#JewishLife
News | Articles By Me
Antisemitism: I Hate To Be A Downer, But... - Joshua Namm
When this is published, we will be a day away from the second anniversary of the attacks of October 7, 2023.
News | Antisemitism Watch
How popular culture erases the Jews from the Holocaust
The most celebrated Shoah fictions focus on the rare rescuers, fictional non-Jewish victims or sympathetic perpetrators. But you cannot love Jews if you refuse to understand what happened to them, and why
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Guyana’s ‘Only Jew’ Happily Dethroned, as Chabad’s Roving Rabbis Build Community
The first thing that hit them was the quiet. Georgetown, where Rabbis Mendel Zaklikovsky and Schneur Deren landed, is the capital of Guyana, one of the least densely populated countries on earth.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Jewish Kids in Utah Attend Summer Camp as Tribute to Bibas Brothers
Initiative raised $24,000 in financial aid to ensure Jewish children have transformative Jewish camp experiences
News | Antisemitism Watch
'The shock is gone': All too used to antisemitism, Parisian Jews weather post-Oct. 7 storm with aplomb
The City of Love's 300,000-strong Jewish community lives with a mix of 'vitality and caution,' having coped with increased Jew-hatred since the turn of the century
News | News
52 Jewish kids kicked off plane in Spain for singing in Hebrew
Israel's minister for combating antisemitism called the incident in Valencia “one of the most serious … severe antisemitic incidents" to have occurred recently.
‘Hollywood has no spine’: The Jewish director fighting antisemitism through film
Wendy Sachs was horrified by the support Hamas received after October 7 and created a documentary to change the narrative.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Chabad Rabbi and Family Miraculously Survive Direct Drone Strike in Ukraine
Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Wolff, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Kherson, along with his wife and daughter, escaped unharmed after their vehicle was struck by a Russian suicide drone in a direct hit on their car.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Israeli Chabad Rabbi: We Are Faithful, Not Fearful! - Chabad
Those providing essential services are doing so as an act of bravery and are delighted to know that they are not forgotten or taken for granted.
News | Antisemitism Watch
Antisemitism in Medicine: Ask Your Doctor if Jihad Is Right for You
American medicine has an antisemitism problem, driven by foreign-trained doctors importing the Jew-hatred of their native countries
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Charlie “Buttons” Nassofer, 80, Brought Joy to the Rebbe, and Generations of Children and Adults
With his trademark yarmulka and button-covered overalls, he was a fixture for decades
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Israel Memorial Day: A Silence That Screams | Aish
A grieving mother expresses the pain and hope of the Jewish nation.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
‘Dry Bones’ cartoonist Yaakov Kirschen dies at 87
Considered "a national treasure of the Jewish people," the Brooklyn-born artist won the 2014 Nefesh B'Nefesh Bonei Zion Prize for his contribution to Israeli culture.
History | History
13 Facts You Should Know About Bukharian Jews
Bukharian Jews have a rich history that spans thousands of years.
Politics | Opinion
How to Save Jewish Babies
Why are we giving the world a spectacle of powerlessness when we have never had more power?
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Hostages Connected to Judaism to Help Them Survive
Recently released hostages recall that reconnecting to their faith and to Jewish observance gave them strength to survive the harsh conditions of captivity.
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
The news nobody wanted to hear came today
Mourning the loss of the Bibas babies and their mom
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Elder Of Ziyon - In 2024, terrorist projectiles burned Israeli land TRIPLE the size of the California wildfire
Blogging about Israel and the Arab world since, oh, forever.
Politics | Judea & Samaria
French olim arrive in Samaria on Oct. 7 anniversary
"The Land of Israel is the safest place," one of the immigrants from Paris said.
News | News
Israel marks a year since Oct. 7 with official state ceremony
The ceremony in the southern city of Ofakim was pre-recorded due to security concerns.
News | Articles By Me
It’s Not The Politics: It’s The Antisemitism - Joshua Namm
Obsession with party over community MUST stop.
Recently, one of my articles was the target of some intensely negative feedback. The common thread through those reactions was basically “Most Jews are Democrats, so how dare you criticize Democratic Party?”
Politics | Opinion
Four Illusions Shattered by October 7th
As we face the New Year, it’s time to embrace the sobering reality that October 7th brought home.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Record number of Jews visit the Temple Mount
At least 51,672 have made the ascent since last Rosh Hashanah, a 14% rise over the previous year.
News | Israel At War
Preparing for War in Israel
What does it feels like to be in Israel anticipating an Iranian attack?
Miscellaneous | Judaism
How a Texan, a Naval Officer and a Runaway Girl Met the Rebbe 30 Years After His Passing
A look at the Rebbe’s continued impact on individuals
News | Israel & The Jewish Community
Are American Jews Prepared for the Return of History?
Probably the most famous line from the HBO series True Detective is: “Time is a flat circle.” The line, spoken by Det. Rust Cohle (played by Matthew McConaughey) in the
News | Antisemitism Watch
David Collier: A tsunami of antisemitic hate.
Oct 7 saw Hamas commit atrocities beyond description, but instead of support - Jews in the west are facing a tsunami of antisemitic hate.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Elder Of Ziyon - More Jews want to stay in Israel since October 7
Blogging about Israel and the Arab world since, oh, forever.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
What Is 770 Eastern Parkway? - What to Know About Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn
With its distinctive three gables, the red-brick synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, N.Y., is one of the most iconic Jewish buildings in the world. Today, replicas of the synagogue, known simply as “770,” can be found in Israel and Italy, California and Melbourne.
Miscellaneous | Diaspora
Elder Of Ziyon - Is Israel finally shedding the diaspora mentality?
Blogging about Israel and the Arab world since, oh, forever.
