A fire that broke out shortly before midnight severely damaged the synagogue, kitchen and guest facilities at the pilgrimage complex in Hadiach, with losses estimated in the millions of dollars; no injuries were reported Itamar Eichner, Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/25/ryZmbjKfBfl/ryZmbjKfBfl_2_0_1279_720_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/symsqagsfe Sun, 26 Jul 2026 03:58:49 +03:00 A major fire broke out overnight Friday at a Jewish pilgrimage complex in the Ukrainian city of Hadiach, near the grave of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad Hasidic movement. Initial reports said the blaze consumed the complex’s main building and caused extensive damage estimated in the millions of dollars. No injuries were reported. The fire erupted shortly before midnight. The synagogue, kitchen and guest reception area were among the facilities that burned, while the main structure was almost completely destroyed. The cause of the fire remained unclear. One initial possibility under investigation was an electrical short circuit, though authorities were examining all possible causes. The burial complex in Hadiach is considered the second-largest Jewish prayer and pilgrimage site in Ukraine. Before Russia’s invasion of the country, tens of thousands of visitors came each year. Despite the war, around 10,000 people continue to visit annually. About one-third arrive for the commemoration of Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s death in the Hebrew month of Tevet, usually in December or January. Other visitors include local Jewish groups and organized communities, as well as tourists from Israel, Europe and the United States. Many fly to Chisinau, Moldova, before continuing to Hadiach by car on a journey lasting between 12 and 15 hours. Rabbi Shneur Zalman was born in Liozna, in present-day Belarus, in 1745 and founded the Chabad movement. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, was his descendant and the seventh leader of the Chabad dynasty. In 1812, Rabbi Shneur Zalman fled Liadi during the war between Russia and France. He had supported the Russian czar’s victory, and Napoleon reportedly sought to harm him. Rabbi Shneur Zalman fell ill while fleeing toward the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk and died on December 26, 1812. His body was transported by wagon some 200 kilometers to Hadiach in the Poltava region, where he was buried. Jews continued to visit the grave over the years, though the city’s Jewish population was murdered during the Holocaust and access for worshippers was restricted under Soviet rule. In the early 1990s, the Lubavitcher Rebbe sent emissaries to restore the grave, and the site gradually developed into a major pilgrimage destination. The spacious complex was established nearly 20 years ago and has continued to expand. It includes a large synagogue, which was completely destroyed in the fire, a ritual bath, dozens of guest rooms, a kitchen and large dining halls. Some of those facilities were also damaged. Several hundred Jews live in the Poltava region. Rabbi Shneur Zalman Deitch, the rabbi of Hadiach and the official responsible for the complex, maintains the site throughout the year and receives visiting worshippers. He was not in the city when the fire broke out. message bjcmaofrme Israeli researchers used computational analysis of ancient Greek to identify Josephus’ sources, finding that when he named an author, he generally quoted that source faithfully Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/23/SJcj72kHfx/SJcj72kHfx_1_0_1601_901_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjcmaofrme Sat, 25 Jul 2026 21:17:48 +03:00 Joseph ben Matityahu, better known as Josephus Flavius—the Roman name Titus Flavius Josephus given to him after his surrender—is a deeply controversial historical figure. The man who left his fellow Jews and joined the Romans ultimately became the principal chronicler of Jerusalem at the time of its destruction. Today, his writings remain the most important source on the fall of the Second Temple. Born into a priestly family in Jerusalem, Josephus commanded Jewish forces in the Galilee during the Great Revolt against Roman rule. After his forces were defeated, he hid in a cave with a group of commanders. The others chose to kill themselves rather than surrender, but Josephus, the final survivor, emerged and gave himself up. He was brought before the Roman emperor as a prisoner, but later developed close ties with the imperial authorities and became associated with Titus. Under Roman patronage, he documented the war for Jerusalem. His writings, particularly The Jewish War, are regarded as indispensable historical sources. Even critics who condemn his decision to abandon his people for their enemies rely on his accounts when studying the destruction. Now, using advanced artificial intelligence tools and stylistic analysis of ancient Greek, researchers have achieved what was once considered nearly impossible: identifying where Josephus quoted known sources, where he drew on the writings of Nicolaus of Damascus, Herod’s court historian, and where he relied on other works that have been entirely lost. The central finding could reshape the prevailing view of Josephus’ reliability. The project is a collaboration between the Holon Institute of Technology and Bar-Ilan University. “When we read a person’s text, we examine their terminology and style, and that allows us to determine how much they are writing in their own voice and how much they are representing another source,” said Prof. Jonathan Schler of the School of Computer Science at the Holon Institute of Technology. “We apply the same method to historical texts—not to learn what was written, but to learn who wrote it. In Josephus’ case, it is clear that he is the author, but the question was where he was truly writing independently and where he was relying on others. We did all of this through analysis of ancient Greek.” Dr. Stéphanie E. Binder of Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Classical Studies said the project brought together historians and computer scientists. “Josephus was an eyewitness to the destruction of the Second Temple, but he also wrote about much earlier periods,” she said. “He sought to prove that the Jews had always been a wise and respected people and to refute Greek claims against them. To do that, he collected many sources.” The researchers focused on Nicolaus of Damascus, Herod’s personal secretary and court historian, who was the principal source for the Hasmonean period and the House of Herod. “We asked whether Josephus copied him word for word, altered what he wrote or attributed to him things he never wrote,” Binder said. She noted that The Jewish War was composed under the patronage of the Flavian dynasty, making it difficult to know how much freedom Josephus had. Jewish Antiquities, by contrast, was written years later, when he enjoyed greater independence. “We compared the versions and examined where he was closer to Nicolaus,” Binder said. “The story remains the same, but the wording changes. Beyond that, we found signs that Josephus also used additional sources that he does not identify by name. The next challenge is to determine what those sources were.” Schler said the ability to demonstrate stylistic changes computationally was itself a significant achievement. “Until now, this was largely a hypothesis discussed by scholars,” he said. “Now it can be demonstrated in measurable terms.” One example appears in Josephus’ account of Herod’s expansion of the Temple. In The Jewish War, Josephus writes that Herod told the people he wished to rebuild the Temple and that it would be the greatest of all his achievements. In Jewish Antiquities, a parallel account says Herod announced that he intended to rebuild the Temple and that it would be the most magnificent undertaking of his reign. A similar pattern appears in the account of the execution of Mariamne the Hasmonean, Herod’s wife. In The Jewish War, Josephus writes that after Mariamne was executed, Herod’s grief intensified and he mourned her as though nothing in life could console him. In Jewish Antiquities, the account says that after Mariamne’s death, Herod was overcome by grief and could not forget the woman he had lost or the disaster that had befallen him. Researchers also found parallels in the accounts of Herod’s death. The Jewish War says Herod ordered Antipater’s execution and died five days later. Jewish Antiquities gives essentially the same sequence: Herod commanded that Antipater be put to death, and five days afterward, his own life ended. According to the researchers, the fact that these stories appear in both works with the same structure, similar details and closely related phrasing makes it possible to identify the sources Josephus used and distinguish between direct quotation and adaptation. ‘There was good reason to question his motives’ Noam Bar David, a doctoral candidate in Bar-Ilan University’s Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, said historians had long treated Josephus with suspicion. “He wrote under the patronage of the Roman emperors, was adopted by them and received their name and financial support,” Bar David said. “There was therefore good reason to question his motives. He was also preserved primarily through Christian tradition rather than Jewish tradition. Some viewed him as a traitor and propagandist more than a historian.” That is what made the findings so surprising. “When we applied a new test to his texts, we found that when Josephus says he is quoting a source, he really is quoting it,” Bar David said. “The language of Nicolaus of Damascus is preserved consistently throughout the quotations, so Josephus’ attributions are reliable.” Bar David stressed, however, that Josephus’ interpretation should still be treated critically. “He portrays the Jews as people swept along by extremist groups and argues that, without those groups, harmony with the Romans would have been possible,” he said. “Here, we have reason to suspect that he was serving a political interest. We can trust the technical details he provides while questioning the way he describes the atmosphere and the motivations.” The broader historical context is also important, he said. “The Great Revolt took place during a crisis across the Roman Empire,” Bar David explained. “Nero persecuted Christians, devalued the currency and contributed to an economic crisis. The Flavian dynasty later came to power and stabilized the empire.” Vespasian suppressed the revolt in Judea, and wealth seized during the campaign was used to build some of Rome’s most prominent imperial monuments, including the Colosseum. A rediscovered inscription indicates that the structure was financed with war spoils—in effect, with wealth taken during the suppression of the Jewish revolt. “Josephus clearly had extraordinary talent,” Bar David said. “He began as commander of the revolt in the Galilee, met the most senior Roman commander and, instead of being killed, became a protégé of the emperors. That suggests rare rhetorical ability.” Although questions about his credibility followed him throughout his life, the new study found that when he explicitly names a source, he represents it faithfully. Binder also sees ideological continuity between Josephus’ worldview and later rabbinic tradition. “There are no military heroes in the Talmud either,” she said. “Those who attempted to fight the Romans ended badly. The approach that prevailed was that of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai: the Torah and the people must be preserved, and through that preservation, the divine plan will be fulfilled.” Bar David said Josephus likewise regarded events as part of a divine plan, which became part of his justification for surrendering. “When he gives himself up, he argues that his death would have benefited no one,” Binder said. “But as a historian, he could preserve the memory of Judaism and find a place for it in the civilized world. From his perspective, joining the Romans was not an act of betrayal, but another way of acting on behalf of the Jewish people.” message rkew11hlhfl Weekly Torah Portion: Moses stood alone at the edge of the Promised Land, pleading to enter after 40 years of leading his people, but God refused; his final moments reveal a deeper lesson: visions survive not through one leader’s burden, but through the courage of others to carry them forward Michael Eisenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/10/15/HyvFO116Tlg/HyvFO116Tlg_0_54_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rkew11hlhfl Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:35:17 +03:00 “I pleaded with the Loard at that time, saying, 'O Lord, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal! Let me, I pray, cross over and see the good Land on the other side of the Jordan, that good hill country, and the Lebanon.' …The Lord said to me, 'Enough! Never speak to Me of this matter again! Go up to the top of the hill and gaze about, to the west, the north, the south, and the east. Look at it well, for you shall not go across yonder Jordan. Give Joshua his instructions, and imbue him with strength and courage, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he shall allot to them the land that you may only see.' These heartbreaking opening verses of this week’s Torah portion - Va'etchanan - continue the theme of Moses' loneliness. For forty years, Moses repeatedly prayed for the nation, offering to sacrifice himself after the Sin of the Golden Calf and begging for their forgiveness after the Sin of the Spies. Yet, when Moses finally pleads for his own future, the Torah does not mention a single person joining his prayer. Moses was left alone because prayer speaks in the language of the future, but as I explained last week, while Moses lived in the future, the people lived in the present. When Moses saw a new land and a covenant of justice and blessing, the people only saw a desert, experienced thirst, and craved meat. Because they lacked his vision, they lacked his language of prayer. When Moses cried out in last week’s portion, "I cannot carry you alone," he was not referring to logistical or administrative difficulties. He was expressing the bitter fear of missed potential. He was like the "lonely bird on a roof" described in Psalms (102:8) - staying awake to guard the future while everyone else slept. Moses was isolated because he was the only one fully grasping the incredible future that was possible and the tragic risk of it being lost. In response, God does not offer Moses public recognition or a memorial statue to soothe his pain. Instead, God assures him that his vision will survive him: Joshua will lead the people, and they will inherit the Land. The mountain summit becomes Moses' final "roof," a vantage point from which he can view both the physical land and the prophetic future. In Psalms, the bird's loneliness is cured not merely by being seen. But, when its solitary vision transforms into a public, living reality - the desolate ruins of Zion will eventually be rebuilt by God's servants. Same for Moses. It teaches us that the opposite of loneliness is not simply connection, but rather partnership in hope and actualization. Modern social networks offer fleeting fame, momentary sympathy and a fake feeling of being seen, but they do not build any future. True relief from isolation comes from finding partners willing to take responsibility and walk together toward a reality that does not yet exist but that together you can create. Therefore, the Torah emphasizes that a vast population alone is not the source of value; God chose Israel out of love, not numbers: “It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples that the Lord set His heart on you and chose you, for you are the smallest of all peoples. But it was because the Lord loved you and kept the oath…”. Following his personal rejection, Moses does not sink into self-pity. He understands that the people will not take responsibility as long as he continues to lead. Therefore he dedicates his final days to transforming his pain into a Torah that will allow the people to thrive where he will not go with them. He shifts the focus from his solitary burden to their collective responsibility, urging the people to become a wise and understanding nation whose just laws will inspire the world. Although Moses will not build a house in the Land of Israel, his teachings will be inscribed on their Mezuzah adorned doorposts and passed down from generation to generation. The vision transitions from the heavy burden of one prophet to a multi-generational covenant carried by an entire nation. Both the portions of Devarim and Va'etchanan call upon the people to stop passively watching their leader and start becoming active partners. As the nation grows, old systems are no longer sufficient; the people must mature, take responsibility, and build dynamic institutions that can expand this blessing. Moses’ loneliness is ultimately an invitation to move from complaining about the present to taking responsibility for the future. As we recall the opening verse of the lamentation of "Eicha" that we read this week on Tisha B'Av: “How lonely sits the city", we must recognize that modern loneliness affects nations and individuals alike. To cure it, we must seek to be true partners and bridge-builders, uniting to carry a shared vision. As Isaiah concludes chapter 40 (the chapter of this week’s Haftarah reading): “...they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”, a solitary leader inevitably grows tired, but strength is renewed when a solitary vision is successfully passed on and transformed into a powerful, shared covenant and dreams. message b1h1eqgrml Two men were stabbed outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manhattan’s Upper West Side; Police arrested a suspect who allegedly shouted 'Allahu Akbar' during the attacks and are investigating whether the incident was a hate crime Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/24/HkoYVXlrzx/HkoYVXlrzx_1_70_1199_675_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1h1eqgrml Fri, 24 Jul 2026 02:42:40 +03:00 Two men, a Jewish man and an Asian man, were stabbed overnight Thursday-Friday outside an Orthodox synagogue on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a neighborhood near Central Park. The New York Police Department said the two were taken to hospitals in stable condition and that it had arrested a suspect. Police said the victims themselves, as well as eyewitnesses, reported that the attacker, 51-year-old Raul Morales, shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the stabbings. According to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the matter, the attacker walked up to the first man, Chok Sung, 57, on West 84th and Central Park West and stabbed him in the back. He then went to West 86th Street, the official said, where he approached another man, Yezhak Grunhaus, 50, and stabbed him once in the chest. New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin called the incident an “antisemitic stabbing” and said, “The fear in the Jewish community is real. Every New Yorker deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood, regardless of their faith or identity.” NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch issued a statement regarding the incident, saying there was no search underway for additional suspects. “Detectives are continuing to work the case and determine motive, but according to victim and witness statements, Morales yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. The NYPD is currently evaluating whether this is a potential hate crime,” she said. She added: “While the perpetrator has no known mental health history with the NYPD, the initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. At this time there is no known link between Morales and either of the victims, nor between the victims and each other. I want to commend the bravery of a good Samaritan who led our officers to the location where the perpetrator was hiding, as well as our NYPD cops who brought an end to the incident without further injuries.” Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar criticized Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “I am horrified by the shocking antisemitic stabbing incident in New York. I am horrified, but unfortunately not surprised. This violence did not emerge in a vacuum. Months of incitement against the State of Israel by (Mayor) Mamdani helped create a reality in which Jews become targets. Words have consequences. Mamdani must stop the incitement, stand firmly against antisemitism and act immediately to protect the Jewish community in the city.” Mamdani himself addressed the stabbings: “I have been briefed on today’s horrifying stabbings on the Upper West Side, where an Asian man and a Jewish man were attacked. According to witness and victim statements, the perpetrator yelled “Allahu Akbar” during both attacks. I am relieved that both victims are in stable condition. The NYPD responded immediately and arrested Raul Morales in connection with both assaults—and I am grateful to the officers for their swift response. The NYPD’s initial investigation suggests that mental health may have been a factor. They are also evaluating these stabbings as potential hate crimes.” Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon also responded to the Manhattan stabbings and criticized Mamdani. “Zohran Mamdani, your incitement is putting Jewish lives in danger in New York, home to the largest Jewish community outside Israel. You have spent months fueling hatred, demonizing Israel and legitimizing hostility toward Jews. Now take responsibility for the consequences. Every time you pour more fuel on this fire, you make violence more likely. Stop the incitement. Before more people get hurt.” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said following the incident: “Disgusted by what appears to be another senseless attack on New Yorkers simply because they’re Jewish. The strength of New York has always been our ability to live together across every faith and background. Anyone who tries to tear that apart will be met with the full force of the law. New York will stand with our Jewish community today, tomorrow, and always.” message hj71104jrgg Consciousness and worldview: Did Ethiopian Jews know the Temple had been destroyed? The question points to a tradition that mourned Jerusalem’s loss without making destruction its identity, holding fast instead to longing, covenant and redemption Rabbi Dr. Sharon Zeude Shalom https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2013/08/28/4830365/4830365_0_0_1000_667_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hj71104jrgg Thu, 23 Jul 2026 16:50:50 +03:00 From time to time, I am asked what seems like a simple historical question: Did Ethiopian Jews know that the Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed? To me, however, this is not primarily a question about history. It is a question about consciousness and worldview. Two stories can illustrate this issue. The first comes from the journal of Joseph Halevy, the nineteenth-century Jewish traveler who visited the Beta Israel community of Ethiopia. After telling his Ethiopian Jewish hosts about the condition of Jerusalem, he wrote: “I informed them that the city which in ancient times had been the perfection of beauty had lost its glory and splendor and now stood ruined and desolate. When they heard these words, they were deeply grieved and wept bitterly. Our distant brothers believed that our Holy Temple still stood in all its magnificence.” The second story took place shortly after Operation Moses, the dramatic 1984–1985 airlift that brought thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. The kesim—the traditional spiritual leaders of the Beta Israel community visited Jerusalem for the first time. After spending an entire day touring the city, they arrived at the Western Wall. One of the kesim asked their guide, “Where is Jerusalem?” The guide replied in surprise, “We have been in Jerusalem all day.” The kes then asked, “And where is the Temple?” The guide pointed toward the Temple Mount and answered, “The Temple once stood there.” At that moment, the kesim fell to the ground and burst into tears. At first glance, both stories seem to lead to the same conclusion: Ethiopian Jews did not know that the Temple had been destroyed. Yet the reality is more complex. Years ago, I asked Kes Eli Wenda Mentosnot, one of the leading Ethiopian Jewish religious authorities, about the observance of the Hebrew months of Tammuz and Av—the traditional period of mourning for the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. Were there mourning customs in Ethiopia? Did the community know about the destruction? His answer was unequivocal. Ethiopian Jews fasted from the first day of the Hebrew month of Tammuz to the tenth day, commemorating the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem. This fast was identified as “the fourth fast” as described in the biblical book of Zechariah. “And what status did the Seventeenth of Tammuz (the day that Rabbinic Jews have fasted on the last two thousand years, commemorating the beginning of the destruction of the Temple) have?” I asked. “For us,” the kes replied, “it was an ordinary day. We knew that it was a special date on which some Jews observed a fast, but we did not mark it as a separate occasion. That remained the practice throughout the month of Tammuz until the beginning of Av.” The following Hebrew month of Av was also observed differently from the way it is in contemporary Rabbinic Judaism. The 9th of Av (Tish’a B’av) is the saddest day in the Rabbinic Jewish calendar. Rabbinic Jews mark the first 9 days of Av with mourning practices like not eating meat, drinking wine, cutting hair, etc. Kes Mentosnot responded that “Rosh Chodesh Av, the first day of the month, was actually a festive occasion. Families gathered together, refrained from work, and shared celebratory meals.” Only after this festive observance did the period known as Tzoma Av (“the Fast of Av”) begin. This consisted of nine days of fasting, through the Ninth of Av (Tisha B’Av), the traditional day commemorating the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem. According to one Ethiopian Jewish tradition, this fast was instituted by the prophet Isaiah as atonement for the sins of King Manasseh. According to another tradition, it commemorated the priests who were slaughtered following the destruction of the First Temple. The fasts were observed from sunrise until sunset. After nightfall, people would eat only enough to restore their strength. Even then, they abstained from meat and dairy products. In some communities—particularly among elders and the kesim, the traditional spiritual leaders—the mourning period was extended throughout the entire month of Av. This custom was also associated with a tradition that the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob died during this month. I asked how people who were physically unable to fast observed the practice. The kes answered: “Not everyone is equal when it comes to fasting. Those who worked in the fields or found fasting especially difficult were permitted to eat after midday. The elders and the kesim, who remained in the village and devoted the day to prayer, continued fasting until evening. Those who were able to fast did so not only for themselves, but also on behalf of those who could not.” When I asked specifically about Tisha B’Av, he replied: “On the Ninth of Av everyone stopped working in the fields and fasted until evening. Even those who struggled made every effort to complete the entire fast.” Finally, I asked what the emotional atmosphere of these days was like. He smiled. “We were not depressed. What moved us was not the past, but the future. Our attention was not fixed on the destruction of the Temple. We were focused on Jerusalem of Gold and on the Temple to which we hoped one day to ascend.” That response raises a profound question. How can a community maintain periods of fasting and mourning while at the same time living with a consciousness oriented primarily toward redemption rather than destruction? How can the memory of loss coexist with hope for restoration? The answer, I believe, is not historical but psychological and spiritual. It is difficult to imagine that a community which preserved memories of the destruction, observed fasts in its memory, prayed for the return to Zion, and longed for Jerusalem across generations somehow did not know that the Temple had been destroyed. The real question is not what Ethiopian Jews knew about the destruction, but what place the destruction occupied within their religious imagination. Their consciousness did not deny the catastrophe. Rather, it refused to make the catastrophe the defining center of Jewish identity. One can remember a tragedy, mourn it deeply, and even fast in its memory, while still directing one's gaze toward the future. From this perspective, Ethiopian Judaism developed a distinctive relationship to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. The destruction itself was not the organizing principle of religious life. At the center stood longing, hope and the dream of redemption. Jerusalem was imagined not merely as a city that had been lost, but as the holy city—the dwelling place of the Divine Presence, a city of splendor and holiness. In popular imagination it was even described as a place where milk flowed from the taps, a symbolic image expressing abundance, sanctity, peace, and human flourishing. From within this worldview, Ethiopian Jews preserved fasts and mourning rituals commemorating the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, prayed for the restoration of Zion, and nurtured a yearning for Jerusalem across centuries. Yet the purpose of fasting was not simply to preserve the memory of loss; it was to preserve hope. Mourning was not an immersion in the past but a preparation for the future. The destruction remained part of collective memory, but redemption shaped collective consciousness. This also helps explain the extraordinary reaction described by Joseph Halevy. When Ethiopian Jews heard his account of Jerusalem's actual condition, what shattered was not merely a geographical expectation. What broke was a spiritual vision of the world—a vision they had carried in their hearts for generations. Here, I believe, lies the difference between a consciousness of destruction and a consciousness of redemption. A consciousness of destruction is not merely the memory of a historical disaster; it is a way of viewing reality. When a society lives in fear, it seeks absolute certainty. It clings to rigid categories, sharp definitions, and clear divisions. The world becomes divided into “us” and “them,” the righteous and the sinners. Rules cease to illuminate life and instead begin to replace it. Rather than interpreting reality, people force reality into ideological frameworks. A consciousness of redemption does not abolish rules; it restores them to their proper purpose as a guide for living. It seeks to see the person before the label, reality before ideology and responsibility before blame. Its first question is not, “Who is guilty?” but, “What is my responsibility?” In this context, I am reminded of the late Professor Avi Sagi, whose sudden passing deeply saddened me. Sagi warned against a form of religious life that becomes detached from the realities of human existence. His concern was not with Jewish law (halacha) itself, but with the danger that any intellectual or religious system can lose contact with living human beings. Sagi understood Judaism first and foremost as a “Torah of life,” a tradition that encounters people where they are. He advocated a Judaism that was humane, egalitarian and open to dialogue. He opposed religious coercion, nationalism that diminished human dignity, and any use of religion that harmed people in the name of principle. He believed that a Torah disconnected from human beings ceases to be a Torah of life. Because of this outlook, he was deeply troubled by the treatment Ethiopian Jews often received from segments of Israel’s religious establishment. Yet he did not stop at criticism; he sought to participate in repair and reconciliation. In that sense, he embodied a consciousness of redemption. He did not build identity by excluding others. Instead, he sought to broaden the boundaries of Jewish belonging and place human dignity, truth, and love at the center. These reflections are written in gratitude for the person he was and for the path he helped illuminate for so many. One of the dangers of a consciousness of destruction is the attempt to protect identity through ever more rigid boundaries until identity itself becomes detached from people and from reality. A consciousness of redemption offers another path. It does not abandon tradition; it reconnects tradition with life. It recognizes that the covenant between God and Israel is lived within the realities of human existence, not outside them. This, too, is one of the gifts of Ethiopian Jewish tradition. It maintained deep fidelity to Jewish law and tradition while never severing them from community and everyday life. Covenant was understood not merely as a system of obligations, but as a relationship of trust, loyalty, and mutual responsibility. Perhaps this message is especially relevant to Israeli society today. Jews and Arabs, religious and secular, conservatives and liberals, veteran citizens and immigrants all share the same public space. Yet public discourse increasingly revolves around blame. Every group is convinced that the other side is the source of the problem. Every disagreement becomes a struggle between the righteous and the wicked. Such a discourse does not create responsibility; it frees people from it. Democracy itself cannot survive on laws alone. Laws can regulate relationships, but they cannot create trust. A democratic society requires a civic covenant: shared responsibility, self-restraint, and the recognition that even those who disagree with us remain partners in a common destiny. The central question of Tisha B’Av, therefore, is not only how the Temple was destroyed but how it can be rebuilt. In this light, the real issue, then, is not what Ethiopian Jews knew about destruction but how they understood it. The spiritual world of Ethiopian Jewry was shaped primarily by the biblical consciousness of exile and redemption rather than by the post-Temple culture of destruction that emerged in later rabbinic Judaism. Some time ago, a young couple approached me before their wedding with an unusual request. They asked not to break a glass beneath the wedding canopy. In Jewish weddings, the breaking of a glass traditionally commemorates the destruction of Jerusalem even at a moment of great joy. The couple wanted their marriage to begin with a symbol of building rather than breaking. Their request brought me back to the Ethiopian village where I grew up. There, people did not break a glass at weddings. Deliberately breaking a vessel was considered inauspicious. Besides, who had extra glasses to spare? I honored their request. Wrapping the glass in aluminum foil, I told them: “Today you have received a precious gift, love. It is wonderful, but it is also fragile. Protect it.” Perhaps that is also the message of Tisha B’Av. We are not called upon to ignore brokenness. We are called upon to refuse to make it our identity. We are not asked to forget destruction, but to ask how we can build a future from within it. The State of Israel is one of the greatest gifts the Jewish people have received in modern times. It is precious, yet fragile. If our future depends on the defeat or humiliation of others, we risk damaging the very gift we seek to protect. A consciousness of redemption begins when people can dream of a better future without requiring the downfall of someone else. Can my redemption include those who think differently than I do? If the answer is no, perhaps we have not yet left behind the consciousness of destruction. A consciousness of redemption does not promise a world without disagreements. It promises a world in which disagreement does not transform the other person into an enemy. 