Mamdani's Enablers

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Mamdani's Enablers."

A recent progressive Jewish gathering at Gracie Mansion hosted by Mayor Mamdani exposes a glaring communal hypocrisy, where the desire for political access overrode solidarity in the face of his anti-Israel actions. This selective morality is not just political, but mirrors a broader cultural gap within Jewish life between the high ideals we preach and how we actually treat one another. Across everyday interactions—from a rabbi’s immediate suspicion of a neighbor's kitchen to a leader weaponizing theology to crush a vulnerable soul—we repeatedly trade basic empathy for rigid judgment and convenience. Ultimately, true community cannot be reduced to political alignments or superficial compliance; it demands that we close this moral gap and begin practicing the genuine decency we expect from the outside world.

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Mamdani's Enablers

Friends Squared

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Friends Squared

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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Seeing Shavuot Through the Eyes of a Child

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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Why I Came Back to Shul

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.

(AI generated photo via ChatGPT)

We’re All Human When It Comes to Chicken Fingers

Two Passover Experiences: Precision vs. Passion

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Two Passover Experiences: Precision vs. Passion."

This Passover, I experienced two contrasting experiences: a strictly Orthodox seder marked by meticulous ritual precision—down to timed matzah portions and hand signals for completion—but lacking communal joy, and a vibrant Conservative synagogue service filled with song, welcoming families, and a delightful matzah pizza kiddush despite halachic deviations. The Orthodox seder honored every mitzvah with sincerity, yet felt at times burdensome and subdued, exemplified by silent, clock-watched eating. In contrast, the synagogue emphasized community warmth, inspiring sermons with handouts, and active participation from children and adults alike. Both approaches hold value—perfect halacha and b’simcha must coexist—but ritual should never overshadow the heart’s delight in serving Hashem.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Two Passover Experiences: Precision vs. Passion

Hashem Calls on Us to Bring Our Best

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Hashem Calls on Us to Bring Our Best."

Drawing from a story about diluted Arak, this reflection emphasizes that our spiritual lives should never be compromised by mediocrity or half-heartedness. Parshat Mishpatim reinforces this through the mandate of the "first fruits," calling us to offer Hashem and our community our absolute best rather than our leftovers. This standard of excellence extends to our interpersonal relationships, requiring pure compassion for the vulnerable and integrity even toward our enemies. Ultimately, by dedicating our unique strengths and "choicest portions" to the collective, we build a resilient nation and a life defined by enduring quality.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Hashem Calls on Us to Bring Our Best

Rachel's Cry: Empathy's Thanksgiving Lesson

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Rachel's Cry: Empathy's Thanksgiving Lesson."

Thanksgiving aligns seamlessly with Judaism's emphasis on gratitude to G-d and loved ones. In Parashat Vayetze, Rachel's desperate plea for children meets Jacob's angry rebuke, highlighting a failure of empathy over defensiveness. True thanks requires piercing beyond words to embrace others' inner pain, countering our self-focused tendencies with compassionate listening. Like our foreparents, we can elevate relationships through generous kindness, fulfilling love's essence this holiday.

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Rachel's Cry: Empathy's Thanksgiving Lesson

When a Jew is Torn Between Freedom and Family

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "When a Jew is Torn Between Freedom and Family."

Shulem Deen’s All Who Go Do Not Return is a powerful memoir chronicling his escape from the insular Skverer Hasidic community. Deen’s world was shaped by strict prohibition of secular influences, arranged marriage, and demand for total conformity, enforced by harsh punishments and social control. After being cast out for his growing doubts, Deen lost his family, faith, and community, and struggled through loneliness and depression. His story is both a lament for what was lost and a testament to the steep, lasting price of freedom, raising profound questions about the cost of authenticity and the challenge of losing everything. 

(AI generated image via Meta)

When a Jew is Torn Between Freedom and Family

Meatballs or Fishballs? A Kiddush Mystery!

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Meatballs or Fishballs? A Kiddush Mystery!"

At a lively Sephardic kiddush, I grabbed what I thought were delicious meatballs, only to be told by a spirited older lady that they were actually fish balls. Our debate got unexpectedly heated, with her insisting she knew best—after all, she’d been to every synagogue dinner. Lesson learned: never argue with a seasoned congregant about kiddush food, and maybe steer clear of the fish balls!

(AI generated image via Gemini)

Meatballs or Fishballs? A Kiddush Mystery!

Shul BBQ

 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Shul BBQ

Sukkot, I Will Miss You

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Sukkot, I Will Miss You."

A few things happened so far this Sukkot that brought to my mind and heart the human element of the holiday period. The focus is often on the sukkah, but we also need to remember the community and connection of the people who are in the sukkah together.

(AI generated image via Designer)

Sukkot, I Will Miss You

The Grouchy Neighbor Who Brought Me Closer to G-d

 
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Grouchy Neighbor Who Brought Me Closer to G-d."

