Checklist for Yom Kippur

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "A More Important Checklist for Yom Kippur."

If we measure a person's life not by how long they live but by what they do with their precious moments in life, then maybe we can see our lives more in terms of outcomes in meeting our potential rather than purely as time present. Of course, we want to have more time, but whatever time we are granted, we should make the most of it.

(Credit Photo: Pixabay via https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-marking-check-on-opened-book-416322/)

Checklist for Yom Kippur

Rosh Hashanah Reflections

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Rosh Hashanah Reflections."

Rosh Hashanah is the annual wake-up call for us to stop, get out of the car, actually see what we are doing and where we are going, and course correct while we still can in our lives. G-d gives us 60, 70, 80, maybe 90 years of chances to take stock of how we use our precious time in this world, our relationships with our loved ones, and the thoughts, words, and deeds that we evoke for good or, G-d forbid, otherwise. Rosh Hashanah is a blessing for us to back the car out of danger and get us on the road to success if we but take the opportunity, which, G-d willing, we will all do.

(Credit Photo: Ri_Ya via https://pixabay.com/photos/shana-tova-honey-sweet-jewish-4496748/) 

Rosh Hashanah Reflections

A Bissel Humor

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "A Bissel Humor."

In short, sometimes Jews can be so serious (and even a little miserable from circumstance, of course), and we can't always afford good therapy, so we use humor to cope and get along.

One of life's great lessons is to use words to make people happy and laugh whenever you can, to raise their spirits, your own, and even give the Almighty a good laugh or two as well.

(Credit Photo: cottonbro studio via https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-couple-in-candlelight-4038287/)

A Bissel Humor

This is So Not a Way to Become a Jewish Woman

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "This is So Not a Way to Become a Jewish Woman."

I'm sure many of us have seen the new hit Adam Sandler movie, You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, and probably most people will tell you it's a great movie.

To be fair, I believe that Adam Sandler did not mean badly with this movie in that it did show him trying to get the often out-of-control teenagers back on track. It was also nice to see that Stacy was ultimately a good person and friend. However, this Hollywood-ized version of a bat mitzvah and Jewish culture is clearly made for profit and not with a Jewish moral compass in mind and soul.

(Credit Photo: Dossy Blumenthal)

 

This is So Not a Way to Become a Jewish Woman

10 War Strategies for Peace

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "10 War Strategies for Peace."

Of course, we may not win every battle, but we need to make sure that we win the war. Strategy and tactics, along with plenty of investment, planning, technology, training, and execution, are the way to win. 

Ultimately, peace is the goal, but to get there, we must be ever vigilant, smart, and strong, and maintain our faith in the Almighty.

(Photo via https://www.army.mil/article/247350/fort_leonard_wood_examines_wwii_ghost_army_deception_tactics)

10 War Strategies for Peace

Lessons in Life and Menschlichkeit

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Lessons in Life and Meschlichkeit."

From all the various people I've had a chance to meet, I have found that it's not how much of a big shot someone is, how smart they think they are, or how much money they have in the bank, but the humility and humanity of good, decent, hardworking people out there that often have the most important lessons of life to share.

(Credit Photo: makamuki0 via https://pixabay.com/photos/hairdressing-barbershop-barber-2142482/)

Lessons in Life and Menschlichkeit

Not By Strength Alone

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Not By Strength Alone."

For Israelis and Jews around the world, success includes being powerful enough to defend ourselves from no longer being every demagogue and dictator's scapegoat, but much more than that, it means that we become a true "light unto nations." We want to be a democracy anchored in freedom and human rights. We also want to be a "Jewish State" (it's the only one in the world!) that is a haven for every Jew to come home to and that is culturally and religiously Jewish (but not a Jewish dictatorship). Israel will not survive by strength alone but rather by the spirit of Hashem (Zechariah 4:6). And so our values are to follow in G-d's path and do good in the world, fix what's broken, and make it a better place, and that includes, as the prophet Isaiah said, "beating their swords into plowshares." Moreover, we understand that G-d is not only the creator but also the perpetual master of the universe, and it is He who decides whether Israel behaves righteously and ultimately whether she will merit to stand for the duration this time and, hopefully, the final time.

