Clik here to view.
Looking in the Mirror: Growth Masking Attrition
The American Jewish community is flooded with a steady stream of numbers. Surveys abound delivering data on the growth and shrinkage of various segments of the Jewish community. Population trends that...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Achrayut, the Ultimate Passion
How do we develop an enduring passion for Judaism and Jewish life? In 1905, Shraga Feivel Mendelovitch was studying in the yeshivah in Pressburg, Austria, founded a century earlier by the Chatam...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lehagdil Torah Uleha’adirah: Making the Torah Great, Glorious and Accessible
All Daf, All Parsha, All Mishnah, Torat Imecha Nach Yomi, Semichas Chaver. Each of these OU programs, created in pursuit of our core mission of strengthening Jewish commitment, engages thousands of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Orthodox Governmental Advocacy, Circa 5783
From Yosef’s work in the Egyptian royal court through the efforts of the modern-day shtadlanim,1 public advocacy has been a constant feature of Diaspora life. Today, much of this work is being done...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Invisible People
There are many in our community struggling in silence. They and their challenges are invisible to us, their neighbors, friends, family members, rabbis, rebbetzins and communal leaders. As a religious...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ki Heim Chayeinu—Living Jewish
The AIPAC conferences are designed to be powerful calls to action for activism on behalf of the US-Israel relationship, but it was at one of those conferences several years ago that I and a roomful of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Gift of Israel
Shehecheyanu v’kiymanu v’higianu lazman hazeh, latkufah hazot, lamakom hazeh. We are a blessed generation, living the dreams and prayers of millennia. Seventy-five years ago, the State of Israel was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Division Thing: Strangers, Competitors and Monsters
In Israel, divisions rage. In America, they whisper. In Israel, the choices of one segment of the population regarding matters such as army service, economic engagement and public observance of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Eternal Nation, Eternal Truths
Blessed are You, Hashem, our G-d, King of the Universe, Who chose us from amongst the nations and gave us His Torah. Blessed are You, Hashem, Giver of the Torah. These blessings must be made before we...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Praise of Israeli Emunah
When Israeli soldier Ori Megidish was rescued by the IDF after having been held hostage in Gaza for twenty-three days, footage released by her friends and family showed mitzvot they had performed in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Inflection Point in Jewish Life—Mi va’Mi Haholchim
On January 25, 2023, I [Rebecca Alpert], along with 9 other rabbis, representing another 265 rabbis from around the globe and every imaginable denomination, met with Secretary General António Guterres...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Lema’an Achai V’Rei’ai: Pursuing Unity
At this difficult time, we must all ask ourselves what Hashem wants from us. Participation in the defense of Israel; provision of material and personal support for those in Israel facing difficulty;...
View ArticleClik here to view.
October 8th Dropouts: Reclaiming the Jews of Shame
Discussions abound—including in the pages of Jewish Action—using phrases like the “Great Jewish Awakening,” the “Surge in Jewish Engagement,” or “Welcoming October 8th Jews Home” to describe the...
View Article