in every respect. We are very careful to obey the country’s laws, respect the local authorities and the citizens of Thailand, and therefore we have full confidence that the matters now being examined will be reviewed professionally and will show that everything is in order.” message rjmv0optfg Yehia Amin admitted stalking a group of Israelis near Times Square, shouting ‘All Jews should die’ and ‘I want to kill you’ before following them into a subway station and punching a 23-year-old in the head ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/16/HkDwWnvFMl/HkDwWnvFMl_0_0_3000_2000_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rjmv0optfg Wed, 16 Sep 2026 09:09:53 +03:00 A New York City man was sentenced on Tuesday in a Manhattan court to 90 days in jail and five years probation for an antisemitic attack on an Israeli tourist just days after the October 7 Hamas massacre. Yehia Amin had pleaded guilty in March to assault as a hate crime in the third degree. The sentence was agreed to in the plea deal. The attack took place near Times Square on October 18, 2023. There, Amin stalked a group of Israelis, who were all wearing kippot, and made antisemitic remarks including “Hamas should kill more of you,” “May Allah kill you. May Allah kill all the Jews” and “All Jews should die,” the New York Daily News reported, citing prosecutors. After the group of Jewish Israelis reported Amin's actions to a security guard in the area he continued his harassment, shouting epithets including “All Jews are crybabies,” “I want to die for Gaza” and “I want to kill you.” He followed the Israelis into a nearby train station and punched the victim, 23, in the head before trying to flee. He was run down by the Israeli young men and arrested by a police officer who joined the chase. When Judge Althea Drysdale asked Amin on Tuesday why he was smiling in the courtroom, he replied through an interpreter that he wanted to look good for the cameras, according to the Daily News. Approximately 44% of all hate crimes recorded in 2023 were antisemitic in nature, according to a report released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli in August 2024. In the week following the October 7 attacks, the city saw 20 antisemitic hate crimes. message bjfbggpfgg Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef says the traditional ritual should be performed with 35 shekels when proper poultry care and supervised slaughter cannot be guaranteed, warning that mistreating birds could violate Jewish law Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2017/09/27/8059907/8059907_0_124_1280_720_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjfbggpfgg Tue, 15 Sep 2026 22:14:31 +03:00 Former Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef ruled in a letter published Tuesday that the kapparot ritual should not be performed using chickens. “Where there is concern about causing suffering to animals, the kapparot custom should be observed with money, in the amount equivalent to the cost of a chicken — 35 shekels,” he wrote. Ahead of Yom Kippur, which falls at the beginning of next week, Yosef said the kapparot custom cannot come at the expense of the prohibition against causing suffering to animals. When proper conditions for keeping the birds and supervised kosher slaughter cannot be guaranteed, he said, the ritual should not be performed with chickens because doing so could violate the prohibition against animal cruelty. Yosef warned in particular about conditions at large-scale kapparot sites, where birds may be kept for extended periods in unsuitable conditions without sufficient shade, food or water, and where slaughter may take place without the required halachic and veterinary supervision. “One who fulfills this mitzvah while violating the prohibition against causing suffering to animals, we fear, is not fulfilling the custom at all, but is instead violating a Torah prohibition against animal cruelty,” the rabbi wrote. In ultra-Orthodox communities, many people perform kapparot with a chicken, with the bird often donated to the poor after slaughter or used for the pre-fast meal. Under the traditional custom, a rooster is swung over a man’s head and a hen over a woman’s, accompanied by a prayer that the bird serve as atonement for the person, who should go on to a good, long and peaceful life. In ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods and cities, cages containing white chickens prepared for the ritual and slaughter can often be seen. Some Hasidic communities are particularly strict about maintaining the practice. According to an older custom, the ritual may also be performed by circling a fish in a bucket over a person’s head. Some halachic authorities have insisted that the original custom calls for a chicken, while others preferred fish because the laws of kashrut governing them are less complex than those governing poultry. As a result, amid the pressure of preparations before the pre-fast meal, some authorities considered it preferable to use fish to avoid concerns that the bird might be rendered non-kosher. Over time, the practice of substituting money for the animal became increasingly widespread, with the money donated to charity and the updated formula recited: “This money shall go to charity, and I shall go on to a good, long and peaceful life.” The writings of Rabbi Jacob Emden, known as the Ya'avetz, also contain a source for performing the ritual with a potted plant, which would be circled over the head while reciting, “For man is a tree of the field.” Separately, in a letter issued ahead of Yom Kippur, Israel’s chief rabbis — Sephardi Chief Rabbi David Yosef and Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Ber, who also serves as president of the Chief Rabbinate Council — ruled that the monetary redemption for kapparot this year should be about 30 shekels per person, including VAT. The money is to be donated to Torah and charitable institutions. The chief rabbis also called for the “El Malei Rachamim” memorial prayer to be recited during the day’s services in memory of those killed in Israel’s wars, along with a prayer for the recovery of the wounded and a prayer for the success of IDF soldiers and the other security forces. message bkl800lvyfx Thai authorities have seven days to review Chabad Patong's land documents, building permits and licenses, as well as possible corporate ties to company involved in Jewish cemetery project; Chabad rejects claims: 'Our Chabad houses are completely legal' Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/10/By9411xxYGe/By9411xxYGe_0_176_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkl800lvyfx Tue, 15 Sep 2026 20:40:26 +03:00 Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom on Tuesday ordered a comprehensive investigation into the activities of Chabad Patong, following questions over land ownership, permits for its use, building approvals and commercial licenses connected to the compound. Authorities were given seven days to submit their findings. The investigation concerns the Chabad House, where a Rosh Hashanah dinner planned for 2,000 Israeli travelers was canceled at the last minute on Friday after a pro-Palestinian protest was held in the area for several hours. The investigation also will examine shareholder records of companies linked to the operation to determine whether there is any overlap or connection with a company involved in a project to establish a Jewish cemetery in Chachoengsao province. The review follows recent remarks by Thailand’s deputy interior minister, Phonphir Suwannachawi, concerning the cemetery project. According to authorities, the company behind the project was established by three Israeli nationals who also hold Thai citizenship and are registered as owners of the land. Following the remarks, Phuket authorities sought to determine whether there are any business or corporate ties between the company and Chabad Patong. Phuket Deputy Governor Romdon Hayiawa, who serves as the province’s spokesman, confirmed that the governor had instructed all relevant authorities to conduct an in-depth review. Among other things, officials will examine ownership documents, land-use permits, construction approvals and licenses required to operate commercial activities. Authorities stressed that, at this stage, the inquiry involves a review of documents and corporate connections and does not constitute a determination that any offense has been committed. They added that the investigation is not directed against any nationality, religion or specific community, but is intended to ensure that the activities and land holdings comply with Thai law. Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm, Chabad’s emissary in Thailand, said in response: “We have been in Thailand for 30 years, and throughout those years we have personally experienced the special hospitality of the Thai people, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence here among people of all religions and nationalities. We have always felt that we and our activities are respected, and we have tremendous appreciation for the Thai people and the kingdom’s authorities.” Wilhelm added: “Our Chabad Houses are completely legal in every respect. We are very careful to abide by the laws of the country, respect the local authorities and the citizens of Thailand, and therefore we have full confidence that the matters now being examined will be reviewed objectively and will show that everything is in order.” message bjghxjpyfx Parents Against Antisemitism says it has received more than 110 reports from nurseries to high schools, including a 15-year-old who hid her Jewish identity, a boy forced to sit exams in isolation and pupils mocking Holocaust survivors Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/15/rkMccR8tfe/rkMccR8tfe_0_65_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjghxjpyfx Tue, 15 Sep 2026 18:17:00 +03:00 A 15-year-old Jewish girl in Britain told her classmates she was Turkish because she was afraid to reveal her true identity, then returned home in tears and told her parents she wished she had never been born Jewish. Her story is among more than 110 reports of antisemitic incidents in British educational institutions collected by Parents Against Antisemitism, a volunteer organization established earlier this year, according to the Jewish Chronicle. The reports span institutions ranging from nurseries to high schools and include allegations of harassment, Holocaust denial, physical abuse and the use of Nazi imagery. In one case cited by the newspaper, a Jewish boy was required to sit his final examinations in isolation because of concerns for his safety if he were placed alongside other students. In other cases, children reportedly covered their ears when a teacher announced that the class would be learning about Judaism, while some mocked a stabbing incident in the heavily Jewish Golders Green neighborhood of London. Other pupils challenged testimony from Holocaust survivors, claimed the Holocaust had been fabricated or drew comparisons between the Holocaust and the war in Gaza. Sasha Hoffman, a volunteer with Parents Against Antisemitism and a mother of three, said the case of the 15-year-old girl was especially painful. “That almost broke my heart more than anything,” she told the Jewish Chronicle. “Are we really a free and tolerant society if a child lies about who she is? It’s horrifying.” Hoffman described antisemitism in British schools as an “epidemic” and warned that conspiracy theories were spreading even in classrooms with no Jewish pupils. According to the organization, students at Jewish schools have faced verbal abuse on school buses and during sporting events against other institutions. Jewish pupils attending non-Jewish schools have reported harassment ranging from exclusion and physical violence to the display or use of Nazi symbols and imagery. “We’re not just protecting Jewish children,” Hoffman said. “We need to protect society as a whole.” Parents Against Antisemitism said the cases it collects are passed to the Community Security Trust, which monitors antisemitism and provides security for Britain’s Jewish community, as well as to a special government review panel. The group said many parents are reluctant to report incidents because they fear doing so could make the situation worse for their children. It also accused some school administrators of dismissing complaints, minimizing incidents or failing to use disciplinary measures available to them. According to the organization, suspensions for antisemitic behavior remain rare. “Schools are so reluctant to use the measures available to them,” Hoffman said. “They end up managing the child who was harassed instead of dealing with those responsible.” For some Jewish families, the result is not simply fear of individual incidents but a growing sense that children are learning to conceal their identity in places where they are supposed to feel safe. message s1b6v8ikme During renovations of a wooden house in Kostroma that served as a rabbi’s home over a century ago, workers found a rare Chabad prayer book printed only once; the community believes it was hidden during the Soviet era Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/14/rkpkhwSKGl/rkpkhwSKGl_0_363_961_541_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1b6v8ikme Tue, 15 Sep 2026 13:09:20 +03:00 During renovation work at a Jewish educational center in the Russian city of Kostroma, workers discovered a rare historical artifact hidden behind wooden panels on an exterior wall: a prayer book containing Chabad’s “Meah Shearim” machzor, or High Holiday prayer book, printed in 1913 in a one-time edition. The book, apparently concealed for decades, offers a glimpse into the life of the local Jewish community during a period when Soviet authorities sought to suppress religious life. The discovery was made last Friday during work to restore the exterior walls of a historic wooden building. Workers climbed the scaffolding and began dismantling the wooden beams when they suddenly noticed the prayer book hidden behind them. At the time, Chabad emissary Rabbi Nissan Ruppo of Kostroma was visiting Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway in New York. “The workers on the scaffolding began dismantling the wooden beams and suddenly a rare prayer book from 1913 was revealed to them,” he said. “We believe someone took a ladder and hid the book behind the beams on the outside of the building. I was very, very moved when I heard the news. We intend to display this book in the community museum in the city.” The book contains several dozen pages. Some have survived intact, while others were stained or torn over the years. It is a prayer book containing Chabad’s “Meah Shearim” machzor, printed in 1913 to mark 100 years since the death of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad Hasidism, who died in 1813. The building where the book was found was constructed in 1880 and purchased in 1892 for the city’s rabbi at the time, Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Schneiderman. In 1903, construction began on the city’s central synagogue in its courtyard, and the building was completed in 1907. In 1930, Soviet authorities confiscated the entire complex, which included the synagogue, the rabbi’s residence and the educational center. Only beginning in 1994 did authorities gradually start returning the buildings to the Jewish community. The rabbi’s former residence, which today serves as an educational center housing a kindergarten and day school, was renovated inside. In recent years, however, its exterior walls began to deteriorate, forcing the community to undertake restoration work. “We had to remove the outer layer and repair the walls,” Ruppo said. It was during that work that the book was uncovered, transforming in an instant from a hidden object into an artifact of historical and emotional significance for the community. message rygl00fuyfg ZAKA volunteers flew from Israel after Thai authorities gave the Jewish community just days to evacuate the site, with four graves transferred to a new burial plot under Jewish law  Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/15/rkWoWlFUKGg/rkWoWlFUKGg_0_0_1200_670_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rygl00fuyfg Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:57:56 +03:00 ZAKA volunteers flew from Israel after Thai authorities gave the Jewish community just days to evacuate the site, with four graves transferred to a new burial plot under Jewish law Article Four graves from a Jewish cemetery near Bangkok were relocated Tuesday after Thai authorities ordered the burial ground cleared within just a few days. The operation was carried out by ZAKA volunteers from Israel together with Chabad rabbis and members of Thailand’s Jewish community, with organizers saying every effort was made to preserve the dignity of the dead and comply with Jewish law. The cemetery was purchased about five years ago by Bangkok’s Jewish community and Chabad. In recent months, however, difficulties emerged with local authorities after they declined to renew the site’s burial permit. On Friday morning, shortly before Rosh Hashanah, Chabad representatives received a letter from the regional governor ordering the cemetery evacuated by Tuesday. At the time, four graves were located there. Because of the short deadline, Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm, the Chabad emissary in Bangkok, contacted ZAKA operations deputy director Chaim Weingarten and asked the organization to assist with the transfer. The graves were designated for relocation to a new burial plot purchased by Rabbi Yosef Chaim Kantor, chief rabbi of Thailand’s Jewish community. Immediately after Rosh Hashanah ended, and following consultations with ZAKA rabbis, Weingarten and ZAKA volunteer Beraleh Yaakovovitz flew to Bangkok. They were joined Tuesday by Chabad rabbis and members of the local Jewish community, including Kantor, Wilhelm, Rabbi Eliezer Ashkenazi, Yossi Goldberg and Davidi Haddad. After hours of complex work, all four graves were transferred intact to the new burial plot. Organizers said the operation was conducted in accordance with Jewish burial law and with particular attention to preserving the dignity of the deceased. “When I received the request on the eve of Rosh Hashanah and understood the urgency, it was clear to us that ZAKA would do whatever was necessary to preserve the dignity of the dead,” Weingarten said. “Immediately after Rosh Hashanah ended, we left for Bangkok after consulting the organization’s rabbis. Today, with the help of Chabad rabbis and members of the local community, we completed the complex mission and brought the deceased to their final resting place with the dignity they deserve.” Kantor described the case as “a very complex and sensitive event that we were required to handle within an extremely short time.” “The cooperation and dedication made it possible to complete the transfer of the graves with dignity, sensitivity and in accordance with Jewish law,” he said. message hkazftukfg A Tzohar survey finds that even many secular Jews continue to treat Yom Kippur as a distinct day of rest and restraint, with 92% of secular drivers planning not to drive and only 14% planning to attend synagogue ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2017/09/30/8064027/8064027_0_134_1300_732_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hkazftukfg Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:47:17 +03:00 Israel’s Jewish public continues to embrace the basic framework of Yom Kippur, including fasting, avoiding driving and maintaining the day’s traditional quiet, even among people who do not plan to attend synagogue, according to a new survey by the Tzohar Index for Judaism and Tradition, conducted with the Mashav channel ahead of the High Holy Days. The survey found that 61% of respondents plan to fast this Yom Kippur, including 54% who intend to observe a full fast and another 7% who plan to fast partially. Among respondents who own a car, 96% said they do not intend to drive on the holiday. In addition, 46% of all respondents said they plan to attend synagogue, while 51% said they intend to donate to charity before Yom Kippur. The data also showed differences between Jewish communities. Among Mizrahi and Sephardic respondents, 68% said they plan to observe a full fast, compared with 48% of Ashkenazi respondents. The survey was conducted in late August 2026 among 1,330 Jewish Israeli adults aged 18 and over who use the internet. The sample was designed to represent Israel’s adult Jewish population, with a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. Yom Kippur’s distinctive place in Israeli life is particularly evident among those who define themselves as secular. Among secular car owners, 92% said they do not plan to drive on Yom Kippur. At the same time, 34% said they expect to fast, including 24% who plan a full fast and 10% a partial one. Only 14% said they intend to visit a synagogue. Part of that gap may reflect discomfort in religious spaces. Among secular respondents, 51% said they do not feel comfortable in a synagogue, including 26% who said they do not feel comfortable there at all. Yet only 5% said they plan to participate in public prayer events outside traditional synagogue settings. Instead, secular respondents described a largely private, home-centered Yom Kippur. Sixty-one percent said they plan to rest or sleep, 55% to read, 54% to watch content on a computer or phone, 44% to take walks or meet neighbors and friends, and 31% to play board games. Only 22% said they expect to do household chores and just 9% said they plan to perform work-related tasks. The findings suggest that even among Jews who neither fast nor pray, Yom Kippur is still rarely treated as an ordinary weekday. For many Israelis, the holiday remains a national and cultural pause as much as a religious one. message b17lmilkzl Keinan David, a former IDF soldier, says visibly Orthodox Jews are especially exposed to attack, but reaching Haredi clients means framing training around fitness, discipline and confidence rather than aggression Yaniv Pohoryles https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/15/Bk1100dIUFGx/Bk1100dIUFGx_0_0_480_270_0_small.gif https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b17lmilkzl Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:06:16 +03:00 When Keinan David walks through the streets of London, few people would necessarily know he is Jewish. For members of the city’s ultra-Orthodox community, he says, that anonymity is rarely possible. “When I walk down the street in London, I could be anyone. Nobody knows I’m Jewish, but Haredi Jews are an obvious target for antisemites, and my goal is to teach them how to protect themselves,” said David, a martial arts instructor and former IDF soldier. Amid rising antisemitism in Britain, David has set out to bring fitness, Krav Maga and practical self-defense training into a community where such activities are far from commonplace. “I have a club dedicated entirely to the Haredi community, with all the adaptations and nuances that come with it,” he said. “It takes time to reach them, convince them that it matters and give them the tools, but I can see the change and the desire to learn. It’s growing.” David grew up in South Africa before moving to Israel at 18. “South Africa was a kind of bubble for me. We went to a Jewish school and spent most of our time inside the community,” he said. “I don’t think there was much antisemitism, but personal security and crime were always issues, and they only got worse over the years.” He moved to Israel through the Masa program, later studied at what is now Reichman University in Herzliya and completed full military service as a lone soldier. Afterward, he decided he needed a change. “Being in the army and entering the Israeli workforce are completely different things,” he said. “After the army, I felt I needed some space, and I didn’t really have a clear plan for what I was going to do. I trained in martial arts, and it was a kind of healing process for me.” His wife completed her military service shortly afterward, and the couple decided to try life in London, where they had relatives. “That was 10 years ago, and we’re still here, part of the local community,” he said. David began working in security, first for an Israeli company and later with an organization involved in protecting Britain’s Jewish community. He eventually went independent and opened fitness and martial arts clubs for Jewish clients. His Haredi club, however, required a completely different approach. “The marketing, the branding, everything has to be different and adapted to their community,” he said. More recently, he opened another club aimed at secular and traditional Jews, which he describes as more commercial and modern. Even the language used to promote the Haredi club has to be carefully calibrated. “I can’t market it with any reference to aggression, and I hardly use the words ‘self-defense,’ because that can be problematic,” David said. Instead, he focuses on physical activity, health, discipline and confidence. People often come to lose weight, improve fitness or build confidence, he said. Parents may bring children who have too much energy, are struggling at school or experiencing bullying. “So I incorporate a lot of fitness work into the training, but we absolutely train in self-defense as well. I just don’t market it that way.” Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the war that followed, David says awareness of personal security has increased among British Jews, including within the ultra-Orthodox community. “There is definitely a change and a rise in awareness,” he said. “Many of them still deliberately ignore what’s happening around them because they don’t like being distracted from their religious lives. There is a certain percentage of the Haredi community that will never walk into my club for exactly those reasons, and that’s fine.” He stresses that his goal is not to change anyone’s way of life. “Precisely because they are so visibly identifiable, and because there are threats against them, I felt there had to be at least one person giving them a chance to defend themselves if something happens.” Anxiety rises, but Jewish life goes on David also trains at mainstream martial arts and fitness clubs around London, where he says attitudes toward Israel can sometimes make Jewish members uncomfortable. “You can run into people saying terrible things about Israel, train alongside someone wearing a Palestine shirt and see all kinds of fundraising events for Gaza,” he said. “Because of that, a lot of Jews don’t train in places like that and look for something more communal.” At his own clubs, however, David deliberately avoids creating a militant atmosphere. “I try not to give the vibe of, ‘Come on, let’s fight terrorists,’ or constantly talk about antisemitism,” he said. “The goal is for the class to be useful, but also friendly and enjoyable.” For David personally, daily life in London remains largely normal. “If I walk down the street or go about my regular day, I probably won’t encounter anything aimed directly at me,” he said, though he noted that the keffiyeh has become a common sight in the city. He said serious attacks in Manchester and London’s heavily Jewish Golders Green neighborhood had shaken the community, while roughly 3,700 anti-Jewish incidents recorded this year reflected a sharp rise compared with when he first arrived in Britain a decade ago. “There is definitely more anxiety in the community,” he said. Yet what has surprised him most is its resilience. “People simply continue living their Jewish lives. They’ll keep going to synagogue, wearing kippahs in the street and sending their children to Jewish schools,” David said. “We’ll see a much greater security presence around all of that, but we’re not going to give up Jewish life, including in public spaces.” message h1id2s8tfg Nearly 80 years after Moshe Kamara survived fighting in Gush Etzion, his family donates the olivewood-bound prayer book whose pages stopped the bullet near the words ‘brings death and gives life’ Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/15/B1xdIErItGl/B1xdIErItGl_0_174_961_540_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1id2s8tfg Tue, 15 Sep 2026 07:50:08 +03:00 A prayer book carried in the breast pocket of an Israeli medic during the 1948 War of Independence stopped a Jordanian sniper’s bullet and saved his life, his family says. Nearly eight decades later, the battered volume has been donated to the Kfar Etzion archive. Moshe Kamara was serving as a medic during fighting around the Russian Monastery in Gush Etzion in 1948 when the bullet struck him. It pierced the prayer book’s olivewood cover and became lodged in its final pages. Only after the battle did Kamara and his comrades realize what had happened. This week, his children returned to the site of the fighting and formally deposited the prayer book in the Gush Etzion archive, bringing the object back to the place where its story began. Kamara, a fighter in Company B of the Mikhmas Battalion, arrived in Gush Etzion in late March 1948. His unit took up positions at the Russian Monastery, a strategic point overlooking the Jerusalem-Hebron road that became the scene of several battles. His comrade Shmuel Bazak later recalled the moment Kamara was hit. “Moshe the medic would run with his bag into the heaviest fire,” Bazak said. “One night, when we were rushed out against Legion forces, he filled his pockets with bandages and had no room to carry his tefillin and prayer book, so he shoved the prayer book into the breast pocket of his uniform.” “As we were moving, we saw him take a hit, clutch his chest and fall. We were sure he had been killed, but suddenly he got up and kept running.” The reason became clear after the fighting. The bullet had penetrated the wooden cover and stopped in the final pages of the prayer book. Years later, one of Kamara’s grandchildren told a lecturer about the story. The lecturer asked exactly where in the book the bullet had stopped. The grandson called his mother, who opened the damaged prayer book to the relevant page. She discovered that the bullet had stopped beside the Hebrew words “Melech memit umechayeh,” meaning “the King who brings death and gives life.” The bullet had pierced and almost completely obscured the word “memit,” meaning “brings death.” Kamara was among the few who survived the final battle at the monastery. Wounded, he was taken into Jordanian captivity. At one point, a Jordanian soldier took the prayer book from him. Kamara later seized an opportunity to recover it, taking what his family described as a significant risk to get it back. He kept the book throughout his captivity and brought it home with him after his release, preserving it as a reminder of what he regarded as the miracle that saved his life. Kamara died 16 years ago, but the story of the medic and the prayer book remained deeply rooted in his family. This week, his children toured the Russian Monastery site with Aryeh Rotenberg, a longtime guide at the Kfar Etzion Field School, who reconstructed the course of the battle. Kamara’s son Yair added memories and stories he had heard from his father. The family later visited the Dov Knohl Gush Etzion Archive, where, during a meeting with staff and archive director Dr. Shuki Sharir, they decided to place the prayer book in permanent safekeeping. “The prayer book is returning to the place where its story is woven,” family members said. Sharir described the donation as a powerful story of survival connecting life, death and the history of Gush Etzion on the eve of Israel’s establishment. David Hasson, director-general of the Kfar Etzion Field School, said the prayer book had become more than a family keepsake. “The story of Moshe Kamara and the prayer book that saved his life is a living testimony to the heroism of Gush Etzion’s defenders in 1948,” he said. “Depositing the prayer book in the Kfar Etzion archive is not only a moving family gesture, but an addition of historical and spiritual value to the heritage of Gush Etzion, which will now be passed on to future generations.” message rj00samifmg An illustrated machzor by Jewish artist Joel ben Simeon, featuring one of the earliest visual depictions of a Hanukiyah, will be the centerpiece of Sotheby's' largest Judaica sale in history; Seven items unveiled are estimated to be worth more than $16 million Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/14/Hy7IX3lHKGl/Hy7IX3lHKGl_0_193_1280_720_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rj00samifmg Tue, 15 Sep 2026 04:51:19 +03:00 About 550 years ago, a wandering Jewish artist sat in Italy and drew, in the margins of a prayer book, a worshipper blowing a shofar, Moses receiving the tablets of the Ten Commandments, strange hybrid creatures and a menorah. In December, the prayer book will be offered at Sotheby's in New York, with an estimated value of $3 million to $5 million. It will headline an event that the auction house describes as the most valuable public Judaica sale it has ever held. The "Magnificent Judaica" sale will take place December 17. The full catalog has not yet been published, but the high estimates for the seven items unveiled so far add up to more than $16 million, before the buyer's premium. Most of the value is attributed to medieval and Renaissance Jewish manuscripts from a collection Sotheby's calls "important," without disclosing its owner's identity. The caveat: The record concerns the combined value of a dedicated sale, not a single item. The record for a single item belongs to the Sassoon Codex, which was sold at the auction house in 2023 for $38.1 million. At the top of the list is the prayer book created around 1475 by Joel ben Simeon, one of the few medieval Jewish artists whose name is known today. Ben Simeon was born in Germany and worked in northern Italy, combining the Ashkenazi tradition with Renaissance art. Hundreds of illustrations accompany the prayers: biblical figures, animals, fantastical creatures and scenes from religious life. Next to the instructions for blowing the shofar is a worshipper holding one, while elsewhere Moses is shown with the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The most intriguing detail is a drawing of a menorah, which Sotheby's says is among the earliest known visual depictions of Hanukiyah. Only 12 signed works by Ben Simeon are known today, and the prayer book is one of just four of his manuscripts still in private hands. It is a promising formula in the Judaica market, and in the art market generally: a rare name, a tiny number of surviving works and a symbol recognized by almost every Jewish child. Another prayer book, created in Ferrara around 1500 and estimated at $2 million to $4 million, tells a different story. The text in the Roman style was written by a Jewish scribe, while the decorations were created by Christian artists. Gold, vivid colors and classical motifs turned it into a luxury object that rivaled the books of Christian patrons. Its pages document a cultural encounter that does not always feature in the story of Jewish-Christian relations in Europe. Another item that stands out for its size is a Pentateuch with the Five Megillot and Haftarot, created in Germany around 1300. Hundreds of animal skins were needed to prepare its parchment sheets. Hunting scenes, human figures and fantastical animals in the Gothic style appear among the pages of text. Only a handful of Hebrew books of this size have survived and, according to the auction house, this is the only one of its kind still in private ownership. It is estimates to be sold for $2 million to $4 million. Also offered will be an illustrated copy of "Sefer Mitzvot Gadol" by Rabbi Moses of Coucy, a 13th-century work of Jewish law that organizes halacha around the 613 commandments. The copy was produced in Italy in the late 15th century, with gold lettering and blue, red and green backgrounds, and is estimated at $1 million to $2 million. At the other end of the size scale is a tiny Torah scroll from Galicia dating to the early 19th century, with parchment measuring just over 6 centimeters in height. According to Sotheby's, it may be the smallest Torah scroll ever documented. It is housed in a gilded silver case, set with gemstones and decorated with filigree, bearing a dedication to Jacob ben Rabbi Meir Landau. The ensemble was purchased in London in 1978 by a New York art collector for a price Sotheby's described at the time as a "world record": $25,000. It has since been passed down through the collector's family and is now estimated at $450,000 to $650,000. A silver pitcher made by silversmith Carl Hasenberg in Frankfurt in 1776 connects the sale to the beginnings of one of the world's most famous financial empires. Engraved on the vessel are the names of the heads of the city's Jewish charitable institutions, including Mayer Amschel Rothschild, founder of the banking dynasty. The name appears there before it became an international brand synonymous with wealth and power. The pitcher was passed down through the Rothschild family, displayed at museums in Frankfurt and at Rothschild Bank in London, and is estimated at $300,000 to $500,000. Also on the list is an 18-karat gold book cover, set with precious stones, made in Verona around 1900 and presented by Romanian banker and philanthropist Jacques Elias to Rabbi Yosef ben Sinar. It is estimated at $100,000 to $200,000. Some of the items will be displayed in November at the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem, followed by exhibitions in London from Dec. 4 to 9 and in New York from Dec. 13 to 16. message hyiin3bygg Abelardo de la Espriella joins Barranquilla’s Jewish community for Rosh Hashanah, pledging support for Israel as his government restores diplomatic ties, moves its embassy to Jerusalem and reverses policies of his predecessor Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/14/ryDIGISKMl/ryDIGISKMl_0_16_316_178_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hyiin3bygg Mon, 14 Sep 2026 23:45:11 +03:00 Worshippers at the Beth El synagogue in Barranquilla, Colombia, received a special surprise Saturday ahead of Rosh Hashanah when Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella visited the congregation and joined the Jewish community in marking the Jewish New Year. During the visit, de la Espriella expressed support for Israel and pledged to continue standing by the Jewish state. De la Espriella told worshippers that his visit to the synagogue was intended as “a gesture of respect, affection and brotherhood” toward Colombia’s Jewish community. “I ask the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to bless every Jewish family in Colombia and to bless all the people of Israel,” he said in remarks at the synagogue. The president then delivered a more explicitly political message. “I will never stop defending Israel because it is the people of God, and I will always stand with Israel,” de la Espriella said. He added that he had defended Israel during his presidential campaign despite advice from some not to address the issue. The president also called on Jews and Christians to defend shared values including faith, life, family, human dignity, justice and peace. Efforts to rebuild relations The synagogue visit comes amid a shift in Colombia’s policy toward Israel following more than two years of diplomatic tensions under former president Gustavo Petro. De la Espriella has pledged to restore full diplomatic relations with Israel and move Colombia’s embassy to Jerusalem. His government has also taken steps toward resuming Colombian coal exports to Israel and has withdrawn Colombia from South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar met with the Colombian president in August. Sa'ar said at the time that the two countries were working to strengthen diplomatic, security and economic ties. The Foreign Ministry said the countries had agreed to restore full diplomatic relations, appoint ambassadors and move the Colombian Embassy to Jerusalem. Colombia also recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, becoming the second country after the United States to do so. De la Espriella concluded his remarks at the synagogue with a prayer for the health, prosperity and peace of Jewish families across Colombia and the people of Israel. message b1fei2rtgg Russia-linked accounts spread false claims that Breslov Hasidim receive government payments, plan to settle permanently in Ukraine and even seek to turn Uman into an independent entity, while exploiting anger over military conscription Alex Nirenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/14/Sy0000y3BYfl/Sy0000y3BYfl_2_356_1279_721_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1fei2rtgg Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:26:15 +03:00 Russia refrained from launching missile and drone attacks on Uman during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, when tens of thousands of followers of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov arrived in the city. At the same time, however, sources familiar with the matter say Moscow conducted a broad online campaign aimed at intensifying tensions between the Hasidic pilgrims and Ukrainian residents and increasing expressions of hatred toward Jews across Ukraine. During the holiday, accounts controlled by Russia on X and TikTok circulated messages containing antisemitic themes and material designed to stir unrest inside Ukraine. Among the claims promoted by the Russian accounts were that many of the Hasidim intended to move permanently to Ukraine and that “the Hasidim are receiving special payments from the Ukrainian government.” Other posts claimed that a plan was taking shape under which Uman would break away from Ukraine and become an “independent entity.” There is no truth to those claims, which were intended to serve Russian objectives. The campaign also exploited one of the most sensitive issues in Ukrainian society: attempts to avoid military service in the war against Russia. One post said: “Ukrainians are being dragged off the streets [by military police] while Uman celebrates. 45,000 pilgrims are flooding the city while recruitment officers abduct men for the front.” Another illustration showed Ukrainian soldiers handcuffing a draft dodger at a bus stop while two Jewish men looked on indifferently. A further theme in the Russian influence campaign was aimed at discouraging Ukrainians from supporting their country’s accession to NATO. One illustration circulated online showed U.S. President Donald Trump changing Ukraine’s name on a map to “Jewkraine.” Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, which operates under the country’s National Security and Defense Council, warned of the Russian influence campaign even before the holiday. “The goal is to destabilize Ukraine and encourage antisemitism,” the center said. message r1n00mqbkzl As investigations and proposed restrictions target religious circumcision, a new Brussels-based center aims to train and certify mohalim, protect Jewish practice and set rigorous safety standards that could serve communities worldwide Hayim Leiter https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2019/12/17/9662294/9662294_0_53_2000_1126_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1n00mqbkzl Mon, 14 Sep 2026 19:21:33 +03:00 If you had Googled the word “circumcision” recently, you’d have thought that the end of the practice of Brit Milah was upon us. In parts of Europe, Mohalim are being targeted for investigation. Governmental bans are being proposed and anti-circumcision movements are louder than ever before. Beyond the Jewish practice, circumcision is facing growing challenges globally. In recent years there were botched procedures in India and the death of a six-month-old in the Muslim community in the United Kingdom. The UK incident resulted in the Crown Prosecution Service’s attempt to classify neonatal circumcision as child abuse. African communities also practice circumcision as a rite of passage. Every year there are numerous deaths due to the conditions and techniques employed by traditional practitioners, and this season has seen 54 teenage deaths in the past few weeks alone. However, the news isn’t all bad. The European Jewish Association and the Rabbinic Center of Europe have just announced the establishment of the Center of Excellence for Religious Male Circumcision (CERM). The Brussels-based program is a direct response to the indictments of Mohalim in the area. Its goals are to provide structured medical and safety training, as well as practical assessment and certification for those who perform Brit Milah. The aim of the program is also to coordinate with health authorities across Europe, "ensuring competence is recognized through rigorous medical standards and independent supervision — rather than becoming a matter of political debate." In truth, I did not see this coming and I must admit that my own suggested course of action would have been a mistake. When the indictments of Mohalim were first announced, I suggested Belgium enact the Nordic method of Brit Milah oversight. This has proven effective in places like Germany and Sweden, as well as other locations around Europe. It requires a medical professional to be present at every Brit Milah a mohel performs. I feared the outcomes of these indictments could pose a threat to our fundamental Jewish practice, resulting in a complete ban on underaged circumcision for non-medical purposes. Colleagues challenged my suggestion, finding it problematic that I’d offer government regulation over a mohel’s daily practice. At first I didn’t understand the critique because I couldn’t imagine any other solution. My intention was to protect our religious freedoms the best way possible and it would certainly be better than an outright ban. But CERM is well-positioned to mitigate many of the issues at hand. Keeping the oversight internal preserves our ability to protect Brit Milah as we see fit. And being proactive with governments throughout Europe will hopefully stave off future incidents such as the open investigations in Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland. The rabbis of Europe are taking the correct course of action, but there’s a chance that this may not solve the problem which was its impetus. Although many have voiced support for CERM, to the public’s knowledge, the Belgian government did not request this training and certification. Therefore, while much is gained in developing standards, especially when it comes to safety of those who undergo the procedure, there is no guarantee that the initiative will resolve the indictments throughout Europe. It will certainly not appease the anti-circumcision movement that’s determined to outlaw the practice. As impressive and commendable as this initiative is, there still could be a missed opportunity here. Although Muslim practitioners could, in principle, participate in CERM’s training, the program could have an impact far beyond the Jewish community of Europe. In addition to those in the UK, there are many in India and Africa practicing non-Jewish circumcision who would benefit from collaboration. From joint advocacy to training, our years of knowledge and commitment to high medical standards could save numerous lives if we extend the organization’s goals to other regions around the world. I pray that the Center of Excellence for Religious Male Circumcision is successful on all fronts. It has the potential to improve and safeguard our tradition like nothing before. It may also reverse the legal action taken against the Mohalim throughout Europe. And unlike the reactive Nordic Method, CERM could obviate future challenges to Brit Milah. In a sense, this proposal is much more than a ‘bandage’ solution. The writer is a rabbi, a wedding officiant, and a mohel who performs britot (ritual circumcisions) and conversions in Israel and worldwide. Based in Efrat, Israel, he is the founder of Magen HaBrit, an organization protecting the practice of brit milah and the children who undergo it. message skcjfiefmx CAM chief Sacha Roytman says New York mayor has become a model for a new generation of anti-Israel politicians, warning antisemitism is at its worst since the Holocaust and that Jewish institutions failed to protect communities after Oct. 7 Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/07/r1BGc0011ndMl/r1BGc0011ndMl_0_0_1863_1049_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skcjfiefmx