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 syhpxo1sfx Greater Manchester Police says officers failed to examine seized devices containing evidence of Jihad Al-Shamie’s extremist mindset, as an associate was jailed for at least 17 years over earlier reconnaissance at a British defence site Reuters https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/10/02/HJqeHNnngl/HJqeHNnngl_0_91_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/syhpxo1sfx Thu, 23 Jul 2026 14:04:30 +03:00 British police apologized Thursday for a “missed opportunity” to potentially prevent last year’s deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue after admitting that officers failed to examine data seized from the attacker before the killings. The acknowledgment came as Mohammad Asim Bashir, 31, was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years in prison for helping Jihad Al-Shamie conduct hostile reconnaissance at the UK Defence Academy in Oxfordshire in August 2025. Bashir admitted last month that he drove Al-Shamie on a 10-hour round trip from Manchester to the academy, which provides defence and security education to members of the armed forces and government personnel. Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb described Bashir as a “committed jihadist” who had enthusiastically planned a terrorist attack with Al-Shamie. Messages exchanged by the two men included discussions of violence and revealed antisemitic views. Six weeks after the trip to Oxfordshire, Al-Shamie drove a car into pedestrians outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue before attacking people with a knife. One Jewish worshipper died from stab wounds and another was accidentally shot dead by police during the response. Al-Shamie, a 35-year-old British citizen of Syrian descent, told police that he was acting on behalf of Islamic State before officers shot him dead. During Bashir’s sentencing at Manchester Crown Court, prosecutors said Al-Shamie had been arrested twice before the synagogue attack. He was detained in February 2025 over an alleged breach of a non-molestation order and again in September over an alleged rape. Police seized his mobile devices, but the court heard that their contents were not examined until after the synagogue attack. Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson said he was “deeply sorry” that officers had failed to review material containing significant evidence of Al-Shamie’s extremist mindset. “It is clear that our not having reviewed the data available to us prior to the attack constitutes a missed opportunity,” Watson said. He added that the information found on the devices would likely have led to further investigative steps. “There can, however, be little doubt that the information contained within these devices would have inspired further investigative action,” he said. During the October attack, Al-Shamie called police and said: “I pledge allegiance to the Islamic State and I have killed two Jews.” Watson said it would be for the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the inquests into the deaths to determine what impact the failure to examine the devices had on events. Bashir’s sentence focused on his role in the earlier reconnaissance mission. Prosecutors said he knowingly helped Al-Shamie survey the UK Defence Academy as part of preparations for possible terrorist activity. The case has intensified scrutiny of how police handled Al-Shamie before the synagogue attack and whether earlier examination of his devices could have exposed his extremist intentions in time to intervene. message hyjbfxybmx The destruction of the First and Second Temples shattered the belief in sacred stones but drove Judaism to reinvent itself through prayer, text, Shabbat and evolving law, transforming physical loss into a culture built to survive exile Dr. Gali Dinnur https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2023/07/25/BkntrGT93/BkntrGT93_0_74_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hyjbfxybmx Thu, 23 Jul 2026 12:37:28 +03:00 The First Temple, built by King Solomon in the 10th century BCE, became far more than a religious and administrative center. It developed into a meta-historical axis around which the consciousness of the Jewish people was shaped. The differences between the account of its construction in the Book of Kings and the version presented in the Book of Chronicles reveal how the Temple’s absolute sanctity was built, layer by layer. Chronicles, written during the Second Temple period, regards the Temple as the center of everything, an event whose importance eclipses even the Exodus from Egypt. To elevate the Temple, the later author reshaped the character of its builder, Solomon, into a model of perfection. Chronicles also explains why David was denied the privilege of building it: “But God said unto me: Thou shalt not build a house for My name, because thou art a man of war, and hast shed blood” (I Chronicles 28:3). The distinction gives precedence to Solomon, the man associated with peace and prosperity. In describing Solomon’s reign, Chronicles omits the bloody succession struggle, disregards his marriages to foreign women and overlooks the heavy burden he imposed on his people. That burden was later invoked by his son Rehoboam: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions” (I Kings 12:11). According to the Book of Kings, these failures helped bring about the division of the kingdom. Chronicles effectively ignores the kingdom’s division. Moreover, while Solomon’s wisdom in Kings is human, judicial and scientific, in Chronicles it is directed almost entirely toward one purpose: the construction and glorification of the Temple. Solomon is presented as the ideal human being, worthy of building a sanctuary intended to embody the belief that the Temple was eternal. That belief, which eventually became both a religious and a security doctrine, received its most decisive historical reinforcement during the reign of King Hezekiah, when the Assyrian king Sennacherib invaded Judah in 701 BCE. Archaeological findings, the Book of Kings and Assyrian records indicate that the region of Lachish was devastated, Judah’s fortified cities were captured and Sennacherib boasted that he had trapped Hezekiah “like a bird in a cage.” Jerusalem was also harmed, but escaped total destruction and exile after Hezekiah paid the Assyrian king an enormous tribute. He was even forced to strip material from the Temple: “So the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD, and from the door-posts which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria” (II Kings 18:14-16). Military pressures elsewhere in the Assyrian Empire also compelled Sennacherib to return north. Yet in the collective consciousness, the contrast was striking. The neighboring Kingdom of Israel had been erased by Assyria roughly 20 years earlier, in 722 BCE, while Jerusalem and its Temple remained standing. Their survival was interpreted as decisive proof that Jerusalem and its sanctuary enjoyed divine protection. The prophet Isaiah reinforced that understanding by depicting Assyria as merely an instrument in God’s hand. Its wars against other peoples, including Judah, took place as part of a divine mission to punish them: “O Asshur, the rod of Mine anger, in whose hand as a staff is Mine indignation!” (Isaiah 10:5). Isaiah also prophesied that the Assyrian king would be punished for his hubris, for believing that his empire had been created by his own power. By contrast, the biblical account emphasizes that God guarded His Temple and saved Jerusalem from exile: “For I will defend this city to save it, for Mine own sake, and for My servant David’s sake” (Isaiah 37:35). The psalmists similarly declared: “And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He hath founded for ever” (Psalms 78:69), and, “They that trust in the LORD are as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abideth for ever” (Psalms 125:1). For a century, the belief that the Temple was Jerusalem’s physical insurance policy became deeply entrenched. Jeremiah shattered the illusion The prophet Jeremiah sought to break that illusion with an almost anarchic boldness. Standing in the Temple courtyard before crowds of pilgrims, he confronted them with words that sounded like treason against both the monarchy and religion: “Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and offer unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye have not known, and come and stand before Me in this house, whereupon My name is called, and say: ‘We are delivered,’ that ye may do all these abominations? Is this house, whereupon My name is called, become a den of robbers in your eyes?” (Jeremiah 7:8-11). Jeremiah challenged the magical understanding of ritual. He made clear that stones possessed no independent sanctity and that the people’s continued presence in the land depended entirely on moral conditions, including the protection of the stranger, the orphan and the widow. To demonstrate that no sanctuary was immune from destruction, he cited a historical precedent: the destruction of the Tabernacle at Shiloh by the Philistines in the 11th century BCE. “Therefore will I do unto the house, whereupon My name is called, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh” (Jeremiah 7:14). Jeremiah’s words destabilized the prevailing conception that the Temple could not possibly be destroyed. The people and the authorities treated him as a false prophet, placed him on trial and declared that he deserved death. Only the intervention of Ahikam son of Shaphan prevented his execution. The people refused to listen. The belief in the Temple’s immunity had become a psychological shield too powerful to allow doubt to penetrate it. This psychological mechanism, the search for supernatural immunity during war and crisis, did not disappear with the ancient world. In her masterful novel History: A Novel, Elsa Morante describes with psychological precision the feelings of Rome’s residents during World War II. Air raid sirens sounded repeatedly, but the residents of the San Lorenzo district remained convinced that Rome would never be struck because it was protected by the pope, whom they called the capital’s “air defense.” Rome, and San Lorenzo in particular, was ultimately devastated by Allied bombing. Jerusalem met a similar fate in 586 BCE. The Temple was burned, the doctrine of immunity collapsed and the people were sent into exile. Yet at that moment, amid the ashes of destruction and exile, the dynamic miracle of Jewish existence began. Exile did not bring annihilation. Instead, it produced a moment of disillusionment and set in motion an unprecedented spiritual revolution. The prophet Ezekiel, writing by the rivers of Babylon, redefined the relationship between place and divinity. He introduced the revolutionary notion of a mikdash me’at, a “little sanctuary,” later interpreted by the sages as the synagogue. The understanding that God was to be served not only through burnt offerings but through prayer, the “service of the heart,” transferred sanctity from geography to text and time. The status of Shabbat grew stronger in exile. It came to be regarded as equivalent to the Temple, a sanctuary within time that was portable and indestructible, expressing the eternal covenant: “Moreover also I gave them My sabbaths, to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them” (Ezekiel 20:12). The idea that God could be worshipped without a Temple and in any location helped develop a universal understanding of divinity, detached from any single earthly place and dwelling instead among the people. The process reached its culmination in the concept of the Shekhinah, the divine presence, which became synonymous with God’s presence among Israel. As the Midrash teaches: “Wherever Israel was exiled, the Divine Presence was exiled with them.” By the Second Temple’s destruction, the mechanism was ready Following Cyrus’ declaration and the return to Zion, the Second Temple was built. When it too was destroyed, in 70 CE, the mechanism for Jewish survival without a Temple was already in place. The sages relate that Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, displaying political courage and thinking beyond the accepted boundaries of his time, escaped besieged Jerusalem in a coffin and established a new center at Yavne to replace Jerusalem. He and his students transmitted the Oral Torah to future generations, creating a dynamic, evolving and living body of law that eliminated the dependence on sacrificial worship and priestly intermediaries. Paradoxically, accepting the physical death of the structure gave Jewish civilization its enduring life. Biblical history and Jewish existence offer a lesson that resonates particularly on Tisha B’Av. Entrenchment in a doctrine of immunity, whether embodied in the stones of a Temple or in modern security theories, inevitably weakens defenses and prepares the way for disaster. Doubt, constant scrutiny and a willingness to awaken the moral compass at the expense of external ritual are the true safeguards. Rupture may be catastrophic. But once the stones are released, destruction can also become the birth of the next stage in the evolution of the spirit. The writer is a biblical scholar message bjesu71hgx Ancient texts place the Ark beneath the Temple Mount, historical accounts trace the menorah from Jerusalem to Rome, and archaeologists reject claims that the Vatican holds the sacred vessels, leaving one of Judaism’s greatest mysteries unresolved Itzchak Tessler https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/19/HkDZFNcEzx/HkDZFNcEzx_0_125_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjesu71hgx Thu, 23 Jul 2026 10:25:14 +03:00 Tisha B’Av marks not only the date on which, according to Jewish tradition, the Temples were destroyed, but also the disappearance of their sacred vessels. The fact that many of these objects were made of gold, sacred to the Jewish people and immensely valuable, has long fired the imagination of writers and filmmakers. The best-known example is Steven Spielberg’s 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which Harrison Ford’s adventuring archaeologist Indiana Jones sets out to find the Ark of the Covenant. The television series Warehouse 13, centered on a secret government facility housing historical artifacts with supernatural powers, also refers to the Ark as an exceptionally dangerous object, alongside other relics from the biblical period. Documentary filmmakers have pursued the mystery as well. In The Ark of the Covenant: The Bible’s Origins, director Thierry Ragobert followed excavations led by Prof. Israel Finkelstein at Kiryat Yearim in search of clues to the Ark’s disappearance. The documentary series Secrets of Archaeology explored whether the Temple vessels reached the Vatican, were seized by the Vandals or had been hidden earlier in caves in the Judean Desert. The mystery began with the First Temple “Some of the Temple vessels disappeared as early as the destruction of the First Temple,” Prof. Eyal Regev, a historian and archaeologist specializing in the Land of Israel during the Second Temple period at Bar-Ilan University, told ynet. In 586 BCE, the Babylonians conquered Jerusalem and burned the Temple. The Book of Jeremiah recounts that they looted its valuables, including the lampstands. What about the Ark of the Covenant? “It was not mentioned, and its absence appears to have opened the door to ancient traditions claiming that the Temple vessels were hidden before the Babylonians could reach them,” Regev said. Regev explained that the Second Book of Maccabees, which recounts the Hasmonean revolt, includes a lengthy letter attributed to Judah Maccabee and addressed to the Jews of Egypt, urging them to celebrate Hanukkah. “The letter refers to traditions surrounding the dedication of the sanctuary in the days of Moses and Solomon, as well as a ‘sacred fire’ that was placed on the Temple altar in the days of Nehemiah after being discovered in a hiding place, a fire that symbolized the Divine Presence,” he said. “It also states that the prophet Jeremiah, acting on a heavenly command, ordered the exiles to hide the Tabernacle tent, the Ark of the Covenant and the altar of incense in a cave. He prophesied that these objects would be revealed only after the ingathering of the exiles, when the glory of God would appear as a cloud. “Another work, preserved for centuries in the writings of the Church Fathers, says that although the Babylonians plundered the Temple, the Ark of the Covenant and the tablets were taken by Jeremiah. That book is attributed to Eupolemus, who was apparently Judah’s diplomatic envoy to Rome following the alliance concluded with the Romans in 161 BCE.” What conclusion do you draw from these traditions? “The fate of the lost Temple vessels, and particularly the Ark of the Covenant, preoccupied the Maccabees,” Regev said. “They probably hoped that following the rescue of the Temple from Antiochus and its rededication, God would reveal the location of these objects and allow them to complete the mission of restoring the Temple to its former glory.” Regev, whose books include The Temple in Early Christianity: Experiencing the Sacred, noted that the destruction of the Second Temple also gave rise to traditions about sacred vessels being hidden. “There is an apocryphal work known as 2 Baruch, attributed to Baruch son of Neriah, Jeremiah’s scribe,” he said. “The book, written shortly after the destruction of the Second Temple, describes the concealment of the vessels. It says that while the Chaldeans were besieging Jerusalem, Baruch stood on the city wall and saw an angel descend from heaven into the Holy of Holies. “The angel took the Temple curtain, the high priest’s ephod, the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, the altar of incense and other sacred objects. The book says the angel placed them within the earth until the end of days so that foreigners would not seize them.” The location of the hidden Temple vessels also occupied the Jewish sages, Regev said. “For example, the Mishnah in Tractate Shekalim records a tradition that the Ark was concealed in the Wood Chamber in the Temple courtyard,” he said. “It recounts: ‘It once happened that a priest who was occupied there noticed that one of the paving stones differed from the others. He went and told his colleague, but before he could finish speaking, his soul departed, and they knew with certainty that the Ark had been hidden there.’” As a historian, where do you believe the Temple vessels actually are? “From the range of these traditions, one might conclude that the Ark of the Covenant and additional Temple vessels are waiting for us somewhere in the area of the Temple Mount,” Regev said. “If we wait patiently for the complete redemption, they will probably be found at precisely the appropriate time.” Do not look for the Temple treasures in the Vatican Archaeologist Zachi Dvira and his longtime colleague Dr. Gabriel “Gabi” Barkay, who died earlier this year, did uncover artifacts from the Temple periods. For years, they found historical objects in earth removed from the Temple Mount by the Muslim Waqf through the Temple Mount Sifting Project. Asked what became of the vessels from the Second Temple, Dvira said he believed the Jewish rebels did not hide them. “In my assessment, the rebels, who were confident in their ability to repel the Romans, did not conceal the Temple vessels,” he said. “They also used some of them for military survival during the final stages of the siege.” Dvira pointed to Josephus’ famous account of the Romans looting the vessels and displaying them in a victory procession in Rome, an event immortalized in the relief on the Arch of Titus. The enormous amount of booty taken from Jerusalem helped finance the construction of the Colosseum and the Temple of Peace in Rome, where the seven-branched menorah and the Table of Showbread were displayed. “Over the years, all trace of these treasures disappeared,” Dvira said. “They may have been melted during the fire that destroyed the Temple of Peace in 191 CE, or deliberately melted down because of the value of their precious metals. “The descriptions by the sixth-century Byzantine historian Procopius, according to whom the Temple vessels were taken by the Vandals to Carthage, later returned to Roman hands and were eventually sent back to Jerusalem, do not appear reliable.” What about the claim that the Catholic Church possesses them? “If that were the case, the Church would probably display them as decisive proof of its claim that Christianity is the legitimate heir to the divine covenant with the people of Israel,” Dvira said. He noted that the Ark of the Covenant vanished after the destruction of the First Temple and does not appear in the lists of plunder taken to Babylon. “It is entirely possible that the Ark and additional vessels were hidden in advance in secret tunnels beneath the Temple Mount, as mentioned in rabbinic sources,” he said. “At the same time, it is important to note that most of the pits and underground spaces known to us today on the Temple Mount apparently date from the Second Temple period or later, and were accessible to the different rulers of the site over the centuries. We have evidence of additional spaces that are not documented in the literature, and there appear to be many more that could be discovered through a comprehensive scientific survey of the Temple Mount.” What are the chances that remains of the Temple vessels will be found through the Temple Mount Sifting Project? “There is no such expectation, both because of the historical circumstances and because of the nature of the sifting work,” Dvira said. “The project focuses almost exclusively on tiny finds and small fragments of larger objects, many of which have not yet been deciphered. “If objects directly connected to Temple worship are discovered, they will probably be items such as the seal impression belonging to a priest of the House of Immer, which was found during the sifting. “In my view, the most important discovery of the project is the general public that comes to take part in the work of uncovering and saving these finds. I hope the government will also take an interest in the project and help fund this enormous undertaking, which until now has been financed solely through private donations.” The mystery that became a novel Researcher and scientist Dr. Simcha Ehrlich transformed the mystery of the Temple vessels into a historical novel titled Shimon and Genseric. Shimon, one of the story’s two central protagonists, is a fearless Jewish warrior who sets out on a journey to locate the missing Temple vessels. “The book is based on extensive historical research that I conducted,” Ehrlich told ynet. “After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the Temple vessels were brought to Rome and displayed in the Temple of Peace, which was completed by Emperor Vespasian. Together with his son Titus, he suppressed the Great Jewish Revolt against Rome.” At what stage did the Catholic Church enter the story? “In 393 CE, Christianity was declared the sole religion of the Roman Empire,” Ehrlich said. “At that point, in my estimation, the Christian Church took custody of the Temple vessels and hid them in a large basilica on Vatican Hill. “The building had been donated to the Church by the Roman Emperor Constantine, who had ordered its construction around 70 years earlier above what was believed to be the burial place of Saint Peter.” Ehrlich’s novel also features Genseric, king of the Vandals, an East Germanic people who became one of the Roman Empire’s greatest threats during the fifth century. “In 455 CE, he plundered Rome and took everything of value,” Ehrlich said. “Seventy-nine years later, the Byzantines conquered North Africa from the Vandals. The historian Procopius, who described the conquest, wrote that the Byzantines took the Temple vessels from Carthage, the Vandal capital, displayed them in a victory procession in Constantinople and later transferred them to Jerusalem. “I wrote the book against the backdrop of these events, with Shimon embarking on a daring quest for the Jewish people’s most sacred treasure. It is not merely a literary invention, but a plot based on one of the most fascinating historical mysteries of the ancient world and supported by historical sources.” Where, in your assessment, are the Temple vessels today? “I believe the Temple vessels are currently in Jerusalem, most likely in one of the underground tunnels beneath the Temple Mount,” Ehrlich said. “There are Jewish traditions stating that the vessels are indeed there, and Rabbi Meir Yehuda Getz, the rabbi of the Western Wall, made a well-known attempt to search for them in 1981. The effort was thwarted by the Arabs, and no similar attempts have been made since.” message sk6pg5r4gg Worshippers arrived at the Western Wall Plaza in Jerusalem to sit on the ground and read the Book of Lamentations and other kinot on the day of mourning for the destruction of the Temple  Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/22/Hk4twhKANMe/Hk4twhKANMe_0_135_1280_721_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sk6pg5r4gg Wed, 22 Jul 2026 22:17:25 +03:00 Masses of worshippers arrived at the Western Wall on Wednesday evening, the eve of Tisha B’Av, to take part in the reading of the Book of Lamentations, pray and recite kinot, traditional elegies, on the day of mourning for the destruction of the Temple. In keeping with the customs of the day, many worshippers sat on the ground in prayer near the western retaining wall of the Temple Mount plaza. The Western Wall Heritage Foundation stressed that private vehicles will not be allowed into the Old City, and recommended arriving by public transportation. The foundation said the public is asked to follow the instructions of Israel Police, security forces and ushers at the site. In Jewish tradition, Tisha B’Av is the day on which both Temples were destroyed. The sages instituted a fast on this day to express the heavy mourning over the event — and to awaken the people of Israel to repentance, based on the understanding that the same circumstances that caused the destruction then still exist today and continue to cause damage within us. According to Jewish law, one is obligated to fast on this day and observe the five afflictions — refraining from eating, drinking, washing, anointing, marital relations and wearing leather shoes. In addition to these afflictions, it is customary to be stricter with mourning practices: One does not sit on a chair until midday, does not greet others with “shalom,” does not engage in idle matters that distract from mourning and does not do nonessential work until midday. In addition, Torah study is not conducted on this day except on subjects related to the destruction, such as the Book of Lamentations or midrashim on the destruction, or subjects connected to human suffering, such as the Book of Job. It is customary to be strict with the mourning practices of the Nine Days — refraining from eating meat and drinking wine — until midday the following day, the 10th of Av. On Wednesday night, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation is holding a special tour titled “And in Jerusalem, may you be comforted” for bereaved families whose loved ones fell in battles defending Jerusalem and the State of Israel. The tour will take place at destruction-era sites near the Western Wall and will connect the memory of the national destruction with stories of heroism and personal loss. Ahead of the end of the fast, on Thursday at 7 p.m. circles of song and unity are expected to be held at the Western Wall plaza with the participation of thousands of worshippers and visitors. The event, held every year, symbolizes the transition from mourning to comfort and will be broadcast live on the Western Wall Heritage Foundation website. message sjmdfvaegx Business insights from the Torah: Rabbi Akiva’s encounter with a fox after the destruction of the Second Temple offers a lesson for leaders: crises should not be reduced to slogans about opportunity, but used to uncover hard truths, learn and rebuild  Ziv Elul https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/22/HkA9nwR4Gl/HkA9nwR4Gl_0_0_1280_853_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sjmdfvaegx Wed, 22 Jul 2026 20:08:29 +03:00 Managers are quick to ask how to emerge from a crisis. Rabbi Yitzhak Arama suggests beginning with a deeper question: What does the crisis reveal about reality, about the organization and about the way we made decisions? Only after understanding the destruction can one begin to build. The hardest moment in a manager’s life is not always the moment when the organization enters a crisis. Sometimes it comes a little later, when the manager is no longer sure he understands the reality in which he is operating. A product that took years of investment fails. Longtime customers leave. Excellent employees decide to go. A strategy that looked promising turns out to be an expensive mistake. In the management meeting, people look for solutions, but beneath the discussion lies a deeper question: Did we make a mistake in a specific decision, or did we lose the ability to understand the world in which we operate? An organization can cope with losses. It is much harder for it to cope with the feeling that reality has become incomprehensible. As long as the manager knows why he failed, he has a starting point for repair. When everything looks random, even the recovery plan becomes a guess. It is precisely at this point that Rabbi Yitzhak Arama, author of “Akedat Yitzhak” and one of the great Jewish philosophers of the 15th century, offers a surprising reading of the well-known story of Rabbi Akiva and his companions. The sages go up to Jerusalem after the destruction and see a fox emerging from the Holy of Holies. The place that had been the nation’s holiest and most stable center had become a dwelling place for wild animals. They burst into tears, while Rabbi Akiva laughs. Rabbi Akiva explains that Scripture linked two prophecies together: Uriah’s prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and Zechariah’s prophecy about the day when old men and children would once again return to its streets. As long as he had not seen the prophecy of destruction fulfilled, he feared that perhaps the prophecy of consolation would not be fulfilled either. Now that the harsh prediction had come true, his faith was strengthened that the promise of the future would also be realized. It is easy to turn the story into a slogan: Every crisis is an opportunity, every decline is the beginning of an ascent. But not every company will recover, not every failed product will come back to life and not every destruction conceals future success. Responsible leadership does not promise that everything will be all right. Here lies the great innovation of the author of “Akedat Yitzhak.” Rabbi Akiva provides the story, but Rabbi Yitzhak Arama turns it into a complete theory of leadership. Destruction, in his view, does not prove that reality has spun out of control. On the contrary: It reveals that the warnings were not empty words, that choices had consequences and that reality still operates according to a logic that can be understood. That is why a leader should not first ask, “How do we get out of the crisis?” but rather, “What does the crisis teach us about reality and about ourselves?” Which basic assumption turned out to be wrong? Which warning did we ignore? And what in the way we managed the organization allowed the crisis to happen? This is also the difference between optimism and hope. Optimism says things will be good. Hope says there is meaning. The person who hopes does not know how the story will end, but believes that actions have consequences and that it is possible to learn from the past in order to choose differently in the future. Rabbi Akiva does not ignore the destruction and does not dismiss his companions’ tears. They look at what was lost; he looks at the same reality and asks what it teaches about what can still be. The destruction is real, but it does not erase the possibility of understanding, repairing and building. A leader must know how to provide direction, but also how to say, “We were wrong.” To offer hope, but hope that rests on learning, on a plan and on a willingness to change — not on artificial confidence So too in an organization. A company that ignored customer complaints for years may one day discover that churn rates have risen, the brand has eroded and revenue has declined. The crisis does not guarantee recovery. Customers who have lost trust are not quick to return, and the market changes in the meantime. But it removes the fog: It exposes the connection between decisions and results. When the cause is understood, it becomes possible to build a plan that is not based on guesswork. For a crisis to become learning, management must have a rare degree of honesty. It is easy