Pearlstone Ruach: Shavuot 2026

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Palm Trees and USA Flags

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Ten Commandments

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America at 250: Renewal or Collapse

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "America at 250: Renewal or Collapse."

As the United States approaches its historic 250th anniversary, the foundational promise of liberty that allowed American Jewry to flourish is increasingly being weaponized to hollow the nation out from within. Modern antisemitism and anti-Zionism have mutated into a sophisticated war on objective truth, systematically using propaganda to turn the world's singular Jewish nation and its people from victims into villains. This dangerous societal decay was thrown into sharp contrast by the profound spiritual vitality of a recent Shavuot retreat, showing in practical terms that the grotesque libels spread by bad actors are total inversions of reality. Ultimately, Western civilization faces a binary choice to either aggressively defend the rule of law and truth, or surrender to an institutional collapse where hatred is normalized and the forces of destruction are mistaken for progress.

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Earth Clock

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Seeing Shavuot Through the Eyes of a Child

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Seeing Shavuot Through the Eyes of a Child."

When my five-year-old grandson asked for pictures of the Torah and Ten Commandments for Shavuot, his sincere remark that “Hashem is so happy that you made these for me” stopped me in my tracks. His excitement revealed the Torah not as an ancient relic but as something alive, personal, and meaningful, embodying the innocence and clarity that adults often lose. This moment reflected Shavuot’s deeper message: though the Torah was given at Mount Sinai over 3,000 years ago, it is spiritually renewed each year as we return to it as changed people with new experiences and questions. Judaism endures not through nostalgia alone but through active engagement—learning, teaching, struggling, and returning—so that every generation, like my grandson, rediscover the Torah as something new and bring the covenant at Sinai to life once again.

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Pandemic Lives On

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Moroccan Lights

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Sally The Camel Has Two Humps

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Why I Came Back to Shul

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Why I Came Back to Shul."

After drifting away from synagogue due to youthful disillusionment with the social hypocrisies and flaws of its members, I was drawn back by a series of persistent spiritual nudges, including the recurring appearance of the number 613. Returning to communal worship brought a shift in perspective, realizing that faith is about personal responsibility rather than the perfection of others. Through shared humor, imperfect traditions, and rallying together during a local family's medical crisis, I rediscovered the profound strength of a real, human community. Ultimately, the synagogue is not a showcase for saints but a vital sanctuary where fragile generations gather to look past their egos and connect with G-d.

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Cabin in Woods

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Man With The Red Balloon

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Blue Fountains

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Tattoo of Peace

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Shoes On Floor

 

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Israel Must Win the Information War

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Israel Must Win the Information War."

For over three thousand years, the Jewish people have maintained an unbroken connection to the Land of Israel, making the modern Jewish state a restoration of an indigenous people to its ancestral homeland rather than a colonial anomaly. Today, however, this historical and legal reality is obscured by a powerful campaign of narrative inversion that frames Israel’s defensive actions as oppressive aggression while portraying terrorist groups as “resistance” movements. Lasting peace requires not only security and political compromise, but also a clear global recognition that Israel’s existence is legitimate and permanent, and that ideologies calling for its destruction must be rejected in favor of coexistence. To meet this challenge, Israel must transform its hasbara into a proactive, sophisticated, and morally grounded effort that tells its story clearly, confidently, and compellingly in the digital age.

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Superman Statue

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Luggage With An Attitude

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The Progressive Nutjobs

Hillulah Candle for the Rebbe

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The Illusion of Safety Is Fading Fast

 

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Illusion of Safety Is Fading Fast."

Jews in America have long lived with the mistaken belief that comfort equals security, but rising antisemitism is exposing how fragile that assumption really is. The threat now cuts across every kind of Jewish identity, because hatred targets Jews as Jews, regardless of observance, politics, or views on Israel. Jewish history warns that danger grows when people delay taking warning signs seriously, which is why Israel stands as the one sovereign homeland where Jews can protect their future. Aliyah should therefore be seen not as panic, but as a responsible and courageous act to secure Jewish continuity for the next generation.