Thankfully, nothing terrible happened, but it's these everyday slights and provocations that can really hurt our feelings and end up pushing us away from G-d and Judaism.

However, I realized that G-d sends me certain encounters so that I can reflect, write about them, and share with you some things that really aren't the Torah way. We all have to deal with difficult people and challenging situations, but fundamentally and always, G-d is all good and wants us to turn to Him despite and even because of these happenstances.

While there is no such thing as hurt, insult, embarrassment, or suffering that is trivial, I hope that G-d will bless us to see past the pain of life and continue to find our way to embrace Him with all our heart, as well as to forgive our neighbors.

(AI Generated Image by Andy Blumenthal)

The Grouchy Neighbor Who Brought Me Closer to G-d

Bringing the Community Together this Sukkot

 

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Bringing the Community Together this Sukkot."

Like in all socio-economic caste systems, the Rabbi who was managing the sale of the lulav and esrog for the upcoming holiday of Sukkot differentiated between three types and offered the following: Aleph (the most expensive), Bet (medium priced), and Gimel (the least expensive), and all were supposed to be full sets, but they weren't.

This led me to reflect on all the different ways that we compete with and classify each other instead of valuing each person and acting like a real community (with an emphasis on "unity"). Really, it's a million things, from who can afford the better bar mitzvah to who makes the more lavish wedding; who is rated grade A for matchmaking, and who is considered to have a "mum" (defect) and be less or undesirable; who gets the prime kovod (honors) in the synagogue, and who never even gets called to the Torah for an Aliyah.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Bringing the Community Together this Sukkot

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

Lessons From Chabad in Humility This Passover

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Lessons From Chabad in Humility This Passover."

If we can remove the arrogance from our homes and hearts, then we can be better people: humble, selfless, giving, and standing side by side rather than sitting high and mighty, which only G-d Almighty deserves.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Lessons From Chabad in Humility This Passover

Hanukkah Is About Fortifying the Family

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Hanukkah is about Fortifying the Family."
 
Modern Hellenism is when Judaism becomes less and less Jewish and more and more like another “value system” that is “politically correct” or “in style.”

To be clear, not every Jew is going to be “religious” in the same way, but still, each of us can contribute to the welfare of the whole. The point of Hanukkah is that Torah-true Judaism exists, even if we as individuals struggle to fulfill it. The task at hand is for each family and each of us to model proper behavior (thought, word, and deed) and to educate our children in the same so that the Greeks of our time do not win.

(Credit Photo: The National Guard via https://flic.kr/p/BBXA4R)

Hanukkah Is About Fortifying the Family

From Outrage to Action on Anti-Semitism

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "From Outrage to Action on Anti-Semitism."

What is striking to me is that when it comes to hate against the Jews as opposed to hate against other groups, we continually see that “their” rights are immediately supported, while we have to prove that it’s really hate.

Hopefully, our community leaders, police, FBI, and Homeland Security are paying close attention and will take appropriate preventive action so that we can avoid another incident like the shooting just four years ago at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. We need more intelligence, surveillance, officers, patrols, data-driven policing, self-defense and emergency medical training, synagogue protection, community outreach, beefed-up reporting systems, and tougher penalties to start with. We can’t expect the people who hate to stop, but we do need to keep raising the bar on how to keep our communities safe and stop hate crimes.

(Credit Photo: Laura Rosenberg Hosid)

From Outrage to Action on Anti-Semitism

A “Sign” of Good Synagogue Character

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "A 'Sign' of Good Synagogue Character."

I was literally sitting in the synagogue and crying, watching the speaker sign and listening to the voice from the interpreter. I really believe that all our synagogues, schools, work places, and organizations need to better incorporate diversity and disability into the environment, and not just by paying meaningless lip-service to it, but by enabling everyone to come, feel welcome, participate, and be together as all children of G-d naturally should be.

Finally, it was beautiful to have the synagogue let someone who was deaf have the pulpit and the ability to speak to us. It would be so awesome for everyone’s voice to be heard. We take our abilities (such as speaking, hearing, and being mobile) for granted. So let’s design the community with all the people in mind and give everyone a true voice. In the end, it’s not just what they say, but some things are communicated more than words.

(Source Photo: RODNAE Productions; https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-on-heart-sign-done-by-woman-10029313/)

A “Sign” of Good Synagogue Character

The Art of Friendship

Please see my article in The Times of Israel called "The Art of Friendship."

My hope and prayer is that this is just a small microcosm of friendship and peace that can spread in all communities, societies, nations, and lands, so that we are no longer black or white, Jew, Muslim, or Christian, or any other divisive label, but rather that we are all children of G-d, and plain and simple, friends.

(Credit Photos: Andy and Dossy Blumenthal)

The Art of Friendship