The Pulse of Israel: WHAT WE ARE STANDING IN
These words are from a presentation I gave at a Jewish National Fund – USA engagement in Denver, June 10, 2026 at Temple Emanuel. I want to begin with a moment of honesty. I travel. I speak. I meet Jewish communities across the United States and the world. And there is something extraordinarily special when…
Vision & Practice: Don’t Lose the Trees for the Forest
The best leaders hold the long view and the present moment at the same time. Some organizations are caught in…
Don’t Lose the Trees for the Forest
A Jewish people in crisis needs both the long view and the present moment You’ve heard the saying: don’t lose…
We Teach Who We Are: A Practical Guide for Classroom Educators
Teaching About Israel in Times of Crisis Table of Contents Introduction: The Educator at the Center Chapter 1: Understanding the…
The Global Jewish-Israel Syntheses Imagine: We Are All Israeli
I was thinking, growing up, my world was a tapestry of hyphenated identities. There was my Russian-American friend, my Italian-American…
Historical Patterns of Conquest and Return in the Middle East The narrative of colonization and decolonization has become central to contemporary geopolitical discourse, yet its application to Middle Eastern history reveals complex patterns that challenge simplified frameworks. Understanding the historical trajectory of Islamic expansion from Arabia through the Middle East and into Europe, contrasted with…
Imagine being awakened at 4 AM by a voice calling you to something urgent, something that cannot wait for a more convenient hour. This is the essence of selichot – a voice that calls us from the comfortable darkness of spiritual slumber into the demanding light of self-examination and transformation. It is the voice that…
The morning of October 7, 2023, marked a watershed moment in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas militants breached the Gaza-Israel barrier in a coordinated assault that would fundamentally alter the strategic calculus for both sides and reignite the central question of Gaza’s governance: should Israel reoccupy the territory it evacuated in 2005? As Israeli and…
In an age when entire civilizations have risen and fallen, when empires have crumbled to dust and languages have vanished into silence, there exists a phenomenon that challenges our understanding of historical inevitability. Am Yisrael, The Jewish People, represent something unprecedented in human experience: a small nation that has not merely survived but has advanced,…
At a time when Jewish unity, Ahavat Hinam vs. Sin’at Hinam (baseless love vs. baseless hatred), and acceptance of Klal Israel must be pursued, the topic of self-hating Jews and loyalty to the land and people of Israel is on the minds of many. In my heart of hearts I pray, and in my day…
Teens across Israel and in Jewish communities throughout America participate in transformative encounters that shape their Jewish identity, their relationship with peoplehood, their relationship with Israel and their overall worldview. Yet despite the profound impact these cross-cultural meetings can have, a significant asymmetry exists in how these young people are prepared for their encounters with…