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Rabbi’s Blog: Purim - A Festival For Us

03/24/2024 05:14:46 PM

Mar24

Dear OZ family,

 

After the Megillah, we read a bracha that begins with the words, “Harav es Riveinu, Hadan es Dineinu, Hanakam es Nikmaseinu”, which translates to God fighting our many battles, adjudicating our many judgements, and avenging our enemies of their attacks against us. This stands in contrast to the Al Hanissim prayer of Chanukah,...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: The Art of Remembering + Guest Speaker

03/22/2024 12:37:56 PM

Mar22

Dear OZ family,

 

The reading of Parshat Zachor this Shabbat fulfills a Torah law to remember events that took place over 3,300 years ago. The Holocaust, which is recorded and archived so meticulously, is denied within dwindling living memory of the events. A recent poll indicates that 90% of Palestinians deny the...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Graffiti Update + Tehillim

03/20/2024 04:49:22 PM

Mar20

Dear OZ family,

 

Our salvation in the Purim story began with Esther instructing Mordechai to gather all the Jews together in prayer and in fasting. She realized that when we are gathered together, our merits abound. Tomorrow is a fast day, named for Esther, and Jews around the world will gather in prayer and...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: West Side will Stand Together

03/18/2024 10:05:02 AM

Mar18

Dear OZ family,

 

By now you have probably heard of the horrific acts of Jew-hatred perpetrated right here in our backyard.

Two people were also assaulted on 100th Street; and Graffiti was sprayed in Riverside Park and outside the Israeli Effy's Cafe on 96th Street...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Purim & Remembering

03/15/2024 12:17:42 PM

Mar15

Dear OZ family,

 

With Purim and Pesach around the corner, a number of Mitzvot of remembrance are upon us. First, we have Parshat Zachor next week, to assure that we draw attention to evil, and to remind the world that Haman’s disciples are still with us. The world will always bid us to forget and move on....Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Avinu Malkeini - Update

03/11/2024 03:59:03 PM

Mar11

Dear OZ family,

 

We have been adding Avinu Malkeinu to our daily liturgy since Oct. 9th. Avinu Malkeinu relates to God as a beloved father who wants to forgive us for all the messes we make, and it also relates to God as our King who wants to pardon us for all our iniquities. We refer to God in these terms in...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: March this Sunday at 72nd

03/07/2024 01:58:11 PM

Mar7

Dear OZ family,

Every Friday night when I read the names of Israelis killed during the previous week, fresh wounds are opened. Every one of those names are family for us. The ominous signs from the North is that Israel is not getting relief from her plight so soon. Only one country has to defend itself for defending itself. Our brave soldiers need us, not...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: March Madness

03/01/2024 12:18:32 PM

Mar1

Dear OZ family,

 

Shalom U’vracha,

 

Chazal say that just before the Messianic arrival, the world will devolve into chaos. Rambam cautioned us to point to any particular signs to herald the redemptive age, but that we...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: It Is Exceedingly Good

02/28/2024 02:03:50 PM

Feb28

Dear OZ family,

Shalom U’vracha.

Rabbi’s Blog: OZ v'Hadar

02/23/2024 12:53:15 PM

Feb23

Dear OZ family,

Some of the participants from our Israeli mission are in Israel this Shabbat and some have returned. This week and next, at Seudah Shlishit, we will hear reflections of those who attended, and I invite everyone to hear about our trip, and to be inspired to commit to our next mission, which will be I”YH, in May. We are told that what Israel needs now, they will continue to need for some months, so we hope we can...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Missive from the Mission

02/22/2024 12:57:15 PM

Feb22

Dear OZ family,

For the first time in a week I have a moment to collect my thoughts with enough time to reflect in print, about our amazing mission to Israel.

First of all, a great Yasher Koach to Chad Hopkovitz our Executive Director for arranging everything in advance with such precision and care on short notice. A lot of preparation went into this mission and every part of it was suffused with meaning and...Read more...

Rebbetzin's Blog: West Side Women Unite

02/16/2024 01:18:25 PM

Feb16

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Dear OZ family,

Women of the West Side untie to show love and support to Am Yisrael!

Please join us for a special evening for inspiration and hope, including Tehillim & Prayers for our Soldiers & Hostages on...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Don't Miss the Mission!

