Colonization vs. Decolonization
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…
The Voice That Calls: Jewish Awakening in Our Time
Imagine being awakened at 4 AM by a voice calling you to something urgent, something that cannot wait for a…
To Occupy or Not To Occupy Gaza
The morning of October 7, 2023, marked a watershed moment in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hamas militants breached the Gaza-Israel…
The Miracle of Persistence: Lessons from a People Who Refuse to Disappear
In an age when entire civilizations have risen and fallen, when empires have crumbled to dust and languages have vanished…
The Modern Erev Rav: When Jewish Identity Becomes a Shield for Betrayal
At a time when Jewish unity, Ahavat Hinam vs. Sin’at Hinam (baseless love vs. baseless hatred), and acceptance of Klal…
Rabbi Leor Sinai of New York City is one of 145 American Jewish representatives who are traveling to Israel to attend the quadrennial World Zionist Congress.
There are three essential mitzvoth of Passover: the removal of Chametz (made from one of five types of grains – wheat, barley, spelt, rye, & oats – mixed with water), eating Matzah, and telling the story of our ancestor’s liberation. Of the three mitzvoth, ‘telling the story of our ancestor’s liberation’, may seem unnecessary –…
The Jewish Lens announced today the hiring of Rabbi Leor J. Sinai as its first Executive Director. The Jewish Lens is a non-profit educational organization that uses the photography of Zion Ozeri as a stimulus for exploring Jewish values, identity, and tradition. The ground-breaking curriculum program has been taught in more than 100 educational institutions…
Tradition teaches us that Moses ascended onto Mount Sinai on the first of Elul, forty days later the People of Israel received the Torah. Throughout these forty days the Israelites’ faith was tested, their level of spiritual connectivity and faith weakened by their unanswered cries to Moses and to God – in a way mirroring…