Mon, 14 Sep 2026 01:35:09 +03:00 Sacha Roytman sees New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani not as an isolated political phenomenon, but as a model for a new generation of leaders he believes could reshape American politics and deepen the threat facing US Jews. “Thousands of little Mamdanis are emerging across the United States,” said Roytman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement, or CAM. He argues that younger political figures, including second-generation immigrants raised in the United States, are learning to combine hostility toward Israel with polished progressive messaging capable of appealing to a much broader audience. “We’re seeing more leaders follow his example, expressing hostility toward Israel and Jews in fluent, persuasive English,” he said. “Mamdani is exactly the kind of figure Iran, Qatar, Russia and our other adversaries would like to see succeed. He is becoming a model for dozens of young politicians. In my view, that is a ticking time bomb.” Roytman describes Mamdani as “the face of modern antisemitism” and compares his political appeal to that of former president Barack Obama among progressives. “He presents himself as offering something positive: challenging the wealthy, promising change, offering a new kind of politics. He comes across well on camera, and everything he does is carefully packaged,” Roytman said. “That is precisely what makes him dangerous in my view.” His concern extends beyond Mamdani himself. Roytman argues that the more important battle is over the generation now forming its political identity in schools, universities and on social media. “Mamdani’s generation is already set in its views,” he said. “The generation we can still reach is the one coming after it, and the only way to do that is through education.” That warning forms part of a much broader and darker assessment. Asked to describe the state of antisemitism today in a single sentence, Roytman does not hesitate: “It is the worst it has been since the Holocaust.” For years, he says, he deliberately avoided comparisons with the 1930s. He now believes the scale and geographic reach of antisemitism justify far stronger language. Roytman, 39, married and a father of four, has led CAM for seven years. The organization operates in more than 100 countries and works with governments, local authorities, police departments and technology companies on combating antisemitism. He describes Oct. 7 as “the Yom Kippur of the Jewish people,” arguing that the Hamas-led attack exposed not only an Israeli military and intelligence failure but a wider breakdown among Jewish institutions that had misunderstood the scale of the threat. “It gave our enemies an opportunity to show themselves openly,” he said. “Israel and Jewish communities were taken completely by surprise. It became clear that the institutions dealing with these issues, including Israeli bodies and major Jewish organizations, had failed to understand what was happening.” Roytman says many large Jewish organizations entered the post-Oct. 7 period believing they had strong alliances and the infrastructure needed to confront antisemitism, only to discover that both were weaker than they had assumed. “Three years after Oct. 7, the Jewish world looks very different from how it did in 2023,” he said. “There is already a generational shift. People have lost confidence in some of the large Jewish organizations and are looking elsewhere for answers. I tell those organizations directly: You failed to protect Jews. People came to us saying, ‘We don’t feel protected.’” ‘New York Jewry let its guard down’ Roytman directs some of his strongest criticism at New York’s Jewish community, one of the largest and most established in the world. Decades of prosperity and political influence, he argues, created a sense of security that ultimately became complacency. “New York’s Jewish community became too comfortable and stopped paying enough attention to what was changing around it,” he said. “Jews became extremely successful in New York, and with that success came a sense of security. Parts of the community embraced a more open, modern Jewish identity, but some also lost touch with their history and with the need to remain vigilant.” In Roytman’s telling, Mamdani’s rise should have been a warning. “The community let its guard down, then woke up to find a mayor whom many Jews regard as hostile toward them, while parts of the media environment they had long felt at home in were also becoming more hostile,” he said. Roytman contrasts the United States with Europe, where he believes the Holocaust remains more present in public consciousness. “Europeans are not as detached from this history as Americans are,” he said. “Europe is where the Holocaust happened. The camps are still there, and the memory of what happened is physically present. It is much harder to simply move on from that history.” On American campuses, Roytman says university administrations have become more cautious, largely because of pressure from the Trump administration and fears over federal funding and immigration enforcement. But he says he has seen little comparable change in academic culture or in the flow of foreign money into higher education, particularly funding originating in Qatar. Australia and Canada among the biggest concerns Outside the United States, Roytman identifies Australia and Canada as among the countries causing him the greatest concern. In Australia, he says authorities have spent too much time discussing antisemitism and too little time producing meaningful change. “The Jewish community no longer trusts the government to protect it,” he said. “Australia simply does not yet have the tools it needs to deal with the kind of radicalization we are seeing.” Roytman argues that democratic governments can struggle when confronted by movements that reject democratic norms. “If a democracy does not have the tools to defend itself against anti-democratic forces, it will struggle to respond effectively,” he said, citing both radical Islam and the far right. CAM, he says, works with Australian mayors and police departments on practical measures including definitions of antisemitism, training officers to identify contemporary hate crimes and removing antisemitic graffiti quickly. “If hateful graffiti is left in place, it encourages more of the same,” he said. “Removing it quickly matters. So does bringing communities together and building relationships between religious groups. An international organization cannot do this in every city. You need local leaders who are willing to take responsibility.” Roytman also points to Iranian-linked activity previously uncovered in Australia and argues that political polarization has made the response to antisemitism more difficult. His broader criticism is that neither Jewish organizations nor the Australian government fully recognized how quickly conditions were changing. ‘Social media companies can do more’ CAM has increasingly focused on online influencers rather than automated accounts. “A lot of organizations concentrated on bots, but I don’t think bots are where the real influence is,” Roytman said. “We focus on people with audiences. We have already managed to reduce the reach of thousands of posts. We are not going to eliminate antisemitism, but we can make it less influential.” He cites the example of an American social media personality who used the name “Redneck for Palestine” and had accumulated roughly 160,000 Instagram followers. Roytman says CAM documented videos it regarded as promoting Hamas and directing extreme hostility at Zionists, then brought them to Meta’s attention. The account was removed, he said, and a replacement account was later blocked as well. “We see this as an asymmetric fight,” Roytman said. “We are smaller, so we have to use the tools available to us intelligently.” He argues that social media companies have already demonstrated that they can restrict certain kinds of content effectively when they choose to do so. “If you upload copyrighted music, platforms can identify it almost immediately,” he said. “When companies decide something requires an aggressive technical solution, they are capable of finding one. They can do more here as well.” Roytman also regards attacks on Israeli tourists abroad as a form of antisemitism rather than merely anger over Israeli government policy. “Israeli Jews are being singled out in a way that people from other countries involved in conflicts are not,” he said. “That double standard matters. In my view, much of this is deliberate. It is intended to intimidate Israelis and make them feel unwelcome wherever they go.” ‘You need to know when it is time to leave’ Roytman rejects the assumption that the current wave of antisemitism will simply fade. “I think expecting it to die down on its own is a serious historical mistake,” he said. “I am not talking about winning some final victory over antisemitism. That is unrealistic. But we cannot allow ourselves to lose the ability to protect Jewish life.” He is equally dismissive of arguments that accusations of antisemitism are routinely used to silence criticism of Israel. “If a Jew is attacked because he is Jewish, that is antisemitism. If someone paints anti-Jewish graffiti, that is antisemitism,” he said. “And if a Jew living in New York is targeted because of his connection to Israel, that is still antisemitism.” For Jews who increasingly feel unsafe in Western countries, Roytman’s message is stark. “They have reason to be concerned,” he said. “Jewish history teaches us that there are times when people need to recognize that circumstances have changed and know when it is time to leave.” Israel, he acknowledges, is not an easy destination for immigrants. Roytman moved there alone from Belgium at 18 and says the high cost of living and difficulties of starting over remain serious obstacles. “The assistance new immigrants receive can help, but it does not guarantee that they will succeed here,” he said. “A lot of people struggle when they arrive. But many eventually reach a point where they feel that this is home.” He also points to countries such as Panama and Argentina as places where, in his view, Jewish communities may currently feel more comfortable than in some traditional Western centers. “They may not be the countries people instinctively think of when they talk about the West, but the Western world has serious problems right now,” he said. “Jewish history has always involved movement. For Jews, Israel is the one place that is not temporary.” Roytman believes Israel and major Jewish organizations have made matters worse by aligning themselves too closely with one political camp or another. “More than 75% of American Jews vote Democratic, and I think Jewish institutions made a mistake when they became too closely identified with one side,” he said. “If you only build relationships with one political camp, you lose the ability to work effectively when the other side is in power.” He applies the same criticism to Israeli outreach in Europe, including engagement with far-right opposition parties. “Israel has sometimes chosen sides too openly, and that can be a serious mistake,” Roytman said. “The people you align yourself with will not always be in government. If you want to protect Jewish interests over the long term, you need working relationships across the political spectrum.” message ryzq500nyzx Yehuda Widawski survived Auschwitz and Nazi forced labor, immigrated to Israel in 1950 and later devoted decades to restoring Jewish cemeteries in Poland; he helped identify more than 3,000 graves and lit a torch at Israel’s 2012 Holocaust memorial ceremony Shilo Freid, Itzchak Tessler https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2019/07/25/9385054/9385054_0_0_4743_2671_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/ryzq500nyzx Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:22:56 +03:00 Yehuda Aharon Widawski, a Holocaust survivor who devoted decades of his life to restoring Jewish cemeteries in Poland, has died at the age of 107. He was Israel’s oldest Holocaust survivor. In an interview with ynet seven years ago, Widawski described what he considered his revenge on the Nazis: “My revenge on the Nazis is that they lost, and we have the State of Israel. We are free and strong, and no one will ever be able to destroy us again.” Widawski was born in 1919 in the Polish town of Turek, near Lodz, into a religious Zionist family. His father, Abraham, was a merchant, while his mother, Dobrish-Leah, was a homemaker. He studied in a cheder under a young teacher named Rafael Yankelowitz, whose son, Zalman Ben-Yaakov, would later serve in Israel’s second and third Knessets on behalf of Agudat Yisrael. After moving several times within Poland, the Widawski family settled in Lodz in 1933, where Yehuda Aharon managed the family textile business. “On Shabbat, the stores in the city center were closed. There was a Shabbat atmosphere,” he later recalled. “There were yeshivas, rebbes and many Torah scholars, including my brother Gabriel, who studied at the famous Chachmei Lublin Yeshiva.” When the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939 and Lodz’s Jews were eventually forced into the ghetto, Widawski and 14 members of his family lived together in an apartment there until August 29, 1944. That day, the final transport from Lodz left for the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, carrying members of the Widawski family. His parents were sent to their deaths together with his older brother Gabriel. His younger brother, Chaim Moshe, died at Buchenwald, while his sister Yocheved was murdered at the Stutthof camp in Poland. Only Widawski and his brother Yehoshua survived the selection. After a short period at Auschwitz, they were transferred to the Friedland forced labor camp near Breslau, where prisoners worked at a German factory assembling aircraft wings. Widawski recalled that when he and other prisoners were asked about their professional skills, everyone claimed to be an engineer, factory worker or aviation specialist. He alone admitted that he was a merchant. “I was convinced that honesty would cost me my life,” he told Ynet. “But to my surprise, the German manager shouted: ‘You are all liars. There is only one honest man here. Give him a double portion of hot food.’” Widawski became the informal leader of the group. When the Germans raised their production quota from six aircraft wings a day to eight, he devised a plan under which the prisoners would set aside two completed wings so that, whenever production fell short, they could use them to make up the difference and appear to have met the quota. Alongside hunger and the physical burden of the work, the prisoners were forced to make an exhausting daily journey to and from the factory. “Every day we walked nine kilometers each way,” Widawski recalled. “It was terrible, but we lived with the hope that we would get through it.” The ordeal ended on May 9, 1945, when the camp was liberated by Red Army soldiers. Widawski returned to Lodz after the war and married Dobrish, née Wassercug, who had survived alongside her brother Menashe and their mother. Their son Avraham was born in Poland. In 1950, the family immigrated to Israel and settled in Tel Aviv, where their daughter Leah was born and named after her grandmother who had been murdered in the Holocaust. Nearly three decades later, in 1978, Widawski decided to return to Poland, then still behind the Soviet Iron Curtain. He was stunned by what he found. The Nazis, he discovered, had not only destroyed Jewish communities and seized their property but had also devastated Jewish cemeteries across the country. A search for his grandmother’s grave in the neglected Jewish cemetery in Lodz eventually brought Widawski to the city’s mayor, who granted him access to municipal archives. Using the records he obtained, Widawski began mapping the enormous section of the cemetery where victims of the Lodz Ghetto had been buried during the war. Nearly 200,000 Jews were buried at the cemetery over roughly two centuries. Between 1939 and the liquidation of the ghetto in 1944, about 50,000 Jews were buried there. With the help of surviving documentation, Widawski succeeded in identifying and erecting gravestones on more than 3,000 graves. In the Polish town of Sochaczew, he located the grave of Rabbi Avraham Bornstein, the first Sochatchov rebbe and author of Avnei Nezer, and helped establish an ohel, a structure traditionally built over the graves of prominent rabbis, at the site. Rabbi Shmuel Bornstein, author of Shem MiShmuel and the second Sochatchov rebbe, is also buried there. Beginning in 1978, Widawski traveled to Poland dozens of times in an effort to preserve more Jewish cemeteries and graves. Among his projects was the restoration of the ohel over the grave of Rabbi Israel Taub, the first Modzitz rebbe, known by the title of his work Divrei Yisrael. His extensive connections in Poland made him a prominent figure in efforts to preserve Jewish burial sites, and many people seeking family graves or attempting to recover property stolen during the Holocaust turned to him for help. His work received national recognition in 2012, when Yad Vashem selected him to light a torch at Israel’s official Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony. President Isaac Herzog mourned Widawski on Sunday, recalling meeting him when he was 104. “I was saddened to hear of the passing of Yehuda Aharon Widawski, of blessed memory, an Auschwitz and Nazi camp survivor, at the age of 107,” Herzog said. “When he was 104, I had the privilege of hosting Yehuda at the President’s Residence together with his wonderful family. I was moved to hear his life story and about his decision to return to Poland years after immigrating to Israel in order to search for his grandmother’s grave.” “That search became his life’s work,” Herzog continued. “For decades, Yehuda worked to locate and restore Jewish cemeteries and graves in Poland and helped identify more than 3,000 graves.” “Yehuda once said that his revenge on the Nazis was that they lost, and that we have the State of Israel,” Herzog said. “Indeed, his life was a remarkable testament to the victory of life, remembrance and national rebirth. May Yehuda’s memory be blessed.” message r1f2y4nffe Tammuz was a Mesopotamian fertility god, Adar may have meant gloomy and several familiar month names came from Akkadian after the Babylonian exile; rabbis later found distinctly Jewish meanings for the foreign names Shmuel Munitz https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/06/r1QcTljuGx/r1QcTljuGx_0_38_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1f2y4nffe Sun, 13 Sep 2026 18:25:45 +03:00 Jewish holidays are observed according to the Hebrew calendar, and Israeli law requires state institutions to include the Hebrew date on official letters and public notices. Yet most Israelis conduct their daily lives according to the Gregorian calendar, running from January to December. Religious and traditional Jews sometimes lament the dominance of what Israelis commonly call the “foreign” calendar. But how Hebrew is the Hebrew calendar itself? The answer is more complicated than it might seem. The names of the months now regarded as Hebrew were actually adopted from Babylonian culture. Most originated in Akkadian, an ancient Semitic language related to Hebrew. At least one of them poses an especially striking problem from a Jewish perspective: Tammuz was the name of a fertility god worshipped in Mesopotamian religions, including Babylonian and Sumerian traditions. “There’s something amusing about people raising an eyebrow, for example, when children are named July. Tammuz, after all, is the name of a Sumerian god,” said Dr. Esther Haber of Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Hebrew Language and Semitic Languages. “Adar, Nisan, Iyar and Sivan are also Akkadian names. Akkadian resembles Hebrew because it is a Semitic language, but these are essentially foreign names.” The names have become deeply embedded in Israeli culture. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, thousands of Israelis born between the establishment of the state and 2024 were given names taken from the Hebrew calendar. Sivan was by far the most common, with 11,034 people bearing the name. Another 4,083 were named Adar, 2,545 Nisan and 1,002 Iyar. There were also 119 people named Tammuz, 49 named Av, 41 Elul, 13 Tevet, nine Tishrei and seven Shevat. The figures showed no Israelis named Marcheshvan, or its shortened form Heshvan, nor anyone named Kislev. In many parts of the Bible, months are identified simply by number under an older system in which Nisan was considered the first month. Earlier biblical texts preserve only three named months: “the month of Bul,” identified as the eighth month and corresponding to Marcheshvan; “the month of Ethanim,” the seventh month, corresponding to Tishrei; and “the month of Ziv,” the second month, corresponding to Iyar. Those are ancient Canaanite names. Only in later biblical books, including Zechariah, Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah, do some of the familiar Babylonian-derived names begin to appear. So when did Jews begin using the names that today run from Tishrei through Elul? “This system came into use when the exiles from the first Babylonian exile returned to the Land of Israel in the sixth century BCE, during the Return to Zion,” Haber said. “They were the elite, scribes and court officials, and they were literate. They encountered these month names while living in Babylon, adopted them and brought them here.” That created an obvious religious problem: How could Jews use Babylonian names, including Tammuz, which was associated with a form of pagan worship explicitly forbidden by Judaism? Rabbis and Jewish scholars wrestled with the question over the centuries. Nachmanides, the medieval Spanish Jewish scholar also known as Ramban, explained that the Torah had instructed Jews to count the months beginning with Nisan as a reminder of the Exodus from Egypt. After the Babylonian exiles returned, he argued, they adopted the Babylonian month names to commemorate their second redemption. “We will thus recall through the months the second redemption, just as until now we recalled the first,” he wrote. Some later commentators suggested that the word Tammuz in the Book of Ezekiel could refer to heat or burning rather than the deity. But the straightforward reading is that the text refers to the god. An explanation attributed to Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky addressed the problem more directly. The Mishnah says that on the 17th of Tammuz, an idol was erected in the Temple. According to the explanation, the sages may have accepted use of the Babylonian name because it could itself serve as a reminder of that calamity and inspire repentance. The common mistake about Marcheshvan The meanings of some month names remain uncertain, while others can be traced with greater confidence. Tishrei comes from the Akkadian word tashritu, meaning “beginning” or “start.” “In ancient times, it had not yet been settled whether the year should begin in spring or autumn,” Haber said. “Eventually, we settled on beginning the year in autumn.” Marcheshvan, the following month, preserves the opposite system, in which the year was counted from Nisan. Its name derives from the Akkadian expression warah shamnu, meaning “the eighth month.” Haber explained that in later Babylonian speech, the sounds represented by the letters corresponding to the Hebrew vav and mem could interchange. Over time, the original meaning of the name was forgotten, and Hebrew speakers began treating it as if it consisted of two separate parts, mar and Heshvan. That eventually produced the common shortened form Heshvan. It also gave rise to a popular folk explanation that the prefix mar, meaning “bitter” in Hebrew, was added because the month contains no Jewish festival. Linguistically, however, that explanation is incorrect. The meaning of Kislev is less clear. Its Akkadian form was Kislimu. Many of the other month names appear to reflect nature and seasonal weather. Tevet derives from the