Michael Schlank, at The Blogs

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Nov 26, 2023, 7:25 AM

A Witness For Israel

Kfar Aza

About 3 weeks ago, I was invited to visit Israel as part of what is commonly called a mission trip—supported by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and under the auspices of the JCCA of North America. It was clear from everyone that I spoke with...

Oct 26, 2023, 1:44 AM

The events of October 7th were monstrous, barbaric, and also a seismic event for World Jewry. This massacre and mass hostage taking atrocity will undoubtedly have consequences that will reverberate forever. Hamas’ hateful and cruel invasion threatens to upend the Middle East and the current...

Mar 1, 2023, 7:48 AM

For the Love of Israel

Israel is a complicated and complex society, a country that is still relatively brand new. This year Israel will celebrate its 75th birthday; there are many people alive today who remember a time before the State of modern-day Israel existed. Israel is now engaged in...

Feb 7, 2022, 6:22 AM

Extra Extra – News from Israel

When someone at my shul goes to Israel, besides the traditional blessing, our Rabbi always says, “And you should bring back good news”. As I sit in bustling Ben Gurion Airport waiting to board my flight home, I can report that there is good news...

Apr 19, 2020, 8:03 AM

A three might just be the best we can be

As adapted from a letter to the Midway Jewish Center, Syosset New York. — Dear Friends, Last week, I was in a “meeting” with some of the leading professionals in the Jewish communal world about the organizational response to the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the...

Feb 10, 2020, 4:59 AM

Make For Yourself a Teacher

Events have a way of overtaking us these days. We go from tweet to tweet and post to post. The news cycle is rife with who is up and who is down. Each of us often feels compelled to get in a corner, hunker down,...

Jun 4, 2019, 2:05 AM

Everyday Counts

There is a practice in Judaism called Sefirat HaOmer or counting of the Omer. It takes place in the 49 days between the second night of Pesach and the onset of Shavuot. It is simply a count. You mark each day by saying just that...

Jan 21, 2019, 8:21 AM

Circles of Life

The circles we draw define the way we live our lives and perceive the world around us. As humans, we often look to link events or non-events that we experience together to make them understandable. We do so in an effort to communicate our hopes...

Nov 1, 2018, 5:45 AM

One day at a time

Maybe it’s time to think small. A counter intuitive statement in these times of turbulence, strife, and violence. Everywhere we look in the Jewish world, it would seem as if stress and angst dominate our life. At the Gaza border, balloons and kites, usually signs...

May 15, 2018, 11:08 PM

The Facts are The Facts

Facts are under assault in this country and for that matter around the world. Objective provable and demonstrable facts are now fair game. They can be dismissed or mocked or ignored. Often, they are branded as fake or phony and outright dismissed in the face...

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About Me

Michael spent the early part of his career as a Jewish communal professional, transitioning to work on a wide range of local, national, and international public policy issues and political campaigns, then moving on to become an educator. He has worked in both the for profit and not for profit education and camp sector.