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Walter Estever Gonzalez

Oct 1, 2026, 6:10 AM

The Shooting Lasted Ten Minutes

W. E. Gonzalez with his nieces Luna and Estrella at the Philadelphia Marathon in November 2012, during the years when distance running was a regular part of his life.

The shooting lasted about ten minutes. It took me seven to finish breakfast. My wife, my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law were sheltering in the safest part of the house while gunfire echoed outside. I had found the spot for them...

Karen Miller Jackson

Oct 1, 2026, 3:03 AM

Simchat Torah: An Unfinished Story

Simchat Torah will never be the same. Three years after October 7, this day will always carry a sense of before and after. A day once associated with joy, dancing, and women’s hakafot is now also a time to...

Sep 1, 2026, 12:36 PM

What Reservists Bring Back From War

Alongside a group of reserve soldiers, and on behalf of “SOS Israel: Support Our Soldiers,” I had the privilege of discussing with Prime Minister Netanyahu the challenges facing reserve soldiers coming back from reserve duty. We shared with the...

Allen S. Maller

Aug 26, 2026, 8:34 PM

Jewish Wisdom Stories Retold by Rabbi Allen S. Maller

Rabbi Shmuel Arieh, who once lived in the village of Koshilovitz, where the Baal Shem Tov had worked as a shohet (slaughter) before his greatness was revealed, related this to me: “I met an 80 year old shohet in...

Andy Blumenthal

Aug 9, 2026, 6:35 AM

When No One Is Watching, What Does G-d See?

Character is rarely tested in the moments we prepare for. It is not proven only in the grand public causes we argue about—justice, war, peace, or the future of nations. Often, it is revealed in unwatched moments: a medical...

Roshni V. Dlomen

Jul 22, 2026, 8:37 PM

An Indian Catholic’s journey to Jewish discovery

Knesset Eliyahoo Synagogue, Mumbai. December 2025.

It is said in the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu sacred text, that Truth is One but the Wise speak of it by many names. For anyone who’s ever visited India, I’m sure you understand why that makes sense. India...

Steven Teplitsky

Jul 20, 2026, 1:05 PM

Bedtime stories for Zohran

The Witness has always believed that history begins long before history books. It begins at bedtime. Long before children understand politics, they understand stories. Before they can distinguish ideology from fact, they learn whom to admire and whom to fear. Before they cast...

Jul 6, 2026, 3:34 PM

The Architecture of Imagination: What Algorithmic Intelligence Cannot Inherit

The Architecture of Imagination. AI Illustration. (Credit: ChatGPT)

Einstein is often credited with saying, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be very intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” Whether or not he actually said these words,...

Jul 2, 2026, 8:38 PM

I Left the US to Build a Business in Israel. Here’s What Nobody Warned Me About

(courtesy)

When I boarded a flight from South Africa back to Israel in 2019, I had no grand plan. I'd spent almost a year as a digital nomad, testing whether I could run my web design studio from anywhere in...

Cindy Silverman

Jun 14, 2026, 9:42 PM

I shook his hand

When I saw him walking toward my table I thought, Oh. This is going to be interesting. I was calm. I was collected. I was ready. He was 92 years old. A veteran. A fixture at this World War II commemorative...

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