Akkadian Tebetu, apparently connected to a verb meaning “to sink.” The name may refer to the wet weather typical of the period, when people and objects could sink into water or mud. Shevat may also be connected to rain. Its name is thought to derive from the Akkadian Shabatu, meaning “to strike,” “beat” or “lash,” perhaps referring to pounding winter rains. Adar was not always a happy month Jewish tradition famously teaches, “When Adar begins, we increase our joy.” Its original name, however, may have carried almost the opposite meaning. According to Haber, the Akkadian name Adaru appears to have developed from an older form associated with being dark or gloomy. “By that period, the Babylonians apparently no longer pronounced the sound corresponding to the Hebrew het, so they called the month Adaru, but fundamentally the name was Hadaru,” she said. “‘Hadar’ means ‘gloomy.’” The name may have referred to the cloudy skies typical of that time of year. Nisan, called Nisannu in Akkadian, referred to the first produce of trees and fields and may be related to the Hebrew word nitzan, meaning bud. The origin of Iyar, Ayaru in Akkadian, remains uncertain. Some have proposed a connection to a word meaning light. The meaning of Sivan, from the Akkadian Simanu, is also unclear, although it has been linked to a word meaning an appointed time or fixed date. The women who mourned Tammuz Then there is Tammuz. In Sumerian, the god was known as Dumuzi, a name that can be translated as “faithful son.” Babylonian mythology held that Tammuz descended each year into the underworld at the height of summer, then returned to life in autumn as vegetation began to grow again. His wife in Sumerian mythology was Inanna, the “Queen of Heaven,” a goddess also associated with fertility. She corresponds to the Akkadian goddess Ishtar, and the two traditions appear eventually to have merged. As plants withered in the summer heat, worshippers would mourn Tammuz’s death. The practice is explicitly mentioned in Ezekiel 8:14, where the prophet describes “women sitting there, mourning Tammuz” at the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem. The scene appears as part of a catalogue of acts condemned by Ezekiel as abominations, making clear the prophet’s hostility toward pagan worship at Judaism’s holiest site. The ancient myth later found its way into modern Hebrew poetry. In his 1909 poem “The Death of Tammuz,” Hebrew poet Shaul Tchernichovsky invoked the pagan story, calling on the “daughters of Zion” to mourn Tammuz and imagining the coming days of cloud and premature autumn. Nathan Alterman also drew on the myth in his early poem “December,” referring to those “killed by the Tammuzes,” apparently suggesting that the rainy winter month restored strength to those who had struggled through the hot, dry summer. Naomi Shemer, whose work often drew on the rhythms of the Hebrew calendar, was likewise influenced by Tchernichovsky’s treatment of the myth. Before undergoing surgery, fearing that she might not wake from the procedure, she wrote “In the Middle of Tammuz,” remembered for the line, “It is sad to die in the middle of Tammuz.” Shemer herself later died on the seventh day of Tammuz in the Hebrew year 5764. Giving Babylonian names a Jewish meaning The original meaning of Av, Abu in Akkadian, remains uncertain. It may be related to a word meaning harvest, although another theory connects it to reeds. Elul, originally Ululu in Akkadian, is similarly difficult to decipher. But like Marcheshvan, Elul was later given a new meaning through Jewish folk etymology. Jewish sages famously interpreted its Hebrew letters as an acronym for the biblical phrase Ani ledodi vedodi li, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” Marcheshvan and Elul were far from the only months to receive such reinterpretations. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Kasher, in his work Torah Shelemah, cited a Yemenite Jewish midrash preserved in manuscripts that assigns explicitly Jewish meanings to each of the Babylonian names. Nisan, it said, was so named because miracles, nisim in Hebrew, were performed for Israel during the month. Iyar was linked to the manna given to the Israelites in the desert. Sivan was connected to Mt. Sinai and miracles. Tammuz was associated with the sin of the Golden Calf and with idolatry. Av was described as a “father of calamity.” Elul was interpreted positively, while Tishrei was linked to an Aramaic phrase meaning to forgive and pardon sins. Marcheshvan was connected to the completion of the First Temple, Kislev to the constellation Orion, Tevet to good done for Israel, Shevat to lashing rain and Adar to greatness and the birth of Moses. It was one of many attempts over the centuries to effectively “Judaize” names inherited from Babylon by giving them Hebrew or Jewish explanations. The repeated effort suggests that generations of Jewish sages were not entirely comfortable with the foreign origins of the calendar’s familiar names. Rather than abandon them, they reinterpreted them, weaving words inherited from ancient Babylon into the history, values and religious memory of the Jewish people message bjegpr7fgg Death threats against Holocaust survivor Charlotte Knobloch were found in a Munich park after she called for a boycott of the far-right AfD; Prosecutors opened an investigation and Knobloch canceled an appearance following the threats ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2022/01/26/ByB45gJRt/ByB45gJRt_0_0_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjegpr7fgg Sun, 13 Sep 2026 11:10:31 +03:00 Charlotte Knobloch, 93, leader of the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria, received threats against her life after calling for a boycott of the AfD, Germany’s far-right party. The threats against the Holocaust survivor came as the party scored significant gains in elections in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The Munich public prosecutor’s office announced that it had opened an investigation into the case, which is also intended to provide protection for Knobloch. According to Deutsche Welle, messages containing death threats were found Thursday in Munich’s English Garden park and later inside a trash can. The information was immediately passed on to police. Following the threats, Knobloch canceled her participation in a festive event. Knobloch, one of the most prominent figures in Jewish life in Germany in recent decades, heads the Jewish community in Munich and Upper Bavaria. She previously served as president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. The far-right party’s gains have raised concerns among Jews in Germany. Eva Umlauf, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp, said last week: “What can I say? I expected it and yet I am shocked. I am shocked, I am sad. I don’t know what makes people vote for this party.” Her comments reflect concerns voiced in recent months by representatives of numerous minority groups, amid opinion polls showing growing support for the far right in Saxony-Anhalt, as well as in Berlin and the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where elections will be held Sept. 20. “We're afraid. We know what happens – what happens to minorities, what happens to foreigners,” Umlauf told Reuters. The AfD, which was founded as a Euroskeptic party during the eurozone crisis in 2013, rejects comparisons with the Nazi Party, which was responsible for the Holocaust, in which about 6 million Jews were murdered, along with Roma, homosexuals and others. The party seeks to restrict immigration, particularly from countries it describes as “culturally foreign” to Germany, withdraw from the eurozone and restore ties with Russia in an effort to lower energy prices. The party says its policies reflect common-sense ideas shared by millions of Germans and denies that it is antisemitic. Instead, it accuses Germany’s established parties of using such allegations as a means of silencing the opposition. message skef7smkgl From a retired couple realizing a long-held dream in Netanya to a 32-year-old starting over in Ramat Gan, new olim celebrate their first Rosh Hashanah as Israelis and share their hopes for themselves and the country in the year ahead Emma Oliver Hacham https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/13/rJnNBs7YGl/rJnNBs7YGl_0_80_1600_901_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skef7smkgl Sun, 13 Sep 2026 07:31:51 +03:00 For Seymour “Sy” and Seryl Litwin, their first Rosh Hashanah as Israelis comes with a view of the Mediterranean. For Rachel Nerenbaum, it will mark a chance to stop, breathe and take in a life she spent more than a decade imagining. They arrived in Israel at very different stages of life. Sy, 68, and Seryl, 64, left Los Angeles for Netanya after retirement, ready to begin the chapter they had long dreamed of. Rachel, 32, moved from Georgia to Ramat Gan, starting almost entirely from scratch. This Rosh Hashanah, all three are experiencing the same milestone: celebrating the Jewish New Year in Israel for the first time not as visitors but as Israelis. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is traditionally a time of reflection, renewal and hope for the year ahead. Its familiar symbols, including apples dipped in honey, represent the wish for a sweet new year. For new olim, that idea of a fresh beginning takes on an especially literal meaning. “This is the time that we are connected to Hashem, and what better place to be connected to Hashem than in Eretz Yisrael?” Sy said. The Litwins made aliyah just two months ago, trading Los Angeles for a home in Netanya, where much of their family already lives nearby. Even now, they say, the move does not quite feel real. “We feel very, very blessed to be living our dream,” Seryl said. “To be living in Israel, looking out at the sea and watching people walking by, it still feels like a dream.” Their first months have been defined, more than anything, by gratitude. Friends helped them settle in, their family is close and the transition they had spent so much time preparing for has been overwhelmingly positive. “This isn’t a vacation,” Sy said. “This is life. This is our day-to-day, and it’s beautiful.” This Rosh Hashanah, they plan to attend an Israeli synagogue and celebrate with both longtime and new friends. Much about how the holiday will look and feel remains unknown to them, which is part of what makes it exciting. “We think of everything as an adventure,” Seryl said. “We don’t want to miss any opportunity to experience new things.” Their hope for the coming year is simple: to continue growing, building their lives and embracing the country they now call home. “Gratitude,” they said. “That’s what we feel.” For Nerenbaum, aliyah was a dream that took 12 years to become a reality. She first came to Israel on a Birthright trip and remembers knowing even then that she wanted to live here one day. A year later, she returned through a Masa internship program in Safed, spending two months immersed more deeply in Israeli life and culture. “I learned more, dove in and understood the culture more,” she said. “I just fell more in love with the country.” Still, knowing she wanted to move and being ready to do it were two different things. Making aliyah meant leaving behind the familiar and building a new life thousands of miles away. Financially, Nerenbaum wanted to make sure she had saved enough to give herself a stable beginning. So for years, Israel remained a future plan. “I always said I was going to move to Israel someday,” she said. After October 7, that “someday” began to feel much closer. Nerenbaum returned to Israel twice on volunteer trips following the outbreak of the Swords of Iron war. The experience deepened the connection she had felt for years and brought her closer to Israelis and other olim. Having grown up outside a large Jewish community, she said she was struck by the sense of connection she felt in Israel. “I feel like people care more about each other here,” she said. Now newly settled in Ramat Gan, Nerenbaum is getting to know a new city, meeting new people and figuring out what she wants her Israeli life to look like. That is part of why this Rosh Hashanah comes at exactly the right moment. “Given everything, moving here and trying to adapt, I’m really looking at this as a new start to everything,” she said. “It’s a year of starting over from scratch.” After the rush of moving countries, finding a home and beginning to establish herself, she sees the holidays as an opportunity to slow down. “When you move somewhere new, you just want to go, go, go,” she said. “The holidays allow me to stop and take it all in.” Her hopes for the year ahead are both personal and national. For herself, Nerenbaum hopes to build a community, deepen new friendships, prioritize her health and find more opportunities to volunteer. For Israel, she hopes for greater unity. “Israel has so many different opinions and there are a lot of divisions,” she said. “It’s okay to disagree, but I hope in the new year that we can come together and stand together for the country. That’s vital for us as a nation.” The Litwins and Nerenbaum made aliyah with the assistance of Nefesh B’Nefesh, in cooperation with Israel’s aliyah and integration ministry, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael and Jewish National Fund-USA. Their arrivals came during a particularly busy summer for North American aliyah. Nefesh B’Nefesh welcomed more than 2,300 new olim over the summer months and recently marked another milestone: the arrival of its 100,000th oleh. Behind those numbers are thousands of individual new beginnings: young adults renting their first Israeli apartments, families enrolling children in Israeli schools, professionals beginning new careers and retirees finally fulfilling dreams they have carried for decades. Each arrival adds another family to Israel’s story. For the Litwins and Nerenbaum, the sweetness of this Rosh Hashanah is simple: This year, the new year begins at home in Israel. message bjzh8m7kml Two men allegedly hurled antisemitic insults at the 43-year-old before one attacked her with a broken bottle, cutting her hand; Berlin police have opened an investigation Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2024/04/15/rJedXOqgC/rJedXOqgC_1_88_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjzh8m7kml Sat, 12 Sep 2026 22:26:28 +03:00 A 43-year-old woman wearing a Star of David necklace was attacked by two men in Berlin during Rosh Hashanah celebrations, in what police are investigating as an antisemitic assault. Berlin police said Saturday that the woman was taken to a hospital for treatment after suffering several cuts to her hand. According to German news agency DPA, the two men directed antisemitic insults at the woman in the middle of the night on Torstrasse in Mitte, Berlin’s central district. Police said one of the suspects then attacked her with a broken glass bottle. The woman suffered cuts to her hand as she tried to defend herself. Police said the two men had initially approached her at around 2:30 a.m. and confronted her over the Star of David necklace she was wearing. The state security division of Berlin’s criminal police has taken over the investigation. German newspaper Bild reported that no suspects had been arrested. The incident occurred during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which began Friday evening. Berlin’s historic New Synagogue on Oranienburger Strasse is located near Torstrasse, though it was not clear whether the woman had attended services there earlier. Antisemitism rises in Germany Nearly half of Germany’s Jewish communities experienced antisemitic incidents over the past year, according to a survey by the Central Council of Jews in Germany published by Die Zeit in May. Of 102 communities surveyed, 46 reported incidents including threatening phone calls, hate speech or damage to religious buildings. The data was collected as part of a series of surveys conducted since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, which Jewish community leaders in Germany have described as a turning point in the antisemitism directed at them. Sixty-eight percent said their lives had become less safe since the attack, with many describing the situation as a “new normal.” The climate has led some Jews to avoid displaying visible Jewish symbols in public, while demand for support services has risen by 63%, according to the survey. message s1fqqa11kmg An ancient Qumran calendar reveals a battle over Jewish timekeeping, from Antiochus’ rule and the struggle between the Zadokites and Hasmoneans to the dispute between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Joshua over Yom Kippur Yitzhak Tessler https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/10/15/Sy11A3z6pel/Sy11A3z6pel_0_47_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1fqqa11kmg Fri, 11 Sep 2026 22:37:04 +03:00 Ask a kindergarten child why Rosh Hashanah is celebrated on the first day of Tishrei and he will tell you that it is the day the year begins. But ask a rabbi and he will probably explain that the Hebrew year begins on the first of Tishrei because, according to Jewish tradition, that was the day Adam was created, on the sixth day of Creation. There is one major problem with that explanation: The Torah explicitly says that the year should begin in the month of Nisan: “This month shall be for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you” (Exodus 12:2). So how did the change happen, and why does the Talmud offer no explanation of the moment when it was decided to completely overhaul the calendar? Rachel Elior, professor emerita of Jewish thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, responds with a smile: “The past is an ocean of oblivion with isolated islands of knowledge. We know for certain that in the second century BCE there was a controversy over the calendar, and it stands to reason that if there is a major dispute, something happened — because people do not argue over what exists as a matter of routine.” She notes that “Chapter 7 of the Book of Daniel tells of a king who comes to change laws and times. Commentators say this refers to Antiochus Epiphanes, who wanted to impose a lunar calendar throughout his kingdom and in Judea in order to standardize his rule and collect taxes. But Temple worship was based on a solar calendar of 364 days and 52 Sabbaths. The high priest Onias son of Simon — the last priest of the House of Zadok, who served according to the ancient biblical tradition of the priesthood passing by inheritance from father to son, dating back to Aaron son of Amram — told King Antiochus that the calendar could not be changed because all sacred worship in the Temple was based on the 364-day solar Sabbath calendar maintained by the Temple priests and the priestly divisions.” So what did Antiochus do? “He removed him from the high priesthood.” The mistake made by those who studied in the beit midrash This is a good point to stop and discuss the Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the Qumran caves in the Judean Desert. Among the hidden treasures found there was a calendar entirely different from the one familiar to us today. Jews now use a calendar based on 12 lunar months, totaling 353-355 days a year. But the calendar discovered at Qumran, based on the time it takes Earth to orbit the sun, has 364 days. True, Earth’s orbit takes slightly longer — 365 days, five hours and 49 minutes. Asked whether the Zadokites were unaware of this, Elior responds emphatically: “Of course they knew. Their calendar has 364 days because the year is made up of four equal seasons. Each season lasts 13 weeks, exactly 91 days. That way, the year always begins on Wednesday, the day on which the heavenly lights were created according to the Book of Genesis, and under this system every holiday always falls on the same day of the week.” What does the calendar have to do with the Zadokites? “For most of biblical history, the high priests were from the House of Zadok, descendants of Aaron, and they preserved the calendar according to which Temple worship was conducted. There were 24 priestly families, with a different family serving for seven days each week. It was important to them to have a calendar that could be divided by both seven and four because, in their view, this testified to a fixed, cyclical and predetermined divine order in Creation. That is why the Zadokite priests fought the Hasmonean priests, who were forced to accept the lunar calendar established by Antiochus as the kingdom’s calendar. The Zadokites regarded themselves as the Sons of Light and their opponents as the Sons of Darkness.” But according to the Torah, aren’t the months supposed to be sanctified according to the moon? “That question stems from a later religious conception shaped in the world of the beit midrash,” or Jewish study hall. “The Sages explained that the commandment to sanctify the new month was based on the verses in Exodus: ‘The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall be for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.’ But the passage says that the year begins in the month of Nisan and makes no mention whatsoever of a need to sanctify the month according to the moon. That is a later interpretation.” Incidentally, what did the Zadokites do about the extra day and a quarter missing from their calendar? “There is no written record of this, but the late Prof. Shemaryahu Talmon, a scholar of the scrolls, said that the Temple priests most likely added one uncounted week in a sabbatical year and two uncounted weeks every 28 years to compensate for the day and a quarter separating the astronomical calendar from the priestly calendar. In any event, it was not that the priests did not know how many days there were in a solar year. They had a thorough command of astronomy. They chose a 364-day solar Sabbath calendar that allowed days and festivals to be calculated in a fixed and predetermined manner.” The government always determines the calendar Back to Antiochus Epiphanes — and yes, this is the same villain you all remember from the Hanukkah story. “In 175 BCE, Antiochus IV removed the Zadokite high priest Onias III and appointed Onias’ Hellenized brother Jason in his place,” Elior continues. “Antiochus interfered in the religious and political order and wanted to ensure that taxes were collected according to his calendar, the intercalated Greek lunar calendar. To collect taxes systematically, you need a calendar.” What is the connection? “A calendar is a central element of government because it signifies the source of authority and legitimacy. The calendar regulates the timing of holidays, workdays and days of rest, ceremonies, tax payments and administrative and economic life. It also marks the transition from an old regime to a new one. For example, the French Republican calendar, a decimal solar calendar, was introduced in 1793 following the French Revolution and abolished the official use of the Catholic Church’s Gregorian calendar from the monarchical era. Similarly, the new Soviet calendar, which sought to create a new organization of working days, was introduced in two stages following the October Revolution of 1917. “I once looked into this and found that the body legally responsible for determining Israel’s official schedule of holidays, which is tied to the precise calculation of the calendar, is actually the Civil Service Commission, a unit under the Prime Minister’s Office, rather than the Finance Ministry or Religious Services Ministry, as one might expect. In other words, the calendar is not merely a means of measuring time but also a symbolic instrument of government that expresses the new order and its new source of authority, in contrast with the previous order and its former source of authority.” Elior explains that when Antiochus sought to impose his new rule, intervene in Judea’s religious and political institutions and collect taxes according to his calendar, he demanded the use of the Hellenistic Greek lunar calendar, the imperial Seleucid calendar. “After Onias III refused the king’s order, Antiochus removed him and appointed his brother Jason as high priest after Jason promised the king revenues and payments in return for the high priesthood,” she says. “This violated the biblical order under which the priesthood passed only from father to son. About three years later, Menelaus, whom Jason had sent to King Antiochus, offered 300 talents of silver more than Jason and was therefore appointed high priest.” She continues: “After the death of Antiochus V in 162 BCE, a succession crisis emerged in the Seleucid dynasty. Alexander Balas and Demetrius I competed for the throne. Jonathan, the Hasmonean son of Mattathias, supported the Seleucid king Alexander Balas, while his brother Simon, another son of Mattathias, supported Demetrius I. Demetrius later appointed Alcimus as high priest. In the struggle between the two claimants to Antiochus’ throne, Alexander Balas ultimately prevailed, and in 152 BCE he appointed Jonathan the Hasmonean as high priest and leader of Judea. “Jonathan was murdered in 143 BCE by Tryphon, a Seleucid ruler. In the second struggle between claimants to the throne, Demetrius prevailed and appointed Simon son of Mattathias as high priest and leader. Simon, who served from 142-134 BCE, was murdered by his son-in-law Ptolemy son of Abubus. After his death, his son John Hyrcanus I succeeded him. This marked the beginning of the Hasmoneans’ tenure as high priests appointed by the heirs of the House of Seleucus and as leaders under their patronage, in complete contradiction to the tradition under which kingship was reserved for the tribe of Judah and the high priesthood for the Zadokites.” How did the Zadokites respond? “After they were removed from the high priesthood, which they had held for 1,000 years, they fought to preserve the fixed, predetermined solar calendar against the Hasmoneans, who followed the Seleucid lunar calendar. The Zadokite priests wrote numerous works concerning the struggle over the sacred biblical calendar revealed from heaven, which begins in the month of Nisan, the month of spring, on Wednesday, the day of the spring equinox. They regarded it as the foundation of the oath and eternal covenant between heaven and earth. Among the works discussing the solar Sabbath calendar found among the Qumran scrolls are the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jubilees, the ‘Some Works of the Law’ scroll, the Temple Scroll and the ‘Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice.’” The battle was decided after the destruction of the Second Temple Elior explains that the struggle over the Jewish calendar was finally settled after the destruction of the Second Temple, in the famous account of the dispute between Rabban Gamliel, president of the rabbinical court, and Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah over the determination of Rosh Hashanah in the early second century CE. Two witnesses came and testified that they had seen the new moon. Rabban Gamliel accepted their testimony even though their account presented a physical contradiction: They claimed the moon had been visible one night but was not visible the following night. Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas and Rabbi Joshua believed the testimony was false and that the new month therefore could not be sanctified. This meant that under Rabban Gamliel’s and Rabbi Joshua’s respective calculations, Yom Kippur fell on different dates. To prevent the Jewish people from splitting and adopting two separate calendars, Rabban Gamliel invoked his authority as head of the Sanhedrin and ordered Rabbi Joshua to appear before him carrying his staff and money on the day that, according to Rabbi Joshua’s calculation, was Yom Kippur. From Rabbi Joshua’s perspective, doing so constituted a desecration of the holiest day of the year. Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Dosa ben Harkinas persuaded Rabbi Joshua that the determination of the Sages and the rabbinical court was religiously binding. When Rabbi Joshua accepted the ruling and appeared before Rabban Gamliel, the head of the Sanhedrin rose to greet him, kissed him on the head and called him “my teacher and my student.” “Many people tend to regard the Sages as conservatives, but they were the innovators, while the House of Zadok were the guardians of the ancient tradition,” Elior says. “The question of who determines the calendar is really the question of who holds authority. Rabban Gamliel was effectively saying: Until now, the priests dictated the situation, but the Temple has been destroyed and the Torah Sages are now the authorities.” How did the priests respond? “In the centuries before the destruction, some of the Zadokites lived in the Qumran caves, where they preserved the scrolls they had taken with them from the Temple when they were removed from the priesthood — scrolls that attested to their authority, their selection and the righteousness of their cause, as well as the reliability of their tradition. These scrolls attested to the sanctity of their calendar, which in their view had been revealed from heaven in the days of Enoch son of Jared. “They waited for the Creator to intervene in their struggle against those they regarded as the Sons of Darkness. After the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem, the priests served in synagogues as teachers and prayer leaders and preserved traditions connected to angels and priests. For the priestly class as a whole, it was a tragedy. Until then, the calendar had been, from their perspective, like mathematics from heaven, not something subject to human determination.” message bkid8k11kgl A Rosh Hashanah meal for 2,000 Israelis at Phuket's Chabad House was canceled after a pro-Palestinian protest nearby; Israeli security officials warned of possible violence and urged travelers to stay away Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2024/11/29/r1EvEWw7kl/r1EvEWw7kl_0_50_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkid8k11kgl Fri, 11 Sep 2026 16:52:29 +03:00 A holiday meal planned for some 2,000 Israelis at the Chabad House in Phuket, Thailand, was canceled Friday evening at the request of Israeli security officials, who instructed organizers not to hold the event at the site. The decision came after a pro-Palestinian demonstration was held in the area for several hours, during which protesters could be heard chanting "Free Palestine," among other slogans. A message sent to Israeli travelers who had registered for the event said it was canceled for security reasons and warned that the protesters could become violent. "Dear guests! Due to a request from Israeli security officials, we deeply regret that we are canceling the event," the message said. "Please do not approach the area. The protesters could become violent and it is dangerous." Chabad asked Israelis to notify other travelers who had planned to attend and stressed that the remaining prayers and holiday meals, beginning Saturday, were expected to take place as scheduled. The cancellation sparked frustration and anger among many Israelis in the area, with hundreds of travelers already preparing to attend the holiday meal. The demonstration and events in the area caused frustration among the thousands of Israelis staying at the popular tourist destination, some of whom were forced to change their holiday plans on short notice. According to the message sent to travelers, the decision was made for security reasons and was not made by the Chabad House itself. Security officials sought to prevent Israelis from entering the area where the demonstration was taking place due to concerns about possible confrontations or attacks against them. message h1kabiltfe From opening an aliyah file and establishing eligibility to finding the right absorption program, learning Hebrew and building a career in Israel, The Jewish Agency for Israel offers prospective and new olim support throughout the journey; this is where to begin ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2018/12/30/8974050/8974050_0_0_1280_854_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1kabiltfe Thu, 10 Sep 2026 21:08:50 +03:00 For many people considering aliyah, the biggest question is surprisingly simple: Where do I start? The process involves documents, eligibility, interviews and planning for life in a new country. But prospective olim do not have to navigate those steps alone. The Aliyah and Absorption Unit at The Jewish Agency for Israel accompanies olim from their first interest in aliyah through the application process, arrival in Israel and, ultimately, integration into Israeli society. Aliyah advisers are available around the world and in Israel to help prospective olim understand the process and move through its different stages. The goal is not simply to help people reach Israel, but to give them the information, tools and support they need to build a successful life once they arrive. Step one: Open your aliyah file online For someone ready to begin the formal process, the first step can be taken digitally. Prospective olim can open an aliyah file online, provide their initial personal information and upload the required documents. Once submitted, the application is sent directly to aliyah advisers at the Global Aliyah Center. The advisers review the information and documents and contact the applicant regarding the next steps or any additional information that may be required. From there, eligible applicants proceed to an Aliyah interview and continue through the process of establishing their eligibility for Aliyah, subject to meeting the relevant criteria. Open an aliyah file online Before you arrive: Learn from people who have already done it Not every aliyah question is about forms and official procedures. Which neighborhood is right for your family? What are the schools really like? What should you know about a particular city? What is everyday life actually like after you arrive? For those questions, The Jewish Agency’s Aliyapp platform connects prospective olim with new immigrants who have already made aliyah as well as Israelis who can share their experience on a range of everyday issues. It gives prospective olim another kind of resource: the opportunity to learn from people who know the realities on the ground. Find an absorption program that fits you Aliyapp also provides updated information about absorption programs available through The Jewish Agency, together with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and other partners. The Jewish Agency operates dozens of absorption programs across Israel designed for different stages of life and different needs. These include employment and academic programs, programs for young adults and families, and Hebrew Ulpan studies. Instead of waiting until after arrival to discover what is available, prospective olim can explore programs in advance and identify options that may help them integrate more successfully into Israeli life. Explore updated aliyah and absorption programs Aliyah in seven steps For anyone overwhelmed by the entire process, it can help to see aliyah as a roadmap rather than one enormous decision. The Jewish Agency's “Aliyah in 7 Steps” guide lays out the journey from the initial stage of considering Aliyah, through opening a file, the interview and eligibility process, preparations for departure and, ultimately, arrival and absorption in Israel. The aim is to make clear not only what happens next, but also where prospective Olim are in the process and what they should be preparing for at each stage. The guide, along with answers to frequently asked questions, is available through The Jewish Agency’s Aliyah resources. Support doesn't end at Ben Gurion Airport Perhaps the most important thing for prospective Olim to understand is that Aliyah does not end when the plane lands. Arriving in Israel begins another process: finding work, learning Hebrew, pursuing education, establishing a home, creating a community and learning how Israeli life works. That is why aliyah and absorption are treated as parts of the same journey. Through advisers, programs and partnerships with the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, support is designed to continue from the first questions about Aliyah through the process itself and into life in Israel. It is a living expression of the strength and hope of the Jewish people — and new Olim bring with them the experience, skills and energy to contribute to Israeli society. It is also a story of mutual responsibility: people choosing to build their future in Israel, and a country and community helping them turn that decision into a new life. message rkiw11vgtmx The 200-page dossier includes reports that Auschwitz’s ‘Angel of Death’ may have entered Switzerland under false identities while wanted internationally; the files were originally ordered sealed until 2071 Associated Press https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/10/HkSpAHetMl/HkSpAHetMl_0_0_820_555_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rkiw11vgtmx Thu, 10 Sep 2026 20:34:45 +03:00 The Swiss federal intelligence service on Thursday published a 200-page dossier on the notorious Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele, the German doctor known as the “Angel of Death” for conducting horrific medical experiments on prisoners at Auschwitz. During World War II, Mengele served at the Auschwitz extermination camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, where about 1.1 million people were killed, approximately 1 million of them Jews. He became infamous for carrying out brutal medical experiments on inmates, including children, under the guise of scientific research. After the war, Mengele obtained a Red Cross travel document under a false identity, allowing him to leave Europe. Like many former Nazi officials, he spent years in hiding in Latin America while being pursued internationally for his crimes. He drowned in 1979 while swimming on the coast of Brazil. The documents released by Swiss authorities include material provided to police suggesting that Mengele may have returned to Switzerland after initially fleeing Germany, or may have been planning to enter the country under a false name, according to the German news agency dpa. Swiss media reported that the file contains numerous newspaper reports, most of them focused on suspicions that Mengele stayed in Switzerland on several occasions, even while an international arrest warrant was still in force against him. The file also includes police reports, parts of which have been redacted. Among them are entry bans and arrest warrants against Mengele, as well as police reports on investigations into suspects who may have provided him with a hiding place. Switzerland’s Federal Intelligence Service, or FIS, said it had made “as few redactions as possible.” Personal information concerning employees of the federal administration with ties to the FIS and its predecessor organizations, information subject to legal source protection and information concerning third parties — except public figures — remain protected. The FIS also said it would conduct a broader review of its access policy regarding archival documents. Historians seeking to establish whether Mengele spent time in Switzerland while being pursued as a war criminal, without Swiss authorities catching him, had long sought access to the files. Swiss authorities had maintained that the documents should remain sealed until 2071 on security grounds and to protect individuals named in them. Historian Gérard Wettstein successfully challenged those restrictions before the Federal Administrative Court, leading to the online publication. Some sections have been redacted to protect sources and the personal data of third parties, authorities said. Wettstein had already expressed satisfaction with the move in May, in a report by the Tagesschau news program of Swiss public broadcaster SRF. He described it as “an important step” that would help dispel myths surrounding Mengele’s stays in Switzerland. The dossier was compiled by the police service of the federal prosecutor’s office, a predecessor of Switzerland’s federal intelligence services, and transferred to the Federal Archives in 2001. According to earlier reports in Swiss media, Mengele had already arrived in Switzerland in 1956 under a false identity, calling himself Dr. Helmut Gregor. An arrest warrant was issued for him three years later. message h1wbahxkgl Bete Israel’s traditions of creation, purification and remembrance offer a counterpoint to rabbinic Judaism’s focus on judgment, raising a deeper question about human responsibility for the world entrusted to us Rabbi Dr. Sharon Zeude Shalom https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2021/04/13/B1zvIaf8O/B1zvIaf8O_0_0_3000_2000_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1wbahxkgl Thu, 10 Sep 2026 19:31:23 +03:00 The encounter between Ethiopian Judaism and rabbinic Judaism is not merely an encounter between different customs, prayer texts, or approaches to Jewish law. To a large extent, it is an encounter between two forms of religious consciousness that emerged from the same Jewish story but which assigned different weight to God, the world, and the human being. For centuries, the tradition of Bete Israel developed outside the world of the Mishnah and Talmud, the foundational works of rabbinic Judaism. This should not be regarded as a deficiency or a gap that the community needed to fill. Bete Israel maintained a Jewish tradition with its own religious, interpretive, and legal world, grounded largely in sacred scripture - foremost among its texts the Orit—the Bete Israel Torah, comprising the Five Books of Moses together with Joshua, Judges, and Ruth—as well as in its priestly tradition, prayer, and communal practice. Nor should we assume that, had Bete Israel encountered rabbinic developments earlier, it necessarily would have adopted them. Some may even have been rejected because they did not accord with the religious logic that had developed within the community. It is therefore more accurate to see Bete Israel not as a tradition that "failed to reach" the Mishnah and Talmud, but as one that developed along a different Jewish path. This does not mean that Bete Israel represents "the Bible as it once was" or that it perfectly preserved an ancient form of Judaism. It, too, underwent historical, interpretive, and religious development. Yet its deep affinity with biblical patterns allows us to recognize a theological center of gravity different from the one that emerged in rabbinic tradition. Perhaps the best place to begin is with the Torah's opening verse: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." The Torah does not begin with Abraham, Moses, Israel, or even humanity. It begins with the world. Before human beings appear, God creates light and darkness, heaven and earth, seas and dry land, vegetation, the celestial bodies, and animals. Again and again, God looks upon creation and declares it good. Goodness therefore exists before humanity does. Only at the end of this process, on the sixth day, is the human being created. That literary sequence can also be read as a theological statement. We enter a world we did not create, a reality in which order, meaning and goodness already exist. The rabbinic sages themselves captured this idea in a striking teaching: If a person becomes arrogant, he should be reminded, "The mosquito preceded you in the order of creation." It is more accurate to see Bete Israel not as a tradition that "failed to reach" the Mishnah and Talmud, but as one that developed along a different Jewish path. Yet rabbinic literature also develops another trajectory. The human being is not merely a late arrival within creation, but an active partner in shaping the religious world. People interpret the Torah, decide disputes, sanctify time, repent, and stand in judgment. The sages could therefore teach both, "The mosquito preceded you," and, "For my sake was the world created." The tension between these two statements offers a key to the distinction I am proposing: In the Bible, humanity receives a world; in rabbinic teaching, the question of what humanity will do with that world becomes increasingly central. Rosh Hashanah provides a revealing test case. In the Bete Israel tradition, the counting of the months begins with Nisan, known as Lisan, in accordance with the command given on the eve of the Exodus: "This month shall be for you the beginning of the months; it shall be the first of the months of the year for you" (Exodus 12:2). If children today were asked which month begins the year, many would probably answer Tishrei. The Torah, however, explicitly identifies Nisan as the first month. The rabbinic sages did not revoke Nisan's special status. The Mishnah opens its tractate Rosh Hashanah by declaring, "There are four new years." It distinguishes the first of Nisan, "the new year for kings and festivals," from the first of Tishrei, "the new year for years, sabbatical years, and jubilees" (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:1). This is not a simple transfer of the new year from one date to another, but the creation of a complex system with several starting points for time. Rabbinic literature also preserves more than one view of when the world was created. Rabbi Eliezer teaches that the world was created in Tishrei, while Rabbi Joshua places creation in Nisan (Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 10b-11a). This dispute raises a deeper question: Are Nisan and Tishrei merely competing dates for the same event, or do they embody two different understandings of beginnings and of time itself? In a sense, the Bete Israel tradition holds both poles together. Nisan remains the first of the months, in keeping with the biblical command. At the same time, the community's tradition associates the beginning of creation with Tishrei. The world began to be created on the twenty-fifth of Elul, and the first of Tishrei - the sixth day of creation - marks the creation of the human being. In this respect, Bete Israel tradition resembles the view of Rabbi Eliezer. But here a more profound difference emerges. Identifying the first of Tishrei with the creation of humanity does not necessarily make humanity the center of the day. The Torah itself neither calls the first of Tishrei "Rosh Hashanah" nor defines it as a day of judgment. It calls the day zikhron teru'ah, "a remembrance marked by the sounding of the horn" (Leviticus 23:24), and yom teru'ah, "a day of sounding the horn" (Numbers 29:1). These verses do not describe human beings standing trial, books of life and death, or repentance in anticipation of a verdict. The explicit identification of Rosh Hashanah as a day of judgment appears in the Mishnah: "On Rosh Hashanah, all who enter the world pass before Him" one by one in judgment (Mishnah Rosh Hashanah 1:2). From there, rabbinic tradition increasingly shaped Rosh Hashanah as a day focused on human beings and their deeds. Each person is judged, examines his or her conduct, and is summoned to repentance. We can discern here a subtle but significant movement: from the world to the human being, from creation to human responsibility. The Bete Israel tradition allows us to hear the other voice more clearly. Rosh Hashanah is known within the community as Berhan Seraka, "the dawning of the light" - light heralding the beginning of a new year. My grandfather, Aba Dejen Gideon Mengesha, would say that this light recalls the dawning of the first light God created at the beginning of the world. The holiday's name therefore signifies more than the start of a new year. It returns us to the beginning of creation and to the first appearance of light in the world. The holiday has another name in the community: Tizkar Abraham, "the remembrance of Abraham." According to Bete Israel tradition, the binding of Isaac took place on Rosh Hashanah, and so Abraham and the memory of the binding accompany the day. During the festival, the priests would read from a special work known as Gadla Abraham, which concerns the patriarch Abraham and his death. Creation, the memory of Abraham, and the covenant with God are thus joined within a single day. Preparations began on Rosh Hashanah eve. Community members went down to the river to wash, immerse, and purify themselves. Afterward, they put on white clothing or clean new garments and walked to the mesgid, the synagogue, to welcome the festival. Their