Yosef Vogel, at The Blogs

Jan 20, 2025, 1:18 AM

Borders, Truth, and the Future of Israel

When all else fails, speak the truth. The wisest of men said it best: “Truthful speech abides forever; a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” One may choose the short-term path of lies and half-truths, delaying the inevitable. Or, one can...

Jan 1, 2025, 6:29 AM

“Me too – I was wrong all these years”

Few Jewish festivals encapsulate the tumultuous experience of our people in exile as vividly as the festival of Chanukah. It commemorates a miraculous victory of a small Jewish force living in Judea, under Greek rule, who eventually triumphed against a...

Dec 10, 2024, 9:10 AM

Why the Jewish Story Must Transcend Antisemitism

Einstein once remarked, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I would spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and only five minutes thinking about solutions.” His insight underscores the importance of understanding root causes before crafting...

Sep 5, 2020, 12:09 AM

We’re All Children Of One Father

A few years ago I travelled to the United Arab Emirates in order to facilitate a Jewish marriage. I must confess that I was a little apprehensive. My colleagues in Dubai advised that I wear a baseball cap in order...

Jul 24, 2020, 11:16 PM

Jack’s Wish – A True Story

It all began last Sunday when I received a call from a friend. He said to me, “Rabbi, my brother just passed away in Goa, India and wanted to be cremated. Can you help?” I realised straight away that this...

Jul 17, 2020, 6:55 PM

Is Life The journey Or The Destination?

The history of the Jewish people is fascinating and intriguing, precisely because of their continual migration. Throughout the ages we have been compelled to leave our respective homes and travel to foreign lands. Where would the Jewish people be today...

Jul 10, 2020, 7:20 PM

‘I Wish Only To Be Remembered As A Mentsch’

Einstein once said “if I had one hour to save the world, I would spend 55 minutes defining the problem and only five minutes finding the solution.” What’s wrong with the world today? Is there a unifying cause which explains...

Jun 25, 2020, 2:01 PM

We Empower Ourselves By Empowering Others

Words fail to capture the moment. We are living in surreal times. Few precedents, limited visibility. Perhaps a transition to a new world. We were like dreamers. Our people have never given up hope. Each day will be better than the day before. Until, one...

Apr 5, 2020, 6:17 PM

Alone, Together

These are truly extraordinary times! In the words of the UN Secretary General “The current pandemic is the biggest challenge for the world since World War Two”. The impact is total. It is disrupting every part of our lives. The...

Feb 4, 2020, 5:33 PM

The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Timeless Message: Is The World Going Crazy?

The story is told of the first encounter between Masayoshi Son, founder of SoftBank Group and Adam Neumann, where Mr Son allegedly said that he appreciated that Mr Neumann was crazy but he thought he was not crazy enough. To...

About Me

Rabbi Yosef Vogel serves on the Strategic Partnerships and Development team at The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute in New York, a global leader in Jewish adult education.

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