The weekly portion, Be-midbar, begins with taking a count — counting the male Israelites able to go to war, divided according to tribes. Today we are in the midst of several counting activities at once: We are counting the days between Passover and Shavuot, the“counting of the omer,” and we are almost finished. We are […]
STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS From Rhetoric to Tragic Reality: The Murders at Capital’s Jewish Museum Shockingly, in the nation’s capital, an enraged gunman brutally murdered an American Jew and an Israeli Christian on the street in front of the Capital Jewish Museum – little more than […]
May 22, 2025 | New York, NY Last night, our community lost Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, two shining lights who believed in service to their communities, to a cowardly act of hate-fueled domestic terrorism. The tragic murders of these two innocent young Israeli embassy employees, who were attending an American Jewish Committee event at […]
“And the man Moses was very humble, more than any person on the face of the earth.” (Num. 12:3) Thoughts in advance of the Festival of the Giving of the Torah We are used to regarding humility as a moral attribute in interpersonal relationships, but one can also take note of intellectual humility, expressed through […]
STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS The Jewish People’s Enduring Spirit: From Trauma to Triumph Israeli Oct. 7 Survivor Excels at European Song Contest: ‘I won at life’ The unthinkable happened on the morning of Oct. 7, 2023, when Yuval Raphael was among the many young people celebrating […]
Mishnah for This Hour: A Timely Take on Pirkei Avot 5:10 “There are Four Types of People:” This applies to every man and every woman — from a flower vendor to a prime minister. “One who says, ‘What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is yours’ — this is the trait of an average person.” […]
May 13, 2025 To: AZM Leadership & Organizations From: Deborah Isaac, AZM President Herbert Block, AZM Executive Director Re: AZM Update on 2025 World Zionist Congress Election The American Zionist Movement (AZM) takes pride in the historic turnout of more than 240,000 voters in the 2025 World Zionist Congress election which concluded on May […]
Issue: May 13, 2025 STAY INFORMED – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS Navigating a Turbulent Region: Why the U.S.-Israel Alliance Matters Hamas hostage Edan Alexander, an American-Israeli – held in Gaza for 584 days, was just released to Israel and welcomed by his family in a deal brokered between the […]
During the month of Elul, as individuals, we apply candor and self awareness to the gap between our values and our behavior in preparation for the Days of Awe. Now we are engaged in the season of counting the Omer, the bridge of 7 weeks between Passover and Shavuot during which we have stood together […]
Patriotism & Heritage: The Jewish American Story BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS TO CONSIDER – STORIES MAKING NEWS Enduring Contributions and Heritage From even before the U.S. gained independence, Jews have been woven into the fabric of American life, contributing their energy, intellect and spirit to the building of the American Dream. Founded in […]