approach to the mesgid combined joy with trembling: the happiness of the holiday together with the awe of entering sacred time. Early the next morning, the community gathered in the mesgid at the center of the village for festival prayers and a reading by the priests, the kessim, Bete Israel's traditional religious leaders. After the service, the worshippers moved into the synagogue courtyard. There the kessim conducted a ceremony over the masawait, a special bread baked for Rosh Hashanah. They broke the bread and distributed it to the community, after which everyone returned home for the festival meal. Rosh Hashanah was devoted to prayer, festive meals, Torah study, and time with the kessim and the community. Work in the fields was forbidden, although tasks needed for the home and holiday - including preparing food and lighting a fire for cooking - were permitted. As the festival ended, preparations began for the Ten Days of Repentance, the period leading to Yom Kippur. Taken together, these practices show that Berhan Seraka is more than another name for Rosh Hashanah. It expresses a religious consciousness of renewal, creation, purification, and memory. People do not begin the year by looking only inward. They immerse and purify themselves, then enter sacred time together with the community - a time that returns everyone to the first light, the creation of the world, and the covenant. The starting point is not the human being awaiting judgment, but the light being created; not first, "What will my judgment be?" but an encounter with a world renewed through God's act of creation. The world precedes the human being both in the order of creation and in religious consciousness. According to Bete Israel tradition, the binding of Isaac took place on Rosh Hashanah, and so Abraham and the memory of the binding accompany the day. The same sensibility can be heard in the language of prayer. Psalm 148 presents praise as the activity of all creation, both living and inanimate. The sun and moon, the shining stars, the heavens and the earth, fire and hail, mountains and hills, fruit trees and cedars, wild and domesticated animals, birds, and human beings are all summoned to praise God. The world is not merely created by God; all creation stands before and praises its Creator. Psalm 150 brings this cosmic chorus to its culmination. The psalm unfolds through an ever-expanding catalogue of instruments, sounds, and forms of praise: shofar, harp and lyre, drum and dance, strings and flute, clashing cymbals and resounding cymbals. It then gathers this entire symphony into its final, all-embracing declaration. In Hebrew: “Let every neshamah praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6). In Ge’ez: ኵሉ ፡ ነፍስ ፡ ይሴብሖ ፡ ለእግዚአብሔር “Let every soul praise the Lord.” Read in light of Psalm 148 and as the culmination of Psalm 150, “every soul” becomes the summary of creation’s praise. The phrase does not necessarily mean that every element of nature possesses a soul. Rather, it expresses a biblical consciousness in which human beings do not stand alone before God. They stand before God within a creation whose many living and inanimate voices join together in praise. We might imagine an orchestra. The human voice is important within it and carries a special responsibility, but it is not the entire orchestra. The heavens, the earth, and the living beings around us are not scenery created solely as a stage for human action. They are part of a world that exists in relationship with its Creator. Human beings discover their place not by pushing the rest of creation out of the picture, but by joining it. Here the difference between the two forms of religious consciousness becomes sharper. Rabbinic tradition developed the idea of human responsibility with extraordinary power. The human being is commanded, interprets, decides, sins, repents, and stands in judgment. This is one of the great achievements of the Oral Torah, the body of rabbinic interpretation and teaching. People cannot hide behind the divine order. We are required to take responsibility for our actions and are capable of shaping reality. The Ethiopian biblical tradition emphasizes a more primordial biblical principle: responsibility does not make the human being the owner of the world. We enter a world that preceded us and take our place within a creation that had already been declared “good” before we appeared. We do not stand alone before God, but as part of an entire world that stands before its Creator in submission, humility, and faith. I am not suggesting that these two traditions should be set against one another, as if one were correct and the other mistaken, or as if one represented an "ancient" Judaism and the other an "advanced" Judaism. They offer two different centers of gravity. The Ethiopian biblical tradition reminds us: You are one voice in the orchestra of a creation that preceded you. Rabbinic tradition reminds us: From the moment you were created, you became responsible for what you would do in this world. We are not the center or owners of creation, but we bear a distinctive responsibility for what takes place within it. The art of living lies in balancing these truths - and, above all, in recognizing the proper moment: when to hold on and when to let go, when to remain faithful to what we have received and when to make room for change and renewal. The challenge is not always to choose one pole, but to know how to move between them. This is more than a claim about the sequence of creation; it is a profound moral statement. We are neither the world's starting point nor its sole purpose. The meaning of human existence therefore lies not in looking only inward, but in directing ourselves toward what lies beyond the self: the world, creation, and especially the people around us. Other people are not scenery in the story of my life. Their very presence places a responsibility upon me. Biblical morality begins by limiting the place of the self - by recognizing that not everything begins with me and not everything exists for my sake. From this perspective, we can also reframe the question of Rosh Hashanah. Rabbinic tradition teaches us to ask: What will my judgment be? The tradition of creation - and especially the way it resounds in Bete Israel practice - adds an equally important question: What will be the fate of the world in human hands? Rabbi Dr. Sharon Zeude Shalom is the founding director of Ono Academic College's International Center for the Study of Ethiopian Jewry. He is also the author of The Living Geniza (Open University, 2022), Dialogues of Love and Fear (Koren, 2021), and From Sinai to Ethiopia (Gefen, 2016). message hylb47gtme Six weeks into the journey, Dani and Arielle are settling into life in Israel, while Daniel has just arrived and is about to reveal what his own first days as a new oleh really look like  ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/19/SJ9quz5EGe/SJ9quz5EGe_459_2_630_355_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hylb47gtme Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:32:22 +03:00 Six weeks ago, aliyah was still mostly about anticipation. There were suitcases to pack, flights to catch, goodbyes to say and countless details to organize before life could begin on the other side of the journey. For Dani, that meant counting down the days until she left Toronto. For Arielle, it meant moving an entire family, including two young daughters and a cat, from the United States to Israel. And for Daniel, it meant preparing for a move he had spent weeks imagining from afar. All three made aliyah with the help of Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA. Since then, the countdown has become reality. Over six weeks of ynet Global’s aliyah vlog series, Dani and Arielle have gone from preparing to leave to figuring out what comes after landing. Their weeks have been filled with firsts: first errands, first bureaucratic hurdles, first nights in a new home and first moments when Israel began to feel less like a destination and more like everyday life. Daniel’s story, meanwhile, has been building toward that same moment. Now, he has arrived too. Dani: From countdown to everyday life For Dani, the journey began with a date circled on the calendar. “Hey guys, I’m Danielle. I’m 30 years old, making aliyah from Toronto, Canada on July 13th,” she said as she began documenting the move. In the days before departure, the excitement was mixed with disbelief. “I just, like, can’t even wrap my head around it right now,” she said. “Two more days and we’re in the Holy Land.” Then came the airport, the flight and the moment the plan she had been talking about for weeks finally became real. But if the first stage of aliyah was about getting to Israel, the second was about figuring out how to live there. Almost immediately, Dani’s videos shifted from countdowns to logistics. “We have to set up some appointments for my teudat zehut, if I said that right, my health care, all of that, my bank account,” she said. There were forms to complete, services to arrange and the small surprises that come with learning how a new country works. Over the following weeks, those frustrations gradually gave way to routine. Dani searched for an apartment in Tel Aviv, learned her way around the city, spent time with friends and began piecing together the ordinary parts of a new life. Eventually, she found a place to call her own. By week six, the story had shifted again. Her family came to visit, and the life she had left behind began meeting the one she was building in Israel. The change was perhaps clearest in one of the quietest moments of the series. “OK, so we just had our very first Shabbat dinner as Israeli citizens,” Dani said. Watching the sunset, she tried to put the feeling into words. “It just felt so surreal, like being here and watching the sunset and just knowing that, like, that’s my home.” Six weeks earlier, Israel had been the place she was preparing to move to. Now, it was beginning to feel like the place she lived. Arielle: Moving a family, not just a suitcase Arielle’s aliyah came with a very different set of challenges. For her, making aliyah was never just about changing countries. It meant moving a family and creating a new home for her daughters. “One of the biggest reasons that we’re doing this is for our daughters,” she explained. “I remember growing up as a child going to Israel, and it’s just an awesome place to be a kid.” The weeks before departure were filled with the emotional and practical weight of leaving. There were final family moments, the last Shabbat in the United States, packing and the strange feeling of continuing everyday life while knowing that everyday life was about to change completely. Eventually, the final day arrived. “We are in the airport lounge,” Arielle said. “We checked in, got the cat through security, got the girls through security.” After weeks of preparation, the move had been reduced to a few hectic airport hours. Then came the moment that had seemed so far away at the beginning of the series. “All right, we are in Israel at the airport.” The family had made it. But arrival was not the end of the story. It simply changed the nature of it. Once the suitcases were in Israel, the focus moved to settling in: building routines, helping the children adjust and figuring out how to make a new home feel familiar. Over the following weeks, Arielle began shifting from the logistics of leaving America to the realities of living in Israel. Her story also showed how quickly aliyah changes once the plane lands. Before departure, progress meant checking things off a list and getting everyone onto the flight. Afterward, it meant much smaller milestones: finding a rhythm, creating a home and helping a family adapt to a place that was new but was now theirs. Daniel: The journey finally reaches Israel Daniel’s aliyah story has unfolded differently. For most of the past six weeks, he has been documenting everything that comes before arrival: the expectations, the questions and the bigger ideas behind the decision to move. “Hi everyone. My name is Daniel and I’m making aliyah,” he said as he introduced his journey. His motivation was clear from the beginning. “I’m so excited to make aliyah because I look at Israel and I can’t imagine a better place to live.” But rather than presenting himself as someone who already understood exactly what the experience would be, Daniel leaned into the uncertainty. “I recently discovered I’m an amateur at making aliyah,” he said. That became part of the point. “So I promise to be the best amateur at making aliyah that I can be, sharing the journey with you every step of the way.” Over the past several weeks, his story has focused on the person he hopes to become in Israel as much as on the move itself. Even his name became part of that reflection. “Daniel Shalom. My middle name is actually Shalom.” While Dani and Arielle were already dealing with apartments, banks, children, shopping and new routines, Daniel was still looking toward the moment when the idea of aliyah would become real. Now it has. Daniel has just arrived in Israel. For the first time, his story is crossing the same line Dani and Arielle crossed earlier in the series: from imagining aliyah to actually living it. Exactly what happened when he landed, how those first moments felt and what awaited him once the journey became real will be revealed in the next chapter of the vlog. Six weeks later Taken together, the three stories show why aliyah is difficult to capture in a single moment. The flight matters. So does the airport arrival. But neither tells the whole story. For Dani, six weeks have meant moving from anticipation to independence, navigating bureaucracy, finding an apartment and beginning to call Israel home. For Arielle, they have meant taking a family through an enormous transition and starting the slower work of building routines in a new country. And for Daniel, the anticipation is finally over. His aliyah has just entered its most important stage. The past six weeks have brought airport lounges and tearful goodbyes, closed banks and paperwork, new apartments, family reunions and the first small signs of belonging. They have also shown that aliyah does not happen all at once. It begins before the suitcases are packed and continues long after they are unpacked. For Dani and Arielle, that process is already becoming daily life. For Daniel, it is only just beginning. Catch up on the journey so far: Watch Week 1, Watch Week 2, Watch Week 3, Watch Week 4, Watch week 5 and Watch week 6. All three made Aliyah with the assistance of Nefesh B’Nefesh, in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael, and Jewish National Fund-USA. In cooperation with Nefesh B’Nefesh message s1whs9jfml A new year invites us to set goals, change habits and turn over a new leaf, but Rabbi Isaac Arama suggests beginning with a different question: What is truly missing, what should be left behind and what should instead be preserved? Ziv Elul https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/10/HkEvkjJtMl/HkEvkjJtMl_0_0_1536_1024_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1whs9jfml Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:40:44 +03:00 Rosh Hashanah is a time that invites change. We sum up the year, examine what worked and what did not, set new goals and promise ourselves that this year we will do things differently. In organizations, too, this is a natural period for work plans, budgets, goals and changes. But sometimes the very desire to start over causes us to fall in love with change itself. There are managers who easily impress others. They are always in motion. Every quarter brings a new structure, every management meeting a different initiative, every few months the strategy is refined, job definitions are changed and “the next stage” is announced. The language is one of innovation, flexibility and leaving the comfort zone. From the outside, the organization looks alive and dynamic. But after a few years of this, employees do not always know exactly where they are moving. The problem, of course, is not change. An organization that cannot change will be left behind. The market changes, technology changes, needs change and what was an advantage five years ago can become a burden today. But in the world of management, a dangerous equation has sometimes emerged according to which movement necessarily means progress. Rosh Hashanah, through the interpretation of Rabbi Isaac Arama, author of “Akeidat Yitzhak,” offers a different distinction. Arama discusses the meaning of the sounds of the shofar and distinguishes between the tekiah and the teruah. He goes back to the use of trumpets in the desert: The teruah is associated with setting out and movement, while the tekiah is associated with gathering and a more settled state. From this he formulates a short and sharp statement: “For every movement indicates that something is lacking.” This does not mean that movement is negative. On the contrary, sometimes it is necessary. But it begins with a gap. We move because there is a distance between what exists and what we want. A person seeks to change because something in life does not satisfy them. An organization changes strategy because the existing reality no longer suits it. From this also emerges a deeper meaning for Rosh Hashanah. A new beginning is not an erasure of what came before. To truly renew, one must first know how to take stock. What worked this year and therefore should not be changed too quickly? What is no longer suitable? What did we try that did not mature because we did not give it enough time and what has truly reached the end of its path? Above all, what deficiency are we trying to solve through the next change? This idea recalls Aristotle’s concept of motion. In his philosophy, movement occurs in the transition from potential to realization. It exists because something has not yet reached its complete form. In that sense, change is not the goal. It is the path toward a state we seek to stabilize. This is a very important distinction for managers because many organizations today suffer not only from too little change, but also from too much of it. A new manager sometimes feels compelled to leave a mark. A structure that worked for years is changed. Then the goals change, followed by the measurement method, and later comes another “strategic refinement.” Each decision on its own may be justified, but when change becomes the permanent condition, the organization loses its ability to mature. A new beginning is not an erasure of what came before. To truly renew, one must first know how to take stock. Employees stop investing in the new method because they assume it too will be replaced. Middle managers wait for the next round before making decisions. Processes do not have enough time to become habits and organizational knowledge erodes. Everyone is moving, but it is hard to know whether they are progressing. Sometimes excessive change is even a way of avoiding the real problem. It is easier to carry out a reorganization than to admit there is a leadership problem. It is easier to replace a process than to say the team is not professional enough. It is easier to write a new vision than to confront the fact that the previous vision was simply never implemented. That is why the right question is not only “What will we change this year?” but first of all, “What did we learn from last year?” Here, the sequence of the shofar blasts becomes, in my view, a beautiful model for a management process: tekiah, rupture and movement, and then tekiah again. The first tekiah is the existing state. Not every routine is stagnation. An organization needs routine in order to accumulate expertise, build trust and allow people to know what is expected of them. Then come the shevarim and teruah. Something cracks. The market has changed, the product is no longer suitable, the structure no longer serves the strategy or the results indicate that it is time to move. This is the moment of change. But the teruah is not the end of the process. After it comes another tekiah. That may be one of the greatest failures in change management. We invest enormous energy in the decision to change, in the announcement, the presentation and in creating a sense of urgency. Far less attention is given to the moment when the change must become the new routine. It is easy to carry out a reorganization. It is difficult to reach the point where, six months later, every employee knows exactly where they belong. It is easy to launch a new system. It is difficult to get people to use it consistently. It is easy to announce a strategy. It is difficult to reach the point where it actually influences hundreds of small decisions every day. A good manager needs to know not only when to begin a change. They also need to know when to end it. I know this tension well from the startup world, too. In the early stages there is an almost sacred word: pivot. The ability to change direction is sometimes what saves a company. But it is also possible to fall in love with the pivot. Another version, another direction, another investment and another attempt. At a certain point, one has to ask whether we are still learning from reality or struggling to accept what it is already telling us. In the book “Avot HaNihul,” with Yaniv Fogel, we dealt at length with the question of when perseverance is a strength and when, instead, the courage to let go is the right move. A good manager needs to know not only when to begin a change. They also need to know when to end it. The real estate market also currently provides an interesting example of the difficulty in distinguishing between a change in trend and noise. On one hand, the TA Construction Index has lost about 15% since the beginning of the year, while the TA-35 has risen about 22%. On the other hand, three interest rate cuts are already behind us, there are expectations of further cuts and some see current prices as an opportunity. Meanwhile, in almost the same week, one can read analyses talking about a recovery, others warning against investment, some calling for government programs to be halted and others predicting price increases. There is not necessarily a contradiction here. It mainly reminds managers how easy it is to make a mistake when every small sign immediately becomes a “new strategy.” In periods of uncertainty, one must know how to respond, but also how to distinguish between a real trend and a temporary fluctuation. Rosh Hashanah gives us an extraordinary opportunity because it holds together two forces that seemingly contradict each other: reflection and renewal. On one hand, we look back. We take stock. We examine the past year and do not begin as though nothing happened. On the other hand, we believe it is possible to begin again. But healthy renewal is not an escape from the past. It is built from it. So before the new work plan, before the goals and before the major decisions for the coming year, I would suggest stopping and asking three questions: What should we preserve because it works? What must change because a real gap has emerged? And what will the “tekiah” after the change look like, meaning what is the new stable state we want to reach? Because not every quiet is stagnation and not every movement is progress. The management challenge is knowing when quiet reflects healthy stability, when it conceals erosion, when it needs to be disrupted and when it is time to stop changing and let the new thing become part of us. Perhaps that is also one of the tasks of the new year: not only to ask what we will begin, but what we will properly conclude, what we will leave behind, what we will take with us and what change we want to no longer feel like change by next Rosh Hashanah, but rather like the new way in which we live and operate. A Tool for Managers Ahead of the New Year: Tekiah, Teruah, Tekiah In the coming year-end review, it is worth examining every central area in the organization through three questions: First tekiah: What should be preserved? What worked this year, what habit or process has already become an advantage and what must not be destroyed simply because we want to demonstrate renewal. Teruah: What is truly missing? What is the gap that justifies change and what are the