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There are 15 psalms in the Shir HaMaalos series. According to the Talmud (Mishnah Sukkah 5:4), the 15 “Songs of Ascent” (Shir HaMaalos) of T’hilim (Psalms 120-134) were sung by the L’vi’im while ascending the 15 stairs in the Beis HaMikdash. The Talmud describes that the L’vi’im would graduate from one step to the next, while playing their instruments and singing one of the 15 corresponding psalms – one Song of Ascents on each step.

Religious and independent day schools in New York City will receive an additional $37.7 million in government funding for the upcoming school year as a result of a year-long effort spearheaded by The Jewish Education Project and a coalition of interfaith organizations. The recouped funding for Title I programs will help teachers and students at religious and independent schools in New York City access new educational resources and promote more opportunities for professional learning.

American-born Israeli journalist Yossi Klein Halevi is a sought-after writer and speaker, especially for the English-speaking audience. He was a Senior Writer at the Jerusalem Report before writing a column for The Jerusalem Post. All four of his books are Zionist-themed.

Put 18 pulpit rabbis in one room for a week and what do you get?

While this sounds like a good opening line for a drashah (and you’re probably already inserting your favorite rabbi joke here), the 18 rabbanim who gathered last week for PUAH’s advanced seminar on Taharas HaMishpachah and Infertility came away with their own answer: an intensive education in a highly relevant and specialized area of halachah, and a priceless new network of rabbinic colleagues to collaborate with.

- Wednesday, August 7, KGH

The Rabbinical Alliance of America – Igud HaRabbonim, with a membership of over 950 Orthodox Rabbis across the United States – calls for immediate and urgent law enforcement action against the alarmingly growing trend of anti-Semitic assaults in New York City. On Monday morning, six elderly Jewish men on their way to synagogue in Williamsburg were viciously attacked. Other sections of Brooklyn have also seen an uptick in anti-Semitic attacks, including Crown Heights. New York must guarantee the safety of its residents and cannot allow this trend to grow into an epidemic causing Jews to fear walking the streets of the city.