02/14/2024 05:59:31 PM

Feb14

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Dear OZ family,

 

President’s Week is turning out to be a busy time for missions to Israel. The hotels are all overbooked with, can I call us missionaries?, and  Israelis from the North and the South, and we are...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Hostages Return + Tzalash

02/12/2024 05:15:00 PM

Feb12

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Dear OZ family,

 

By now you have surely heard of the daring and heroic rescue of 2 of the...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Chodesh Tov - Lashon Tov!

02/09/2024 01:11:43 PM

Feb9

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Dear OZ family,

 

Chodesh Tov.

I invite everyone who...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Emissaries for Truth

02/05/2024 01:31:41 PM

Feb5

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Dear OZ family,

 

My father was born in a city called Lutsk in Northwestern Poland. The...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Gather for Gazala

02/04/2024 11:25:25 AM

Feb4

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Dear OZ family,

 

German propagandists in the 1930’s knew that if you repeated a lie often enough, people will consider it to be true....Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: No Quarter for Qatar

02/01/2024 06:40:45 PM

Feb1

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Dear OZ family,

 

I’ll be leaving for Israel at this time in 2 weeks. We are preparing for a...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Unwrapping UNWRA

01/31/2024 11:38:31 AM

Jan31

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Dear OZ family,

 

Yesterday, Congress heard 3 hours of testimony regarding the United Nations and...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Supportin’ Morton

01/28/2024 06:40:43 PM

Jan28

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Dear OZ family,

Shavua Tov.

Every minyan wherever you go concludes with additional chapters of Tehillim to gain Divine favor and...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: International Holocaust Remembrance Day

01/26/2024 12:58:36 PM

Jan26

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Dear OZ family,

 

Tomorrow is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The day was chosen...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: In Good Faith...

01/24/2024 07:03:42 PM

Jan24

Join the new OZ Israel WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IdGUqTpy2nQE5Tvngwh0tn     Dear OZ family,   The media is reporting about negotiations that are underway for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. We can expect Israel to be presented as the hardliners preventing a deal from being made. We can...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: We believe in Miracles

01/23/2024 05:34:56 PM

Jan23

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Dear OZ family,

 

Today is a very difficult day for Israel. The highest death-toll of any day...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: It's not Vague at the Hague

01/12/2024 10:43:49 AM

Jan12

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Dear OZ family,

The Gemara says that just before the Messianic era arrives, truth will be invisible and lies will proliferate. We must be very...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Sacrifice & Success

01/09/2024 03:41:42 PM

Jan9

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Dear OZ family,

 

Yesterday was an extremely difficult day for our soldiers. The very battalion that Alisa and I visited last week,...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Israeli Resolve + Israel Mission

01/04/2024 02:24:48 PM

Jan4

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Dear OZ family,

There are many ways for us to continue showing our support for Israel in her time of need. We have been running fundraising...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Harvesting in the Fields

01/02/2024 05:01:02 PM

Jan2

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Dear OZ family,

Greetings from Israel.

We just spent a grueling day volunteering in the fields of the South of Israel. Vast fields of produce are in danger of rotting for lack of harvesters. We...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Hakafot in Sderot

12/29/2023 12:01:27 PM

Dec29

Join the new OZ Israel WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IdGUqTpy2nQE5Tvngwh0tn   Dear OZ family,
Greetings from Israel.

Yom Kippur 5733 was not observed in the usual manner of prayer and fasting in Israel. The entire country mobilized for war, and the trauma of the unprovoked attack against...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: Stories from Sderot

12/26/2023 03:08:57 PM

Dec26

Join the new OZ Israel WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IdGUqTpy2nQE5Tvngwh0tn   Dear OZ family,

Life resumed a slight bit towards normalcy this week for Sderot, the closest city to Gaza. The Hesder Yeshiva, a central hub of activity in Sderot returned to its home base after more than two months of...Read more...

Rabbi’s Blog: “Normaliyut”

12/24/2023 08:05:26 AM

Dec24

Join the new OZ Israel WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IdGUqTpy2nQE5Tvngwh0tn Updated Link to contribute to ZAKA: www.OZNY.org/payment.php

Dear OZ family,
We’re barely here two days and it feels like we’ve been here for a few weeks. I mean that in a good way. There is always something exciting...Read more...

Fri, March 29 2024 19 Adar II 5784