Opinion

President Joe Biden returned from his trip to the Middle East, and for those who are skeptical at Biden’s ability to get through a normal day without breaking the country too much, there was a lot of bated breath.  Would he open a Palestinian consulate in East Jerusalem?  Would he harm the relationship with Saudi Arabia?  Would he push concessions on Israel?  With Biden, and his abysmal foreign policy track record, anything was possible.  So it was a sigh of relief when his trip essentially accomplished nothing.  At this point, doing nothing is a win.

In the Wake of the Supreme Court’s Landmark Ruling on Education Aid, Learn the Three Ps of Advocacy Work

There are no longer any legal barriers to federal, state and local governments providing financial support to religious and other nonpublic schools. This is the core impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month in Carson v. Makin - striking down Maine’s policy of excluding religious schools from its tuition assistance program.  So, what comes next?  What are the opportunities for Jewish and allied communities to create and expand education freedom and choice opportunities? The answers lie in remembering the “three Ps” that are the foundation of any good advocacy work - understanding policy, building partnerships and mobilizing people.

When will antisemitism be taken seriously by society?

This past Shabbos, while shuls across the country were filled with congregants, in one city the local Jewish Federation posted a notice recommending “all formal Jewish gatherings be suspended until further notice.”

So, what’s the hardest part about being a grandparent? The hardest part for this writer is when your kids, who live far away and come for a wonderful extended summer visit, leave to go back home. That’s the hardest part. I love hellos. I hate good-byes, but I know everyone feels that way.

Any other year, any other president, and any other governor, and the race to lead the Empire State would be decided well before Election Day in November. With this year, under this president, and this governor, all bets are off.

The tremendous hakaras ha’tov that I have for Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld shlita compels me to write this article. Having been fortunate to work alongside Rabbi Schonfeld for close to a decade, I would like to publicly thank Rabbi Schonfeld for all his mentorship and guidance. The Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, as well as the Kew Gardens Hills community at large, has benefited greatly from Rabbi Schonfeld’s wisdom and leadership for 30 years, and it has been a z’chus for me to witness firsthand many of these leadership qualities. As Rabbi Schonfeld retires and leaves our neighborhood, I would like to share some of the lessons that I have learned from watching and helping Rabbi Schonfeld at the YIKGH.