Yakov Saacks

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Dec 14, 2023, 9:35 AM

Colleges Are Failing Our Kids & Country

I write this with a heavy heart. My own kids are currently enrolled in college seeking higher education. Thankfully, they are in colleges that are marked safe for a Jewish student to attend, which unfortunately is not true of...

Nov 16, 2023, 1:33 AM

Israel – the insanity continues

I don’t know about you but whenever I hear the term “conflict” in Israel, I am incensed, as there is no conflict per se, but usually a barrage of rockets from the southern border coming from Gaza courtesy of...

Aug 15, 2023, 12:14 AM

The dynamics of emotional pain

In previous thoughts I posited the negative consequences of prolonged emotional pain inhabiting one’s body as being completely unhealthy and toxic to one's very physical existence. I would like to follow through with some additional thoughts to elucidate the...

Apr 18, 2023, 9:24 PM

The four sons grow up – Four types of clergy

Continuing the theme of the four sons that we just read during the Passover Seder, I wish to focus on four other types of people. In the previous article, we elaborated on the four sons (children) who grow into...

Feb 1, 2023, 9:45 PM

Teaching the Holocaust Differently

THE HOLOCAUST SYLLABUS - A BETTER DEFINITION JANUARY 27 The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27—the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau—as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual day of commemoration, the UN urges every member state to honor...

Nov 10, 2022, 11:35 PM

Extreme living is not living

THE WEATHER Many people I speak to love this time of the year. The climate is not too hot or humid, and neither is it too cold and unpleasant. In fact, the weather of late has been perfect. While it...

Nov 3, 2022, 8:45 PM

POWERBALL LOTTERY: The good, bad & the ugly

THE POWERBALL LOTTERY - BREAD OF SHAME $1.5 BILLION The Powerball lottery is up to the staggering number of $1.5 billion dollars. This is a boatload of money. While it is true this amount can be paid over a few decades,...

Nov 1, 2022, 8:12 PM

Why I applaud Adidas

KANYE - YE - WEST Unless you are a politician up for election, you should be keenly aware of what transpired after Kanye West (Ye) spewed hateful, venomous and vomit worthy nonsense from his rapper mouth. While West is far...

Aug 11, 2022, 12:00 AM

From oy to joy: Transforming negativity

WHAT A LOUSY DAY This past week we experienced the saddest day on the Jewish calendar. On this day, the Jewish nation fasted, sat on a low mourning chair, and lamented the destruction of both Holy Temples in Jerusalem. This...

Aug 3, 2022, 12:53 AM

Forgetting the unforgettable

The Chai Center, Dix Hills, NY Author of The Kabbalah of Life Human beings can be very forgetful at times. We have the ability to forget birthdays, anniversaries and other theoretically non-forgettable dates. Someone once told me that as a man...

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About Me

Rabbi Yakov Saacks is the founder and director of The Chai Center, Dix Hills, NY. The Chai Center has been nicknamed by some as New York's most Unorthodox Orthodox Center.