to say that the market changed, that competitors acted unfairly or that employees failed to execute. These explanations protect the ego, but they do not build a better organization. A real explanation begins with uncomfortable questions: What information did we have but not want to see? Which warning did we dismiss because it did not fit the strategy? When did we stop listening to the people closest to the customers? And which basic assumption became for us a truth that could not be challenged? During the coronavirus period, and later during the war as well, there were management meetings in which the most important sentence I could say was actually: “I don’t know.” Managers feel the need to project certainty even when they do not have it. But employees, investors and customers do not need a leader who pretends to know everything. They need a leader they can believe. A leader must know how to provide direction, but also how to say, “We were wrong.” To offer hope, but hope that rests on learning, on a plan and on a willingness to change — not on artificial confidence. Perhaps this is the most important difference between a manager and a leader. A manager is occupied with solving the problem; a leader is also occupied with interpreting it. He understands that the way the organization tells itself the story of the crisis will largely determine its future. An organization that tells itself everything happened because of bad luck will learn nothing. An organization that places all the blame on others will not change. But an organization capable of saying honestly, “We were wrong, we understood why, and now we choose differently,” lays the foundation for rebuilding. The next time a fox enters the boardroom, the instinct will be to ask how to quickly turn the crisis into an opportunity. But that question comes too soon. The more important question is what this fox has come to reveal: Which truth that we did not want to see does it expose, and which basic assumption does it undermine? That is the innovation Rabbi Yitzhak Arama finds in Rabbi Akiva’s laughter. He does not promise that everything will be all right, but teaches that even when reality falls apart, one must not lose the ability to understand it. Leadership is not measured by never having made mistakes. It is measured by the ability to look at a mistake without running away from it, to understand what it reveals to us and, from that understanding, to choose a better path. message bjmksj0vgx StopAntisemitism identified man as Michael Sommer and alleged he runs a Telegram channel praising Hitler and spreading antisemitic content while receiving federal veterans benefits Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/22/r1g1HhpTEfx/r1g1HhpTEfx_0_0_394_293_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjmksj0vgx Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:58:18 +03:00 StopAntisemitism published footage overnight Wednesday showing a man stopping his vehicle beside a private home in New York, entering the property and tearing down an Israeli flag displayed alongside the American flag. The man then filmed himself with the flag and uploaded the video to his Telegram channel, according to the organization. StopAntisemitism identified the man as Michael Sommer, a former member of the U.S. Army. The organization alleged that Sommer operates a Telegram channel where he publishes antisemitic content, praises Adolf Hitler, displays neo-Nazi symbols, performs Nazi salutes and documents himself stealing Israeli flags from private property. StopAntisemitism further claimed that despite this activity, Sommer continues to receive benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs funded by American taxpayers. The organization called on U.S. authorities to investigate the incident and address Sommer’s conduct, which it said includes spreading antisemitic propaganda and committing property offenses while recording and distributing them on social media. “This wasn't vandalism in the heat of the moment. It was deliberate, premeditated, and celebrated,” the organization said. The video, posted on X, accumulated tens of thousands of views. One user wrote: "Really doesn’t matter if premeditated or not, same crime of hate. Aint like with murder where the charge is different if premeditated, it’s a vandalism hate charge either way. Pretty sure the hate crime aspect makes it a felony rather than simple misdemeanor vandalism. They’ll get em and he’ll have a hate crime on his record the rest of his life. Judge will make him volunteer having to pick up trash around synagogues every week for a year or something lol. Hoping some time behind bars first." message bjiheap4fe The fast begins Wednesday evening and ends Thursday night, with Jewish law restricting food, drink, bathing, leather shoes and marital relations while granting exemptions in cases of illness, childbirth and operational military duty Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/08/02/B13c001hPex/B13c001hPex_0_0_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjiheap4fe Wed, 22 Jul 2026 08:16:49 +03:00 The Tisha B’Av fast in 2026 will begin at sunset on Wednesday, July 22, and continue until nightfall on Thursday, July 23. The fast will begin at 7:47 p.m. in Jerusalem, 7:45 p.m. in Tel Aviv, 7:48 p.m. in Haifa, 7:46 p.m. in Be'er Sheva, 7:44 p.m. in Petah Tikva, 7:46 p.m. in Modi’in, 7:46 p.m. in Netanya, 7:45 p.m. in Ashdod, 7:45 p.m. in Ashkelon, 7:49 p.m. in Safed, 7:46 p.m. in Tiberias, 7:39 p.m. in Eilat and 7:44 p.m. in Kiryat Shmona. The fast will end Thursday at 8:12 p.m. in Jerusalem, 8:14 p.m. in Tel Aviv, 8:15 p.m. in Haifa, 8:12 p.m. in Be'er Sheva, 8:14 p.m. in Petah Tikva, 8:13 p.m. in Modi’in, 8:15 p.m. in Netanya, 8:14 p.m. in Ashdod, 8:14 p.m. in Ashkelon, 8:14 p.m. in Safed, 8:13 p.m. in Tiberias, 8:08 p.m. in Eilat and 8:14 p.m. in Kiryat Shmona. Why do Jews fast on Tisha B’Av? In Jewish tradition, Tisha B’Av marks the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem. The sages established the fast as an expression of national mourning and as a call for repentance, based on the belief that the causes of the destruction remain relevant to Jewish society. According to tradition, five major tragedies occurred on the date. The first was the sin of the spies in the desert, after which the Israelites’ entry into the Land of Israel was delayed for 40 years. Both Temples were later destroyed on Tisha B’Av, the First Temple by the Babylonians and the Second Temple by the Romans. The date is also associated with the fall of the city of Betar during the Bar Kokhba revolt and with the plowing of Jerusalem ahead of the construction of a Roman city in its place. What is forbidden during the fast? Jewish law requires those observing Tisha B’Av to refrain from five activities: eating and drinking, bathing, applying oils or lotions, marital relations and wearing leather shoes. Additional mourning practices are also observed. These include avoiding sitting on a regular chair until midday, refraining from greeting others with “shalom,” avoiding distracting or frivolous activities and not performing nonessential work before midday. Torah study is generally restricted to texts related to mourning, destruction or human suffering, including the Book of Lamentations, accounts of the Temple’s destruction and the Book of Job. The customary restrictions of the Nine Days, including abstaining from meat and wine, continue until midday on the following day, the 10th of Av. Tisha B’Av is considered more severe than the other minor fasts, including the 17th of Tammuz, the 10th of Tevet, the Fast of Gedaliah and the Fast of Esther. Unlike those fasts, which begin in the morning, Tisha B’Av begins the previous evening. It also includes all five restrictions, while the minor fasts generally prohibit only eating and drinking. In that respect, Tisha B’Av resembles Yom Kippur. However, Yom Kippur is a Torah commandment, while Tisha B’Av was instituted by the prophets and the sages. Jewish tradition also holds that the fast will eventually be abolished after the rebuilding of the Temple, as occurred during the Second Temple period. Who is exempt from fasting? A person whose doctor says fasting would endanger their health must not be stringent and fast anyway. Those who are able to fast but need to take medication may swallow it normally. If water is required, they should try to use a small quantity. Children under the age of bar or bat mitzvah are not required to fast. Unlike Yom Kippur, they are generally not trained to fast for several hours. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are formally required under Jewish law to fast on both Yom Kippur and Tisha B’Av. However, because Tisha B’Av is a rabbinic fast rather than a Torah commandment, rabbinic authorities are considerably more lenient in cases of need. The Shulchan Aruch states that pregnant and breastfeeding women should complete the Tisha B’Av fast as they do on Yom Kippur. Many contemporary rabbinic authorities, however, argue that people are physically weaker today and that fasting may endanger the woman or fetus. Breastfeeding women may face reduced milk production, especially after the fast. One possible solution is to pump and refrigerate milk in advance. When necessary, leniencies may be applied, particularly when the baby is exclusively breastfed. A woman within 30 days of giving birth is exempt from fasting according to all opinions. A woman who gave birth within the previous 24 months and is experiencing weakness may also eat and drink during this year’s fast. Are soldiers on operational duty exempt? Soldiers whose ability to perform operational duties could be harmed by fasting are exempt. They may also wear regular shoes when required for military activity. During wartime, the Military Rabbinate prepared special guidance for soldiers in the field and made the exceptional decision to allow military training on fast days. Soldiers training on Tisha B’Av are instructed to begin the fast. If they feel they can no longer continue training safely, they should eat a small amount so they can return to full operational capacity. They are advised to prepare food in advance and keep it accessible so the disruption to training remains minimal. According to Military Rabbinate instructions, soldiers engaged in operational activity must continue eating when necessary to preserve readiness. They should consult their unit rabbis, who are deployed across military bases and operational sectors. Must all kinot be recited? Some communities read the Book of Lamentations from a kosher scroll and recite the appropriate blessing before the reading. Kinot books contain many elegies composed over centuries, often in difficult poetic language that can be hard even for fluent Hebrew speakers to understand. Rabbinic authorities say it is permissible to shorten the selection of kinot in order to recite them with greater concentration and understanding. Many communities use a selected list and also add elegies commemorating Holocaust victims and other Jewish tragedies. The halachic responses were provided by Rabbi Shmuel Shapira, Rabbi David Stav and Rabbi Mordechai Efrati. message s1xvwf1anze Birthright Israel’s Storytellers program brings social media creators to the country without scripts or posting quotas, encouraging them to share personal encounters with Israeli life, Jewish identity and one another in their own voices Ilan Levinsohn, Yael Feldman Shavit https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/21/Hy75h16EMe/Hy75h16EMe_1_0_1024_576_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1xvwf1anze Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:01:44 +03:00 When Australian runner and content creator Joel Solomon arrived in Tel Aviv for the first time, he expected to find a country defined by the headlines. Instead, he found strangers striking up conversations before he had even unpacked his bags. "I arrived with my suitcases on the Tel Aviv promenade that afternoon," said Solomon, 21, who studies at Wagner College in New York on a track and field scholarship. "Within the first few hours I'd already made friends." From abroad, he said, Israel had often seemed synonymous with conflict. "Israel has a really bad name on the outside," he said. "Then you get here, and it genuinely felt like the best place I've ever been." Solomon was one of dozens of Jewish creators invited to participate in Birthright Israel's Storytellers program, an initiative launched after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack to bring social media creators to Israel and let them experience the country firsthand before sharing it with audiences in their own words. Birthright offers educational experiences and is not like traditional advocacy programs, participants on this new program are not given scripts, talking points or posting quotas. Instead, they are encouraged to document and share whatever resonates with them, whether that's food, nightlife, religion, fitness, music or conversations with Israelis. For Solomon, authenticity became the guiding principle. "My goal was to be authentic and not hide anything," he said. His videos captured morning runs along Tel Aviv's beachfront, coffee shops, beaches and the rhythm of daily life rather than the version of Israel he believed many people abroad expected to see. "I wanted to show what it's really like," he said. "Israel is such a small country, but it has everything — the desert, the city, the beach, the religious parts. It's a beautiful country." Some of the moments that stayed with him never made it into a carefully planned piece of content. Floating in the Dead Sea after growing up swimming in Australia's oceans felt "cleansing," he said. Walking through Jerusalem's Old City and the Muslim Quarter left him overwhelmed by the weight of history. On Shabbat, wandering Jerusalem's streets became what he called a "pinch me moment." Yet the biggest surprise was more personal. "I've never felt more connected to my Judaism," Solomon said. Growing up in Australia, he said, Jewish identity often revolved around organized events, synagogue or community programs. "In Israel, I didn't have to try," he said. "Whether I was walking on the promenade, swimming at the beach or eating in Jerusalem, I just felt Jewish. It was the most natural feeling I've ever had." 'I wasn't looking for a story—I wanted to meet other people' For creator Orly Israel, the trip began with a different search altogether. "I wasn't really looking for a story," he said. "I wanted to meet other people making content and meet other Jews. At that point in my life, I needed more of that than I was getting." Unlike many influencers, Orly says he rarely approaches a project with a predetermined message. His work revolves around conversations with strangers, allowing them to shape the story rather than arriving with conclusions of his own. "I don't come in with a story I'm trying to tell," he said. "I create an environment where someone else tells me their story." That philosophy carried into Israel. Rather than filming constantly, he spent much of the trip listening — to fellow creators, speakers and guides offering sharply different perspectives. A discussion on the Temple Mount between an Israeli and a Palestinian guide particularly stood out. "It was a fantastic example of discussion in action," he said. He also described meeting young Jewish creators from across the political spectrum, saying the conversations challenged his own thinking while reinforcing the importance of listening. "I think the world needs more people who are open-minded enough to hear other people's experiences," he said. The relationships extended beyond the trip itself. Through Storytellers, Orly met another creator named Vlad. The two later lived together in the United States for four months while producing content and developing a new show. "That connection completely changed the direction my career was taking," he said. 'The experience made me prouder of my Jewish identity' For musician Kate, the most significant change wasn't creative but personal. Before Oct. 7, she occasionally shared performances at Jewish events but rarely spoke publicly about Judaism. After the Hamas attack, she wanted to become more vocal but found herself hesitating after difficult conversations within the music industry. " I wanted to speak more openly and become more involved," she said. "But I also had some difficult conversations within the music industry that left me feeling isolated and hesitant to share that part of myself publicly." Storytellers introduced her to other young Jewish creators navigating similar questions. "It opened my eyes to other young Jews who care deeply about Judaism and Israel, each in their own way, and who incorporate those values naturally into their lives," she said. The experience, she said, made her more comfortable expressing her Jewish identity online. "The experience made me prouder of my Jewish identity and more comfortable creating Jewish content." At the same time, it also helped clarify what she did — and did not — want to say. "I am not a political activist or a researcher," she said. "I do not believe it is my role to comment on every issue." Instead, she said, she wants to create Jewish content that feels authentic to her work as a musician and meaningful to her audience. Birthright Israel created Storytellers after concluding that younger audiences increasingly receive information through social media personalities rather than governments or traditional news outlets. The initiative brings creators from North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia and elsewhere to Israel for immersive trips combining travel, meetings with Israelis, workshops and time to create content independently. Participants also join an alumni network that already has 8 million cumulative followers on their social media channels that offers continued mentoring, workshops and support for future projects. Ilan Wagner, Birthright Israel's vice president for Onward programs, said the goal is not to turn creators into spokespeople. "It's one thing to try to explain a policy," Wagner said. "It's another thing to generate goodwill, identification, affinity and sentiment." Participants, he said, are encouraged to integrate Israel and Jewish identity into the platforms they have already built, whether those focus on food, music, travel, fashion, sports or lifestyle. "They’ve built up their followers by doing something in particular," Wagner said. "We want them to integrate, in their own voices, these themes about Israel and the Jewish people." That freedom was one of the things Solomon appreciated most. "There were no prerequisites," he said. "Nobody told us what we had to post. They didn't even make us film one video." The absence of pressure, he said, made the content feel more genuine. "It never felt like a job," Solomon said. "It was simply an opportunity. What we chose to do with it was completely up to us." message bjrzlf2nmx Prosecutors say the 15-year-old stockpiled pyrotechnic materials for an attack, particularly against a synagogue, and later severed two fingers while building a homemade explosive device Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/02/09/H13JhmwvZl/H13JhmwvZl_0_0_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjrzlf2nmx Tue, 21 Jul 2026 09:09:22 +03:00 German prosecutors have charged a 15-year-old boy from Bavaria with allegedly planning a terrorist attack against a synagogue after investigators found that he had stockpiled a large quantity of pyrotechnic materials. The indictment was filed with the juvenile division of the Augsburg District Court, the German newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine reported. The teenager faces several charges, including preparing a serious act of violence endangering state security, intentionally possessing explosive materials without authorization, causing an explosion and inflicting dangerous bodily harm. According to prosecutors, the boy accumulated the pyrotechnic materials with the intention of carrying out an attack, specifically targeting a synagogue. He is being held in custody pending the conclusion of the legal proceedings. The indictment also alleges that the teenager caused an explosion in late October 2025. Augsburger Allgemeine reported that the boy, who lives in the Augsburg district, severed two of his fingers with a homemade spherical explosive device he had constructed. One of his friends was lightly injured in the blast. The investigation has been underway since last fall. The teenager is presumed innocent until proven guilty. His attorney has rejected the allegation that he intended to attack a synagogue. German prosecutors previously said the boy had expressed support for the Islamic State terrorist organization (ISIS). message skqgci2vzl Beth Rivkah’s 152 graduates say rising antisemitism will not drive them into retreat, but toward Jewish education, community leadership and service across more than 40 countries ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/21/rkIbh82Efx/rkIbh82Efx_0_0_1024_682_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skqgci2vzl Tue, 21 Jul 2026 05:42:25 +03:00 Graduates of Chabad's Beth Rivkah High School say the antidote to post-October 7 hostility isn't retreat, but a proud, renewed commitment to Jewish education and community service worldwide. As headlines across North America continue to focus on rising antisemitism, hostile anti-Israel demonstrations, and growing concerns about the safety of Jewish life, a very different story unfolded this week inside a packed auditorium in Brooklyn. One by one, young women in caps and gowns crossed the stage at Beth Rivkah High School, embracing classmates they had spent years growing alongside, before heading off to celebrate with their families. This year, 152 graduates received their diplomas, joining generations of Beth Rivkah alumnae who today serve as educators, Chabad emissaries, and community leaders throughout the world. For many, it was a familiar graduation scene. But this year, the moment carried a profound new weight. These young women came of age during one of the most turbulent periods in modern Jewish history. They spent their high school years witnessing the trauma of October 7 and the subsequent wave of hostility that swept across college campuses and major cities. Yet, if anxiety and uncertainty have become defining themes of Jewish life in recent years, there was no trace of it inside the room. The prevailing mood was one of absolute confidence—not fear, and certainly not retreat. These girls are our answer The graduates are part of Beth Rivkah, Chabad’s Global School for Jewish Women’s Leadership. For more than 80 years, the institution has prepared Jewish women for lives of education, leadership, and service. Today, more than 8,000 alumnae serve in schools, Chabad centers, summer camps, and on college campuses across more than 40 countries, actively shaping the next generation of Jewish life. For many parents in attendance, the ceremony represented much more than the completion of high school. It represented a direct answer to a question Jewish families have been asking themselves since October 7: What comes next? Among those celebrating was Razi Metzger, co-founder of the Sutton Place Chabad Jewish Center in Manhattan, whose daughter was among the graduates. Living in New York City, Metzger has watched anti-Israel demonstrations and increasingly hostile rhetoric become part of everyday life. "There are moments when people ask, 'What kind of future are our children growing up into?' And then I look around this room. These girls are our answer. They are returning to their communities with confidence, responsibility, and hope. They are teaching our children not to be afraid, but to walk proudly as Jews." For Metzger, who has spent decades building Jewish life in Manhattan alongside her husband, the answer to uncertainty is simple: "It is education. It is investing in young people." Bringing light back to the campus frontlines Hundreds of miles away, that message has taken on added urgency. For Chana Bluming, the challenges facing Jewish students are deeply personal. Her parents, Rabbi Zalman and Yehudis Bluming, direct Chabad activities at Duke University and throughout the Durham-Chapel Hill area in North Carolina. Since October 7, university campuses across the United States have become flashpoints for antisemitic incidents, leaving many Jewish students feeling isolated and searching for community. Whenever Chana returns home, she reconnects with these students, listening to their experiences and offering support. For her mother, Yehudis, the graduation carries a special, full-circle meaning. A Beth Rivkah alumna herself, Yehudis watched her daughter walk across the same stage to join the next generation of leaders. "Beth Rivkah gave me the values and sense of purpose that have guided our lives on shlichus (emissary work)," Yehudis said. "To see our daughter receiving that same foundation and bringing it back to campus with her is incredibly meaningful. The message she brings is simple: You don’t answer darkness with more darkness. You answer it by adding light." From Oregon to Brooklyn For graduate Rachel Rivkin, arriving at Beth Rivkah required leaving her comfort zone entirely. Growing up in Oregon, she had no local Jewish high school to attend. Moving to Brooklyn as a teenager to enter a school with nearly 3,000 students was initially intimidating. "But very quickly, it became family," Rivkin said. She found herself surrounded by peers from diverse communities across the United States and around the world. The challenges of the past year only strengthened those bonds. "We realized we are living through extraordinary times," Rivkin reflected. "And that means each of us has a responsibility bigger than ourselves." Guided by that mission, she now hopes to dedicate her career to Jewish education. Building the future of Jewish leadership School leaders note that the global demand for Jewish educators and female community leaders has skyrocketed in recent years. To meet this need, Beth Rivkah is developing a new Global Campus for Jewish Women’s Leadership, designed to prepare thousands of young women from around the world for lives of Jewish education, leadership, and community service. The full campus represents a $50 million investment. To date, $10 million has been raised and invested in the first phase of the project, and the campus’s first building is now in the final stages of construction and is scheduled to open at the beginning of the upcoming academic year. Yosef Kahana, Beth Rivkah’s director of philanthropy, helps spearhead the new campus initiative. For him, the graduation ceremony was a powerful testament to the school's mission. "It was incredibly moving to hear these young women speak," Kahana said. "They are graduating with a clear spirit of shlichus and the understanding that the future of Jewish life is in their hands. Many of them will continue on to advanced studies and leadership training to serve on the frontlines of Jewish life worldwide." "We are seeing firsthand how much Jewish communities need talented young women who can inspire," Kahana added. "Despite everything the Jewish people have faced since October 7, they are stepping forward with confidence." As parents embraced their daughters and cameras flashed throughout the hall, the atmosphere stood in stark contrast to the grim headlines of the past year. Raised in the shadow of conflict, this generation has chosen purpose over fear. As they stepped out of the auditorium and into a complicated world, they appeared entirely ready to help shape it. message hjyyhm9egx Aish’s new Tisha B’Av documentary follows survivors, bereaved families and witnesses from antisemitic attacks in Australia, England and Israel, focusing on trauma, resilience and the effort to keep celebrating  ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/19/HyLIk4qVMg/HyLIk4qVMg_16_273_959_540_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hjyyhm9egx Tue, 21 Jul 2026 02:42:10 +03:00 A new documentary premiering on Tisha B’Av examines a series of antisemitic attacks and missile strikes that, according to the Aish organization, targeted or affected Jewish communities during major holidays. The film, “While We Were Celebrating,” is set to premiere July 22, coinciding with the Jewish day of mourning. It is the third annual Tisha B’Av documentary produced by Aish and was directed and produced by Jamie Geller, the organization’s global spokesperson, together with Aish Studios. The documentary looks at attacks across three continents and focuses on survivors, relatives of victims and eyewitnesses coping with trauma while trying to preserve a sense of resilience and hope, according to Aish. The film centers on several incidents from 2025, including an assault on Jewish beachgoers at Bondi Beach in Australia, a deadly attack targeting the Jewish community in Manchester, England, and Iranian missile strikes that killed an entire family in Haifa. Aish described 2025 as the deadliest year for diaspora Jewry since 1994. The film centers on several incidents from 2025, including an assault on Jewish beachgoers at Bondi Beach in Australia, a deadly attack targeting the Jewish community in Manchester, England, and Iranian missile strikes that killed an entire family in Haifa. Aish describes 2025 as the deadliest year for diaspora Jewry since 1994. “I sat across from people who were lighting candles, singing songs and building memories when their worlds were torn apart,” Geller said. “What I found, over and over again, were people who refused to give in to the fear and trauma. They were broken, but each one was the picture of resilience, a hero of the Jewish people who all had the same unflinching, unapologetic message of holding the happiness and the hope, the pain and the joy, and wanted to use this platform to tell the Jewish world — we will celebrate again! This is a story that I had to tell.” Rabbi Daniel Rowe, president of AishU, appears throughout the film to provide religious and communal context. “While We Were Celebrating” follows Aish’s previous Tisha B’Av films, “October 7th: Voices of Pain, Hope and Heroism” and “After October,” which focused on the Hamas-led October 7 massacre and its continuing impact on Israeli and Jewish families. Both films were distributed free of charge and screened by synagogues, schools and community centers around the world. Aish said the new film is intended to broaden the conversation about antisemitic violence beyond Israel, focusing on Jewish communities facing threats in the diaspora as well as in Israel. The documentary will be available free of charge beginning the evening of July 22. Communities, synagogues and educational institutions can register for group screenings through its website, according to Aish. message b1fhnsi4mx Anonymous form urged users to report Jews, Israelis and people linked to ‘Zionists’ at hotels, vacation rentals and businesses; community leaders warned the effort recalled fascist-era persecution and could expose targets to violence Daniel Bettini, Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/20/Hy6vJis4Ml/Hy6vJis4Ml_0_105_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1fhnsi4mx Mon, 20 Jul 2026 17:29:53 +03:00 An anonymous online form urging people in Italy to identify and report Jews and Israeli tourists has alarmed the country’s Jewish community, whose leaders described the initiative as “a real manhunt” and warned that it recalled the persecution of the 1930s. The form, circulated widely in recent days on social media and local messaging groups in Milan, asked users to report the arrival of Jews, Israelis or anyone believed to have ties to “Zionists” at hotels and vacation rentals, as well as their presence in stores and other businesses. Its stated purpose was to “map Zionist tourism” in Italy. The document also called on users to report tourism, property purchases and what it described as “Zionist neo-colonization” in the country. People were encouraged to continue sharing the form during the summer vacation season in order to “take a stand” and remain aware of their surroundings. The form was removed from the internet following the intervention of Italy’s commissioner for combating antisemitism, Gen. Pasquale Angelosanto. But Jewish leaders said its appearance marked a dangerous escalation, transforming hostility toward Israel into an organized effort to identify people on the basis of their religion, nationality or perceived political affiliation. Victor Fadlun, president of Rome’s Jewish community, called the initiative “simply horrifying.” He said it should be condemned by every political party and civic organization in Italy as an attack on fundamental rights and on the principles underpinning the Italian republic. Fadlun thanked Angelosanto for helping remove the form but warned against what he described as “a real manhunt, in which people are identified and exposed through every stereotype solely because of their Jewish religion or their alleged connection to the State of Israel.” He called on authorities and civil society to remain alert to antisemitism in Italy. Walker Meghnagi, president of Milan’s Jewish community, told the Italian news agency ANSA that the initiative evoked the “hunting of Jews” and the atmosphere of ethnic and religious persecution that prevailed in Europe during the 1930s. Meghnagi said the community had chosen to approach the authorities rather than fuel a public confrontation on social media. The materials were handed to the relevant agencies with a request for judicial intervention, he said. He warned that circulating such a list could encourage copycat initiatives and attacks, while providing extremists or unstable individuals with easily identifiable targets. Livia Ottolenghi, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, described the form as a significant escalation in antisemitism and said the effort to map Jews amounted to a “new yellow badge.” She also condemned the form’s reference to alleged “Zionist settlements on Italian soil,” saying the language reflected conspiracy theories reminiscent of Italy’s 1938 racial laws under fascist rule. Ottolenghi said the document was not an isolated case but part of a wider pattern of efforts to spread and normalize antisemitism in public discourse. She accused much of Italian civil society of responding with silence, with only limited exceptions. The initiative may also have legal implications. Under Italian and European Union privacy law, information about a person’s religion is considered sensitive personal data and is subject to heightened