(Photo: Alexi Rosenfeld, IDF/Creative Commons via https://israelradar.com/israels-3-new-tricks-for-gaza-war-with-hamas/)

Not By Strength Alone

Two Ways to Make Someone Feel Worthless

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Two Ways to Make Someone Feel Worthless."

Actions may be bad, but most people aren't inherently bad, and no one deserves to be verbally, emotionally, or physically abused or treated by society with abject indifference. This is especially the case when it comes to helpless children, no one—whether parents, teachers, bullies, etc.—should be abusive to them. Children need safe, nurturing, and loving people and the environment around them that enable them to learn and grow to be the best people that they can be without being put down for mistakes they make, limitations they may have, or just being flawed human beings as we all are. Similarly, adults and workers should not be mistreated just because they are on your dime and can be. They have an inherent right to equality and to be treated with respect and dignity. There are no dumb questions or stupid mistakes when a person is trying their best.

 
(Credit Photo: RDNE Stock project via https://www.pexels.com/photo/scared-man-on-the-wooden-floor-6003316/)

Two Ways to Make Someone Feel Worthless

We're Not Prepared

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "We're Not Prepared."

Whether it is our inability to imagine what can happen, our disbelief in it actually occurring, or our ineffectiveness or corruption to really prepare, we may be in serious peril from future threats that invariably await us. When that earthquake that we know is overdue hits the west coast hard, or a nuclear ICBM from North Korea or Iran hits somewhere in our mainland, or the next bio-weapon from China strikes our masses, or Russia cripples our satellites and Internet with one of their hidden Trojans or a zero-day cyber-attack, we can all shake our heads in utter disbelief again at how unprepared we are for the "next one."

Certainly, no one is invulnerable to tragedy, no preparation will ever be perfect, and we can never get everything right in responding to and recovering when disaster strikes, but if we don't stop the endless denial and infighting, allocate our limited resources with foresight and good cause, and make a determined and continued effort to get ready for what we know with virtual certainty looms large and threatens us, then we are unfortunately complicit in the tragic downfall that awaits.

(Credit Photo: Hitesh Choudhary via https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-pouring-water-from-dipper-on-blue-and-grey-house-1739855/)

We're Not Prepared

They Died So We May Speak

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "They Died So We May Speak."

Israelis are a people who are not afraid to speak their minds, and they are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Regardless of the outcome of the current controversies, I am proud to be a part of the Jewish people, and I am confident that the citizens of the Holy Land will continue to be a beacon of hope for the world.

(Photo adapted from Israel Defense Forces via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1997_Israeli_helicopter_disaster_funeral.jpg)

They Died So We May Speak

No More Burning Holy Books

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "No More Burning Holy Books."

At the very least, even if the Swedes were granting permission for the demonstration, they should have had the moral decency to condemn the actions of burning the holy books and then work to change the legal system to prevent this from happening in the future. But the truth is that they just don't seem to care.

(Credit Photo: Phuket@photographer.net via https://flic.kr/p/o4PgjN)

No More Burning Holy Books

A Tale of Love, Food, and AI

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "A Tale of Love, Food, and AI."

So what do love, food, and artificial intelligence (AI) have to do with each other? Well, in this case, I have a number of special anecdotes from this week about getting some behind-the-scenes insight from others on all three topics.

(Credit Photo: Artem Podrez via https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-eating-unhealthy-food-4728849/) 

A Tale of Love, Food, and AI

When Politics Gets Personal

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "When Politics Gets Personal."