News | News
Hamas Killed Ariel's Family. This Is What He Asked For - Chabad
Ariel's bar mitzvah is this week, and he is inspired by his Holocaust survivor grandfather.
News | Israel At War
The Silent Death Toll in Israel
Natanel died living his dream: defending Israel as an IDF soldier. He was only 20 years old.
The youngest of five children, Natanel, or Nat as his family called him, moved from London to Tel Aviv when...
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Across 50 States, One Jewish Heart: America’s Nationwide Stand for Israel
Jews throughout US find comfort and inspiration with Chabad
Miscellaneous | Judaism
The 96-Year-Old Survivor Who Did a Last (and First) Mitzvah
The younger of the two boys shared a story. “You know, it seems very quiet now, but this past Friday I experienced the greatest moment of my life.”
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Historic Tiferet Yisrael synagogue in Jerusalem rebuilt, set to open in 2024
Established in 1872, it dominated the skyline of the Old City’s Jewish Quarter until its destruction after the Jordanian Army captured the Old City during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Elder Of Ziyon - Legally Varda (Judean Rose)
A legal change of name means a lot when you're a Jew in Israel, changing your legal English name to your true Hebrew name, for good.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Elder Of Ziyon - Jerusalem's policy for securing summer camps tells you a great deal about the tragic and heroic everyday life in Israel
Blogging about Israel and the Arab world since, oh, forever.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
May the Morning Shema Be Recited All Day?
Analysis of the argument that kriat shema may be recited the entire day.
News | Articles By Me
What is Antisemitism? - Joshua Namm
Over the next 12 months, I will be writing a series about antisemitism.
While I am passionate in my zeal for Judaism and the Jewish community, and spend a good deal of time railing on social media and to anyone who will listen about antisemitism, when it came to writing this first article, I was at a loss.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Israeli Teens Forgo Robotics Finals in Houston to Observe Shabbat
Modi’in high school team receives a standing ovation
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
17 Facts About Ashkenazi Jews - Chabad
Rooted in France-Germany, Ashkenazim are the largest stream of Jewish people today, with unique customs, culture, language, and history.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Why are the ultra-Orthodox the happiest group in Israel?
A strong sense of community and a different set of aspirations have a lot to do with it.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Wearing tefillin may prevent damage from heart attacks
“This is a potential game changer for how we approach cardiovascular disease prevention,” says Dr. Jack Rubenstein.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Israel a world leader in volunteering, ahead of the US, Switzerland, study finds
The ultra-Orthodox sector, in particular, reports the highest volunteering rate, with as many as 60% engaging in such activity on a regular basis.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Orthodox Jewish group launches a battle for public opinion
Agudath Israel begins a media campaign, including high-visibility billboards, to push back against the New York Times’ criticism of Haredi communities.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Why I Changed My Name from Rosenberg to Kohn - A family’s journey to reclaim their lost last name - Chabad
We are the Rosenbergs. Or rather, we were the Rosenbergs. As of Thursday, the 4th day of Chanukah, we are now the Kohns.
News | News
Children out for a stroll in north discover 2,000-year-old lamp in the ground
Clay item found at Kibbutz Parod; location provides new insights into size of ancient Jewish community that lived there
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
One out of seven Jews worldwide are haredi | Israel National News
How many haredim leave the community? Study finds 80% of Jewish population growth is from haredi sector. 1/4 of Jews will be haredi by 2040.
Miscellaneous | Judaism
Why No Tefillin at Night or on Shabbat? - Tefillin
Tefillin are worn daily by Jewish men and boys aged 13 and older, except for on Shabbat and Torah holidays.
News | Jewish Community
What It’s Like to Be a New Jewish Arrival in Utah
Entrepreneur Mort Fertel shares how he and his family have turned Salt Lake City into home
News | News
Poll: US Jews worried about antisemitism, ignorant about Israel
Ninety-three percent of American Jews are concerned with the current levels of antisemitism in the United States, with nearly
Miscellaneous | Miscellaneous
Jerusalem Stone: What Is It, and Why Is It Used?
I saw that Jewish organization will be built with “Jerusalem stone.” What exactly is it and is there a custom to specifically use Jerusalem stone?
News | Jewish Community
Circumcision, Berzerkeley, and the Power of Five Minutes - Jewish Life
Rabbi Chanan Feld was a towering fixture of my childhood—my friend’s father, and my father’s friend. He had the cuddly torso of a teddy bear, the magical beard of a wizard, and the twinkling eyes of a Rebbe. This is how I remember him.
News | News
Israeli and US Military Bands Come Together Online to Play ‘Hatikvah’ for Holocaust Survivor
Photo: Screenshot. With Israeli Independence Day and the anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp coinciding on Wednesday, …
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
04/22 Links Pt2: Sermons in Solitude: Jews of Faith Are Never Alone; Let us remember what the survivors are unable to forget; Israeli Police Publicly Salute Holocaust Survivors Confined to Their Homes Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
Blogging about Israel and the Arab world since, oh, forever.
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
Worldwide population of 14.7 million Jews falls short of pre-war numbers
World Jewry reached a population of 16.6 million right before the start of World War II in 1939.
News | Jewish Community
My Journey From Pakistani Muslim to Jerusalemite Jew - Stories of Return
My parents were secular Muslims who respected their religion; we all prayed and observed the holidays and some of the fasts. I turned out to be the most religious of the four daughters
News | News
Naomi Campbell Honors the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Again | Israellycool
Naomi Campbell has just posted the following on social media
Miscellaneous | Jewish Life
The Sderot Bar-Mitzvah Under Rocket Fire from Hamas
A mother tells about her son's Bar-Mitzvah celebration on Shabbat interrupted by the Hamas rocket fire on their city Sderot.