protection. Collecting such information without transparency for the purpose of identifying people on the basis of their actual or perceived religion could violate privacy rules. Critics also said the form appeared to conflict with Article 3 of the Italian Constitution, which guarantees equality without distinction based on religion. Italian Senate President Ignazio La Russa condemned what he called a “map of Jews in Zionist tourism,” saying it violated basic civil rights and reflected deep antisemitism. “We must not remain indifferent to such serious incidents, which awaken the demons of the past,” La Russa said. Members of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s governing coalition, including her Brothers of Italy party and Forza Italia, also condemned the document. They said Italians could not remain indifferent to conduct recalling “the darkest periods of the 1930s.” The controversy comes amid a sharp rise in recorded antisemitism in Italy. A 2025 report by the Milan-based Center of Contemporary Jewish Documentation, known as CDEC, documented 963 antisemitic incidents across the country. That represented an increase of 10% from 2024, 100% from 2023 and 400% from 2022, according to the monitoring group. The number of physical assaults rose by 225%, with most incidents recorded in the regions of Lombardy and Lazio. One case cited in the report involved three Orthodox Jewish children who were stopped and searched in a Milan store after being mistaken for Israelis. CDEC said the incident illustrated how efforts to label people and compile lists under the guise of political protest were already producing direct and intolerable consequences in everyday life. Hostility toward Israelis has also intensified in tourist destinations. Sardinia has become a focal point for campaigns against Israeli visitors, with activists organizing protests and circulating petitions calling for Israeli tourists and Israeli soldiers to be prevented from vacationing on the island. Social media posts have repeatedly warned of aircraft arriving with Israeli soldiers who, according to the activists, were seeking a break from the war in Gaza. Demonstrators have also appeared at airports to confront Israeli tourists with anti-Israel slogans and accusations concerning Israel’s military operations in Gaza and Lebanon. Jewish leaders say criticism of Israel has increasingly crossed into hostility directed at Jews as individuals and at Jewish institutions. Members of the Jewish Brigade, whose volunteers fought with Allied forces and helped liberate Italy from fascism during World War II, have faced hostility and removal from events marking Italy’s Liberation Day. A Jewish LGBTQ group was also expelled from an Italian Pride march in a separate incident cited by community leaders. Jewish officials said the anonymous form represented a particularly alarming development because it sought to turn hostility into a systematic effort to identify and track people. They called on Italian authorities to determine who created and distributed the document and whether its circulation violated privacy, anti-discrimination or criminal laws. message byki04cnfl World Mizrachi says the new arrangement will make yeshiva and seminary students eligible for the same MASA scholarship subsidies as other program participants, easing costs for Diaspora students studying in Israel  ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/19/S1NclS54zx/S1NclS54zx_0_306_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byki04cnfl Mon, 20 Jul 2026 14:37:17 +03:00 A new funding arrangement will make yeshiva and seminary students in MASA programs eligible for the same scholarship subsidies available to participants in other MASA tracks. The World Mizrachi organization said the agreement follows years of lobbying on behalf of more than 50 yeshivot and seminaries that operate within the MASA framework. The effort was led by Rabbi Doron Perez, executive chair of World Mizrachi, and Roi Abecassis, deputy chair of KKL and World Mizrachi’s representative at KKL. Until now, many yeshiva and seminary students studying in Israel relied heavily on private fundraising to help cover program costs, while other MASA participants received funding directly through KKL. The disparity created financial pressure for students from the Diaspora, many of them from Religious Zionist communities, who come to Israel for Jewish study programs, according to World Mizrachi. The new arrangement is intended to ensure equal eligibility for MASA scholarship funds across program categories. World Mizrachi said the decision is part of a broader effort to support yeshivot and seminaries serving international students. Since establishing a forum for the institutions six years ago, the organization said it has lobbied for increased support from Israel’s national institutions, helped raise millions of dollars annually through joint crowdfunding campaigns and recently secured an emergency budget of 5 million shekels for students who remained in Israel during the conflict with Iran, when their programs closed for the Passover break. “It has been a personal privilege over the years to work on behalf of these institutions that are so committed to connecting students through a love of the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, the land of Israel and the State of Israel,” Perez said. Abecassis said the agreement removes a barrier that had affected the institutions for years. “We have succeeded in removing a long-standing obstacle that has stood in the way of yeshivot and seminaries, enabling them to continue their mission on behalf of international students,” he said. World Mizrachi described the change as significant for Zionist Torah education and for programs that seek to strengthen ties between young Diaspora Jews and Israel. message skenm00jvge The Global Aliyah Live Summit returns on September 6 with a special multilingual broadcast connecting prospective and new immigrants around the world with Israel's leading experts, inspiring voices and practical guidance. Add it to your calendar and join us live ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/20/ry55zOjNGg/ry55zOjNGg_0_0_1280_721_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/skenm00jvge Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:05:27 +03:00 Whether you're only beginning to think about Aliyah, actively planning your move or have already started building a new life in Israel, this September a unique international broadcast will bring together the information, inspiration and people you need—all in one place. The Global Aliyah Live Summit is a one-day multilingual event designed to help viewers navigate every stage of the Aliyah journey. Throughout the day, audiences around the world will be able to watch live sessions in English, Russian and French, featuring conversations with experts, professionals, community leaders and Olim sharing firsthand experiences of building successful lives in Israel. Rather than focusing on one aspect of immigration, the summit will explore the complete Aliyah experience—from identity and belonging to careers, housing, healthcare, education, entrepreneurship and financial planning. The discussions will combine practical advice with personal stories, offering viewers a realistic look at both the opportunities and the challenges of starting over in Israel. Special segments will feature experts answering audience questions, inspiring stories from immigrants making an impact across Israeli society, and conversations about the future of global Jewish communities and Israel. Viewers can also expect dedicated features highlighting employment opportunities, higher education, healthcare, community organizations and other resources available to support new immigrants. The event is designed for anyone considering Israel as their next home, including individuals, families, students, young professionals, entrepreneurs, medical professionals, retirees and lone soldiers. Whether you're months away from making Aliyah or simply exploring the possibility, the summit aims to provide trusted information, meaningful connections and practical tools to help you make informed decisions. Broadcast Schedule (Israel Time) 2:00 PM – Russian Live Broadcast 4:00 PM – English Live Broadcast 6:00 PM – French Live Broadcast Each live session will run for approximately 20 minutes and feature exclusive interviews, expert insights and inspiring stories. Aliyah is about much more than relocating to a new country. It's about building a future, finding community and creating new opportunities while strengthening your connection to Israel. Mark your calendar for September 6 and join thousands of viewers from around the world for this special live event. More details, guest announcements and viewing information will be released soon. message hjioq8s4gx Thick wooden beams burned during Jerusalem’s destruction in 586 BCE were preserved beneath melted plaster in the City of David, offering researchers a rare opportunity to date the ancient structure to within about a decade Yaron Druckman https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/20/ryQ3MC7o4zl/ryQ3MC7o4zl_6_169_1595_898_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hjioq8s4gx Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:44:30 +03:00 Thick wooden beams, burned during the destruction of the First Temple in 586 B.C., were recently discovered in the Givati Parking Lot excavations, conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University in the City of David, part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park. “The beams appear to have served as the roof of an inner courtyard in a building from the First Temple period. During the destruction, they collapsed onto the floor. We believe that the plaster cladding of the building's walls, melted by the fire, covered the charred wooden beams, and ultimately enabled their exceptional preservation,” excavation director Efrat Bocher said of the discovery. “It is very rare in Israel to find wood with such a large number of growth rings," said Dr. Johanna Regev of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who is studying the find. "Here, in the City of David, we found thick beams with many rings, offering significant research potential – with more growth rings enabling higher dating resolution. Until now we could date finds within a range of hundreds of years. Now we can attain much greater precision, narrowing the dating range down to as little as ten years.” The excavation directors, Dr. Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Professor Yuval Gadot of Tel Aviv University, said the find attests to the intensity of Jerusalem’s destruction. The researchers also believe the decision to live alongside and within the ruins shows a strong desire to preserve memory. "Preserving memory is a human need, seeking to preserve what once existed. Here we see it in its clearest form: a deliberate choice to leave ruins in place as a testament to the destruction and build the new layer over them," according to Shalev. Bocher addressed the timing of the discovery, which is being revealed days before the fast marking the destruction of the temples. "We are just before Tisha B'Av. This discovery makes you feel that you are witnessing the very moment of destruction, the moment when it all happened. It's deeply moving," she said. Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu commented on the new find, saying: "Jerusalem’s soil continues to provide tangible evidence of the city’s ancient past. The wooden beams burned in the destruction of the First Temple stand as a powerful reminder of the Jewish people’s presence in Jerusalem some 2,600 years ago." "On the eve of Tisha B’Av, this discovery underscores that our connection to Jerusalem is rooted not only in faith, but also in history, archaeology, and collective memory. It is our responsibility to continue uncovering, preserving, and passing this heritage on to future generations,” he added. message s1jh511cngg The walls that rise: The true challenge is to sit together, to listen and to show respect when differences are deep and profound; to recognize that beneath every ideological disagreement beats a single Jewish heart, no less anxious and no less loving Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2022/08/06/ByAKvBnp5/ByAKvBnp5_0_61_1599_901_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1jh511cngg Sun, 19 Jul 2026 21:40:44 +03:00 Each year, as the sun sets and ushers in Tisha B’Av, sitting on the ground and reciting the ancient lamentations brings us back to the historic wound that has shaped our identity as a people. We remember the First Temple, which stood for more than 400 years before it was destroyed, and the Second Temple, which was destroyed nearly 2,000 years ago because of baseless hatred. Generations have come and gone, circumstances have changed, yet we still mourn what once was and is no more, while yearning with all our hearts for the rebuilding of the Third Temple. In recent years, and especially these days, it is difficult not to feel the weight of the concept of baseless hatred. The tensions and divisions we witness do not, God forbid, stem from malice, but from deep pain and exhaustion. Israeli society has been enduring a prolonged and deeply unsettling period marked by heavy burdens, existential concerns and anxiety over our shared future. The collective heart is weary. And when the soul is burdened and strained, it is only natural that protective walls begin to rise, and our ability to listen to and embrace those who are different from us begins to diminish. Yet, from the crucible of these difficult years, we have rediscovered a profound truth about who we are. In the darkest moments of the war, when our hearts were shaken, we witnessed an extraordinary outpouring of mutual responsibility and solidarity. We saw barriers disappear as though they had never existed, revealing the deepest common bond between us - a simple and genuine love for our people and our land. This is the Jewish paradox: in times of crisis, we discover the greatness of our spirit, but as the external storm begins to subside, we retreat once again into the compartments that divide us, and the public sphere fills with harsh words and bitter disagreements. The great spiritual challenge of our generation is not to unite only when we all think and speak alike. There is little wisdom in finding common ground with those who mirror our own views. The true challenge is to sit together, to listen, and to show respect when the differences are deep and profound - to recognize that beneath every ideological disagreement beats a single Jewish heart, no less anxious and no less loving. A beautiful and profound spiritual insight on this subject was taught by the holy Arizal, Rabbi Isaac Luria Ashkenazi. He instructed that each morning before prayer one should declare: “I hereby accept upon myself the positive commandment: ‘You shall love your fellow as yourself.’” Out of the Torah’s 613 commandments, why was this particular mitzvah chosen to serve as the gateway through which all our prayers pass? The answer touches the very essence of our relationship with God. When a father sees his children living together in harmony and peace, supporting one another and showing genuine care for each other, his deepest and most natural desire is to shower them with goodness, to give them all he can, and to help them. When we stand in prayer seeking God’s blessings, He looks at how we treat His sons and daughters. When we show Him that we love our brothers and sisters, that we seek the good in them despite our differences, we open the gates of Heaven. Today, our society needs those gates of Heaven to be open more than ever. We are surrounded by brothers and sisters carrying immense burdens - families of soldiers in the reserves bearing the weight of a prolonged war, soldiers wounded in body and/or spirit, families whose lives have been forever changed, those battling serious illness, and countless people struggling each day to earn a livelihood in difficult times. The Creator of the world possesses an infinite abundance of healing, comfort, joy and blessing to bestow upon us. The key to unlocking that abundance is in our hands. This Tisha B’Av, alongside our mourning for the past, let us strengthen our love for every one of our brothers and sisters. Let us look upon one another with a generous eye, seek out the goodness and merit in others, and remember that if we extend a sincere and loving hand to one another, understanding that we are all the children of one Father, then the Holy One, blessed be He, will extend His hand to all of us, heal our wounds, and bring us the complete and true redemption. The writer is the rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Sites of Israel. message r1rjabqegx A new ynet Global vlog series, in partnership with Nefesh B'Nefesh, follows three North Americans as they embark on their aliyah journeys and begin building their lives in Israel ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/19/SJ9quz5EGe/SJ9quz5EGe_455_0_635_358_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1rjabqegx Sun, 19 Jul 2026 12:45:05 +03:00 You can read about aliyah. You can hear the statistics. But what does it actually feel like to make Israel home? Today, ynet Global is launching a new ongoing vlog series, created in partnership with Nefesh B'Nefesh, following three North Americans as they make aliyah. Over the coming weeks, viewers will experience the journey alongside them, from emotional farewells and final preparations to finding apartments, navigating paperwork, learning Hebrew and first moments as Israelis, the series offers an intimate look at aliyah as it unfolds, one vlog at a time. From Toronto, Danielle Adessky is leaving behind the city she has always called home to begin a new chapter in Tel Aviv. A social media marketer and content creator, Danielle shares the reality of closing one chapter while opening another, from packing up her home and saying goodbye to family and friends to discovering what everyday life as an Olah Hadasha really looks like. For Arielle Sabol, aliyah is a family story — one of building a future rooted in belonging with her husband Alex and their daughters, Romi and baby Libi. Trading life in Brooklyn for a new chapter in Israel, the family is documenting the emotional process of preparing for the move with two young children, finding schools, and settling into their new city. Their story is driven by the hope of giving their daughters the opportunity to grow up in a place where Jewish identity is part of everyday life. Daniel Bielak, who spent years building a successful consulting career in Canada, realized something was missing. After reconnecting with his Jewish identity and spending months studying in Israel, he decided there was nowhere else he wanted to build his future. Having traveled to 24 countries, Daniel says Israel offers a lifestyle unlike anywhere else, a place where entrepreneurial ambition meets vibrant cafés, close-knit communities, Jewish life and a deep connection to the land. As he prepares to begin an MBA at Tel Aviv University, viewers will see Israel through the eyes of someone eager to finally call it home. No two aliyah stories are ever the same. But every journey is filled with moments of excitement, doubt, resilience and discovery. With support from 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, nearly 100,000 North Americans have made aliyah to Israel over the past two decades. This series offers a rare window into what that experience actually looks and feels like. Watch Episode 1 now and join Danielle, Arielle, and Daniel as their aliyah journey begins. Return for every new episode as they discover what it really means to build a new life in Israel. message rkgtr6fnzx The 28-year-old suspect allegedly threatened several Jews, knocked an Orthodox man’s hat from his head and shoved passersby before soldiers deployed to protect the city’s Jewish quarter detained him until police arrived Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/03/23/rJQK11Z1sbx/rJQK11Z1sbx_0_0_3000_1688_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rkgtr6fnzx Sun, 19 Jul 2026 07:15:57 +03:00 Belgian soldiers deployed to protect Antwerp’s Jewish quarter intervened Friday night after a 28-year-old man allegedly threatened several Jewish residents with an emergency hammer and tried to assault an elderly Orthodox Jew. The suspect, who is known to police from previous offenses, was detained by soldiers until officers arrived and arrested him for questioning. No injuries were reported. According to Antwerp police, the incident began at around 8:20 p.m. on Friday on Lamorinièrestraat, one of the main streets in the city’s Jewish neighborhood. Police spokesman Wouter Bruyns said the man began harassing members of the community, threatened one person with an emergency hammer, knocked another man’s hat from his head, shoved a passerby and threw traffic signs to the ground. Soldiers stationed in the area since March as part of heightened security around Jewish institutions and communities quickly intervened, restrained the suspect and called police. “The suspect was arrested and will be questioned,” Bruyns said. “He is known to police, including for public nuisance and drug-related offenses.” Witnesses said the man attempted to flee after noticing the soldiers. Moments earlier, they said, he had tried to strike an elderly Orthodox Jew. “He tried to hit him in the face, but missed and only knocked off his hat,” one witness said. “It was lucky the soldiers were there. Who knows what would have happened otherwise.” The additional security presence in Antwerp follows a series of antisemitic incidents across Europe in recent months. On March 9, an explosion occurred near a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège. Residents of Antwerp’s Jewish district said the soldiers’ presence has increased their sense of security. Tzvi Graszkopf, chairman of the Antwerp branch of the Jewish community security group Shomrim, said protection around the community had been significantly reinforced since March following the Liège synagogue explosion and a rise in antisemitic incidents. Residents, he said, are “satisfied and feel safer” because of the permanent presence of security forces. message bkihg2wngl Devarim reveals that Moses’ burden was not simply managing a difficult nation, but leading people trapped in the present while he alone could see the future they were meant to build Michael Eisenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/17/SJn173DNGe/SJn173DNGe_0_71_1500_845_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkihg2wngl Fri, 17 Jul 2026 16:52:11 +03:00 The portions of Devarim and Va’etchanan are perpetually intertwined, read respectively on the weeks immediately preceding and following Tisha B'Av. Therefore, this week, just before Tisha B'Av, in part one of this two part exploration, we will examine the depths of the leadership challenge Moses describes, and next week we will present the Torah’s blueprint for a solution. At the opening of Deuteronomy, we witness a brief, rare moment of vulnerability. After forty years in the wilderness, on the eve of entering the Land, Moses does not just summarize the journey or review the Torah. Speaking in a highly personal, and we sense almost broken voice, he exposes his deep struggle: "How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?" (Deuteronomy 1:12). Looking at the subsequent verses about appointing judges or leaders, Rashi interprets Moses' words as a critique of the people’s behavior within the judicial and social systems. "Your cumbrance" means they were contentious; "your burden" means they were suspicious; "your strife" means they were constantly complaining. Moses describes a society plagued by legal pettiness and dissatisfaction. Nachmanides, however, interprets these terms more positively: "cumbrance" is the effort of teaching Torah, "burden" is Moses praying for the people, and "strife" refers to the judicial system. Both classic commentators view Moses’ cry as an introduction to the verses about establishing a judicial leadership system. I want to suggest a different understanding of this verse describing Moses’ lonely leadership and the cumbrance, burden, and strife he describes. The explanation is based on the verses preceding Moses’ cry which will frame Moses’ assertion, "I am not able to bear you myself alone," in a different light. The framing shows that Moses is not merely confronting an administrative question of organizing a better court system. The context of blessing Importantly, Moses does not only complain; he includes a blessing. Prior to saying "How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife?”, he declares: "The Lord your God has multiplied you... as the stars of heaven for multitude," adding, "The Lord... make you a thousand times so many more and He will bless you as he spoke to you." (Deuteronomy 1:10-11). Multiplication and blessing is inherently good, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham that “he will be a blessing” and “the nations of the world will be blessed through him.” The nation is alive, growing, complex, and diverse. Blessing, however, contains a profound challenge for leadership. The backdrop of blessing as the cause for Moses’s cry forces us to redefine "cumbrance, burden, and strife". "Cumbrance" is rare in the Bible. In Isaiah (1:14), God says of the holidays and sacrifices, "they are a cumbrance to Me," showing that religious service can become an empty ritual. In an era of blessing, "cumbrance" is the widespread phenomenon of religiosity devolving into hollow practice. We saw this with Korah, who used lofty religious language to mask a cynical grab for power. Textually, "Your burden" recalls the people craving meat in the wilderness (Numbers 11). It was not just a demand for food, but a desire for a sense of abundance without a higher purpose. It is a tragic reality that immediate, base needs constantly overshadow the grand journey toward Israel. Again, through Hebrew textual cues, "Your strife" recalls the events at Massah and Meribah. The lack of water was a genuine existential crisis, but it also exposed a chronic inability to recognize God's grace along the long road and in the sweep of history. The immediate present swallows the overarching historical narrative, blinding the people to their grand destiny and the overarching success of the long process. The loneliness of seeing, sensing and understanding the future Moses feels entirely alone. Not because he lacks people around him or struggles with administration. He is surrounded by a massive, blessed nation. Moses is lonely because he lives in the future, while the nation still lives in the present. He sees a Promised Land; they see a barren desert. He sees "stars of heaven"; they see a long line at the courthouse. Moses envisions an exemplary nation of mutual responsibility; they are caught up in superficial ritual religiosity and immediate distress. Moses sees an opportunity to influence history; they experience only its logistical side effects. This profound loneliness is the agonizing solitude of a leader carrying a reality that is within reach but does not yet exist. Moses sees the nation as it could be, while they remain stubbornly tethered to their current traumas. It is the loneliness of an educator or parent who sees in someone far more than they can see in themselves. Fittingly, Moses asks God: "Have I conceived all these people... that You should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom, as a caregiver carries a nursing child'?" (Numbers 11:12). A baby lives entirely in the immediate present - hunger, fear, dependency. But a caregiver carries the child because they believe in the growth and future of who that child will become. This tragic gap between present and future defines Moses’ loneliness throughout his life. He began in isolation in a basket on the Nile, ascended Sinai alone, and wore a veil because the people were terrified to approach his radiant face. He dies entirely alone. His isolation is so complete that even when his desperate plea to enter the land is refused - as we will read next week in Va’etchanan - not a single person steps forward to pray on his behalf or plead for his future. Here we arrive at the end of Part 1 of this Dvar Torah. Hopefully next week, I will present the Torah’s model for coping with the loneliness of leadership. message b1xpk5lnml The fantasy squad built on wisdom, wit and survival that almost arranges itself: if a World Cup soccer team were assembled from the sages of Israel throughout the ages,  Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai would be goalie, Rashi at No. 10 and Rabbi Akiva up front Gil Slovik, Mashav https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/15/ByzkdRV4Mg/ByzkdRV4Mg_0_63_786_443_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1xpk5lnml Fri, 17 Jul 2026 06:14:56 +03:00 Forget the World Cup final for a moment. The team taking the field in the text before you is one that passed the ball from generation to generation under fire, survived exiles, outlasted empires that collapsed and overcame crises that dismantled the great clubs of other peoples. We took the greatest figures of the generations and brought them down from the study hall to the pitch, and discovered that when you look at 3,000 years of Jewish wisdom through a manager’s eyes, the lineup almost arranges itself. So here they are: the starting 11 stars of the sages of Israel, in an attacking 4-3-3 formation, with a bench that would not embarrass Real Madrid in the Galacticos era. Goalkeeper: Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai, with a historic save A great goalkeeper is not measured over 90 routine minutes, but by one split-second decision, in a penalty shootout in the final. So it was in the final between Judea and Rome, when Jerusalem was left with only a few players and the defense had been completely breached. Everyone was certain that Judaism’s time was up. At the moment when any other goalkeeper would have thrown up his hands, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai slipped out of the city, stood before Vespasian, Rome’s coach, and made the greatest save in the history of the Jewish people: “Give me Yavne and its sages.” Instead of clinging to a goal that had already been breached, he moved the entire match to another field. From the Temple to the study hall. From a Judaism centered around the Temple to a Judaism that builds houses of study. Thus, thanks to one spectacular save in stoppage time, the match continues to this day. Goalkeepers are measured by saves, and Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai saved an entire nation. The defense: Four who let no one through First center back — the Chatam Sofer: Rabbi Moses Sofer of Pressburg is the defender every coach dreams of: reads the game two moves ahead and does not hesitate to go in hard and aggressively when needed. When the Enlightenment and Reform movements burst into the box of European Jewry in the 19th century, he formulated the most famous defensive tactic in the history of Jewish law, words from the Mishnah that he turned into a system: “Anything new is forbidden by the Torah.” One can argue about the style, but not about the result: The communities that followed his path kept a clean sheet for generations. Second center back — the Vilna Gaon: Alongside the Chatam Sofer stands Rabbi Elijah of Vilna, a rare combination of razor-sharp intellect and iron discipline. The Gaon of Vilna did not merely block phenomena he viewed as dangerous, from the false messianism of Shabbtai Tzvi’s followers to what he identified as dangers in the young Hasidic movement. He did so with astonishing knowledge of every part of Torah, as well as grammar, mathematics and astronomy. This is an analytical defender who knows not only how to block, but also how to play the ball cleanly out from the back. Right back — Saadia Gaon: Saadia Gaon is the prototype of a fullback who also knows how to join the attack. When the Karaites threatened to dismantle the Oral Torah from within, he stopped them with a ruthless series of polemical efforts. But he did not stop there. His runs down the wing, including his translation of the Torah into Arabic, his “Book of Beliefs and Opinions,” which founded Jewish philosophy, and his work in liturgical poetry and grammar, changed the dynamics and the face of the entire game. Left back — Rabbi Judah Halevi: Judah Halevi wrote the great defensive book of Jewish thought, “The Kuzari.” The entire book is a defense of the humiliated faith against a philosopher, a Christian and a Muslim. But ask any fan: What people remember from a wingback is the crosses. Halevi’s unforgettable poetry, including “Zion, Will You Not Ask,” is one of the most precise crosses ever sent into the box. The midfield: The brain of the team Defensive midfielder — Rabbi Judah the Prince: Every great team is built around an anchor who organizes the game, and it is hard to imagine a greater act of organization than editing the Mishnah. Rabbi Judah the Prince, known simply as “Rebbi,” took hundreds of years of scattered traditions from different study halls, with conflicting versions and reports from every corner of the land, and organized them all into six meticulously structured orders. Since then, every attack in the world of Torah has started from his feet. This is a holding midfielder with the stature of a national team captain. Midfielder — Maimonides: This is a midfielder who is also the central playmaker, one who knows how to move from the center of the pitch into the box. In the first half, he is on defense with the “Mishneh Torah,” a halachic code that covers every inch of the legal field. In the second half, he is already on the attack with “The Guide for the Perplexed,” a philosophical breakthrough that dared to enter places no one ever had before him. At halftime, Rabbi Moses ben Maimon still manages to serve as court physician to the sultan, lead the Jewish community of Egypt and answer letters from Yemen. The stamina of three players, the vision of an entire generation. Attacking midfielder — Rashi: A classic No. 10. Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki is the player who receives the ball and distributes it in a way that makes everyone around him look better. For 1,000 years now, every player, from a 5-year-old opening the Bible to a yeshiva head diving into a sugya in Tractate Yevamot, has received from him a pass at exactly the right height, at the perfect time, in the few words required and not one more. Without Rashi there is no game: The Talmud remains locked, the Bible remains opaque. He does not score much himself, but he makes all of Israel score. The attack: Three who broke through Right wing — Hillel the Elder: A signing from the Babylonian league, who arrived without a penny and worked as a day laborer just to pay for a ticket to the study hall’s stands. A creative player credited with the curling shot known as the prosbul, a lofted ball that sailed over the payment wall and reopened the lending market. A player with a rare touch, capable of delivering a precise ball even to a convert standing on one foot, all without ever having a foul called against him, in keeping with the rule he adopted: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow.” And all of this at an age even older than Messi’s. Left wing — the Baal Shem Tov: Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov made the boldest move in the history of the game: He took the ball from the academies of the scholars and brought it down to the feet of the people. Wagon drivers, water carriers, simple Jews who knew only Psalms — suddenly, all of them were potential players on the pitch. It brought a profound change to the character of the game: prayer with fervor, joy as service of God, sparks of holiness in every material thing. Hasidism opened the game to crowds that until then had been sitting far up in the stands. Center forward — Rabbi Akiva: And finally, the striker. The story of Rabbi Akiva is the great Cinderella story of Jewish history: a shepherd who, until age 40, had not played at all on the field of Torah, and became the greatest goal scorer of the Oral Torah. He derived heaps upon heaps of laws from every crown of every letter, meaning he found scoring opportunities in places where no one else even saw an attack. He is also a leading candidate for the captain’s armband: Even when everyone else cried because they saw the game as lost and a fox emerging from the Temple, he did not break. He even laughed, because he knew that just as the defeat foretold in prophecies of doom had come true, so too would the victory that would bring the trophy. A heart-and-soul player who gave 100% until the very last moment, and whose soul departed with the word “one.” The bench and coaching staff A real team is measured by the depth of its squad. On our bench sit enormous talents. The first option off the bench is the Ben Ish Hai. Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad is the player who can come on in any position on the field and look as though he has played there his entire life. Need practical halacha? There is the “Ben Ish Hai.” Need Kabbalah? He was one of the great kabbalists of his generation. Need a sermon that will fill the stands? His weekly sermons drew thousands. An electrifying player to whom the fans feel especially connected. Next to him on the bench are many other stars: Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook, an elite striker who sees the move three generations ahead; Rabbeinu Tam, a creative midfielder who specializes in moves that are the exact opposite of what his grandfather Rashi would have done; and Rabbi Nachman of Breslov — the joker who comes on in the 80th minute, when morale is on the floor, and reminds everyone that despair is forbidden and that it is a great mitzvah to be joyful. Another bench player who always brings fresh energy is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, though he usually stays on the bench because of a red-card problem. Missing from the pitch is the holy Ari, Rabbi Isaac Luria, who worked in Safed for only two years — a career even shorter than Marco van Basten’s. In those two years, he dribbled through worlds no one knew existed. Contraction, shattering, repair: an entire kabbalistic system that transformed Jewish mysticism from a field for select individuals into the language of entire movements. And who is the coach on the touchline? Moses, the only man in history who received the tactics notebook directly from the owner, at Mount Sinai. Beside him, as assistant coach, is Ezra the Scribe, the specialist in rebuilding teams after relegation, who proved during the return to Zion that it is possible to come back from exile and rebuild the club from the foundations. Eleven players, 3,000 years and one field on which the game has not yet ended. Have any objections to the lineup? Tell us in the comments. The article is courtesy of Mashav Channel — “What Is Jewish in Israel,” which provides a platform for content connected to shared Jewish identity in Israeli society and is operated by the Tzohar Rabbinical Organization message bjjptbivfl San José State University graduate student arrested after allegedly posting more than 20 hate messages and threats across campus, including calls to kill Jews and other minorities, bomb threats and swastikas ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/16/H15VD18NGg/H15VD18NGg_1_52_251_142_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bjjptbivfl Thu, 16 Jul 2026 13:51:04 +03:00 The U.S. Department of Justice announced this week that Ziheng “Tony” Fang, a graduate student at San José State University in California, was arrested on suspicion of spreading threatening and hateful messages across campus for months, including calls to murder Jews and bomb threats. According to a federal criminal complaint, Fang, 30, allegedly posted a message on a men’s restroom wall at the university in November 2025 that read, among other things: “Warning! Mass bomb next week,” alongside several swastikas. Another message found in the same restroom read: “Kill all Jews, Muslims, chinks (a derogatory slur for Chinese people) and Mexicans,” and included a threat of a “mass bombing” on November 11 and 12. According to authorities, Fang’s fingerprint was found on one of the pages. In addition, FBI investigators gathered evidence showing that he entered buildings where the hate messages were found in 16 of 18 cases that required access card entry. Security cameras also recorded him entering and leaving the restrooms where some of the messages were discovered, shortly before they were found. The complaint alleges that since October 2024, university police documented more than 20 threatening messages written in restrooms across campus. Many included dates for alleged attacks, along with references to bombs, knives and shootings. The threats led university officials to repeatedly send alerts to students and employees by email and text message. Some faculty members chose to cancel classes or hold them online, while many students and employees feared coming to campus. According to the complaint, on the days when the alleged attacks were supposed to take place, some university buildings resembled a “ghost town.” Fang, who is studying for a master’s degree in data science, appeared for the first time in a San José federal court on Friday last week. He is being held in federal custody. The FBI and San José State University Police Department participated in the investigation. The Justice Department emphasized that the complaint contains allegations only at this stage and that Fang is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. message r1qbg1lezl Why successful organizations keep repeating the same mistakes — and what a 15th-century Jewish philosopher discovered about the fourth stage of leadership Ziv Elul https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2021/10/03/10968685/10968685_1_105_1000_563_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/r1qbg1lezl Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:07:47 +03:00 There is a phrase that surfaces after nearly every corporate crisis: "Our goal is to get back on track." A company that loses market share wants to return to growth. A bank facing declining profitability wants to restore previous performance. A startup that missed its targets wants to return to the point where everything still seemed possible. Success is often measured by the ability to recreate what once worked. But should organizations really try to return to the same path? Does the reality that existed before the crisis still exist? Or is the attempt to recreate the past precisely what prevents an organization from building its future? This is more than a philosophical question. Organizations invest significant resources in postmortems and lessons-learned exercises, yet they often fail to translate those lessons into meaningful change. It is entirely possible to understand exactly what went wrong and still repeat the same mistake because the learning remains at the level of explanation rather than challenging the underlying assumptions that drive decision-making. At first glance, this seems like a modern management insight. In fact, it appears in the writings of Rabbi Isaac Arama, the 15th-century Spanish Jewish philosopher and biblical commentator best known for Akedat Yitzhak ("The Binding of Isaac"), in his interpretation of the opening chapters of Deuteronomy. As Moses stands before the Israelites' entry into the Land of Israel, one might expect him to speak about the future — about nation-building and the vision awaiting the people. Instead, he revisits Horeb (Mount Sinai), the sin of the spies, the years of wandering in the desert and the moments when the people lost their way. Arama explains that Moses is not merely recounting history or attempting to evoke guilt. Rather, he presents a model describing how nations, organizations and individuals develop over time. The first stage is tranquility. It is a period of growth, stability and success. The organization is united, leadership functions effectively, employees believe in the mission and the system advances with confidence. The Bible describes this period by saying, "The Lord your God has multiplied you, and today you are as numerous as the stars of the sky." In Arama's view, this represents a system operating in harmony, with each part fulfilling its role. Yet it is precisely within success that the second stage begins: complacency. Arama does not mean momentary carelessness, but something much deeper. Success breeds confidence, confidence turns into certainty, and certainty gradually erodes the curiosity and humility that produced success in the first place. The organization stops asking whether its path is still the right one because past success convinces it that the question no longer needs to be asked. This is one of management's great paradoxes. Organizations do not always fail because they never learned how to succeed. Sometimes they fail because they succeeded too well. The model that once gave them a competitive advantage becomes a source of rigidity. Old decisions become tradition. Organizational structures become ends in themselves. Any attempt to challenge the status quo is viewed as a threat. When rigidity collides with a changing reality, the third stage arrives: decline and crisis. But the crisis itself is not what interests Arama. Crises have always existed and always will. The important question is what happens afterward. Here lies his central insight. A crisis is not the end of the story. It marks the end of the third stage. The most important stage begins only after it. The fourth stage appears in a brief biblical verse: "You have circled this mountain long enough. Now turn north." On its face, this is simply a travel instruction. Arama sees it as a model of leadership. The purpose of crisis is not to leave people broken. It is to change the direction in which they are moving. The punishment is not the destination. It is intended to free the people from the worldview that led them to failure. That is why the Israelites do not return to Horeb or attempt to recreate the early days of success. They set out on a new journey with a new understanding. This is the difference between recovery and repentance. Recovery seeks to restore sales to previous levels. Repentance asks whether the product still solves the problem it was created to address. Recovery seeks to lift the share price. Repentance asks whether the organization is still creating value. Recovery tries to save the plan. Repentance is willing to rethink the assumptions that produced it. The same principle can be seen in business leadership, where success often depends on the willingness to challenge fundamental assumptions rather than merely making technical adjustments. One recent example is Israel Discount Bank Group's announcement that it is considering merging Mercantile Discount Bank, its long-standing retail banking subsidiary, into the parent bank. Such a move can be analyzed in terms of cost savings, efficiency or organizational structure. But behind those considerations lies a deeper question: Is an organization willing to reconsider structures created decades earlier, even after they have become part of its institutional identity? One could argue that such a review should have taken place years ago. One could also argue that there were sound reasons for maintaining separate institutions in the past. The more interesting question is not whether the earlier decision was right or wrong. It is whether leadership can free itself from the assumption that what worked yesterday must necessarily work tomorrow. Leadership is not loyalty to past decisions. It is loyalty to the purpose those decisions were originally meant to serve. The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote that true repetition is not returning to where we once were, but returning to life as a different person. One does not erase the past but gives it new meaning. The same idea appears in Arama's commentary. The Israelites do not return to the starting point. They enter the Land of Israel as a different nation from the one that left Egypt. That is also the question every executive team should ask after a crisis: Are we truly changing, or are we simply trying to become who we once were? I have encountered this question personally. Some business initiatives require years of work. Teams are built around them. Negotiations proceed with the belief that success is within reach. When such an initiative ultimately fails, the instinctive response is often to revive the same plan with a few adjustments. In hindsight, however, the more important question is not always how to rescue the plan. Sometimes it is: What would we do if we were starting today, knowing everything we know now? More often than not, the answer is not a minor correction but a much deeper change in the way decisions are made. Perhaps this is the meaning of the biblical phrase, "You have circled this mountain long enough." There comes a point when even analyzing failure becomes another form of stagnation. Organizations can establish committees, write lengthy reports and continue explaining why they failed. Leadership begins at the moment someone says: We have learned. Now we change direction. Arama's model suggests four questions every leadership team should ask: Are we fixing the outcome, or the underlying cause? Which past successes no longer serve our future? Which fundamental assumption have we been unwilling to challenge? What decision would we make differently if we were building this organization from scratch today? If the answer to the last question is "nothing," the crisis may not yet have become a learning experience. Arama's great contribution is not his description of the first three stages — tranquility, complacency and decline. Every organization encounters them sooner or later. His real insight is the fourth stage: understanding that a crisis is not the final stop but the first opportunity to begin thinking differently. Great organizations are not those that never make mistakes. They are those that refuse to become trapped by who they were before the crisis. Instead, they use the crisis to become who they need to be afterward. Moses does not ask the people to forget the wilderness, nor does he ask them to return to it. He asks them to carry its memory while leaving behind the mindset that kept them there — to make the past a teacher, not a prison. Perhaps that is Rabbi Isaac Arama's most enduring definition of leadership: not the ability to avoid crises, but the ability to turn them into the starting point of the next chapter. message s1gs3oh4ml The 78 survivors spent a day of pampering and getting glammed up accompanied by IDF soldier escorts before taking to the stage; They included a former hostage in Gaza  and the grandparents of a hostage, as well as a couple with 35 great-grandchildren ynet https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/15/ryCgUSr4Gg/ryCgUSr4Gg_0_0_1280_854_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1gs3oh4ml Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:20:58 +03:00 Seventy-eight Holocaust survivors from across Israel — from cities, kibbutzim, moshavim and development towns, from north to south — spent Tuesday being pampered and glammed up and then took the stage at the Bat Yam Culture Hall to receive a “Heroes of Beauty” sash from mayors, regional council heads and welfare department chiefs from their communities. That was the high point of the “Heroines and Heroes of Beauty” ceremony, the annual tribute event for Holocaust survivors, held for the eighth year and this time under the theme “Chain of Generations.” Bat Yam, which hosted the event, will mark next month 100 years since its founding as the Beit Vegan neighborhood in the sands south of Jaffa. Before taking the stage, the heroines and heroes were treated to hairstyling and cosmetic care, and, most importantly, to meetings with soldiers from the Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue Unit, air defense fighters, the Air Force’s Shaldag Unit and the Mofet unit in the IDF Manpower Directorate. The soldiers accompanied the survivors throughout the day, and bonds of friendship and appreciation were formed between the sides. The survivors also were invited to tour IDF units. Those who survived, those who fought and those who returned The meaning of the chain of generations was illustrated by one family story told from the stage: The mother of Bat Yam Deputy Mayor Eli Yariv is a Holocaust survivor, and her grandson, an Air Force pilot, took part in the assassination of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut. Yariv presented the story as one link in the same chain — a chain of Zionism, giving, sacrifice and the struggle for life, connecting the generation of grandparents to the generation now fighting for Israel’s security and future. Yariv’s family story was only one of many. Alongside the presentation of the sashes, four additional life stories of heroines and heroes were shared during the evening. Luis Har, who was kidnapped from his home on October 7 and freed from captivity in Gaza by IDF and Shin Bet fighters in Operation Golden Hand, was invited to the stage. Har, a member of a family that carries the memory of the Holocaust from generation to generation, embodies in his life the deep meaning of the chain of generations: from the generation that struggled to survive, through the generations that built lives in the State of Israel, to the generation that continues to carry memory, identity and faith in life. Since his release, Har has chosen to speak about what he endured, to share moments of terror and despair alongside moments of prayer and faith, and to turn the difficult experience into a message of life. The word “hope,” which accompanied him even in the hardest moments of captivity, became a tangible symbol: He initiated the “Hope” installation in Hostages Square and the “Chain of Hope” — hope for life, for the return of the hostages and for better days. Helen and Avraham Hoffman also took the stage. Both are the sole survivors of their families. After the Holocaust, they immigrated to Israel and built a family of five children, 22 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren. Since October 7, 20 members of the family’s second and third generations have served or are serving in the IDF, in mandatory service and in the reserves. Honor was also given on stage to Moti and Rina Angrest, the grandparents of released hostage Matan Angrest, who also carry the memory of the Holocaust. Matan, who is currently abroad, sent a video in which he surprised them with warm words about the strength they gave him not to give up — and to continue the chain of generations. The tribute journey was concluded by 102-year-old Miriam Harel of Kiryat Bialik and 100-year-old Yaffa Einhorn of Moshav Nehalim. Both pass on the legacy of the Holocaust to future generations: Miriam through her many years of writing, and Yaffa through stories she only began telling in the past two years, after many long years in which she kept the painful chapter of her family’s loss in the Holocaust locked in her heart. The evening’s stories were woven together by host Izzy Mann, author of rhymed Hebrew prose, poems and songs, who has written connecting texts for thousands of state, military and institutional events in Israel. Mann honored the heroines and heroes, representatives of the chain of generations, with a poetic composition that he read during the ceremony: “Here is the wheel of generations, rolling from exile and wandering — to home ... from fear and persecution — to security ... from the house of father and mother — to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “Such is the wheel of generations, in which names and memories return and move forward — through the circle of seasons and years. “And a grandfather who married a grandmother, and together they fought for the future ... and the children and grandchildren — now a free people, with a flag and an anthem — they too are fighting to see the sunrise ... “And together, in the wheel of generations, they move upward along the road — and see, even from years of curse, the light and the blessing. “Yes, each man and woman in their time ... each woman like a lioness ... each person in their own way, according to the spirit of the times ... “But together, in the wheel of time that turns between day and night and between night and day, they write in the book of history our finest hour. “And the chronicles of a people — that guards the ember and does not give up ... that moves forward, but does not leave the memories behind ... “And knows that it always has the power to find, even in days of darkness, every ray of light.” An army of volunteers The initiator and driving force behind the project is Col. (res.) Ronit Lev, who is also behind the initiative “Fulfilling Small Dreams for Great People.” Lev leads an “army” of volunteers — including senior female officers who retired from the IDF — who continue to devote themselves to the generation of Holocaust survivors and the founders of the state. A partner in the initiative is the “Sela” unit, the patrol division for security and policing at the Tel Aviv Municipality. Donors to the event included the Hever organization; Yohananof supermarket chain; Bitchonnet, which has accompanied the initiative from its first day; Zer4U, which has supported the project for the past five years and works year-round on behalf of Holocaust survivors; and Michlol, which provides bank financing to construction companies in Israel. message byig3e4nzx Rabbis urge separate pedestrian routes for men and women outside crowded Bnei Brak wedding halls, while city denies measure is official municipal policy Shilo Freid https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2020/03/26/9871345/9871345_0_109_980_552_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byig3e4nzx Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:48:57 +03:00 A new directive issued by leading rabbis in the predominantly ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak has sparked debate after calling on men and women to use separate sidewalks outside wedding and event halls during large gatherings. The directive applies to areas around event venues, including along King Solomon Street, where signs designate one sidewalk for men and the other for women, according to media reports. The arrangement is intended to manage heavy pedestrian traffic during weddings and other large celebrations by reducing crowding and preventing mingling between men and women, in keeping with the customs observed by many in the city's ultra-Orthodox, or Haredi, community. The measure applies only during hours when large events are taking place. Supporters say the arrangement reflects the values and lifestyle of local residents while helping maintain public order. Critics argue that gender segregation in public spaces exceeds the authority of local governments and violates the principle of equality under Israeli law. Similar signs were previously installed in Bnei Brak's Kiryat Vizhnitz neighborhood, another predominantly ultra-Orthodox area, directing men and women to opposite sides of the sidewalk. That initiative also drew criticism but remained limited to a small section of the city. The new signs have renewed public and legal debate over the extent to which gender separation can be introduced in public spaces and the authority of local governments to facilitate or endorse such arrangements. Bnei Brak municipality initially defended the move, saying in a statement that "the letter from the city's rabbis is very clear and speaks for itself. The city's residents, who follow the guidance of Israel's leading rabbis, will comply with their request." The municipality later clarified that the separation initiative originated with the city's rabbis rather than the municipal government. "The call for separation in the area surrounding the event halls is an initiative of the city's rabbis directed directly to the public," the municipality said in an updated statement. "The municipality assisted only in developing and expanding the physical infrastructure in the area because of congestion. This is not a municipal directive or municipal policy." message sy6hpevngx Stockholm demonstrators replaced 'Arbeit Macht Frei' with 'Gaza' and staged a bloodied Netanyahu display, prompting condemnation from Israeli and Jewish leaders Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/14/Bk00ipAmEfl/Bk00ipAmEfl_1_19_360_203_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sy6hpevngx Tue, 14 Jul 2026 22:15:50 +03:00 A pro-Palestinian demonstration in Stockholm over the weekend drew sharp condemnation after protesters displayed a mock entrance gate modeled on the one at the Nazi German death camp Auschwitz, replacing its infamous "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("Work Sets You Free") inscription with the word "Gaza." The display was erected during a protest calling for the release of Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, who has been held by Israel for about 18 months. Israeli authorities have previously alleged that Abu Safiya had ties to Hamas and published images they said showed him alongside senior members of the terrorist group. Abu Safiya's supporters deny the allegations and have called for his release. Protesters also called for the release of Marwan Barghouti, a senior Palestinian political figure who led the Tanzim militia during the Second Intifada. Barghouti is serving five life sentences plus 40 years in an Israeli prison after being convicted of involvement in attacks that killed Israeli civilians. He has long denied direct responsibility for terrorism and remains a popular figure among many Palestinians. The demonstration also called for greater protection of Gaza's healthcare workers. As part of the protest, demonstrators staged a performance depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu covered in blood, chasing Gazan mothers and babies beneath the mock gate before waving money. Protesters carried signs reading, "Doctors are not targets. Stop killing our doctors." Police officers stood nearby but did not intervene. The demonstration drew criticism from Israeli officials and Jewish organizations, who argued that using Holocaust imagery to depict the war in Gaza trivialized the Holocaust and crossed into antisemitism. Sweden has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism, which includes "drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis" as an example that could, depending on the context, constitute antisemitism. Critics of the protest argued that the Auschwitz replica fell within that definition. Israel's ambassador to Sweden, Ziv Nevo Kulman, condemned the display. "I am following with deep concern the recent antisemitic incidents in Sweden," he said. "Whether it is a Jewish doctor subjected to verbal abuse at work, reports of healthcare workers participating in demonstrations where antisemitic statements were heard, or yet another weekly demonstration distorting the Holocaust in ways that leave me shocked, the pattern is deeply troubling." "How many more times can we condemn the same hatred?" he added. "When will those responsible understand that failing to act against incitement only emboldens those who spread it?" The Official Council of Jewish Communities in Sweden also criticized the protest. "Trivializing the Holocaust in the way it was done during the demonstration in Stockholm is profoundly offensive and deeply repugnant," said Aaron Verständig, the council's chairman. Daniel Schatz, a Swedish-Jewish researcher, criticized the fact that the demonstration took place openly in front of police officers. "It is particularly noteworthy that this is happening openly on the streets of Sweden, in full view of the police, without any visible intervention," Schatz said in comments published by the Combat Antisemitism Movement, an international advocacy organization. "How long will these outrages continue to become normalized before the responsible authorities and politicians pull the emergency brake?" message rk00qgcmvme Yoel Rosby of Jewish National Fund-USA says the World Zionist Village will become a global gathering place where People from all over the world can learn, innovate and build lifelong connections, connected by Zionism while strengthening Be’er Sheva and the Negev for generations to come  India Naftali https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/14/ryXR4qQ4Mx/ryXR4qQ4Mx_618_320_1243_700_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rk00qgcmvme Tue, 14 Jul 2026 15:00:01 +03:00 The World Zionist Village is designed to become the world's premier gathering place for Jewish connection, Zionist education and innovation, according to Yoel Rosby of Jewish National Fund-USA, who says the ambitious initiative will strengthen both Israel's Negev and the bond between Israel and Jewish communities worldwide. Speaking at the ynet Global studios, Rosby described the project as far more than a campus, calling it a long-term investment in Jewish identity, leadership and community that will serve generations to come. "Our strength has always been togetherness," Rosby said. "From biblical times through the synagogue and Jewish communities around the world, we've always needed a place where people can gather." He believes the World Zionist Village will become that place—a global destination where Israel supporters from around the world can come together to learn, collaborate and build lasting relationships. "It will be that global watering hole," he said, "where conversations happen and community is built." Rosby said Be'er Sheva was selected because it represents both Israel's history and its future. The biblical city where Abraham established roots is now one of Israel's fastest-growing centers for technology, defense and innovation. "The conversation began in Be'er Sheva," he said. "It only makes sense to continue that conversation where it started." At the same time, he said, the city's rapid development makes it the ideal location for a project focused on shaping Israel's future. The village itself will combine world-class hospitality, educational facilities, leadership programs, innovation hubs and cultural experiences. Visitors may spend a week studying Zionism, participate in leadership seminars, collaborate with Israeli startups or simply experience Israel through meaningful encounters with people from around the world. Rosby compared the vision to the life-changing experiences many Diaspora Jews once found while volunteering on Israeli kibbutzim. "We're creating experiences," he said. "Someone from France, Sweden, Alabama or Tel Aviv will come together, meet people who share a love for Israel, and those relationships can become defining moments in their lives." Rosby emphasized that the World Zionist Village is intended to welcome both Jews and non-Jews interested in understanding Israel and Zionism. He described it as "the Disneyland of Zionism," where visitors can choose experiences that match their interests; from entrepreneurship and technology accelerators to educational programs, leadership training and cultural exploration. "We want everyone to feel welcome," he said. "Whether you're interested in innovation, education or simply understanding Israel better, there's a place for you here." While the initiative has an international mission, Rosby said it is equally committed to strengthening southern Israel. Rather than creating an isolated campus, the World Zionist Village will become part of Be'er Sheva's growing ecosystem by partnering with local neighborhoods, schools, businesses and public facilities. International scholars, entrepreneurs and students will interact naturally with local residents through shared classrooms, sports facilities and community spaces. "The conversations in the hallway, in the locker room or over coffee can be just as meaningful as anything happening in a classroom," Rosby said. "We're not creating a new ecosystem—we're strengthening the incredible one that's already here." Rosby said the events of October 7 reinforced the urgency of strengthening Jewish identity and community around the world. Rather than responding with louder rhetoric, he believes the answer lies in deeper relationships and education. "Our enemies try to pull us apart," he said. "We don't need to scream louder—we need stronger conversations. Zionism is something beautiful. It's about community, responsibility and building a better future together." For Jewish National Fund-USA, which has invested in Israel's development for more than 125 years, the World Zionist Village represents the next chapter in that mission. Just as previous generations built forests, reservoirs and communities that helped shape modern Israel, Rosby believes today's challenge is strengthening the human connections that will sustain the Jewish people in the decades ahead. "We have to build bridges," he said. "People are looking for a place where they can reconnect with Israel, reconnect with Zionism and reconnect with each other." Rosby said the project is ultimately about giving people confidence that they are part of something larger than themselves at a time when many Jews around the world feel increasingly isolated. "We're at a crossroads," he said. "People everywhere, from Alabama to France to Jerusalem, are asking themselves whether they should stand up for Israel, for Zionism or for their Jewish identity. The message of the World Zionist Village is simple: You're not alone. There are people who will stand with you." As the World Zionist Village moves from vision to reality, Rosby hopes it will become more than a destination. He believes it can serve as a permanent home for dialogue, innovation and leadership while strengthening the Negev and inspiring a new generation to embrace Zionism with pride. "We don't want people to feel like heroes for being Zionists," he said. "We want it to be a natural part of life, a place where people can come together, feel safe, grow stronger and know they belong." In collaboration with JNF-USA message sypmobqnmx Authorities in Zionsville say the fire likely began when an Israeli flag hanging outside the historic building was deliberately set alight; Mike Pence and local leaders condemned the attack Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/14/Hyf2QSmNMl/Hyf2QSmNMl_18_0_1029_579_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sypmobqnmx Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:33:55 +03:00 U.S. authorities are investigating a suspected hate crime in Zionsville, Indiana, after a building displaying Israeli and American flags was set on fire, leaving more than $150,000 in damage. The fire broke out Friday at a historic building on the town’s Main Street that had previously housed an antique store. Zionsville firefighters were called to the scene and later said the building was empty at the time of the blaze. Mayor John Stehr said at a press conference that investigators believe the fire was deliberately set on the Israeli flag, which had been hanging on the building for three consecutive years. Fire officials said burn patterns at the scene clearly indicated that the arsonist first ignited the flag before the flames spread to other parts of the historic structure. Although the incident is being investigated as a potential hate crime, authorities said no suspects have been identified. Officials urged the public to come forward with any relevant information. Senior Indiana politicians sharply condemned the incident. Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, who lives in the area, shared photos of the building before and after the fire and called the arson “absolutely despicable.” “There can be no tolerance in America for antisemitism or acts of political violence, and it is heartbreaking to see this in our town,” Pence said. “Thank God no one was hurt.” Sen. Jim Banks also condemned the attack, saying: “Antisemitism will not stand. Not in Zionsville. Not in Indiana. Not anywhere. We will work to bring the perpetrators of this vile arson to justice.” Following the fire, members of central Indiana’s Jewish community gathered for a support rally outside the burned building, waving Israeli and American flags along Main Street. David Schiller, who organized the rally, said the building’s owner had already insisted on reinstalling the flags. “The Founding Fathers created a country where we have the ability to resolve our differences,” Schiller said at the rally. “We don’t do that by throwing firebombs at homes. It is inexcusable and unacceptable.” Meital Ashkenazi, who attended the rally, said that despite the disappointment and anger, the incident had brought residents of different backgrounds closer together. “We’re tired, but we’re not letting it bring us down,” Ashkenazi said. “As you can see, this case is actually bringing us closer together, not only us as Jews but also our neighbors. You see Hindu community members supporting us, Christians, Muslims. It just brings us together, stronger.” Janine Shapiro, another member of the community, said: “We’re not going anywhere.” message bkmehsg4ml Jewish students and faculty testified before an Australian inquiry about antisemitic abuse on campuses since Oct. 7, including Nazi salutes, threats and slurs; A student said she hid her identity, while a researcher reported losing teaching work after complaining Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2024/05/19/HyUw7RvQA/HyUw7RvQA_0_106_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkmehsg4ml Mon, 13 Jul 2026 22:06:30 +03:00 A Jewish student in Australia testified that what began as a “low level of hum of antisemitism” on campus developed into more extreme expressions, including Nazi salutes and labels such as “baby killer.” Excerpts from the student’s testimony and other testimonies from Jewish Australians were published by Australia’s ABC. Liat, a student at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, testified Monday before the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, as part of hearings examining hostility directed at Jewish students and faculty members at universities across the country since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack. The commission was established following the Bondi Hanukkah massacre, in which 15 people were killed. Liat, who chose not to reveal her full identity due to security concerns, said she grew up in a Jewish community with a strong connection to Zionism, which she described as the right of Jews to self-determination in their historic homeland. She said that when she began studying at the university in 2022, she tried to become involved in campus activities and approached the Middle East student club. She was surprised to be told "you're not Middle Eastern, you're Jewish" and that it was not the right club for her. Later, she said, she was exposed to antisemitic comments presented as jokes. Liat described "a low level hum of antisemitism" in the form of "unsavoury jokes" like people mentioning big noses and Jews being good with money. “I didn't feel that I was capable of pushing back against that, regardless of how inappropriate it was,” she told members of the commission. However, she said the atmosphere on campus changed significantly after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Liat said she felt "numb horror and terrible foreboding" about what was to come on campus. According to Liat, some of her non-Jewish friends distanced themselves from her, and one told her he could no longer be friends with her because she was a Zionist. “I was very taken aback and deeply hurt,” she said. Liat said a protest encampment against Israel that was set up on the university campus for 110 days created a sense of distress and insecurity among Jewish students. She said protesters at the encampment called her and other Jewish students “baby killers” and “supporters of genocide.” “I'm also a pretty small person and, I think in that sense, I felt very physically unsafe,” Liat told the commission. She stressed that the use of a Palestinian flag is not necessarily antisemitic, but said the widespread use of certain symbols and slogans created an atmosphere that enabled antisemitic expressions. She specifically mentioned the key slogans that caused distress were "intifada revolution" and "from the river to the sea Palestine will be free". Liat added that during the period of protests, she began hiding her Jewish identity in her daily life on campus as best she could, such as not giving her real name when she bought a coffee on campus. “That series of micro calculations that you make every single day in every single instance is exhausting,” she said. Liat said that during a counter-protest organized by Jewish students at the university, a person unaffiliated with the institution arrived and performed a Nazi salute toward them. She also testified that during a Zoom meeting of the student association, other students told her that while she was speaking, people directed Nazi salutes at her and made a gesture imitating Adolf Hitler’s mustache. “I was scared,” Liat said after her testimony. “Living by yourself is hard enough. When you're confronted with what is a surge of hatred against you and your community it's very difficult.” The hearing also included testimony from a researcher and former lecturer at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), who was identified by the pseudonym ACJ. He said that during a business class he was teaching, four students performed Nazi salutes toward him. “I was incredibly shocked and offended and threatened,” he told the commission. He said the fact that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors and that his family had experienced persecution and pogroms in Poland made the incident especially profound for him. “So when someone does a Nazi salute at me it feel like they want to kill me,” he said. According to ACJ, the university’s response was “offensive” because it limited itself to verbally warning the students and did not treat the incident as a criminal offense. He said he reported the incident to police himself, and afterward he was no longer offered casual teaching positions at the university. message hy00kpmfezx  An AP-NORC poll finds support for Israel remains central to many Jewish Americans over 45, while younger adults place greater importance on holidays, Shabbat and other expressions of Jewish life AP https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/31/Sk73DbJ9xze/Sk73DbJ9xze_0_42_1280_721_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hy00kpmfezx Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:38:58 +03:00 Support for Israel remains a central component of Jewish identity for many Jewish Americans ages 45 and older, while younger adults are more likely to prioritize religious observance, holidays and other forms of communal connection, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The findings point to a generational divide that extends beyond political attitudes toward Israel’s conduct since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and the ensuing war in Gaza. The split also appears to be reshaping how younger and older Jewish Americans define their religious identity. “I pray for people in the land of Israel. I don’t need to pray for the state,” said Cameron Bernstein, a 27-year-old medical student in New Orleans. Bernstein was raised with strong ties to Israel and celebrated her bat mitzvah there, but said the country now “doesn’t play a role in my life, more than another country with people I love.” The survey of 1,022 Jewish adults, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that the divide was particularly pronounced among respondents who identify as religiously Jewish. Religiously Jewish adults account for 68% of Jewish adults overall, according to the poll. Roughly 6 in 10 say being Jewish is “extremely” or “very” important in their lives, with little variation by age. The differences emerge when respondents are asked what Jewish identity means to them. About half of religiously Jewish adults ages 45 and older say supporting Israel is “extremely” or “very” important to their Jewish identity, roughly equal to the share who say the same about celebrating Jewish holidays. Among religiously Jewish adults under 45, however, only about 4 in 10 say support for Israel is highly important, while roughly 7 in 10 place strong importance on celebrating Jewish holidays. For Susan Boyer, 72, of Southern California, support for Israel means defending the Jewish people’s right to a homeland in the Middle East. Like many Jewish Americans, Boyer views Israel as an essential refuge against the possibility of another mass persecution of Jews, particularly as concern about antisemitism rises. “I’ve been defending myself as a Jew since I was a child,” she said, recalling being attacked by classmates because she was Jewish. “It’s invasive into your daily living that you have to constantly, constantly be defending yourself as a Jew, constantly making sure that nobody is redefining you or nobody is, like, insulting your land.” Gaza war sharpens divisions For some younger Jewish Americans, Israel’s military operations have had the opposite effect, creating a sense of alienation from established Jewish institutions. Ari Pollack, a 30-year-old arts fundraiser in Wisconsin, said Israel’s military actions, particularly in recent years, have provided ammunition for antisemitism and made Jews less safe worldwide. “I’m personally pretty opposed to basically everything Israel’s doing these days,” said Pollack, who attended religious school while growing up. “A source of a lot of frustration that I have for the Jewish establishment is that sort of dogmatic teaching of pro-Israel ideas that I’ve had to unlearn as an adult,” he said. “And it’s part of what’s kept me away from, you know, attending regular synagogue services.” About 3 in 10 religiously Jewish adults under 45 say Israel has committed genocide during the war in Gaza, an accusation Israel strongly denies. Among Jewish adults ages 45 and older, about 2 in 10 hold that view. The poll nevertheless indicates that Judaism remains deeply important to many younger adults, even when their connection to Israel is weaker. Religiously Jewish Americans under 45 are more likely than older adults to say that observing or celebrating Shabbat and avoiding foods such as pork or shellfish are highly important to their Jewish identity. Phoebe Wapnitsky, 32, of Connecticut, said she strongly opposes Israel’s military actions, which she views as incompatible with Jewish principles. “Standing against oppression, promoting social justice — those are the roles that Judaism plays in my life,” she said, adding that she felt disconnected from Israel even before the October 7 attack. Others see support for Israel and criticism of its government as compatible. Brian Ebarb, a 47-year-old attorney in Louisiana, said his Jewish identity is rooted in “action and community,” including support for Israel. “When the government makes mistakes, it should be criticized,” he said, while warning that criticism must not become a pretext for hostility toward Jews as a whole. “The existence of the state of Israel is so precarious that we have to be careful and not allow criticism of Israel to become criticism of Jews worldwide.” message sy9zd2wnze Days before Tisha B’Av, archaeologists uncovered rare Second Temple-era treasures at ancient Shiloh, including a lavish ritual bath and a purple-dye snail shell once used for sacred garments, shedding new light on the site’s historic Jewish connection Idan Bloemhof https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/12/SyfFaFOWEfl/SyfFaFOWEfl_0_447_961_541_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/sy9zd2wnze Mon, 13 Jul 2026 04:15:41 +03:00 In recent days, unique archaeological finds from the Second Temple period have been discovered during excavations at the Ancient Shiloh National Heritage Site in southern Samaria. The discoveries include a lavish ritual bath, a clay cooking pot and a rare purple-dye snail shell, from which, among other things, dye was produced for making tzitzit and coloring parts of the High Priest’s garments. The finds were uncovered during ongoing archaeological excavations at the Ancient Shiloh National Heritage Site, led by the Civil Administration's Archaeology Unit in cooperation with the Binyamin Regional Council. Next week marks the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. Benyamin Har Even, the Civil Administration Archaeology Staff Officer, said the discovery of Temple-period artifacts at this time has generated great excitement. “We are in the period of the Three Weeks, during which the destruction of the Temple is commemorated, and archaeological finds of this kind take on special significance,” Har Even said. “Beyond their scientific importance, they demonstrate the deep historical connection between the Jewish people and ancient Shiloh.” Har Even noted that some of the finds were discovered during the process of sifting excavation soil at the “Treasures of Samaria” facility, which receives excess soil from archaeological excavations throughout the region and examines it with the help of teenagers as part of an initiative by the Samaria Regional Council and Dr. Avi Solomon. He also noted that the Binyamin Regional Council’s tourism association recently held the 15th annual Shiloh Academic Conference, where participants discussed the latest archaeological discoveries uncovered in the Binyamin area. Binyamin Regional Council head and chairman of the Yesha Council Israel Ganz said: “Precisely at a time when there are those attempting to undermine our right to this land, these findings once again demonstrate the depth of the Jewish people’s connection to Shiloh, Binyamin and the Land of Israel.” Ganz added: “I am especially proud of our youth, who chose to commemorate the memory of Maj. Shilo Har Even, of blessed memory, through an excavation that reveals to all the deep roots of our people in this land.” message ryr7uszvfg The plan will deploy 500 additional officers, expand patrols around synagogues, schools and community centers, strengthen counterterrorism capabilities and provide all police in England and Wales with antisemitism training Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2023/11/26/SyEdxNEWrT/SyEdxNEWrT_1_163_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/ryr7uszvfg Mon, 13 Jul 2026 03:06:17 +03:00 Amid a surge in antisemitism across Britain, Jewish communities in the country will receive a significant boost to their security arrangements. The British government announced an investment of more than £250 million ($335 million) over the next three years to increase protection for Jewish institutions and communities. The funding will allow for the deployment of 500 additional police officers across England and Wales, who will strengthen police presence in Jewish neighborhoods and provide security at schools, synagogues and community centers. Some of the funds will also be allocated to strengthening Britain’s national capabilities and improving counterterrorism efforts, with the aim of ensuring that no religious community feels threatened. The money will also fund the continuation of the “Project Servator” program, which places specialists and plainclothes officers within communities. They are trained to detect suspicious activity and identify individuals preparing to commit serious crimes. The record investment will lead to a significant increase in police presence in key areas. The plan includes 300 additional officers who will patrol Jewish communities in London — home to 54% of the Jewish population in England and Wales — and about 80 additional officers in Greater Manchester, alongside £43 million ($58 million) for forces in other areas with significant Jewish populations. 'Record funding to help keep Jews safe' Following a series of arson attacks in London and the raising of the national terrorism threat level from “substantial” to “severe,” efforts to protect Jewish communities have intensified across the British government, not only to safeguard communities but also to address the roots of antisemitism. Britain’s Minister of State for Policing and Crime, Sarah Jones, said: “After a series of appalling attacks against Jewish communities, the difficult decision was made to raise the threat level to severe. My thoughts remain with the victims of these vile attacks. Today we are going further and providing record funding to help keep Jewish people safe, supporting visible policing and protection around synagogues, schools and community centres. We will do everything in our power to rid society of the evil of antisemitism.” Earlier this year, Britain’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced an additional £1 million ($1.3 million) to expand the Community Security Trust program supporting communities at risk of antisemitism, as well as an additional £500,000 ($670,000) for the London Borough of Barnet following its request for government support after the horrific terror attack in Golders Green. The government also invested about £7 million ($9.4 million) to combat antisemitism in schools and higher education institutions, while the Online Safety Act requires technology companies to remove illegal content from their platforms, including antisemitic material. Britain’s National Health Service and Department for Education have also launched urgent reviews of antisemitism in schools and the health system, which have likewise experienced a rise in antisemitic incidents. Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “The poison of antisemitism has no place in our country, and we stand side by side with our Jewish communities. This money will see more officers on the streets and stronger protection at community sites to ensure they have the protection they need to live their lives peacefully.” The announcement follows earlier statements by the British government this year allocating £25 million ($34 million) to provide immediate security funding for Jewish communities. Through this longer-term commitment, police forces will be able to provide more high-visibility patrols and stronger local engagement in areas with significant Jewish communities, including around synagogues and schools, over the next three years. Patrols will be increased during periods when communities face heightened vulnerability, providing visible reassurance and helping prevent hate crimes and antisemitic incidents. Officers will also be able to work more closely with Jewish communities through a permanent presence in communities across the country, strengthening ties with representatives of community groups and places of worship. Alongside the 500 officers who will be added and deployed in major Jewish communities, police forces nationwide will receive an additional 100,000 policing hours annually, and all officers in England and Wales will undergo training on antisemitism. Special operations, intelligence, investigations and coordination efforts will be expanded in London and beyond to ensure a coordinated approach to combating antisemitism, including strengthening the response to online antisemitic hate crimes. The government will also allocate a record £32.4 million ($43.5 million) during the 2026-27 fiscal year for the security and protection of Jewish communities, including synagogues, Jewish schools and community centers. The rise in antisemitism in Britain has been reflected in record levels of anti-Jewish incidents, with more than half directly linked to events in the Middle East. The tense atmosphere across the country has contributed to widespread feelings of insecurity among the local Jewish community. The Community Security Trust (CST), the Jewish community’s security organization in Britain, reported about 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, making it one of the highest and most difficult years ever recorded in the country. More than 50% of all incidents involved antisemitic language, slurs or references connected to Israel, Palestine or the war. The past year was marked by an unprecedented number of violent extremist incidents, alongside arson attacks directly targeting Jewish community properties, including synagogues and other institutions. According to official reports, antisemitism has become more widespread and entrenched in parts of British society, including among the middle class and within education systems. message hjkyfow4mg At a ceremony marking 120 years since Jewish French soldier Alfred Dreyfus was exonerated of treason, Macron urged vigilance against rising antisemitism in France, hours after police found a military weapon near a synagogue outside Paris AP https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/12/Bkbcj00bEfl/Bkbcj00bEfl_0_0_3000_1954_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hjkyfow4mg Sun, 12 Jul 2026 23:43:38 +03:00 French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday decried a resurgence of the "demons of antisemitism" that have darkened France's past and present. The French leader and others were inaugurating a statue honoring Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, whose wrongful 19th century treason conviction exposed deeply rooted anti-Jewish bias in France. Sunday marked 120 years since Dreyfus' exoneration by France's highest court, where the statue now stands. Hours before the ceremony, police evacuated some 300 people from the Paris suburb of Sarcelles because intelligence services identified a suspicious vehicle containing a military weapon near a synagogue. Sarcelles has a significant Jewish population, and prosecutors opened a terrorism investigation. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the vehicle contained a "long military weapon," and that it's unclear if the weapon was meant to target the Jewish community. France is home to Europe's largest Jewish population and saw a surge in antisemitic acts, including threats, vandalism and physical violence following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the U.S. ambassador to France, Charles Kushner, accused Macron of further fueling antisemitism by deciding to recognize Palestine last year. "We know that the old demons of antisemitism have never completely disappeared from our country," the French president said at Sunday's ceremony for Dreyfus, calling for constant vigilance to prevent acts that "target people because of who they are." Dreyfus, who was Jewish, was convicted of treason in 1894 after being falsely accused of passing military secrets to Germany, and sentenced to life imprisonment. Prominent intellectuals, including novelist Emile Zola, argued that Dreyfus had been made a scapegoat by the French military. He was cleared of all charges on July 12, 1906 by the Court of Cassation, France's highest court. Macron declared July 12 to be a national day of commemoration of Dreyfus' innocence, starting this year. After he was exonerated, Dreyfus rejoined the French army and served in World War I. He died in 1935. Dreyfus' 99-year-old grandson Charles was among those attending Sunday's ceremony. "I must sadly admit that I would not have imagined, at my age, seeing antisemitism resurface with such virulence in our country," Charles Dreyfus said. His sorrow, however, was tempered by what he called "the deep joy" at seeing his grandfather's statue erected outside the Palace of Justice, depicting Dreyfus proudly wielding a broken sword. message h1ohw8zegx Vandals painted swastikas and hateful graffiti including 'Jew dog' on a Jewish family’s Adelaide home and punctured the tires of the family car; the father said he would not remove the markings because everyone needs to see what happened Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/12/ryxCOErbEMl/ryxCOErbEMl_13_0_667_375_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1ohw8zegx Sun, 12 Jul 2026 23:13:21 +03:00 Another serious antisemitic incident has been reported in Australia: Vandals spray-painted three swastikas and an anti-Jewish slur on the home of a Jewish family in Adelaide and punctured the tires of a vehicle parked outside. Police opened an investigation and said the attack appeared to have been motivated by the family’s religion. The incident occurred over the weekend in the Camden Park neighborhood of Adelaide, South Australia. The words “Jew dog” were spray-painted on the home’s front gate and door alongside Nazi symbols. The homeowner, Rosti Sverdlov, a father of seven, said he initially thought it was a random act of vandalism. After seeing the swastikas and antisemitic message, however, he realized his family had been deliberately targeted. Sverdlov told Australian media that his family had never concealed its Jewish identity and said the attack showed that people felt emboldened to commit such acts without cause. He said neighbors and friends had offered to remove the graffiti, but he chose to leave it in place so the public could see what had happened. He stressed that the vandals had targeted not a Jewish institution, but a family home where children live. South Australia Police opened an investigation and said security cameras captured a dark-colored sedan arriving at the house early Saturday morning. Police said two suspects got out of the vehicle and approached the property. Authorities appealed to the public for help identifying them. Acting Assistant Police Commissioner Scott Fitzgerald said antisemitism has no place in the state and that evidence gathered in the investigation indicate the home was targeted because the family is Jewish. South Australia’s acting premier, Kyam Maher, condemned the attack and noted that displaying Nazi symbols and performing the Nazi salute are criminal offenses in the state. The offenses carry penalties of up to 12 months in prison or a fine of 20,000 Australian dollars. The attack is the latest in a series of antisemitic incidents and hate crimes against Jews in Australia in recent months, including threats, harassment, property damage and physical assaults. message rjjjgezefe 'Get out of Lithuania, go home,' shouted suspect Gintaras Liutkevičius, arrested on suspicion of inciting national and religious hatred; Jewish leaders called the incident serious but rare, warning such rhetoric could spur further attacks Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/12/Sy00PJXbVGe/Sy00PJXbVGe_1_285_664_374_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rjjjgezefe Sun, 12 Jul 2026 20:18:20 +03:00 A rare antisemitic incident in Lithuania: A local blogger and social media activist was arrested after being filmed spitting at three Israeli rabbis visiting Vilnius and urging others to do the same. According to Lithuanian authorities, the suspect, Gintaras Liutkevičius, posted a video on social media showing him approaching the three Jews, who were wearing traditional religious clothing, spitting toward them and encouraging others to follow his example. “I heard you love to spit on Christians ... what if I spit on you?” he is heard saying in the video. “You need to go home. This is not your home. This is Lithuania — go home.” Police opened an investigation on suspicion of inciting hatred on national and religious grounds after receiving a complaint alleging that the suspect had publicly humiliated the victims and encouraged hatred against Jews. He was arrested and later released from custody. Following his release, he launched a fundraising campaign to cover his legal expenses. The Jewish Community of Lithuania said the three victims were rabbis from Israel. They had traveled to Lithuania as part of a pilgrimage that included visits to Jewish sites in Belarus and the grave of the Vilna Gaon. Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Lithuania, said the community had contacted the rabbis and offered them legal assistance. She described the incident as disturbing but unusual. “This is not a widespread phenomenon. Such incidents do happen, but rarely,” she said, adding that the Israel-Hamas war and the broader Israel-Palestinian conflict had contributed to increased tensions. Still, she said Jews in Lithuania were in a better position than Jewish communities in several Western European countries, where Jews are sometimes afraid to appear in public wearing visibly Jewish clothing. Kukliansky warned in particular about the suspect’s public remarks and his attempts to incite others against Jews. “These are dangerous calls that could encourage further attacks,” she said. She added that the incident had already prompted concern among foreign embassies in Lithuania, several of which contacted the Jewish community seeking details about the case. Rabbi Sholom Ber Krinsky, the Chabad rabbi in Lithuania who has served as an emissary in the country for more than 30 years, also described the incident as highly unusual. He said it was the first time he had heard of such an attack against Jewish pilgrims visiting Vilnius. “When I arrived here in 1994, people would look at me on the street because of my rabbinic clothing,” he said. “Today, Vilnius has become an international, cosmopolitan city, and people are already accustomed to it.” According to the Jewish community, the rabbis had planned to attend a large event in Vilnius. Following the attack, however, they expressed concern for their safety, and it remained unclear whether they would attend. message rkfxeybvml Dr. Rafael Medoff says an editor conditioned publication on criticism of Israel, Netanyahu and Trump; the publisher denies the claim and says the project was dropped for commercial and scheduling reasons Daniel Edelson, New York https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/12/Hyxmo5TgVGl/Hyxmo5TgVGl_0_0_816_460_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/rkfxeybvml Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:46:30 +03:00 American comic-book publisher Dark Horse canceled a planned Holocaust cartoon collection after its author rejected an editor’s proposed statement accusing Israel of war crimes and comparing U.S. immigration detention policies under President Donald Trump to “concentration camp-style prisons.” Dr. Rafael Medoff, author of “Cartoonists Against the Holocaust,” said editor Craig Yoe insisted on inserting political criticism that Medoff considered false and inappropriate for a historical work. Dark Horse disputes that politics drove the cancellation, saying the project was abandoned because of financial concerns and repeated scheduling delays. “The book was canceled. I was canceled,” Medoff said. Dark Horse had previously published two of Medoff’s books, “Whistleblowers” and “Cartoonists Against Racism,” without incident. According to Medoff and the Jewish civil rights organization StandWithUs, the dispute began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, when Yoe began pressing for criticism of Israel to accompany the new volume. In a September 1, 2025, email, Yoe told Medoff that he had “thought long and hard” about adding a separate editor’s note elsewhere in the book while keeping the existing introduction unchanged. Speaking “solely for myself,” Yoe wrote that Trump was “attempting to create concentration camp-style prisons” and sending American residents to “gulag type prisons in other countries” without constitutionally guaranteed trials. “At the same time,” Yoe continued, Israel was led by a prime minister against whom “the world’s top war crimes court has issued warrants for his alleged acts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.” Yoe also criticized the transfer of billions of dollars in U.S. military assistance to Israel for bombs. Medoff responded that the proposed claims were “factually inaccurate” and would transform a historical book into a political vehicle. “There are no concentration camps in America, and it’s not a Nazi country,” Medoff told Yoe. “Misusing the term ‘concentration camps’ diminishes the suffering that was experienced by the Jewish victims of the real concentration camps in the 1930s and 1940s.” Medoff also argued that Yoe’s description effectively accused Israel of genocide by associating the country with crimes against humanity and invoking the Holocaust in that context. “Accusing Israel of genocide is a lie, and requiring a Holocaust scholar to denounce Israel to see his book published is antisemitic bullying,” Medoff said. The planned book was to include 150 editorial cartoons, nine of which were originally published during the 1940s and illustrated what information was available in the United States about the Holocaust while it was taking place. Medoff said he proposed several compromises in an effort to preserve the project, including leaving the manuscript unchanged or publishing it under a different imprint without Yoe’s name while preserving the editor’s 4% royalty interest. Yoe rejected the proposals and later ended his relationship with Dark Horse. Dark Horse legal counsel Philip Simon confirmed that the publisher had canceled the book but said the decision was unrelated to the political dispute. “Craig Yoe, of Yoe Books, failed to make our planned schedule for this book as the project’s packager, so Dark Horse stepped away from it and decided not to publish it last year,” Simon wrote in a June 3, 2026, email to StandWithUs legal director Carly Gammill. “Dark Horse does not plan to publish ‘Cartoonists Against the Holocaust,’” he added. “It was a decision based on our company’s financial needs and some scheduling issues that had delayed the project too much already.” Neither Dark Horse nor Yoe addressed Medoff’s allegations directly. “When a comic-book publisher pressures a Holocaust scholar to denounce the Jewish state before his own book on the Holocaust can see print, the irony is hard to miss,” Gammill said. Medoff is the founding director of the Washington-based David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies. The dispute follows several cases since October 7 in which Israeli or Jewish creators have faced exclusion from cultural events, including comic-book artist Miriam Libicki and Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid. message s1eu6ixnfx An investigation based on interviews with more than 30 medical professionals details allegations of painful IV attempts, withheld pain relief, Holocaust denial and workplace harassment, fueling growing fear among Jewish patients and health workers Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/02/12/SyksvjFYyl/SyksvjFYyl_0_0_576_440_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1eu6ixnfx Sun, 12 Jul 2026 10:13:22 +03:00 A sweeping investigation by The Australian has detailed a series of allegations that antisemitism has intensified across Australia’s health care system since October 7, prompting some Jewish patients to conceal their identity when seeking medical treatment. The report includes testimony from patients and medical professionals who allege that Jewish patients were, in some cases, deliberately mistreated while receiving care. The claims include repeated and painful attempts to insert intravenous lines, failure to provide pain relief to women after childbirth and offensive remarks by medical staff. As a result, the investigation found that many Jews are afraid to seek care at hospitals and clinics, while those who do often conceal their Jewish identity out of concern that it could affect the way they are treated. Based on interviews with more than 30 doctors, nurses, midwives and other health care professionals, the report describes alleged discrimination, harassment and hostility directed at Jewish patients and staff, along with antisemitic comments by medical workers. Among the cases cited is that of Charlotte Frajman, the daughter of an Auschwitz survivor, who said a Muslim nurse at a Melbourne hospital attempted to insert an IV four times after noticing that her religion was listed as Jewish. Freiman said she suffered severe pain and extensive bruising, and alleged that similar incidents occurred during later hospital visits. Another Israeli patient, Orit Brand, said a nurse made eight unsuccessful attempts to insert an IV. She said the line was placed immediately and painlessly once other staff members took over. The report noted that it could not prove deliberate mistreatment in either case. Medical staff quoted in the investigation, however, said hospital protocols limiting the number of IV insertion attempts by the same practitioner had allegedly been breached. Midwife Sharon Stoliar described another case involving a Jewish woman who, she said, was left without pain medication for hours after a C-section. According to the account, the woman lay in a pool of blood while her baby cried beside her, and when a nurse eventually attended to her, she allegedly did so harshly and without compassion. Another Jewish patient, who was hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Adelaide, said a nurse made comments in her presence denying both the Holocaust and the October 7 massacre. The investigation also found that Jewish doctors and medical students had allegedly been ostracized and verbally abused. Some reportedly chose not to file complaints because they feared damaging their careers, while others requested anonymity over concerns for their personal safety or professional future. The report also describes extensive political activism by pro-Palestinian groups of doctors and nurses, including a campaign that contributed to the cancellation of an international trauma conference in Perth. Dr Elon Glassberg, a former chief medical officer of the IDF, had been scheduled to lecture at the conference on lifesaving treatment for gunshot and blast injuries. Trauma experts quoted in the report said the cancellation deprived Australian medical teams of an opportunity to learn techniques that could save lives during mass-casualty incidents. According to the investigation, pro-Palestinian activism has also become increasingly visible inside hospitals. Staff members allegedly wore political symbols, attended anti-Israel demonstrations, distributed stickers bearing the slogan “From the river to the sea” and shared social media posts containing antisemitic material, comparisons between the war in Gaza and the Holocaust and expressions of support for terrorist organizations. The report further alleges that Jewish or pro-Israel medical professionals who challenged claims of genocide or shared information about Hamas’ use of hospitals in Gaza were subjected to disciplinary proceedings. By contrast, some complaints against medical workers who published pro-Hamas or antisemitic material were allegedly said to have been closed without significant action. The investigation criticized the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, known as AHPRA, with interviewees alleging that it had failed to respond decisively to antisemitism within the medical profession. The report’s author, Megan Goldin, concluded with the account of Dr. Carly Debinski, a pediatrician who moved from Australia to Israel after feeling that the atmosphere had become increasingly hostile toward Jews. Debinski now works at Sheba Medical Center, where, she said, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Druze and Arab medical teams work together and treat children from all communities, including children from Gaza. The investigation was published against the backdrop of an ongoing legal case involving two employees at Sydney’s Bankstown Hospital, Ahmad Nadir and Sarah Abu Lebdeh. The pair were recorded saying they would refuse to treat Israeli patients and making threats against them during a video call with Israeli social media influencer Max Veifer. In the video, Abu Lebdeh said she would kill an Israeli patient if one arrived for treatment, while Nadir claimed he had already sent many Israelis “to hell” while working at the hospital. The footage triggered widespread public outrage. In June 2026, however, an Australian court ruled that the recording was inadmissible and could not be used as evidence because it had been obtained in violation of local surveillance laws. Australia’s attorney general subsequently took the unusual step of appealing the decision. message b1qbgye4ge Jewish leaders, politicians and citizens marked the 1941 massacre of hundreds of Jews by their Polish neighbors, while far-right activists insisted only the Nazis were responsible; Poland’s chief rabbi urged the country to confront its past AFP https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/11/BygMnRyVfg/BygMnRyVfg_0_0_2738_1542_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/b1qbgye4ge Sat, 11 Jul 2026 18:48:44 +03:00 Poland’s Jewish community, political leaders and ordinary citizens gathered Friday to commemorate hundreds of Jews murdered by their Polish neighbors 85 years ago in Jedwabne, north of Warsaw, as far-right activists protested nearby and said only the Nazis were responsible for the massacre. AFP journalists at the scene reported a heavy police presence at the site of the 1941 massacre, a former barn where local Polish peasants locked between 300 and 1,600 Jews, according to different estimates, including women and children, and then set it on fire. Some participants at the memorial ceremony wrapped themselves in Israeli and European Union flags as they paid tribute at the monument erected in 2001 at the site of the pogrom. Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich called for unity in his address. He invited those attending the ceremony to read aloud the names and professions of the Jews murdered in Jedwabne. Nearby, about 1,000 people took part in protests and a Catholic Mass organized by far-right parties that refuse to acknowledge the responsibility of Polish villagers in the killing of hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust. Nationalist protesters held signs reading, “I do not apologize for Jedwabne, let the perpetrators apologize,” and “Finish the exhumation, end the defamation of Poles, the Jedwabne lie.” Cutout figures depicting Poland’s chief rabbi and former Polish presidents who recognized Polish responsibility for the massacre were also displayed. Official probe found Poles responsible An official investigation concluded in 2003 that the massacre was carried out by Poles from Jedwabne, not by the German Nazi occupiers. The finding contradicted historical narratives long accepted in Poland, and extreme nationalist groups continue to challenge it. They have demanded that exhumations of the victims be resumed. The exhumations were halted in 2001 for religious reasons at the request of the Jewish community. “As long as we do not know the truth, there will be divisions,” said Elzbieta Rybarska, a far-right activist carrying a Polish flag. “If someone were not afraid of the truth, the exhumation would have been carried out long ago.” Among the organizers of the protest was the far-right Confederation of the Polish Crown, led by Grzegorz Braun. Braun previously caused outrage when he used a fire extinguisher to put out Hanukkah candles during a Jewish ceremony in the Polish parliament in Warsaw. Braun attended the protest. During the demonstration, he and Polish lawmakers Roman Fritz and Wlodzimierz Skalik unveiled a cross and commemorative plaque erected by their supporters near the anniversary ceremony. The plaque placed by the Polish nationalists did not state that the victims were Jews. It read: “Passerby, stop in silent prayer for the souls of those persecuted, murdered, imprisoned, tortured and humiliated from this area, during World War II and after its end, who fell victim to the two criminal totalitarian regimes: German Nazism and Russian-Jewish Sovietism.” In addition to the massacre in the barn, about 40 other Jews from Jedwabne were murdered by villagers in other ways. Other massacres of Jews also took place in the area during Germany’s occupation of Poland in World War II. Jerzy Orlos, 68, who came to the ceremony wrapped in an EU flag, told AFP he was there “to experience the shock of the terrible division of the nation.” Still, he added, “such a ceremony is, of course, proof that we remember the dead.” ‘National conscience’ Poland’s center-right Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who did not attend the ceremonies, said the 85th anniversary of the massacre should serve as “a lesson concerning Poland’s national conscience.” “I would like all Poles to take responsibility for the things we are proud of, but also for us to be able to take responsibility for the things that do not honor us,” he said. The history of Jedwabne’s Jews returned to public consciousness in 2001, when Jewish-American historian Jan T. Gross exposed the role of Polish villagers in the massacre in his book Neighbors. The revelations shocked Poland and led to an official apology from then-President Aleksander Kwasniewski. “As a man, as a citizen and as president of the Republic of Poland, I ask their forgiveness, in my own name and in the name of those Poles whose conscience is shaken by this crime,” Kwasniewski told the Jewish community at the time. After Friday’s ceremony, Schudrich addressed the divisive narratives surrounding the history of the massacre. “This has nothing to do with an attack on Polish identity,” the chief rabbi, who has dual Polish and American citizenship, told AFP. “When you are honest with yourself, you can be much more honest as you move into the future.” In Poland, where millions of Jews were murdered by the Nazis, thousands of Jews were also killed by Poles, especially in rural areas. At the same time, many other Poles risked their lives to save Jews. More than 7,000 Poles, more than any other nationality, have been recognized by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations. message hybj5dkvmx Shafiq Rahman was sentenced to 16 months in prison for an antisemitic attack on an Orthodox Jewish man in Slough after threatening and abusing him on the street; He was also convicted in a separate case involving a dog that seriously injured a man ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/05/03/rJFUIo40Zl/rJFUIo40Zl_0_0_953_536_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hybj5dkvmx Sat, 11 Jul 2026 10:24:00 +03:00 A Muslim man who verbally abused and threatened an Orthodox Jewish man in what authorities described as an antisemitic attack has been sentenced to 16 months in prison. About three months ago, Moishe, an Orthodox Jewish man in his 30s who lives in London, drew widespread attention after publishing a personal essay in the Daily Mail describing the attack. "I work as a building inspector, and while photographing the outside of a house in Slough, a man started screaming that I was a 'dirty Jew', a 'baby killer'," he wrote at the time. The attacker, 48-year-old Shafiq Rahman, was arrested shortly after the incident. On Friday, a court sentenced him to 16 months in prison, also taking into account a separate offense in which a dog under his responsibility seriously injured a man. The antisemitic incident took place on April 20 while Moishe was carrying out work at a property on Elliman Avenue in Slough. Wearing a kippah, he was spotted by Rahman, who was riding past on a bicycle and began shouting antisemitic abuse at him. According to police, Rahman approached the victim, threatened him and attempted to snatch his cellphone. Several bystanders tried to intervene but were also subjected to verbal abuse. Video of the incident quickly spread across social media, prompting concern among local residents and the wider community. Following the video's circulation and a public appeal by police, investigators received information that helped identify the suspect. Rahman was arrested on April 23 and charged the following day. He pleaded guilty to assault aggravated by racial or religious hostility, using threatening words with intent to cause fear or provoke violence under aggravated circumstances and criminal damage. He was also convicted in a separate case involving a dog under his responsibility that seriously injured a man in Thatcham in June 2025. Following the sentencing, Stuart Bosley, commander of the East Berkshire Local Policing Area within Thames Valley Police, described the incident as "shocking and targeted antisemitic attack on a man simply going about his work." "We understand that crimes of this nature cause distress and fear, having a profound impact not only on the victim, but on the wider community," Bosley said. "Everyone should feel safe to go about their lives without fear of harassment or abuse." He added: "There is no place for antisemitism in Slough or in wider society. We remain committed to tackling hate crime, supporting victims and working with our communities to ensure they are safe and protected." The Community Security Trust, a British charity that monitors antisemitism, welcomed the conviction, saying: "Nobody should be subjected to racist abuse, threats and intimidation simply because they are Jewish." The organization said the prosecution and sentence send "a clear message that antisemitism will not be tolerated and that there should always be a consequence for this kind of appalling anti-Jewish hatred." Shomrim, a volunteer organization that helps protect Jewish communities in the United Kingdom, also welcomed the outcome, calling it "a deeply disturbing antisemitic attack on a member of the Jewish community who was simply going about his daily work." The organization thanked members of the public who provided information to police, saying their cooperation helped identify the offender and bring him to justice. In his Daily Mail essay, Moishe wrote about what he sees as the broader climate of antisemitism in Britain: "I want the threat removed: the marches, the online hate, what is being preached in the mosques, the anti-Semitic bile taught in schools and universities. As long as we tolerate and accept these things, then we will simply be chasing after the next attack. And then the one after that. But it feels like our government can't even name the issue for what it is. They have failed us. "For too long, I have tried to tell myself that we will be fine. I now know that's not true. Some friends are already making plans to leave. Others, like me, argue that we should stay. I ask myself constantly if I'm being naive: after all, I know that our families are only here because they knew when to run from danger. I have taken up self-defence so that I can protect myself and my family if anyone tries to hurt us. And I think about moving somewhere safer every day. Unless something changes – dramatically – I don't think Jews have a future in Britain." message hjzaesrmzg AP-NORC poll finds many Jewish Americans feel less safe since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, with 3 in 10 reporting antisemitic harassment, violence or property damage AP https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2025/12/14/rkg35ainGWl/rkg35ainGWl_0_0_3000_1689_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hjzaesrmzg Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:15:35 +03:00 Many Jewish adults feel unsafe in the United States, a new AP-NORC poll finds, with a majority saying they feel less safe than they did before Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research points to how Jewish adults’ attitudes toward their own personal safety have changed over a relatively short period as more Americans became critical of the United States’ close alliance with Israel. The war in Gaza sparked U.S. protests over Israel’s military actions against the Palestinians in Gaza, and coincided with an increase in violent attacks against U.S. Jewish communities. The findings highlight the vulnerability that many Jewish adults in the U.S. feel as bipartisan support for Israel erodes and significant divides emerge within the Jewish community about what constitutes antisemitism — particularly when it comes to protesting Israel. A significant share of Jewish adults, about 3 in 10, say they or someone in their household has experienced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment or damaged property because of their Jewish background over the last year, according to the survey. Hal Guberman, a 30-year-old in New Jersey, wears a kippah with some trepidation ever since a stranger in a passing car yelled a slur at him when he was walking down the street last year. “That person, they don’t know anything about me. They don’t know my politics. They don’t know my beliefs. They don’t know my viewpoints,” Guberman said. “But they saw me being visibly Jewish, and they made an opinion about me.” Jewish adults see prejudice against Jews as a serious problem, and many feel unsafe About 6 in 10 Jewish adults say that prejudice against Jewish people is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in the United States today, a view that is heightened among Jewish adults who say they are “extremely” or “very” emotionally attached to Israel. About one-third of Jewish adults say they feel “very” or “somewhat” safe as a Jewish person in the U.S. today, while about one-third feel “very” or “somewhat” unsafe. The remaining roughly 3 in 10 say they feel neither safe nor unsafe. Those with a close connection to Israel or who identify as Jewish by religion — instead of saying they are religiously unaffiliated with a cultural, ethnic or family connection to Judaism — are more likely to feel threatened in the current environment. About 6 in 10 Jewish adults say they feel “less safe” as a Jewish person in the U.S. than they did before Hamas’ 2023 attack, including about 7 in 10 of those who are religiously Jewish. About one-third of Jewish adults say they feel “about as safe” and very few feel safer. Erin Baskin, a 36-year-old in Pennsylvania, said the October 7 attacks didn’t change how safe she feels because she had her own experiences with prejudice before then. “I’ve always grown up with antisemitism,” she said. “Among the rural community I’m in, they conflate Judaism with Zionism all the time. Unfortunately, that’s kind of been my experience. It’s nothing new.” Some Jewish adults have grown wary of outwardly identifying themselves as Jewish following the October 7 attacks, the survey found. About 4 in 10 Jewish adults say they are “less likely” to wear, carry or display things that might identify them as a Jewish person than they were before Hamas’ October 7 attack. About half say they are “about as likely” and about 1 in 10 say they are “more likely.” Caitlin Rosendorn, a 24-year-old in Illinois, said they used to wear a Star of David necklace, but now worries that wearing it could give people the incorrect impression that they support Israel’s attacks against the Palestinian people. “I don’t want to wear a Star of David to work if that’s going to alienate somebody who sees the Star of David as a symbol of Israel as opposed to a symbol of Judaism,” Rosendorn said. “I don’t want people to get the wrong idea about my views.” Many Jews report physical assault, property damage or harassment About 1 in 10 Jewish adults say that in the past year, they or someone in their household has been physically assaulted. A similar share had property damaged or destroyed specifically because of their Jewish background. About 2 in 10 Jewish adults say they or someone in their household has been called a slur, threatened, verbally harassed or verbally abused. Similarly, about 2 in 10 say they experienced online harassment or cyberbullying. Overall, about 3 in 10 of Jewish adults say that they or someone in their household has experienced at least one of these incidents because of their Jewish background. Jewish adults who attend religious services at least once a month are much likelier than Jewish adults overall to say they or someone in their household has experienced attacks or harassment over their Jewish background — a finding that comes as there have been several targeted attacks on Jewish religious spaces in recent years. Slightly less than half of Jewish adults who frequently attend religious services say they or someone in their household has faced verbal harassment. A similar share experienced online harassment, and about one-quarter have dealt with physical attacks or property damage. Jon Kessler, 38, of California, who grew up in the Conservative tradition of Judaism, believes non-Jews might be surprised at the extent to which Jewish adults have to consider security at community events. “Most people when they go to church don’t have armed security, but every synagogue has an armed security guard,” Kessler said. “My son’s Jewish daycare has an armed security guard.” Jews are divided over whether protesting Israel is a form of antisemitism Protests surrounding speakers tied to Israel — whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanahyu’s address to Congress or college speakers seen as either too supportive or too critical of the country — became more common following the backlash over Israel’s war in Gaza. Jewish adults, in particular, are divided over whether protesting an event related to Israel is an act of prejudice against Jewish people generally. About half of Jewish adults say anti-Israel protests are not a form of antisemitism, but roughly 4 in 10 say they are. Many anti-Israel protests have been tied to criticism of Israel’s military action in Gaza. More than 73,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since Israel retaliated against Hamas’ attack in 2023, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilian and militant deaths. About two-thirds of Jewish adults say criticizing Israel for its military actions is not a form of antisemitism, but Jewish adults with a close emotional connection to Israel are more likely to say that criticism of Israel’s military actions is antisemitic. That said, relatively few Jewish adults say it’s antisemitic just to criticize Israel for “any reason.” Americans overall are less likely to say it’s antisemitic to protest an event that is supportive of Israel, or to criticize Israel’s military actions — but they are also much less likely to have an opinion. Jewish adults are more unified in deeming some actions as definitively antisemitic. The overwhelming majority say vandalizing synagogues or Jewish-owned businesses because of Israel’s actions is antisemitism. The same goes for denying the reality or scope of the Holocaust, putting responsibility for Israel’s actions on Jewish people in the United States, saying Israel shouldn’t exist as a Jewish state or claiming American Jews are more loyal to Israel than to the U.S. There is less consensus among non-Jewish U.S. adults on whether some of these actions constitute antisemitism, with many saying they’re not sure. Amanda Goldsmith, 53, who lives in Chicago, believes people have become too comfortable expressing antisemitic views online — something that she previously thought only existed in extremist spaces. “Now, it seems like there was an undercurrent, and it’s a free-for-all, and everyone is free to say what they want,” she said. “The freedom with which people say horrible things about Jewish people is appalling.” message byfawxcqzg Moses’ fierce rebuke of Reuben and Gad in this week's Torah portion warns against deals that let some evade shared sacrifice, even when the compromise appears profitable Michael Eisenberg https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/10/H1tIKQ0mze/H1tIKQ0mze_0_97_1402_790_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/byfawxcqzg Fri, 10 Jul 2026 11:13:03 +03:00 As we conclude the Book of Numbers with the double portion of Matot-Masei, numerous events unfold in rapid succession: the laws of vows, the Midianite war, laws of purity, the journeys of the Israelites, and the division of the land. Today, I want to focus on the tribes of Reuben and Gad requesting their inheritance on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, and the severe pushback they received. Seeing that the eastern bank was ideal grazing land for their vast herds, Reuben and Gad approached Moses and the leaders, asking: "Let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan." Moses responds blisteringly: "Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here!? Why do you dissuade the hearts of the Children of Israel?" He compares them to the spies who destroyed the national morale, calling them a "culture of sinful men" who will "destroy this entire people." The tribes quickly counteroffer: they will build pens for their flocks but serve as the military vanguard until the entire land is conquered. Moses agrees to this condition. Don Isaac Abarbanel suggests that this request came at this specific time and not earlier, right after the conquest of the east bank, because the Midianite war provided them with their vast livestock. However, building on last week's theme of the "public voice," I propose that their request posed a grave danger that demanded public pushback to prevent its normalization. This time, Moses provides that voice for the people, building an additional layer upon the foundation Phinehas had established, so this is the reason for placing the event after the portions of Balak and Phinehas. The story of the newly emerging public voice begins in Chapter 20. Following decades of silence, the people complain at Kadesh, leading Moses to strike the rock. The nation mourns Aaron, faces Edom’s stubborn refusal of passage, endures the serpent plague, and collectively vows to God after fighting the King of Arad. Finally, their voice bursts forth joyously and cooperatively in the "Song of the Well." Throughout all these events, the public voice reflects the nation's collective spirit, for better or for worse. In contrast, in Chapter 25, a new challenge had arisen as a relatively small part of the people attempted to normalize disgraceful practices like prostitution and idolatry. The verses describe everyone weeping silently at the Tent of Meeting but not responding actively. Everyone was afraid to protest until Phinehas shattered the complacency, stepping up to stop a small faction's hostile takeover of the dormant majority's voice. From there, the Torah amplifies the voices of the daughters of Tzelofchad claiming their rightful inheritance. Fittingly, our current portion opens with the laws of vows, highlighting the profound power of an individual's commitment to their just word. With all this background, we get to Reuben’s and Gad’s request. Why does Moses attack their seemingly economic application so harshly? Why accuse them of trying to "destroy this entire people," especially when they had a ready compromise and didn't completely evade the national mission? Last week's census provides another vital clue for the situation. The southern camp of Reuben, Simeon, and Gad had lost about 30% of its population over forty years, while the other camps grew. Moses might have suspected their economic excuse was merely a cover for their diminished military capacity. Furthermore, by explicitly mentioning the Eshkol Valley - where the spies had gathered giant fruits - Moses implies that Reuben and Gad feared agriculture and permanent settlement. He suspected they retained an "exilic" mentality, preferring movable wealth like sheep for an easy escape. Ultimately, Moses feared their request would undermine national resilience and the willingness to mobilize. This was another battle for the public spirit. As Saadia Gaon explains Moses's warning: "You will destroy this nation if they remain silent before you." The loud minority once again threatened to overpower the silent majority. But why would the other tribes remain silent? And why wasn't Simeon - their camp partner - included in the request? Simeon was far from the national consensus. As recalled, Phinehas rose up against the leader of the tribe of Simeon, who brought a non-Israelite woman into his tent in the heart of the camp. Simeon, who was trying to force foreign norms into the Israeli narrative, from their perspective, could have cast suspicion upon them that they were seeking to remain outside of Western Israel because they wished to assimilate among the surrounding peoples and integrate into their culture. Knowing Simeon was a red flag, Reuben and Gad purposely excluded them from this new initiative, and presented a secretly tempting economic proposal to all the tribes: if we stay on the east side, the rest of you will receive much larger portions on the west side. Here lies a new kind of danger: silencing the righteous public voice through temptation. It is incredibly hard to protest a bad idea when it benefits you financially. Moses, having learned from Phinehas’s zealotry, recognized this trap. This event was placed here because we needed Phinehas to teach Moses that one must confront groups because they may harm the community at large; we needed the Midianite war to show that everyone must draft; and we needed the daughters of Tzelofchad to realize the power of speaking up. Moses knew he must absolutely refuse to normalize a situation where two tribes opt out of the collective Israeli story. Even if it expands territorial control, we cannot trade core values - especially the supreme value of true national unity and shared destiny - for convenient coalition agreements. Historically, this economic split likely caused more harm than good. Exodus 23 outlines a gradual conquest to prevent the land from becoming desolate, but strictly warns against making covenants with the remaining Canaanites who will become a "snare." After all, tragically, the divided tribes failed to drive out all the Canaanites, adopted their abominations, and suffered devastating destruction and exile. Had Reuben, Gad, and half of Menashe (who was joined by Moses) settled on the western side with everyone else, the united demographic and military strength might have overcome the challenges of a gradual conquest, altering Jewish history completely. As we build the Third State of Israel, we must not repeat these historical mistakes by anchoring physical, ideological, or practical separations into our laws and society. message s1zmv6axmg Once home to a thriving Jewish community of 10,000, Gdańsk’s Jewish population was nearly destroyed in the Holocaust; Today, a small but determined community preserves its heritage, with a restored synagogue and a story of survival Ayelet Mamo Shay https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/06/S13rmwKXfg/S13rmwKXfg_0_252_2000_1126_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/s1zmv6axmg Fri, 10 Jul 2026 