Not unlike the deep political divide in Israel over Judicial Reform, this week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down college affirmative action following their prior ruling overturning Roe v. Wade has once again brought to the forefront the huge political divide in this country. Further, the polarization and bitterness between the right and left from the 2020 election are still simmering as we approach the next presidential election in 2024. Underneath all the day-to-day niceties, there seems to be a latent powder keg in our electorate, especially if the next election is a repeat between Trump and Biden.

In this context, I must admit that I had a run-in with someone this week who sits on the other side of the political spectrum from me. And maybe, as they say, it's best not to talk too much about religion or politics, just for the reasons I am about to convey.

(Credit Photo: John Hain via https://pixabay.com/illustrations/fingerprinting-blaming-division-2203448/)

When Politics Gets Personal

Putin: Will He Stay or Go?

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Putin: Will He Stay or Go?"

Perhaps Putin dodged a bullet today, but we'll see over time if he continues to be so lucky and who is ultimately right about Vladimir Putin's future: will he be whisked away to some Siberian gulag or will he continue his absolute reign over Russia and its people and continue his war for Soviet-era power and dominance?

(Credit Photo: Florian Lisi via https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-holding-a-painting-12249238/)

Putin: Will He Stay or Go?

Looking Beyond the Superficial

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Looking Beyond the Superficial."

We are all much more than our physical manifestations in this world, and looks can definitely be deceiving. The most important thing in dealing with ourselves and others is to look beyond the superficial and see each person for who they really are, and G-d’s holy spirit has an outsized role in realizing the potential of who we can be.

(Credit Photo: Activedia via https://pixabay.com/photos/spiritualism-awakening-meditation-4552237/)

Looking Beyond the Superficial

What's in the Cholent?

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "What's in the Cholent?"

Anyway, for all of you who have had the experience, I am sure that you will agree that it's truly not a Shabbat meal without a big pot of cholent (or, should I say, dafina, as my Sephardic friends say). And it's not a bowl of cholent that you want to eat unless you've hand-picked every single scoop of it yourself, even if you don't quite know what it is you're looking for to begin with.

(Credit photo: Becky via https://www.flickr.com/photos/35694730@N00/2738330081/in/photolist-5aYE8B-5LdtsL-5YkAgM)

What's in the Cholent?

The Best of People

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Best of People."

When we finally got back to the hotel and my wife was feeling better, I told her how amazed I was with the goodness of these complete strangers that we encountered. I saw people who expressed concern and care for someone they didn't know and for whom they wanted nothing in return.

I believe that this is ultimately what life is all about: it's not about the money, the honor, or what we get out of a situation; rather, it's about doing good in the world and savoring G-d's blessing over anything that is material or narcissistic.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

The Best of People

Lessons in Peace, Inclusion, and Humanity

Please see my new video and article in The Times of Israel called "Lessons in Peace,Inclusion, and Humanity."

In this video, there are three stories from my recent Caribbean vacation, which include a conversation with a waiter about peace between Israelis and Palestinians, feeling unwelcome in a synagogue, and connecting with a stranger from India.

Lessons in Peace, Inclusion, and Humanity

Some Shabbos Chuckles

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Some Shabbos Chuckles."

People never fail to amaze me in both their potential as well as in their idiosyncrasies. But the last number of weeks have really brought home that while we Jews share many commonalities, there are also quite a few quirky differences, and many of these are worth sharing.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Some Shabbos Chuckles

Israel's 3 Stages of Attack

 

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Israel's 3 Stages of Attack."

Iran has long sought nuclear weapons to destroy Israel. Of course, if the Ayatollah doesn’t change course towards peace, it only makes sense as a strategy for Israel to not only preemptively attack but also incrementally dismantle Iran and its terrorist weapons buildup in three distinct stages.

As we are maneuvering closer to the finish line with Iran, we must maintain our ultimate faith in the “Rock of Israel,” as well as continue to be dedicated to defending our people, land, and religion.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Israel's 3 Stages of Attack