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Jordan Minev-Jones

Nov 9, 2026, 6:41 AM

We Cannot Afford Another Sinat Chinam

On November 1st, days after Israel's election, Haredi protesters and police clashed in Jerusalem after a yeshiva student had been arrested for not complying with conscription. Earlier that day, Haredi protesters at the Tel Hashomer IDF base tried to...

Hande Gençünal

Nov 8, 2026, 12:14 AM

One Ending Another Beginning on Chayei Sarah

Parashat Chayei Sarah begins in a strange place. Its name means the life of Sarah, and its first verse tells of her death. The Torah does not give us a single scene from her life, it only counts her...

Nov 5, 2026, 3:17 PM

Book Review – Torah and the Army: The Relationship of Torah and IDF Service

Few issues confronting Israeli society today are as contentious, emotionally charged, or consequential as the relationship between Torah study and military service. In the aftermath of October 7 and the ongoing challenges facing Israel, the question of who should...

Nov 2, 2026, 12:26 AM

Vayera: From Abraham’s Tent to King Solomon’s Golden Cat — A Journey of Chesed from Jerusalem to Brooklyn and Athens

Rabbi Mikhail Salita at Brooklyn Borough Hall, holding an official Citation presented by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso on National Cat Day, October 29, 2026. The recognition reflects a mission of chesed, animal welfare, and preserving the living heritage of Jerusalem through the Royal House of Kanaani.

How the Royal House of Kanaani, a Brooklyn Borough President’s Citation, and an upcoming exhibition in Athens reflect Abraham’s enduring legacy of kindness. What if one of the most meaningful encounters of our lives comes through someone — or something...

Hande Gençünal

Oct 31, 2026, 5:34 PM

The Glass Is Ours, the Well Is His, on Vayera

There is something I have felt and wished for since I was a child. When I hand even a glass of water to someone who comes into my life, I want to be able to give it as though...

Oct 29, 2026, 2:51 PM

Book review: New books on the intersection of medicine and halacha

People tend to reminisce about the good old days. For observant Jews, there are certainly earlier times when things really were simpler. Consider visiting someone in a hospital on Shabbat a few decades ago. Getting to a patient's room was...

Hande Gençünal

Oct 27, 2026, 7:04 AM

The Shame Hidden in the First Word 2

I ended the first essay with a hope about stepping out from among the trees. A person can only come out of hiding, I said, once they feel they have been clothed with love. I wrote that the last...

Hande Gençünal

Oct 22, 2026, 11:43 PM

The Shame Hidden in the First Word

The Torah keeps a secret in its very first word. Bereshit. In the beginning. In the Tikkunei Zohar, the letters of this word are rearranged, and two other words emerge from within it. Yirah and boshet. Awe and shame....

Oct 21, 2026, 9:32 AM

Why Do We Become Religious If We Forget to Be Kind?

Two small incidents in a Brooklyn synagogue reminded me that Torah is not only about observing commandments, but also about how we treat one another.

Hande Gençünal

Oct 19, 2026, 7:41 PM

On the withdrawal of the Infinite and the space that love leaves behind When you set a compass on a sheet of paper, the sharp point goes in first. The circle comes later. Yet the whole measure of the circle,...

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