Brian Racer, at The Blogs

Apr 7, 2025, 4:03 PM

Tariffs and matzah: Flattened for the breakout

"While we sometimes think we’re making individual choices and that our choices do not affect anyone, we are in reality shaping the environment around us." "...ur portfolios might feel like matzah more than chametz—flattened, simplified, humbled. Yet it’s matzah, not...

Mar 9, 2025, 3:42 PM

Don’t Look Back!

"...he very length of this process extends a powerful invitation and an urgent call for Jews outside of Israel’s borders to join in, and become active partners in our collective destiny." "What if Hashem sent a clearly Divine, miraculous event—an...

Dec 2, 2024, 12:46 PM

The First Wedding in Lebanon??

"...ust as the love between a bride and groom is unshakable... so too is the eternal bond between Am Yisrael and Hashem." "The fact of the matter is that the enemy has seen they cannot successfully attack Israel inside its...

Sep 13, 2024, 12:30 AM

Redefining our Standard of Living

“What we must embrace is that the lifestyle and standard of living in Israel is significantly different than that in America.” “In Israel, both the old and the new come together, creating an unparalleled environment where our relationship with Him...

May 21, 2024, 1:50 PM

Laying the Groundwork for our Children

Zakai Berger (right), Ethan Birk (middle), and Noah Merkin (left) at Kotel. (Zakai Berger)

“‘Leaving everything behind’ now, becomes an investment in our future, both for our nation and future families…” “The lesson from Rabbi Zeira is clear: if we don’t seize the moment now, who knows when our next chance will come?” “We are...

Apr 14, 2024, 3:05 PM

A Major Reality Check: Which Story Will We Tell?

“We will be able to say that like the wicked generation who preferred to stay in Egypt, we let the story of the Jewish people be felt and fulfilled by everyone else, while we were forgotten in the darkness...

Mar 21, 2024, 9:48 PM

Aliyah is not a decision

“Hashem did not provide all these miracles in the desert so that Bnei Yisrael could choose if they wanted to follow Hashem and enter into Israel.” “Instead, we need to reframe our perspective, recognizing that returning to Israel is not...

Mar 12, 2024, 7:57 PM

From Relief Missions to Pilot Trips

“…our redemption can only come from a place of hardships, because we will not desire redemption if we are living comfortably.” “…these miracles that are indeed accompanying our return can only be experienced from within the borders of Israel itself...

Feb 20, 2024, 2:05 PM

A Mass Post-College Aliyah

I usually advocate that the best time to make Aliyah is straight out of high school. In short, at this stage you have the least responsibilities, have the most potential to meaningfully contribute, and can adapt and integrate gradually...

Jan 25, 2024, 10:13 PM

The Disconnect between American and Israeli Jews

We are limited by contributing from the outside. Why true contribution can only be done on the ground. On a visit to America from the Lebanon border, I experienced the immense support for Israel and the war from the Diaspora....

About Me

Brian Racer grew up in Teaneck, New Jersey and made Aliyah in 2020. After learning in Yeshivat Lev Hatorah for a year and a half he drafted to the IDF as a Lone Soldier, serving as a sharpshooter in the Nachal Brigade and subsequently returning to be a Madrich at his Yeshiva. He is currently pursuing a major in Communications and Political Science at Bar Ilan Univeristy while simultaneously learning in their Kollel. He is married to his amazing wife Meira and currently lives in Givat Shmuel.

Contact Me