Sam Cohen, at The Blogs

Sam Cohen

Sep 16, 2026, 12:26 PM

This D’var was inspired by an insight shared by Daniel Nassimi. ──────────── The Jewish year begins beneath a hidden moon. The Gemara reads this in the words of Tehillim: תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר בַּכֵּסֶה לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ Blow the shofar at the new moon, at its...

Sep 9, 2026, 8:46 AM

Tishrei: The Lamed of Becoming

After the quiet work of Elul, the Jewish calendar enters Tishrei. Throughout Elul, the shofar has sounded. Then comes Rosh Hashanah, and the call becomes a coronation. We stand before Hashem, our King, as the life we have lived is placed...

Sep 9, 2026, 8:34 AM

When We Are Attacked, We Get Attacked

On October 7, Israel was attacked. Nearly three years later, Israel has become the accused. The language has grown louder. Genocide. Apartheid. War crimes. Sanctions. Recognition of a Palestinian state. And now another expression has entered the vocabulary of the...

Sep 8, 2026, 1:57 AM

And Hashem Remembered

Dedicated to the memory of my Safta, Sara bat Chana, who named my father Yitzchak and gave me the name Shmuel. ──────────── Sara had waited years for a child. Believing that Avraham’s future must continue, she gave Hagar to him as a wife. Hagar...

Sep 7, 2026, 4:49 AM

Gathered to Your People

There comes a moment when the eyes close upon this world, and the soul begins to see another. As the soul leaves the body, those it had known in this world gather to receive it. They have already passed this...

Sep 6, 2026, 7:33 AM

Breaking Down Barriers, Not Each Other

Another year draws to a close. We look back on a year in which Israel has faced enemies beyond its borders and deepening divisions within. Voices have grown louder, positions harder, and people who share the same future have not...

Sep 3, 2026, 6:16 PM

Still Standing

Years ago, at the Hebrew University, a professor of ancient history was lecturing about the great civilizations of the ancient world. Egypt and its Pharaohs. Assyria and Babylon. Persia, Greece and Rome. Empires that conquered nations, redrew borders and, in...

Aug 26, 2026, 10:14 PM

Shortchanging a Blessing

Among his neighbours, Ben was known simply as “Cabbie Ben.” Each morning, on his way to work, he passed the same bus stop. Whenever it was cold or raining, he would slow down, lower the window and call out: “Anyone heading...

Aug 20, 2026, 3:27 PM

When No One Is Watching

The merchant stood behind his scales as the customer waited. The goods were placed on one side, the weight on the other. The balance settled. The customer paid what was asked and walked away, never knowing that the weight had...

Aug 19, 2026, 10:26 PM

The Way We Lose Ourselves

It was a cold, wet morning, and David hurried towards the bus stop. As he approached it, he noticed a wallet lying on the pavement. He checked his watch—the bus was only seconds away. He hesitated. "If I stop now, I'll miss...

About Me

Sam writes on faith, Jewish identity, geopolitics, and the enduring covenant between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel. Living between the UK and Israel, he explores renewal, sovereignty, and the forces shaping the journey home.