By Dr. Yizhar Hess | Dr. Yizhar Hess is the Vice Chair of the World Zionist Organization and the senior representative of MERCAZ in the World Zionist Congress. The fabric of Jewish and Israeli society is at stake as are billions of dollars that could end up funding divisive extremists Theodor Herzl was not the […]
A Shabbat prayer says If our mouths were filled with song like the expanse of the sea … we could not thank you enough, Gd, for the good that you have done for us and for our ancestors. After 2,000 years of suffering the cruelty of our enemies, how have these words continued to be […]
Ethiopian Immigration: A Story of Faith, Freedom and Fulfillment BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – STORIES The daring Israeli rescue of Ethiopian Jews 40 years ago proved the resilience of the Jewish people and commitment to their protection worldwide – demonstrated throughout history – found a powerful expression in Operation Moses. Recently commemorated, this […]
In Terumah, we read about the house that God asks the people of Israel to build so that the Shekhinah may dwell among them. The structure is beautiful yet practical. Although there will be a principal contractor, the entire nation is invited to participate — especially by contributing from their own possessions. We should learn […]
Moral Decay: Equating Terrorists with Innocent Victims BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – DISPELLING MYTHS – STORIES Anyone who refuses to condemn the evil acts of Hamas abandons their basic human values and morals. The staged hostage releases have been cynical, humiliating and depraved – produced for live broadcast by Hamas and spread to […]
President’s Message | February 21, 2025 Rabbi Hillel Skolnik President, MERCAZ USA One of the most central aspects to our observance of Shabbat is the idea of Shabbat Menucha – Shabbat rest. Shabbat, among many other things, is meant to be a time that we set aside the work and labor of the other six […]
Not in the Heavens by Hamutal Bar-Yosef Not in the heavens, Not far away, Goodness blew like wind. Is it not very close? Is it not here? Is its flame not in your hand, whispering to perform it now? Goodness blows like the wind — not up in the heavens, writes Hamutal Bar-Yosef, playing on […]
Surviving Hell: Israeli Hostages Bear Witness to Horrors BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – DISPELLING FALSEHOODS – ACTIONS – PERSON OF THE WEEK – STORIES ‘The vile lottery of Jewish lives continues’ As hostages are being released in a slow and painful process, the captives and their families are suffering devastating psychological effects, now 500 days […]
In the Torah reading Yitro, Moshe’s father-in-law advises him to appoint judges to meet the people’s needs for justice. This precedes the giving of the Torah itself. A functioning legal system is a prerequisite for any just, decent, human society. It is no coincidence that this requirement appeared as one of the seven Noahide laws […]
Emaciated Hostages Cast Holocaust Shadows, Trigger National Trauma BACKGROUND – TALKING POINTS – ACTIONS – PERSON OF THE WEEK – STORIES The three Israeli hostages recently released by Hamas were so emaciated and frail that images broadcast from Gaza sent shockwaves throughout Israel and much of the world. The appearance of the three men was eerily […]