things we do only out of habit or because it is difficult to admit that reality has changed. Final tekiah: Where do we want to arrive? What does the state in which the change has been completed look like, what new habits need to take root and what will allow us to say that the organization is not merely in motion but has truly progressed. Rosh Hashanah does not ask us to choose between continuity and renewal. It invites us to do something more complex: take stock honestly, change where change is needed and build from that change a new beginning worthy of lasting. message r1cckeykfx Alors que plusieurs milliers de Juifs de France sont attendus en Israël cette année, Eva Cohen, directrice du secteur de Jérusalem et de Judée au ministère de l’Aliyah et de l’Intégration, détaille les premières étapes, les aides disponibles et les défis qui attendent les nouveaux immigrants. Son conseil numéro un : préparer son arrivée le plus tôt possible — et commencer l’hébreu avant même de monter dans l’avion ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/09/Hyicxe1FMe/Hyicxe1FMe_380_172_1229_692_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1cckeykfx Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:06:58 +03:00 Faire son Aliyah est souvent un choix mûri pendant des mois, parfois des années. Mais une fois la décision prise, les questions très concrètes arrivent rapidement : quels documents préparer ? À quelles aides peut-on prétendre ? Comment trouver un emploi, faire reconnaître ses diplômes ou apprendre l’hébreu ? Et surtout, vers qui se tourner une fois arrivé en Israël ? Invitée de Jean-Charles Banoun dans le cadre du Global Aliyah Live Summit de Ynet Global, Eva Cohen connaît ces interrogations à la fois professionnellement et personnellement. Aujourd’hui directrice du secteur de Jérusalem et de Judée au ministère de l’Aliyah et de l’Intégration, elle a elle-même fait son Aliyah à l’âge de 14 ans, avant d'effectuer une carrière de 25 ans dans l’armée de l’air israélienne, qu’elle a terminée avec le grade de lieutenant-colonel. « J’avais des rêves sionistes, une volonté de monter en Israël », raconte-t-elle. À son arrivée, elle doit apprendre une nouvelle langue, terminer ses études puis trouver sa place dans une société encore largement inconnue. Elle choisit ensuite de s’engager dans l’armée malgré ceux qui lui expliquent que son niveau d’hébreu rendra le parcours trop difficile. Cette expérience, dit-elle, influence aujourd’hui profondément sa manière d’accompagner les nouveaux immigrants. Une grande partie du personnel du ministère a elle-même connu l’Aliyah et comprend donc cette période particulière où des personnes qui avaient parfois une carrière, un statut et une vie parfaitement établis dans leur pays d’origine peuvent soudainement se retrouver en situation de vulnérabilité. Un accompagnement qui commence avant l’arrivée Pour Eva Cohen, l’une des erreurs serait d’attendre d’être en Israël pour commencer à poser ses questions. Des conseillers peuvent déjà accompagner les candidats à l’Aliyah en France et leur fournir des informations sur leurs droits et les démarches à anticiper. Puis vient l’arrivée à l’aéroport Ben-Gourion et le début d’un parcours administratif qui peut être plus rapide que beaucoup ne l’imaginent. Selon Cohen, le secteur du ministère correspondant au lieu de résidence du nouvel immigrant est informé de son arrivée et prend ensuite contact avec lui. « Je suis votre conseillère pour les dix prochaines années », résume-t-elle à propos du message adressé aux nouveaux Olim. Car contrairement à l’idée selon laquelle l’aide du ministère se concentrerait uniquement sur les premières semaines, l’accompagnement peut se poursuivre pendant plusieurs années. Les conseillers reprennent contact avec les Olim à différentes étapes afin de savoir où ils en sont et quels nouveaux besoins sont apparus. Parmi les dispositifs présentés lors des premiers rendez-vous figurent notamment le panier d’intégration versé pendant les premiers mois, l’apprentissage de l’hébreu, certaines aides au logement ainsi que, plus tard, des formations professionnelles. L’intégration passe également par une coopération avec les municipalités, notamment pour les questions liées à l’éducation, aux quartiers et à la vie communautaire. L’emploi, l’un des grands défis de l’Aliyah Avec l’éducation, l’emploi reste selon Eva Cohen l’une des principales inquiétudes des nouveaux arrivants. Pour un professionnel expérimenté en France, la crainte est souvent la même : devoir recommencer sa carrière à zéro. La reconnaissance des diplômes et des professions réglementées constitue donc une étape importante. Cohen souligne que des démarches peuvent être entreprises avant même l’Aliyah avec l’aide des différents organismes et conseillers spécialisés. Mais obtenir une équivalence ne suffit pas toujours. Il faut aussi comprendre une nouvelle culture professionnelle. « En Israël, le travail, c’est différent », rappelle-t-elle, soulignant que même la manière de rédiger un CV peut changer d’un pays à l’autre. Et sur ce point, son conseil est particulièrement clair : apprendre l’hébreu le plus tôt possible. « La clé, la vraie clé, va rester l’apprentissage de l’hébreu », insiste-t-elle. Commencer avant l’Aliyah peut, selon elle, faire gagner un temps considérable lorsqu’il faudra ensuite entrer sur le marché du travail et construire sa vie quotidienne en Israël. « Il y a beaucoup de choses à faire en amont » Cette préparation devient d’autant plus importante que le nombre de Français choisissant Israël est en hausse. Eva Cohen évoque entre 5 000 et 6 000 Juifs de France attendus cette année, un niveau qu’elle décrit comme particulièrement élevé par rapport aux dernières années. Elle se souvient notamment de l’arrivée, en juillet, d’un avion rempli de familles avec de jeunes enfants : « C’était extrêmement émouvant, tout en sachant que ça ne va pas être facile. Mais on va faire en sorte d’être là pour eux. » Aux futurs Olim dont le dossier est déjà ouvert, elle recommande donc de ne pas considérer les mois précédant le départ comme une simple période d’attente. Documents scolaires, diplômes, informations sur les différents systèmes israéliens, emploi et langue : beaucoup peut être préparé avant le départ. L’Aliyah ne supprime pas les difficultés d’une installation dans un nouveau pays. Le système israélien est différent du système français, y compris dans son fonctionnement social et administratif. Mais Cohen estime que les nouveaux arrivants découvrent aussi une autre dimension de l’accueil : une relation souvent beaucoup plus personnelle avec ceux qui les accompagnent. Elle raconte ainsi voir parfois des Olim sortir d’un rendez-vous avec les larmes aux yeux, étonnés par l’accueil reçu dans un bureau gouvernemental. Derrière les formulaires, les droits et les démarches administratives, c’est finalement ce message qu’elle souhaite transmettre aux francophones qui préparent leur départ : l’intégration prend du temps, mais ils ne sont pas censés la traverser seuls. message h1qftgjkzg Jewish Leadership Council warns the measures could become a de facto boycott of Israel, while the Board of Deputies says announcing them before Rosh Hashanah comes as communal security fears are already running at especially high levels ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/09/Bk9LtZyKGe/Bk9LtZyKGe_0_0_1920_1080_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1qftgjkzg Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:34:02 +03:00 British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband on Wednesday rejected a warning from the UK’s chief rabbi that new British sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the West Bank could increase the danger facing British Jews. Miliband, who described himself as a “proud British Jew,” said he disagreed with Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who sharply condemned the measures and warned that they could fuel hostility toward Jews. “I don't agree with the chief rabbi, somebody... of whom I have great respect,” Miliband told BBC Radio 4’s Today program. “Anyone who holds British Jews - or indeed Jews around the world - responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, is engaging in antisemitism, pure and simple,” he added, according to the BBC. Mirvis, quoted by the BBC, described the government’s decision as a “truly dark day” that would “succeed only in bolstering the very extremism they seek to target.” Miliband announced economic sanctions on Israeli settlements a day earlier, after saying in recent weeks that London intended to “reset” its policy toward Israel. Britain also joined Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden in a joint statement backing a two-state solution and arguing that Israeli actions in the West Bank were undermining its prospects. Mirvis said the British move risked feeding an increasingly hostile discourse around Israel and strengthening those who direct hatred toward Jews. “Gesture politics of this kind feeds into an increasingly hostile discourse about Israel, and the cumulative effect of such punitive policies is to further embolden those, at home and abroad, who use hatred as a weapon against Jews,” he said, according to the BBC. Miliband rejected the argument that the government should pull back from its policy because of fears over antisemitism. “We all need to do more to tackle antisemitism,” he told the BBC, “but I believe we can do that and stand up for British values.” The dispute has also drawn criticism from leading British Jewish organizations. The Jewish Leadership Council warned that the government’s decision “risks becoming a de facto boycott of Israel” and accused Miliband of “yielding to pressure from the most extreme elements of British society,” according to the BBC. The Board of Deputies of British Jews also criticized the timing of the announcement, coming just before Rosh Hashanah, saying concerns over community security were at particularly high levels and were being felt acutely by British Jews. The organization warned that deteriorating relations between Britain and Israel could further inflame tensions within the Jewish community. At the same time, it noted that it had previously warned the Israeli government over what it called “intolerable settler violence,” saying such incidents damage Israel’s reputation. Miliband also said in the BBC interview that he did not intend to attend synagogue on Rosh Hashanah. message b1b11fs0dgg Eva Umlauf, freed from Auschwitz at age 2, warns of dangers to minorities after AfD victory puts Germany’s far right within reach of state power Reuters https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/09/BkP32qAdGg/BkP32qAdGg_0_78_2221_1251_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1b11fs0dgg Wed, 09 Sep 2026 12:18:29 +03:00 Eva Umlauf was two years old when she and her mother were freed from the Nazi death camp Auschwitz in January 1945. She says she ​is horrified to see that more than 80 years later, the far-right is once again on the rise in Germany. The Alternative ‌for Germany (AfD) party's victory in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday has left a far-right party within reach of power in a German state for the first time since the end of World War Two. "What can I say? I expected this, and yet I'm appalled," she told Reuters in an interview. "I am appalled, I am saddened; I don't know ​what drives people to vote for this party." Umlauf, a Slovakian-born pediatrician and psychotherapist who lives in Munich, visits schools to educate children about ​the Holocaust and serves as president of the International Auschwitz Committee. Her comments reflect the alarm that many representatives of ⁠minority groups have expressed over recent months as opinion polls pointed to the advance of the far right in Saxony-Anhalt as well as in Berlin ​and the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, which both vote on September 20. "We're afraid. We know what happens – what happens to minorities, what happens to foreigners," ​she said. The AfD, founded as a eurosceptic party during the eurozone crisis in 2013, rejects comparisons with the Nazi Party, responsible for the Holocaust that killed some 6 million Jews as well as Roma and Sinti people, homosexuals and others. It wants to restrict immigration, especially from countries it considers "culturally alien" to Germany, quit the euro and restore ties ​with Russia to bring energy prices down. It says its policies reflect common sense ideas shared by millions of Germans and denies being antisemitic. Instead, it ​accuses mainstream parties of using such charges as a means of silencing opposition. Antisemitism worries However, opponents accuse the party of downplaying Germany's Nazi past, pointing to a comment by one ‌of its ⁠leaders in 2018 who described the period as "just bird shit in 1,000 years of successful German history." The Central Council of Jews in Germany, the country's main Jewish organisation, also sees the party as "a party where antisemites and far-right extremists have found a home." The Saxony-Anhalt branch of the party is classified as right-wing extremist by the local office of the domestic security agency, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The AfD itself dismisses the classification as politically ​motivated. Sunday's election in Saxony-Anhalt took place in ​a period of heightened anxiety ⁠for many Jewish people in Europe, where there has been a sharp rise in antisemitic attacks and incidents since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli campaign in Gaza. Far-left parties and their supporters ​have also been accused of fostering antisemitism, but the AfD has come under increased scrutiny as its support ​in the polls has ⁠grown. Its party program for the election proposes a "patriotic cultural policy" that would focus school history lessons away from the Nazi period to figures such as 19th-century "Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck. It would restore military memorials to German soldiers killed in both world wars. Such priorities have alarmed critics who say they reflect a wish to forget ⁠Germany's decades-long ​effort to confront its history and the crimes of the Nazi period. But Umlauf said ​she did not believe the party's views were shared by a majority of Germans. "If you take the whole of Germany into account, you have an average of 30% AfD support. And I ​believe – and I hope – that this will actually mobilize the other 70%." message hkfiftruze Aliyah official Bella Lvovich says rising antisemitism has shaken Jews’ sense of security abroad and spurred growing interest in moving to Israel Vesty https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/08/rygQXR00p00fg/rygQXR00p00fg_3_0_1917_1079_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hkfiftruze Wed, 09 Sep 2026 14:50:38 +03:00 “Every great achievement begins with a dream” — words attributed to Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern political Zionism who championed the establishment of a Jewish state. Since 1897, the World Zionist Organization, founded by Herzl, has worked to connect Israel with Jewish communities around the world. Bella Lvovich, head of the World Zionist Organization’s Department for Aliyah Promotion, discussed that mission and the organization’s efforts to encourage Jewish immigration to Israel during the Global Aliyah Live Summit on Sept. 8. Broadcast live from the ynet Global studio in English, Russian and French, the international online summit brought together experts to address issues facing people considering immigration to Israel. Lvovich said the WZO’s history began with Herzl’s vision of a Jewish homeland. Over time, the Zionist movement helped establish institutions that would become central to Israel and the Jewish world, including the Jewish Agency for Israel and Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund. Today, she said, a central mission of her department is strengthening ties between Israel and Jewish communities in the Diaspora and encouraging aliyah so Jews around the world maintain an active connection with Israel. Lvovich outlined the practical assistance the WZO provides to prospective immigrants before they leave their countries of residence, working through its representatives, local Jewish communities and Ofek Israeli, an organization that promotes aliyah. Drawing on her own experience of immigrating to Israel, Lvovich said removing psychological and practical barriers was crucial to making aliyah successful. One of the department’s main tools is a network of hundreds of ulpan programs, intensive Hebrew-language courses, operating around the world. The programs allow prospective immigrants to begin learning Hebrew long before they make a final decision to move to Israel. Lvovich said the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and the unprecedented subsequent surge in antisemitism marked a turning point in relations between Israel and Jewish communities abroad. Herzl’s hope that the establishment of a Jewish state would eliminate antisemitism has not been realized, she said. According to Lvovich, growing threats have challenged the sense of security felt by some Jews abroad and reinforced their connection to the broader Jewish people. She said the developments have led to a sharp increase in the number of Jews seriously considering moving to Israel and seeking information about the aliyah process. For those still considering whether to make the move, Lvovich offered a straightforward first step: Find a local office of the WZO’s Aliyah Promotion Department online or contact the Jewish Agency to locate a nearby Hebrew course and connect with aliyah coordinators who can provide guidance. As Rosh Hashanah approaches, Lvovich told viewers that Israel remains a home for Jews wherever they live and wished prospective immigrants success as they consider beginning a new chapter in their lives. The Global Aliyah Live Summit was organized by ynet Global and Vesty and broadcast in English, Russian and French. The event was held with support from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the World Zionist Organization, Keren Hayesod, Ofek Israeli, Nefesh B’Nefesh, the Jerusalem Municipality, Bank Leumi, Clalit Health Services, Masa Israel Journey and Magen David Adom. message r1tinvruzx Aviva Landau had given up hope of finding the family of Anna Neklaws, who hid her during WWII, until her granddaughter found them online; Anna was posthumously named Righteous Among the Nations; 'She cared for me like a daughter,' Landau says Iris Lifshitz-Klieger https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/08/rJLJCb6OMx/rJLJCb6OMx_0_46_594_335_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1tinvruzx Wed, 09 Sep 2026 04:40:11 +03:00 The survival story of 89-year-old Warsaw Ghetto survivor Aviva Landau ultimately led to the family of the woman who saved her, Anna Neklaws, who was posthumously recognized as Righteous Among the Nations at a recent ceremony at the Israeli Embassy in Warsaw. Landau, a Tel Aviv resident, widow, mother of three daughters and grandmother of eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, found Neklaws' family thanks to extensive research by her own relatives using Facebook and other platforms. At the ceremony, she stood alongside members of her immediate family and relatives of Neklaws, who has since died. "For me, this is coming full circle, and I am happy from the bottom of my heart," Landau said. "Anna did not just save my life as a little girl. She instilled in me the love, warmth and faith in humanity that allowed me to return to life and build a wonderful family. Anna will remain with me forever, until the day I die. "Anna's presence was always strongly felt in our home. My daughters and grandchildren grew up hearing stories about the beautiful blonde woman who saved my life. I always regretted that I could not show them photographs as well, and they could only imagine what she looked like — until that moment in 2021 when everything changed." Landau and her family contacted Yad Vashem several times in hopes of having Anna, who had already died, recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. But because they did not know Neklaws' family, the process could not begin. About five years ago, when Aviva decided to return to Poland for the first time, her granddaughter Gal decided to try to locate Anna's grave. During the search, she also found members of Anna's family, leading to an emotional meeting between the two families. "The bond we formed with them is very special, and they have become part of our family," Landau said with a smile. "Finding the family made it possible to begin the process of having Anna recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. "For decades, I refused to return to Poland. Only in 2021 did I decide that, in the ninth decade of my life, it was time to see the place where I grew up. I was afraid that returning there would bring painful memories from the past flooding back, but my curiosity and longing for the country where I was born overcame the fear." She continued: "A few days before the trip, my daughter Gal found Anna's family through social media. When Gal told me, I said it couldn't possibly be true, that it was like a dream coming true. "She showed me photographs of Anna that she had received from the family, and I was so moved to see Anna's kind face, which I had not seen since I was a child. We traveled to Poland filled with emotion and met Anna's family. We arrived as two families of strangers and left as one family. "Through the family's stories, I was able to learn about the woman Anna had been — brave, noble and extraordinary. I also had the privilege of laying flowers on her grave, thanking her and giving her the honor she deserved." 