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The mother of the Chofetz Chaim was once asked why she thought she had been zocheh to have a son such as the Chofetz Chaim. She could not think of anything she had done to warrant such a son. They pressed her and said you must have done something special. She said the only thing she could think of was before she married, her mother had told her that any free minute she had, e.g., while waiting for the soup to boil or some such opportunity, she should use to say a few p’rakim of T’hilim. This is what she did, and she felt that in the z’chus of the T’hilim she said, she was zocheh to have a son such as the Chofetz Chaim ( www.aneinu.com ).

There is an inspiring Dr. Seuss book – called Oh, The Places You’ll Go! – which is a popular ode for graduates or people embarking on a new chapter of their lives. The central message is: “Remember that life’s a great balancing act,” but don’t give up and keep moving forward when challenges arise on the path to fulfillment and success. One could say that this book is particularly applicable to all of us during the COVID-19 era, but especially to students of all ages whose daily lives are constantly changing. One day, school is in-person, and the next day, it’s on Zoom – with the associated disconnects from teachers and friends. The message is even more relevant to students at Emet Outreach who are learning about incorporating Judaism and daily mitzvos into their lives. The underlying theme to keep going, keep adapting, and keep learning has been the mantra of Emet’s educators for the past six months. This has meant that learning continues in all formats, all locations, and even in all weather conditions.

Please recite Psalms 20, 30, 88, 121, and 130.

Yosef ben Esther Gittel

Chaim Avraham ben Shifrah Zisel

The National Council of Young Israel (NCYI) Tuesday called on European countries to do more to protect their Jewish communities and synagogues after a neo-Nazi group targeted Jews on Yom Kippur. The Nordic Resistance Movement engaged in a series of coordinated actions intended to harass Jews in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland as they attempted to worship in synagogues on one of the most significant days on the Jewish calendar.

Before Yom Kippur, widespread media coverage depicted predominately Orthodox Jewish areas of New York City as hotbeds for a renewed spread of COVID-19. In turn, City officials opted to announce the enforcement of face coverings and an institution of fines across nine of the city’s 146 ZIP Codes seeing the troubling clustered uptick.

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing more than 1,500 traditional Orthodox rabbis in matters of public policy, Tuesday endorsed the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to serve on the United States Supreme Court. “Judge Coney Barrett is a distinguished law school professor and mentor, and has established a splendid record on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit,” said Rabbi Dov Fischer, Western Regional Vice President of the CJV and an adjunct professor of law at two major law schools, who previously clerked for the Hon. Danny J. Boggs in the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. “She is an exceptionally qualified jurist with a family commitment, lifestyle, and value system that should inspire all Americans. Barrett is quite worthy of a seat on the United States Supreme Court.”