Aliyah: The educational opportunity of moving to Israel – opinion The presence of young olim in the classroom provides students with a very real and relatable teaching lesson of modern-day Zionism. By Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, October 13, 2021 When analyzing the impact of aliyah on modern Israeli society, one is able to appreciate that today, nearly …
Finding national inspiration in history and tradition Like Purim, on Yom K’purim the Jewish people stand together in either redemption or Divine abandonment and spiritual emptiness. By Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, September 14, 2021 In Jewish tradition, the day of Yom Kippur is wholly unique in multiple ways. While from the outsider’s perspective it may …
The power of response in the tshuva process The day on which the ten-day process of repentance culminates, Yom Kippur, is not a day of mourning. By Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander, September 2, 2021 The well-known thinker, neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Dr. Viktor Frankl once wrote, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. …
The digital irony of the coronavirus crisis Jewish tradition has a remarkable way of connecting current events to the Torah-reading cycle, and this crisis is no exception. BY KENNETH BRANDER | MARCH 23, 2020 While periods of crisis typically produce challenge and hardship, when we look hard enough we can often also find irony that …
The Creator and His Creatures: Lighting Up the Public Sphere Part of our mission as religious Zionists is to acknowledge that we cannot live on a desert island – we must engage in Israeli society Rabbi Dr. Kenneth Brander | December 23, 2019 There is a famous dispute between the House of Hillel and the …
Thankfulness is a basic human virtue Today’s schools focus on teaching the whole child: heart, soul and mind. There is even a focus on spirituality in our schools. God has finally made it into the curriculum! BY KENNETH BRANDER | November 30, 2019 Thankfulness is a basic human virtue, and a very Jewish one as …
Living with a Collar Around my Neck As a young ultra-Orthodox woman of marriageable age, nothing really prepared me for what ensued. Oped by Orel Silam | August 16, 2019 This year, Tu Be’av – the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Av – marks for me the freedom to love: to love life, …
Leaving Home – Again But we had always considered Israel to be our home, and this served as a great advantage to us. Oped by Sarah and Netanel Ansani | July 30, 2019 The moment we came to Israel we felt good. Each of us felt that this was the right place for us to …
Halachic Prenups Increasingly Common in the US; Israel Lags Advocates of such agreements argue that this extra financial burden is a strong motivating factor for recalcitrant partners to grant a divorce. By Jeremy Sharon | March 20, 2019 Some 84% of Modern Orthodox rabbis in the US ensure that couples they marry sign a halachic …
“No one should be an aguna for even one day” Organization for wives with recalcitrant husbands aims to bring awareness to plight By Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman | March 20, 2019 Leah is a kindergarten teacher from the Golan. She was beaten for nearly all of her 21-year marriage. But when she filed for divorce, her …
Do We Love Our Daughters Less Than They Do Theirs? This week, we mark International Aguna Day, traditionally held on Ta’anit Esther, the fast on Purim eve. (An aguna is a Jewish woman who is “chained” to her marriage.) BY KENNETH BRANDER | MARCH 13, 2019 “All the books of the prophets and all the holy …
Proffesional Women in Halacha Part Two in the series on the phenomenon of women’s leadership and learning in Orthodoxy in Israel – in which three women describe their journey in answering the call to Torah. By Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll – February 21, 2019 | Jerusalem Post Magazine The women who study Torah are as unique and …
