Rabbi's Blog

Dear OZ family,

The loss of our dear friend Heather still weighs heavily upon us. I want to express profound gratitude on behalf of Lorne, and Heather’s family, for the amazing display of generosity in helping with their immediate financial needs. Preparations have been made to also help with some of the longer term needs that may arise as well. We are an...Read more...

Dear OZ family,

We just completed the last program of our mission, and we spent time at two amazing organizations in Beit Shemesh. One is Lev Lachayil, which is run by Rabbi Dudi Winkler, who recently spoke at the shul.

I don’t need to stress how crucial it is to support our soldiers at this time. Lev Lachayil makes a home for the “Lone Soldier” in Israel, and cares for them like family. When we left the army base...Read more...

Dear OZ family,

Greetings from Israel!

We’re about to dine with OZ alumni at our hotel. This will cap off a full day of holy activity in the Holy Land. I call it holy activity even as we performed simple mundane tasks.

These tasks were performed for people and businesses who have had to put their basic needs and...Read more...

Dear OZ family,

The State of Israel makes a highly emotional transition from its saddest day, Yom Hazikaron, today, to its happiest day, Yom Ha’atzmaut, which will be celebrated tomorrow.

Our West Side community event will be at...Read more...

Dear OZ family,

Last week’s unprecedented murderous Iranian attack upon Israel has driven the plight of the hostages from the world’s attention. The fact is that the world never cared much for their plight. Every other country in the world would have cut off water, food, medicine and electricity, on Oct....Read more...

Dear OZ family,

The shock of the sudden and tragic passing of Tom Weiss is still with us, but I am sending a brief message that I believe Tom would want to have delivered. He loved every aspect of his Jewish observance. He loved it so much that he usually sang about it any time he could. I recall that he...Read more...

Dear OZ family,

We’ve been saying for years that, “It can’t happen here”. The norm in so many places in Europe, South America, and Australia, for so long, of the presence of guards at the front of synagogues and schools, is now the norm here. In many shuls, you can’t enter on Shabbos morning, unless...Read more...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Dear OZ family,

Shalom U’vracha.

News outlets are reporting how important it is that Israel agrees to a ceasefire before the holy month of Ramadan. It would be insensitive of us to further press for the freedom of the hostages, and the defeat of Chamas, during an Islamic holy time. Chamas didn’t think of that when they disrupted our holy Shabbat and Simchat Torah. The Arab world didn’t think of that...Read more...

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...

Dear OZ family,

Chodesh Tov.

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