'I loved her very much, and she loved me' Aviva Landau was born in Warsaw in 1937 to her parents, the late Dawid and Genia Brachfeld. She grew up alongside her older sister, Hadassah, who is still alive. "Our life before the war was very good," Landau recalled. "We were wealthy, and my mother had a large family in Warsaw. By the end of the war, only we were left — my mother, my father, my older sister and me. My mother's entire family was murdered by the Nazis." Life in the ghetto was extremely difficult and bore no resemblance to the life they had known before. "There was terrible hunger, overcrowding, disease, typhus, filth and bodies everywhere. We were in danger of death all the time. We went through a selection and, by a great miracle, survived," she said. "In 1942, my father was afraid that if he did not get us out of the ghetto, we would not live. He searched for hiding places for my sister and me where we would be protected from the Nazis. My father had been friends with two Christian women before the war and asked them to hide us. I was sent to Anna. "Anna was like a mother to me. She was a good, noble woman who cared for me as though I were her daughter. I loved her very much, and she loved me." Aviva was raised in Neklaws' home as a Christian. "We would go to church together, I would make the sign of the cross, and I was sent to a Christian kindergarten," she said. "It was a warm home filled with the smell of wonderful cookies Anna baked herself. If Anna had not agreed to take care of me, I would not have survived. "My parents were hiding separately and constantly fleeing from place to place. Staying with them would have endangered both me and them. "Over time, I forgot the family I had left behind, and Anna became my entire world. My parents feared they would not survive the war and worried about what would happen to me. Anna reassured them and promised: 'I will protect her, and she will grow up with me as though she were my daughter.' And she truly kept her word. "She was like a mother to me and risked her life for me for about two years. I was fortunate to be with a woman like her, warm and wise. At a time when 1.5 million Jewish children were murdered, I was fortunate not only to survive but to live in a warm, loving home with Anna." Anna's photograph now preserved for future generations At a certain point, remaining in Neklaws' home was no longer safe. "She hid me until the very last moment, and when Nazi officers knocked on her door, she immediately understood that I was in danger. So she arranged for me to be moved somewhere safe — to a nursing home. "I will never forget the moment when I was literally torn from Anna's arms. I screamed and cried, but we had no choice. We had to part so that I could survive. At the end of the war, my father found me at the nursing home Anna had sent me to." Did you lose contact completely? "No. After the war, I managed to resume contact with Anna. She sent me letters, and I sent letters to her. They were very emotional and affectionate. "She told me about her life and about the beautiful garden beside her home, the same garden in Kozienice that I still remember well. It was important to her to know about my life, my daughters and the generations of my family that followed. "She always told me about her niece, whom she raised and loved very much. By the way, Anna never called me Aviva. To her I always remained little Zosia — the Christian name I was given during the war. All the letters began with 'kochana Zosia' — 'dear Zosia.' "When conditions in Poland were difficult, I sent her packages of food, oranges, money and whatever else she needed. I gave the letters to Yad Vashem." That niece, mentioned in Neklaws' letters, was named Agnieszka. "Thanks to her testimony, we were able to complete the process at Yad Vashem and have Anna recognized as Righteous Among the Nations," Landau said. "One of my great-granddaughters is named Alex-Anna, after Anna Neklaws, who saved my life during World War II. "For many years, we tried unsuccessfully to have Anna recognized as Righteous Among the Nations because there was no testimony from her family. After several failed attempts, we came to understand that having Anna recognized would probably remain only a dream. "We knew Anna had lost her only son in the war and had no other descendants. We never believed we would succeed in contacting her family, certainly not someone like Agnieszka, who had known her so closely and had heard from her the story of how I was saved." Landau tells her story every year as part of the Israeli Holocaust remembrance initiative Zikaron BaSalon, or "Memory in the Living Room." "It moves me that every year dozens of strangers, young and old, fill the living room to capacity to hear the story of how I was saved and the story of Anna's heroism," she said. "For many years, when I spoke about Anna, her name appeared in the presentation and I described her from memory because I had no photograph. "Thanks to the miracle of finding Anna's family, her face now exists not only in my memory but is shown to future generations as well. The ceremony at the Israeli Embassy moved me deeply. For me, as a survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, it is a moment of coming full circle — and of victory." message skgb7epdmg From choosing a bank and navigating Israel’s mortgage market to budgeting for an expensive first year, experts at the Ynet Global Aliyah Live Summit explain why preparation, patience and a bigger-than-expected financial cushion can make the transition to Israel much smoother David Matlin https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/08/Bk00YoE6OGg/Bk00YoE6OGg_372_108_818_461_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skgb7epdmg Wed, 09 Sep 2026 17:52:42 +03:00 Making aliyah involves much more than booking a flight, finding an apartment and learning Hebrew. It also means moving an entire financial life into a system that may operate very differently from the one new immigrants have known for decades. That was the focus of the “Money in a New Country” panel at Ynet Global’s Aliyah Live Summit, bringing together Eyal Efrat, head of the Banking Division at Bank Leumi; Eran Berkovich, director of the Aliyah and Absorption Unit at The Jewish Agency for Israel; Beeri Gurtler Har-Tuv, a mortgage advisor; and Eilon Gilad, CEO of Belong. Their message was remarkably consistent: do your homework before arriving, expect the transition to take longer than you think, and don’t underestimate how much money you may need during your first year. A different financial language For Efrat, who himself made aliyah in 1994, one of the first lessons new immigrants need to understand is that Israel’s financial system is not necessarily going to work like the system they are leaving behind. “The Israeli economic system is a bit different from other banking systems in the world,” he said, noting that every oleh arrives with different expectations based on the country they came from. His first recommendation is simple: learn how the Israeli system works before making major financial decisions. Those differences can appear almost immediately. Mortgages are structured differently, with different tracks, currencies and timelines. Israel’s credit card system may also surprise newcomers, particularly those accustomed to traditional debit or revolving-credit systems abroad. Deposits, loans and cross-border financial rules can add another layer of complexity. But immigrants arriving today also have access to considerably more assistance than previous generations of olim. Efrat pointed to multilingual banking services and technological tools designed to make the system easier to navigate, including Leumi’s expansion of its app to Hebrew, English, French, Russian and Arabic. The important thing, he stressed, is not to assume that what worked financially abroad will automatically translate to Israel. The housing reality: reset your expectations Perhaps nowhere is that adjustment more dramatic than in housing. Gurtler Har-Tuv warned that olim can arrive with expectations based on the home they owned abroad, only to discover that the equivalent property in Israel may be significantly more expensive. A family selling a large house in the United States or another relatively affordable market, for example, may find that the proceeds do not buy anything close to the same amount of space in Israel. “Housing prices are high here,” he said, adding that simply calling them “higher” can be an understatement. That does not mean olim have to wait until they arrive to begin dealing with housing. According to Gurtler Har-Tuv, it has become increasingly practical for immigrants to purchase property in Israel before making aliyah, with Israeli mortgage banks accustomed to working with prospective olim abroad. For some families, buying before the move can provide a valuable anchor: they know where they will live and have a much clearer picture of their housing costs before landing at Ben Gurion Airport. For others, however, renting first may be the wiser choice — particularly if they are still deciding which city or community fits their family, employment prospects and lifestyle. The questions of where to live and whether to rent or buy, he argued, should therefore be considered together. Your first year may cost more than you expect Beyond housing, the panel repeatedly returned to one crucial period: the first year. “The first year is financially challenging,” Gurtler Har-Tuv said. New immigrants often leave behind a job, career and established professional network. Even when they have strong qualifications and experience, rebuilding that earning power in Israel can take time. His recommendation: arrive with a financial buffer. Gilad agreed, warning that many olim underestimate not only the cost of moving but also how long it takes to truly land. They prepare extensively for aliyah itself, he explained, but reaching their full earning potential in Israel can take considerably longer. During precisely those first months — when income may be lower — expenses can be particularly high. Professional networks also matter. “Many things here in Israel are based on connections,” Gilad said. Building those connections, finding the right job and learning how the Israeli employment market operates all take time. That financial cushion can therefore provide something equally valuable: the ability to wait. Instead of feeling forced to accept the first job offer or housing option because their savings are disappearing, immigrants with more breathing room can negotiate and make decisions based on their longer-term goals. Learn to negotiate — Israeli style Berkovich highlighted another adjustment that is as cultural as it is financial: negotiation. Olim do not only have to learn Hebrew, he suggested. They also need to learn how to “speak Israeli.” From banking and furniture to cars and apartments, negotiation remains part of everyday financial life in Israel in ways that can feel unfamiliar to newcomers from some Western countries. “When you go into the bank, you negotiate. When you go to buy furniture at the store, you negotiate,” Berkovich said, adding that the same can apply when buying a car or arranging housing. That cultural difference can affect the bottom line. Understanding when a price or financial term is genuinely fixed — and when there is room to ask for something better — can become an important financial skill for a new immigrant. Don’t automatically look to the center Where olim choose to build their lives can have an enormous impact on their finances. Berkovich encouraged newcomers not to limit their search to Israel’s expensive central corridor. Communities in the north and south can offer different opportunities in housing, employment, education and quality of life, he said, while also allowing new immigrants to take part in the continued rebuilding and development of those regions. For a family planning aliyah, that means the financial calculation should go beyond asking, “How much does an apartment cost?” Employment prospects, schools, transportation, community support and housing costs all need to be considered together. Research before you board the plane If there is one advantage today’s olim have that previous generations did not, it is access to information and support. Berkovich urged prospective immigrants to use the months before aliyah to research neighborhoods, employment opportunities, communities and the bureaucratic and financial systems they will encounter. The Jewish Agency, he noted, has developed digital networks connecting prospective olim with people who have already gone through the process, allowing newcomers to ask questions about everything from jobs to particular neighborhoods. “Use the time before you make aliyah for research and to learn,” he advised. And research should include the benefits available to new immigrants — but those benefits should not replace personal financial planning. Gilad urged olim to take advantage of government benefits and favorable financial options for which they qualify, while still arriving with their own safety net. “Build a bigger cushion than you thought of financially,” he said. “There are benefits which you can use, but don’t build on it.” The decisions to make before aliyah Asked to identify the financial decisions new immigrants should consider before boarding the plane, the panelists’ answers together formed a practical roadmap. Choose a bank that understands the particular needs of olim. Think seriously about where you want to live and whether buying or renting initially makes more sense. Research Israel’s financial and bureaucratic systems before arriving. And perhaps most importantly, prepare a larger financial reserve than you initially think you will need. Underlying all of those recommendations was another piece of advice: be patient. There will be bureaucracy. There will be unfamiliar terminology. There will be moments when financial habits that seemed obvious abroad suddenly no longer apply. But the gaps are bridgeable — particularly for olim who arrive prepared to learn, ask questions and adjust. Ultimately, moving one’s financial life to Israel is not simply about transferring money or opening a new bank account. It is about understanding a new system early enough to make better decisions within it. As David Matlin summed it up at the conclusion of the discussion, “Financial planning is not just about numbers. It’s about understanding a new system early, asking the right questions and making decisions that can help create a more stable start in Israel.” For olim preparing to begin a new life in Israel, that stable start may begin long before the plane takes off. message syxodupdgx As Jewish communities around the world navigate a period of profound change, Nefesh B’Nefesh says aliyah is increasingly being driven not only by the desire to live in Israel, but by a sense of purpose, responsibility and the belief that the country needs them to come and build ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/08/BJdx6LpOfe/BJdx6LpOfe_0_0_1920_1080_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/syxodupdgx Thu, 10 Sep 2026 08:07:27 +03:00 Nefesh B’Nefesh co-founder and executive director, Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, says the way he thinks about aliyah has changed. When Fass and Tony Gelbart founded the organization in 2002, the mission was straightforward: help Jews overcome the practical obstacles standing between them and their decision to move to Israel, then support them as they built their lives in the country. Over the years, however, Fass says he began to see aliyah as something larger than an individual's journey. "Everyone wants to build," Fass says, describing a growing desire among Jews around the world not simply to move from one country to another, but to come to Israel with a sense of purpose. That shift, he says, has changed the conversation around aliyah. The question is no longer only how to make the move possible, but what an oleh wants to contribute once they arrive. Beyond checking a box Fass describes his early perspective on aliyah as highly focused on the individual. The goal was to help a person or family fulfill a dream, identify the obstacles in their way and find solutions that would allow them to make the move. Today, he sees a broader motivation among many prospective olim. For some, aliyah means bringing their profession to Israel and continuing their careers. For others, it means accepting personal or financial sacrifices because they believe their presence in the country has a greater purpose. That sense of purpose has become particularly pronounced since October 7, Fass says. Israel's war and the events that followed have prompted some Jews abroad to reconsider what their relationship with Israel means and whether they can contribute by being there themselves. "I need to come here. I need to build. I need to be part of something," Fass describes as the sentiment he hears. For him, this represents a form of "value-based aliyah" — immigration motivated not only by personal fulfillment, but by a desire to take part in the country's future. Finding opportunity beyond Israel's center That approach can also influence where new immigrants choose to live. Fass says that as people consider communities farther from Israel's center, they can discover a different quality of life — including larger homes and outdoor space that may be out of reach in the country's most expensive areas. But he argues that the real attraction is not necessarily a higher standard of living. It can instead be the quality of life that comes from building a home and community in a place where residents feel they are needed. For new olim, that can mean looking beyond the familiar destinations and considering how their skills, families and ambitions could contribute to communities throughout Israel. Aliyah in a changing Jewish world The future of aliyah is difficult to predict, Fass acknowledges, particularly as Jewish communal life around the world continues to change. Rather than attempting to forecast precisely what the next wave of aliyah will look like, he hopes it will increasingly be driven by inspiration, desire and a sense of purpose — rather than by necessity alone. That distinction is central to his broader understanding of aliyah. Moving to Israel inevitably involves sacrifices and difficult periods, as does any major decision that carries lasting value. But Fass believes that having a clear understanding of why the move matters can help families navigate those challenges. For him, aliyah is ultimately not simply a change of address. It is an opportunity for an individual and a family to become part of something larger than themselves — and, in the process, to give their decision to move to Israel meaning that extends well beyond the day they arrive. More than 20 years after Nefesh B’Nefesh was founded, that idea has become an increasingly important part of Fass's vision: aliyah not simply as the fulfillment of a personal dream, but as an opportunity to build, contribute and take part in Israel's future. message b1uujradmg From the moment an emergency call comes in, medical treatment can already begin: Inside Magen David Adom’s 101 dispatch centers, medically trained call takers, real-time location technology and an integrated network of emergency teams work together to turn the first seconds of a call into potentially lifesaving action  ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/09/08/B1PP4Sp00Mg/B1PP4Sp00Mg_0_0_1089_718_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1uujradmg Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:10:29 +03:00 In a medical emergency, a few seconds can make a difference. But when someone in Israel dials 101, the response does not begin only when an ambulance reaches the scene. It begins on the phone. Behind every call to Magen David Adom’s emergency dispatch system is a call taker with medical training — a medic or paramedic capable of gathering critical information while simultaneously helping the person on the other end of the line take action. In other words, the person answering 101 is not simply dispatching an ambulance. The emergency response has already started. The first seconds of a 101 call When a call comes in, one of the first things the call taker asks for is the caller’s name and phone number. That means that if the call is disconnected, MDA can call back. At virtually the same time, two other pieces of information become crucial: Where are you, and what happened? As the caller explains the emergency, MDA’s system can begin assigning available emergency teams near the location. Meanwhile, because the call taker has medical training, instructions can begin immediately. That distinction is central to the system. “All call takers are medics or paramedics,” according to MDA. “So they have medical training and they start giving you instructions on how to act right away.” For someone facing a cardiac arrest, severe allergic reaction or another life-threatening emergency, those instructions can be critical during the minutes before a medical team arrives. What if you don’t know exactly where you are? An emergency does not always happen at home or at a familiar address. A person may be driving on a highway, hiking, visiting an unfamiliar area or simply too distressed to explain exactly where they are. MDA has a system designed for precisely that situation. If a caller cannot provide a clear location, an SMS or WhatsApp message can be sent containing a link that allows them to share their location. That information can then help emergency teams find the patient. At the same time, the dispatcher continues dealing with the medical emergency itself. In the case of a reported cardiac arrest, for example, medically trained personnel can explain how to perform chest compressions. During a severe allergic reaction, they can guide a caller in administering an EpiPen and assisting the patient while emergency teams are on the way. The goal is straightforward: do not waste the time between the emergency call and the arrival of the medical team. More than an ambulance dispatch center The same system becomes particularly important during a large-scale incident. If a serious road accident is reported, for example, MDA's dispatch center can receive information from callers including pictures and video from the scene. That can help personnel understand the scale of the incident and determine what kinds of teams — and how many — should be sent. “It’s not just a dispatch that picks up your location and what’s happening and transfers it away,” the video explains. “It’s actually an integrated part of MDA’s network.” Information coming from the public, emergency teams in the field and MDA headquarters can all contribute to the picture developing inside the dispatch center. And that means treatment effectively begins from the moment the call is answered. What if you don’t speak Hebrew? For new olim and visitors to Israel, one of the biggest concerns during an emergency can be language. What happens if you need an ambulance but cannot explain what is wrong in Hebrew? According to MDA, callers who speak another language — including English, Russian or Arabic — can be transferred to medically trained personnel who speak that language. The My MDA app also allows users to set a preferred language and provides text translation capabilities. That can be particularly important for new immigrants. Knowing the emergency number 101, having the app available and understanding that language assistance exists can remove one significant layer of uncertainty during an already stressful situation. From routine to national emergency in minutes The system is also designed to expand rapidly when Israel moves from an individual emergency to a national one. MDA says the fundamental workflow does not change during a national emergency. What changes is the scale. The organization increases the number of emergency crews operating in the field and the number of call takers working inside its dispatch centers. October 7 provided an extreme example. The underlying emergency process remained the same that morning, according to the video, but the operational capacity in the field and dispatch centers doubled within minutes. “The organization goes from zero to 100 in a matter of minutes,” the video explains. Making lifesaving decisions under that level of pressure requires more than knowing how to answer a phone. MDA dispatchers combine medical knowledge, field experience and specific training for high-stress situations. They are trained to extract essential information from callers who may be panicking, dispatch teams without unnecessarily delaying for additional details and respond when communication is difficult. Technology behind the call Alongside the human response is a significant technological operation. During wartime, MDA uses sensor-based systems that can provide information about missile impact sites. That data can be cross-referenced with incoming emergency calls, alerts, reports from teams in the field and information flowing through headquarters. All of it can be displayed within MDA’s dispatch systems, helping personnel develop a real-time picture and decide where emergency resources are needed. It reflects a broader philosophy within the organization: technology should not exist simply for the sake of innovation. It should help medical teams make better decisions, faster. “They say that Israel is a startup nation,” the video notes. “Magen David Adom does exactly that.” MDA says it continually works to incorporate new technologies into both its dispatch centers and field operations, connecting the people answering the calls with the teams responding on the ground. What olim should know about calling 101 For someone beginning a new life in Israel, the emergency medical system may be one of those things they hope never to need. But knowing how it works before an emergency happens can matter. The essentials are simple: in a medical emergency, call 101. Give your phone number and location as clearly as possible. Explain what has happened. Listen carefully to the medical instructions you receive, and if you cannot identify your location or communicate comfortably in Hebrew, tell the dispatcher. Most importantly, do not assume that nothing can happen medically until an ambulance arrives. Behind that 101 call is an integrated system connecting trained medical personnel, technology, dispatchers and emergency teams in the field. From the first phone call to the arrival of the medical team, every part of that system has the same objective: making the right decision at the right moment. Or, as MDA puts it, “Every single day is a beautiful day to save lives.” message