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Andy Blumenthal

May 31, 2026, 8:06 AM

Mamdani’s Enablers

We saw a disturbing display of political theater at Gracie Mansion recently. A crowd of progressive Jewish New Yorkers packed a Pre-Shavuot reception hosted by Mayor Zohran Mamdani. They smiled for photos and ate cheesecake, completely ignoring the mayor’s...

Andy Blumenthal

May 17, 2026, 8:16 AM

Why I Came Back to Shul

For years, one of the absolute best perks of returning regularly to synagogue has been rediscovering a very specific, distinctly Jewish superpower: our humor. It’s warm, deeply self-aware, and forged through millennia of practicing the art of the collective...

G. Orah Adarah Paris

May 15, 2026, 5:51 PM

Very Short Story: Your Nameless Sweets

My favorite dessert stood before me, the smell of fresh pastry along with the creamy scent of its cheese. I wanted to have some, but decided not for religious reasons I felt more ardently to observe I politely declined,...

Andy Blumenthal

Apr 12, 2026, 7:30 AM

Holy Math: Why the Number 8 Changes Everything

Rarely does the synagogue calendar align with such poetic precision. This past Shabbat, our congregation witnessed a Brit Milah (circumcision) during the morning service—a ceremony many of us realized we hadn’t seen performed on the Sabbath in years. The event...

Apr 9, 2026, 10:24 PM

May I Borrow a Moment?

Counting What Counts: A Reflection for the Omer If someone broke into your home to steal your most valuable possession, how would you respond? You would likely act immediately, drive them away, call for help, do whatever it takes to...

Yonatan Yosef Arnon

Apr 7, 2026, 7:31 AM

Pass-Over from the ‘I’ to the ‘We

this is a photo I took nearby my house

From His-Story to Our Story We hold so many stories—of our families, friends, ancestors, and, most of all, of ourselves. Some stories once supported or protected us, but are they still relevant to who we are becoming? When do we bring...

Michelle Stravitz

Mar 12, 2026, 4:33 AM

Hiking Israel: The Journey of the Queens of the Trail

I just returned from Eretz Yisrael and Year 9 of an annual women’s hike on Shvil Yisrael. (And yes, that also means I was in Israel during the Iran missile attacks, but thankfully I was able to make it...

Mar 1, 2026, 1:56 AM

Tired and Weary: A Shabbat Zakhor Reflection

"The aleph is small. But it is still there."

On Friday morning I led a funeral. Friday night I led services. Somewhere around 3 a.m. I woke up with stomach pains that kept me up longer than I wanted. By Shabbat morning I was functioning, but not exactly clearheaded. Services,...

Yonatan Yosef Arnon

Feb 8, 2026, 3:42 AM

Good Enough? Leadership lesson from a Flock of Birds

A photo I took from Wild Birds in Europe

When Do You Feel Good Enough? A Lesson About Leadership from a Flock of Birds During my stay at Plum Village, I had the opportunity to participate in a Q&A session with the monastic community on one of the Days of...

Andy Blumenthal

Feb 1, 2026, 5:02 AM

The 250th Hostage: A Divine Homecoming

This week, we witnessed a profound miracle that bridges the ancient past with our modern struggle. After 843 days in captivity in Gaza, Israeli authorities have recovered and brought home the body of Ran Gvili, the final hostage from...

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