• Mourning the Temple in the 21st Century

    This week we commemorated Tisha B’av, the ninth day of the month of Av, the saddest in the Jewish year, on which we recall the destruction of the Temple and the exile. Our state of being for 2000 years was exile. Until 1948 we took exile for granted, and awaited the messiah to come and…

  • Disagreement and the Search for Truth

    This week, we are in the midst of the nine days of diminished joy leading up to Tisha B’av, the day which commemorates the destruction of the Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from the land of Israel. The Talmud writes (Yoma 9b): “Due to what reason was the First Temple destroyed? It…

  • Tisha B’av 2023

    Today is Tisha B’Av, the most mournful day in the Jewish calendar.  According to the Talmud, our exile is a product of sinat chinam, baseless hatred and divisiveness among the Jewish people.   This week I received a desperate WhatsApp message from Israel, from an individual asking me if I knew of any organizations they could…