04:37:20 +03:00 The port city of Gdańsk (Danzig in German), located on the shores of the Baltic Sea, is known for its magnificent architectural history and its close connection to freedom and liberty. Interwoven among the city’s picturesque alleys is the story of one of the most fascinating, complex and influential Jewish communities in Eastern Europe over the years, a community that experienced a cultural golden age but was almost completely wiped out and is now trying to rebuild itself. The first Jewish presence in the area is documented as early as the 10th and 11th centuries. The Jews who arrived in those days were mainly itinerant merchants who traveled along maritime trade routes. However, permanent settlement encountered many difficulties. During the 14th and 15th centuries, under the rule of the Teutonic Order, Jews were forbidden from permanently residing in the city. The significant change began in the mid-15th century, when Gdańsk became part of the Kingdom of Poland. Although the city maintained restrictive laws and did not allow Jews to settle there, they were permitted to trade during the large fairs. As a result, Jewish neighborhoods began to emerge outside the city’s municipal authority. Only in the 19th century, with the granting of emancipation and under Prussian rule, did the city’s Jews receive full equal rights. In 1887, the city’s five small communities united into one unified community, and this marked the beginning of the “golden age” of Danzig Jewry, which reached its peak with about 10,000 people in the 1920s. The community was unique in the European landscape. Due to its status as a “Free City” after World War I, it enjoyed a certain degree of autonomy, but after the Nazis rose to power in Germany in 1933, the situation began to deteriorate rapidly. In 1938, following the Kristallnacht pogroms, during which Jewish institutions in the city were damaged, the community leadership understood that it had no future in the city. In a courageous and unprecedented move, the local Jewish leadership reached a strategic decision: to sell the community’s property, including the large and magnificent Great Synagogue, in order to finance the emigration of the city’s Jews. Thanks to this resourcefulness, about 7,000 of Danzig’s Jews succeeded in emigrating outside Europe. Many of them immigrated to the Land of Israel, while some arrived aboard the famous illegal immigration ship Atlantic. Those who remained behind, about 1,500 people, were sent to extermination camps (mainly the nearby Stutthof camp) and were murdered in the Holocaust. A synagogue that was returned to the Jews The Jewish community in Gdańsk today is small, but independent and determined. The registered community numbers about 65 families, and including children there are about 100 to 150 active members. However, estimates are that in the metropolitan area of Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia there are hundreds of additional residents with Jewish roots who are not registered. During my visit to the site, I had the pleasure of meeting community chairman Michael Samet, his deputy Michael Rucki and Marek Brand, who is responsible for culture and events in the community. Samet is a veteran and highly respected key figure, not only in Gdańsk but in Jewish religious life throughout Poland. He simultaneously serves as treasurer of the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland and as a member of its religious council. He serves as the public face of the community with local authorities, leads memorial and cultural events and maintains ongoing contact with the Chief Rabbinate in Warsaw. The New Synagogue, located in the Wrzeszcz district, is the only active synagogue in the city that survived World War II. Today, it serves as the center of Jewish life for the local community, which is affiliated with the Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland (ZGWŻ). Prayers are held at the synagogue on holidays and Shabbat, and it hosts cultural events. The synagogue building may look small from the outside, but do not let its appearance mislead you. The building itself includes, alongside the synagogue, a strictly kosher kitchen, a small museum and various study rooms. However, the highlight was on the upper floor — a hall for lectures, concerts and music performances with a huge stage. Community deputy chairman Michael Rucki said that in the past the building was taken from the Jews and turned into a music school. In 2007, the Jewish community succeeded in proving that the building belonged to it and received it back, and since then it has served as the community building. Due to the small size of the Jewish community, there is no Jewish day school or active Jewish kindergarten in Gdańsk. Supplementary Jewish education takes place occasionally through Sunday meetings or holiday workshops at the synagogue. As part of Sunday School, young children come to study Torah, heritage and tradition. Currently, there is no dedicated kosher grocery store or kosher restaurant under permanent supervision in Gdańsk. Community members and kosher-observant visitors rely on basic products from Poland’s kosher lists, which are available in regular supermarket chains, or order deliveries of approved meat and prepared food from other locations. As mentioned, the community building has a kosher kitchen where hot meals are prepared for community members, and from time to time catering operates for Jewish tourists who observe kosher dietary laws. There is no mohel, a Jewish man trained in the practice of brit milah, a circumcision, living in Gdańsk. For circumcision ceremonies, the community relies on mohalim and religious figures who arrive specifically from Warsaw, Berlin or even the United States. The official Jewish community in the city also does not have a permanent full-time community rabbi who lives there. Therefore, the community is under the spiritual protection and supervision of Poland’s Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Michael Schudrich, who is based in Warsaw. Rabbi Schudrich or his assistants come to Gdańsk frequently, mainly ahead of major holidays, special community events or to provide answers to complex halachic (religious law) questions. Those who lead the community in practice on a daily basis are the local community chairman and board members (the heads of the civil community). They are the ones who organize Friday night services, manage prayers (often without a full quorum, depending on the season and the presence of tourists) and maintain the operation of the New Synagogue in Wrzeszcz. Currently, there is no active mikvah, a ritual bath, in Gdańsk or the surrounding area (Gdańsk, Sopot or Gdynia). For observant families living in the area, or those who require immersion for conversion or preparation for a wedding, this is not a simple logistical challenge. One possible solution is traveling to Warsaw or Łódź, the larger cities where there are modern and supervised mikvahs. A high-speed train journey from Gdańsk to Warsaw takes about 2.5 to 3 hours each way. Another option is traveling to Berlin. Due to the relative proximity to northern Germany, some community members choose to travel to the larger Jewish communities in Berlin, where there is extensive religious infrastructure. In extreme circumstances, there is the possibility of immersion in nature. The nearby Baltic Sea and the lakes in the area provide natural water sources, but due to the freezing temperatures during most of the year and the strict halachic requirements regarding women’s immersion in the open sea, this solution is almost impractical for regular use. It is mainly intended for men’s immersion (for example, on the eve of Yom Kippur) or for immersing new utensils. A reminder of a dark period When walking through the restored streets of Gdańsk, it is difficult not to be impressed by its architectural beauty, but the visit to the city took on a completely different meaning during a visit to the Museum of the Second World War (Muzeum II Wojny Światowej). The building itself immediately stands out in the landscape — a concrete and glass tower tilted on its side, directing visitors to the main permanent exhibition, which is located entirely underground. The underground location creates an immediate feeling of entering a dark period, and the exhibition itself chooses to focus on the fate of civilians and human suffering, beyond the dry military developments. Within this space, the Jewish story occupies a central, established and inseparable place within the broader narrative. During the tour, I passed through the sections dedicated to the destruction of European Jewry, which present in a comprehensive manner the rise of institutionalized antisemitism, the establishment of ghettos and the machinery of mass murder in the camps, while emphasizing the nearby Stutthof camp. I was particularly interested in seeing how the museum addresses the specific fate of the Danzig Jewish community, including the commemoration of the Kindertransport operation, during which about 120 Jewish children were smuggled by train from the city to Britain just before the outbreak of the war — a story that is also physically commemorated through a bronze statue outside the city’s main train station. The museum does not avoid addressing complex and sensitive issues, and presents the Holocaust within a broad global context alongside a depiction of the complicated relationship between Poles and their Jewish neighbors, from stories of rescue by local Righteous Among the Nations to instances of antisemitism experienced by survivors upon their return. One of the most moving stories connected to the community is the fate of the “Danzig Collection.” Before the war, the community held a huge and rare collection of ritual objects, Judaica and Torah scrolls. As part of the community’s rescue plan in 1939, the collection was packed into 10 huge crates and sent for safekeeping in New York, at the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS), under the condition that if a free Jewish community were reestablished in Danzig, the collection would be returned. The collection, part of which is currently displayed at the Jewish Museum in New York, is a living testimony to the magnificent culture that existed and no longer exists in the Baltic region. The Jewish community of present-day Gdańsk is not the thriving community of the 19th century, but it proudly carries the torch of remembrance. For me, as a wandering Jew or a researcher of communities, a visit to the synagogue in the Wrzeszcz district and a meeting with members of the local community reveal a story of survival, continuity and a powerful desire to keep the Jewish flame burning, even against all odds. Ayelet Mamo Shay is a businesswoman, chairwoman of the Gibraltar-Israel Chamber of Commerce, international lecturer, author and researcher of Jewish communities around the world. message h1fnvd6xgx Legislation would create Italy’s first formal process to return art and cultural property looted under Fascist and Nazi persecution ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2016/12/07/7436963/7436963_0_75_1300_732_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1fnvd6xgx Thu, 09 Jul 2026 22:41:37 +03:00 Italy has taken a major step toward creating its first formal process for returning art and cultural property looted during the Holocaust and the Fascist era, with lawmakers advancing legislation aimed at addressing long-standing restitution claims. Bill 2834, introduced in the Italian Parliament and reviewed by the Chamber of Deputies' Committee on Culture, Science and Education, would authorize the government to establish a legal framework for returning artworks and cultural property seized, looted or lost because of antisemitic persecution under Italy's Fascist racial laws beginning in 1938 and during the broader Holocaust era from 1933 to 1945. If enacted, the legislation would mark Italy's first dedicated restitution mechanism for Holocaust-era cultural property. Gideon Taylor, president of the World Jewish Restitution Organization, welcomed the bill, calling it "a historic opportunity to finally deliver justice to victims of Nazi and Fascist persecution and their heirs." Taylor said families seeking the return of looted cultural property in Italy have faced greater obstacles than in neighboring European countries over the past two decades. "While operational and legal details remain to be resolved as the bill moves forward, this is a vital step toward creating a framework for restitution," he said. The World Jewish Restitution Organization said Italy has lagged behind other Western European countries despite endorsing the 1998 Washington Conference Principles on Nazi-Confiscated Art and the 2009 Terezin Declaration, both of which encourage governments to facilitate the return of Holocaust-era looted artworks. In a report published in March 2024 with the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, the organization concluded that Italy had made only "some progress" toward establishing an effective restitution system over the previous 25 years. According to supporters, the proposed legislation would create an independent committee with authority to issue binding restitution decisions. It would also remove several legal barriers that have historically complicated claims involving works held in public collections, including statutes of limitation, protections for state-owned property and restrictions governing national cultural assets. The bill is based in part on research by Prof. Lorenzo Casini, whose report examined Italy's restitution framework and compared it with systems in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Austria and the United Kingdom. Taylor said the effectiveness of the legislation would depend on its final provisions, particularly whether it creates an independent panel capable of resolving disputes based on fairness and equity in line with international standards. Livia Ottolenghi, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, told lawmakers that the legislation would help address a long-standing gap in Italy's legal system. "Italy is finally taking steps, many years after both the looting itself and the 1998 Washington Conference, to establish a right to redress," Ottolenghi said. While no law could compensate for the lives lost or the suffering endured during the Holocaust, she said, it could provide justice for the loss of cultural heritage. She expressed support for the bill's overall direction, saying it was consistent with implementing the Washington Principles on Nazi-confiscated art. message hj3new67fx Schwidler House in Reykjavik will serve Iceland’s small Jewish community and thousands of Jewish tourists each year, with a synagogue, kosher shop, cultural programming and an exhibition tracing more than a century of Jewish life on the island Itamar Eichner https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/09/rkXCTrpmMg/rkXCTrpmMg_0_0_896_504_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/hj3new67fx Thu, 09 Jul 2026 21:13:37 +03:00 Iceland’s Jewish community marked a historic milestone this week with the inauguration of Schwidler House in Reykjavik, the first Jewish center and Jewish cultural center in the country’s history. The new three-story building, covering about 840 square meters, will serve the small local Jewish community as well as thousands of Jewish tourists who visit Iceland each year. The center was established by Chabad emissaries in Iceland, Rabbi Avraham Feldman and his wife, Mushky, who have been active in the country since 2018. Iceland is home to an estimated 100 to 300 Jews. Until now, Jewish community activity in Iceland took place out of the Feldmans’ private home and temporary spaces. For more than a century of Jewish life in the country, Iceland had no permanent Jewish center or organized synagogue, making Reykjavik the only European capital without a permanent rabbi. “We dreamed of this moment for years,” Rabbi Feldman said at the dedication ceremony. “And today we are sitting inside the dream that became reality. This is a home where every Jew can come in, feel at home and simply be Jewish.” The new center will include a Judaica and kosher food shop, a community events hall, educational and cultural programming and a new permanent exhibition titled “Jewish Life in Iceland.” The exhibition will present the history of Jewish life on the island for the first time through documents and photographs tracing more than 100 years of Jewish history in the country. More than 100 guests attended the opening ceremony, including rabbis from Scandinavian countries, public figures and diplomatic representatives. Among the speakers was a member of parliament and former mayor of Reykjavik, who said the new center would serve as “a living bridge connecting cultures, dispelling ignorance and promoting dialogue and understanding.” He added that many Jews in Iceland had hesitated for years to say openly that they were Jewish, making education and dialogue especially important. Icelandic Prime Minister Kristrun Frostadottir also sent a letter of congratulations. In the letter, she described the center’s opening as “an important milestone for the Jewish community and for Icelandic society” and expressed hope for continued cooperation between Iceland’s government and the Jewish community. The center is named after businessman and philanthropist Eugene Shwidler, one of the project’s main donors, alongside other philanthropists who helped fund its construction. message by3g3maqgg São Paulo’s Catavento Museum hosts 'They Gave Us Hope Again,' an exhibition tracing the survival of Jewish infants born at Kaufering in the final months of World War II ynet Global https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/07/09/SkC5nMa7Gg/SkC5nMa7Gg_45_0_1031_580_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/by3g3maqgg Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:07:02 +03:00 A temporary exhibition at the Catavento Museum in São Paulo tells the story of seven Jewish babies who survived the Holocaust after being born in a Nazi concentration camp during the final months of World War II. "They Gave Us Hope Again – Pregnancy and Birth in the Kaufering Camp, Dachau" will remain on display through Aug. 31. Developed by the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial in Germany, the exhibition explores the births of seven babies between September 1944 and April 1945 in the Kaufering camp complex, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp. The exhibition examines what organizers describe as one of the most extraordinary episodes of the Holocaust, documenting how the infants survived despite the conditions imposed by the Nazi regime. Through historical documents, photographs, survivor testimony and original wartime records, the exhibition recounts the experiences of the mothers and their children, highlighting the networks of solidarity among female prisoners that helped keep the babies alive. The exhibition also honors George Legmann, one of the seven babies born at Kaufering, who survived the Holocaust and immigrated to Brazil with his family after the war. Organizers say his story has become a symbol of resilience, remembrance and hope. The exhibition is supported by the German Consulate General in São Paulo, StandWithUs Brasil and other institutions. The Catavento Museum, which opened in 2009 in the historic Palácio das Indústrias, is São Paulo's most-visited science museum. Operated by the São Paulo State Secretariat of Culture, Economy and Creative Industries and managed by Catavento Cultural e Educacional, the museum features more than 200 interactive exhibits across four permanent sections — Universe, Life, Engineering and Society — occupying more than 12,000 square meters (129,000 square feet). The museum has welcomed more than 8 million visitors since opening. It received about 820,000 visitors in 2025, continuing its mission of promoting science, culture and technology while encouraging curiosity and learning among visitors of all ages. message syleakt7gx Unpublished letters, a deep friendship with Primo Levi, conversations with Albert Camus and Allen Ginsberg’s original ‘Kaddish’ manuscript reveal a new portrait of Wiesel, the Nobel laureate who stood at the center of Jewish and world culture after the Holocaust Yoel Rappel https://ynet-pic1.yit.co.il/picserver6/crop_images/2026/06/29/rkebQTTJ7zx/rkebQTTJ7zx_0_0_1920_1080_0_small.jpg https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/syleakt7gx Thu, 09 Jul 2026 12:49:10 +03:00 My first meeting with Elie Wiesel took place in November 1983. When I knocked on the door of his apartment, then on Manhattan’s West Side, the door opened and two people stood before me. I was surprised. I recognized Wiesel immediately, but who was the guest, the second man who at that moment was taking leave of his host? The answer came at once: “Meet the writer Primo Levi.” Two in one meeting, and what two they were. I was deeply embarrassed. I did not know what one says at such a moment. I still did not know any of Primo Levi’s books in Hebrew, but I had heard of the man. In Kvutzat Yavne, where I grew up, there was a member, Yosef Hartom, a native of Turin, the same age and classmate as Primo Levi. Both studied chemistry, but Yosef’s family was Zionist and immigrated to Israel in 1938, while his friend Primo Levi remained in Italy and endured the torments of the hell of Auschwitz. Since Yosef knew of my interest in Holocaust literature, he once told me at length on a Shabbat about his good friend. Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi met in the early 1970s and immediately became close friends. They called each other “my brother” and exchanged letters, most of which I found in the archive. When Primo Levi died, his widow wrote to Wiesel in a telegram: “We will delay the funeral until you arrive, so that you, as he wished, will eulogize him.” The funeral was not delayed, but on the 30th day more than 2,000 Italian Jews gathered for a memorial service in Turin, where Wiesel was the only speaker and eulogist. He came especially from New York. I asked Wiesel what he and Primo Levi spoke about in their long conversations, and he replied: “We spoke about our days in the Buna camp, Auschwitz III, and about the different understanding each of us had of the meaning of those difficult days.” They were close friends, but very different from one another. Wiesel represented a spiritual, moral and theological voice, while Primo Levi was analytical and rational. From the moment they met, they knew they had been tortured and had suffered at the same time and in the same camp, without knowing it in real time. Their time in the extermination camp produced two unique books, Wiesel’s Night and Primo Levi’s If This Is a Man. I heard a great deal from Wiesel about their conversations, which never truly ended. As he said: “We paused until the next continuation of the conversation, but the pause from the last conversation is still continuing.” Primo Levi was only one of the many writers with whom Wiesel maintained ongoing contact, a relationship well reflected in the hundreds of letters I found in the archive. Wiesel loved friends, and friendship was for him a value of deep meaning. Anyone who betrayed friendship was quickly removed from the “club.” Wiesel and Primo Levi had another mutual friend, the writer Jean Améry, who was in the same camp at the same time. His well-known book At the Mind’s Limits: Contemplations by a Survivor on Auschwitz and Its Realities expresses a philosophical view according to which Auschwitz was an experience entirely defined by the humiliation of man as man. Therefore, it has no forgiveness and cannot be reconciled. A real bond existed among the three, even though each of them viewed the terrible period in the extermination camp differently. If I had to classify or characterize the three of them, I would say that Wiesel was first and foremost the Jewish witness of Auschwitz. For him, Auschwitz was the arena of struggle between man, God and memory. His descriptions are emotional, with great emphasis on the Jewish experience. Primo Levi’s name did not allow him to flee his Jewish identity, but his interest in God and faith was more limited. He dealt extensively with human behavior under extreme conditions and with the meaning of moral edge situations. In Jean Améry’s case, Jewish identity was forced upon him by Nazi antisemitism. He was born into an assimilated family, and discovered that everything he thought he had, homeland, culture, education, history and progress, had been taken from him. “The past was suddenly buried, and you no longer knew who you were.” Three Jewish writers, and there were others, such as Viktor Frankl and Ka-Tzetnik, but these three maintained friendship and dialogue among themselves. Two of them, as a result of severe mental crises, took their own lives. When I asked Wiesel about his two friends, with whom his connection began only in the 1970s, and whether he could have anticipated that they would end their lives early and by their own choice, he replied that the differences among the three of them were clear. Still, the fact that they experienced the same severe torments forced them to confront the same intellectual questions, and that was the foundation of the dialogue among them. “Of the three of us,” he said, “I was the only one who remained with my father almost until the final month, and the thought that accompanied me was a thought of hope, and more than anything, faith in the future.” • • • Wiesel was born in the town of Sighet, a Jewish shtetl in the southern Carpathian Mountains, where the borders of Hungary, Romania and Ukraine meet today. His exit into the wider world was in Paris. After leaving the orphanage and moving to the big city, he studied at the Sorbonne and began working as a journalist, a profession he practiced for 25 years, from 1947 to 1972. François Mauriac was Wiesel’s mentor and the man who opened many doors for him, but I was interested particularly in Albert Camus, whose books The Plague and The Stranger I had read and loved. In the archive, I found a handwritten letter by Camus, and it was an opportunity to ask Wiesel about their connection. He spoke of his days as a young journalist and student, when he would go to the literary cafés of Montparnasse. Many writers sat there, gathering around Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. “They would sit in circles,” he said, “and everyone who came to Café de Flore made efforts to get close to Sartre and Camus, who were always at the center and were occupied with existentialism. I drew close to Camus. I read all his books, found great interest in what he said and in the way he spoke, and slowly a connection formed between us, first through a glance, then through conversation. The connection strengthened after he learned of my past. He was the one who pushed me, a young Jewish man who was not French, to tell mainly Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir and also him about my difficult experience in the Holocaust. I remember almost every sentence, or at least every subject, that I discussed with Camus.” The acquaintance with Mauriac was the keystone of Wiesel’s entry into French culture. He went out looking for donkeys and found a kingdom. “To François Mauriac, the Nobel Prize laureate in literature, I owe my career,” Wiesel summarized in a few words the close relationship between them. It all began when he sought to conduct a journalistic interview with Mauriac, hoping that Mauriac would persuade his Jewish friend, Prime Minister Pierre Mendès France, to be interviewed by Yedioth Ahronoth. The interview did not take place, but the time set aside for it was used for a long conversation between a young Jewish Holocaust survivor and a devout Catholic. “From the day I left Paris in 1956 until Mauriac’s death in 1970, there was not one visit of mine to the city that did not include a visit to him,” Wiesel said. The introduction Mauriac wrote to Night was, for many years, the key that persuaded publishers in various countries to publish the book. “To a large extent,” Wiesel said, “the success of the book was thanks to him.” In a letter written by the French writer André Maurois, which I found in the archive, he tells Wiesel of his memories from the days when they would speak and walk together along the Seine. I was surprised, since the age gap between them was 43 years. I asked Wiesel: What do two people talk about when one represents the world that was, and the other the world built after the war? “Maurois treated me like a son,” he replied. “When I met him, he was already writing little. He had published most of his books at a younger age, and he dreamed of seeing me as part of French culture in general, and literary culture in particular.” • • • Alongside Camus, Mauriac and Maurois, Wiesel maintained very close ties in France with the leading thinkers of the “Paris School” of Jewish thought. Among them were Emmanuel Levinas, André Neher and Rabbi Yehuda Léon Ashkenazi, known as Manitou, whose circle was joined for several years by Shushani. These people, who embraced him into their hearts and their spiritual world, had an enormous influence on him. Wiesel often took pride in their contribution to shaping his Jewish identity and developing his thought. One day, as I opened a box in the archive, a pile of large papers protruded from one of the envelopes. Written on them in red ink, in large handwritten letters, was the text of a poem. From its external appearance, I did not attach any special importance to it. I gathered the pages, placed them in the envelope and made a note to myself that I had to check what it was. Two days later, I arranged the pages according to the serial numbers that appeared at the top of each page. Within a short time, it became clear to me that I was holding Allen Ginsberg’s original manuscript of the poem Kaddish, written in memory of his mother, Naomi. I was stunned. How did Allen Ginsberg’s manuscript reach Elie Wiesel? I could not restrain myself and called immediately to find out how this treasure had found its way into his archive. Wiesel told me that one day Ginsberg called him and asked for a meeting, without stating any special reason. A time was set, and the beatnik poet, wild-haired, arrived with an unidentified bundle of papers in his hand. “I think,” he told Wiesel, “that you will keep this better than I will.” He left the manuscript with him and went away. Few, if any, know that the original manuscript of Kaddish lies in Elie Wiesel’s archive. For 60 years Wiesel lived in New York, and in the center of this cultural world he could have, had he wished, known the best writers and poets of his generation. But he was a meticulous man, who guarded his time jealously and devoted a large part of it to writing his books and essays, 57 books in all, and of course also to academic teaching, which demanded great dedication from him. Allen Ginsberg was not among Wiesel’s close friends, but the gesture itself testified to the regard many American creators, a large share of them Jews, had for Wiesel’s special standing. He brought Saul Bellow to teach at Boston University. He encouraged the writer Chaim Potok to take on the management of the Jewish Publication Society. With Isaac Bashevis Singer, who was a close friend, he even fell out after noting, in a review he wrote for The New York Times, the extensive preoccupation with sex in the work of the writer who later won the Nobel Prize. Wiesel was also close to the writer Israel Joshua Singer, Bashevis Singer’s brother, and to the Jewish writer Cynthia Ozick. The letters they exchanged are fascinating in their content and attest to an abundance of shared subjects of interest and writing. Still, Wiesel’s literary milieu in the United States was composed less of writers of belles lettres and more of thinkers, scholars and intellectuals. Among his friends and conversation partners were Prof. Saul Lieberman, Prof. Abraham Joshua Heschel, the writer and scholar Arthur A. Cohen, the philosopher Arthur Cohen, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Cardinal John O’Connor, the writer Jerzy Kosiński, a Holocaust survivor who took his own life, and the poet and writer Aaron Zeitlin. And we have still not said a word about the many Israeli writers who made sure to maintain contact with Elie Wiesel. • • • Elie Wiesel Primo Levi Central Park West 75 Corso Re Umberto New York, 10024 10128, Turin Dear Elie, For some time I have wanted to write to you, but because of the appearance of your fifth “son,” for which I thank you, I delayed writing until I had finished reading it. It seems to me a great achievement of yours. Among the books of yours that I know, it is probably the most beautiful, and certainly the most mature and “comprehensive.” It is a book in which you combined the best of your talent as a writer with the need to bear witness, which is never satisfied. I was especially moved by the final pages, which describe the meeting between “Ariel” and the angel. In fact, this is a theme that returns again and again in my dreams, the meeting, the confrontation with one of “them,” which one desires and also fears, as with your hero. The connection I had with Dr. Müller from Buna, which you may have read about in the story I left for you in Milan, is only a rather rough approximation of such a meeting. Must I confess? I came to Milan then with apprehension. In view of the difference in our cultural origins, I feared that our meeting would be limited and would amount only to a return to our shared experience, and also that our words would be disrupted by the surroundings and suffer from the absence of a common language, not only in the literal sense. What happened was the opposite. Immediately after I saw you, I understood that we were friends, more than friends, and not only from that moment but from always. I am convinced that despite our very different educational backgrounds, our choices in the face of any political or moral problem would not be so different. I thank you very much for calling Renzo. He is in Atlanta from January until next July. He is satisfied with his work, but not so much with the human relations. He will come to us for vacation toward Christmas. We will certainly discover that a great change has taken place in him. I hope to see you again, and soon, in one place or another, despite my family difficulties, which I surely hinted to you about. In the meantime, together with my wife, I embrace you with a great brotherly hug. Send greetings to your wife and to the child, whom I liked very much during our brief meeting. Primo message