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Union Station

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We’re All Human When It Comes to Chicken Fingers

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "We're All Human When It Comes to Chicken Fingers."

A synagogue set aside a special kiddush table for teens, clearly announced and even humorously “guarded” to keep it reserved for them. Despite this, one adult ignored the boundary and took food from the teen table, highlighting a gap between stated standards and personal behavior. Although the individual was known for criticizing others, no one confronted him, reflecting a conscious choice to avoid embarrassment or retaliation. The episode ultimately became a lesson in restraint, humility, and the Jewish values of not taking revenge or bearing a grudge.

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Painting Time

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Dragon Art

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Crane Birds

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Bag of Calories

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Israel at 78: The Future It Must Build

 

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Israel at 78: The Future It Must Build."

Israel’s 78th Independence Day serves as a powerful reminder that Jewish sovereignty is a lived reality, balancing the unrestrained joy of the next generation with the steady resolve of those who defend it. This restoration of dignity and agency defies centuries of displacement, asserting a permanent right to self-determination that persists despite modern challenges and critics' double standards. Rooted in the ethic of teshuvah, the nation embraces a culture of self-reflection and responsibility rather than a claim to perfection. As Israel looks toward its 80th year, it remains committed to a future defined by regional cooperation, global innovation through Tikkun Olam, and an unyielding security that protects its moral purpose.

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Know Before Who You Stand

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Nickle A Shtickel

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The Hatikva

🇮🇱 The Hatikva for anyone who wants to learn to sing it:

Kol od ba'le'vav p'nima

(As long as in the heart within)

Nefesh Yehudi ho'miyah

(The Jewish soul yearns)

Ulfa'atei mizrach kadima

(And forward, to the ends of the East)

Ayin le’Tziyyon tzofiyah.

(An eye gazes toward Zion)

Od lo avdah tikva'tenu

(Our hope is not yet lost)

Hatikva bat sh'not al'payim

(The hope of a two thousand years)

Lihiyot am chofshi be'artzeinu

(To be a free nation in our land)

Eretz Tziyyon v'Yerushalayim.

(The land of Zion and Jerusalem)

Peace Taxi

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WALL-E Robot

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❤️🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️

Chasid Puppet

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Politics Must Never Trump Morality

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Politics Must Never Trump Morality."

The United States is currently experiencing a dangerous lapse in strategic judgment by allowing partisan politics to undermine its essential alliance with Israel against the Iranian regime. While Iran continues to fuel global instability through terrorist proxies and nuclear ambitions, American leaders must reject baseless conspiracy theories and the rising tide of antisemitism that seeks to recast democratic defense as aggression. True national security requires the maturity to prioritize the victory of our warfighters and the integrity of our borders over domestic grievances or ideological activism. Ultimately, America must reclaim its moral clarity by standing unapologetically with its allies and maintaining a firm distinction between democratic partners and terrorist adversaries.

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Beautiful Figurine Menorah

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Anatomy 101

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Three Eyed Aliens

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Never Again!

Aldi Delivery Zone

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Even Rocky Knows Where It All Comes From

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

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Happy Birthday 78 Years Israel 🇮🇱

Losers Getting The Boot

Holy Math: Why the Number 8 Changes Everything

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Holy Math: Why the Number 8 Changes Everything."

The "Eighth Day" is our sacred mandate to stop escaping the physical world and start sanctifying it, merging the raw materials of our lives with the fire of the Divine. From the act of circumcision and the inauguration of ancient Tabernacle to the miraculous oil of Chanukah, we see that the number eight is the heartbeat of Jewish resilience and the ultimate key to rededication. Even in our darkest modern moments, like the transition from the agony of October 7 to the unified defiance of October 8, we prove that pain can be transmuted into a powerful, holy purpose. This is the secret of our existence: taking every cry, every coin, and every breath to build a home for G-d right here in the thick of human experience.

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Crazy Conspiracy Candace "Cancer" Owens

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Happy Enlightenment

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Tucker, Megyn, Candace, and Alex - Low IQ Trash of America

Graffiti Bus Stop

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The Old Country

Cow Tongue

G-d Bless the USA and Israel!

Tree of Life

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