Shabbat Shalom, wishing you a peaceful weekend. Isaiah once envisioned a world redeemed — “And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:4). Yet he also called out, “Enlarge the place of your…

17th of October 2025 25th of Tishrei 5786 Shabbat Shalom dear friends, Shabbat Shalom to all of those who spent even one day in Hamas captivity and came home and Shabbat Shalom to the families of those who did not survive the 741 days of Hamas torture. This weeks parasha reading is a providential foresight.…

18 Tishrei 5786 734 days, 7th October 2023 – 10th October 2025 Golda Meir, in 1973 after the Yom Kippur War said “Perhaps it is too early yet to say in the aftermath of the war for we are actually living and ceasefire in a war which is not yet ended” Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Perhaps the first…

6th October 2025 One more day and it is 2 anguished years I wish you a good Succot, or the feast of Tabernacles. What is a tabernacle? What is a Succah. Is it just another opportunity to hang decorations from the temporary roof, to shake a palm leaf and turn a citron? Perhaps, after the…

1st of October 2025 “Veyhi Erev, vayehi boker” The eve is as the day or morning which means that every day in Judaism begins on the eve before. Tomorrow is the 10th day of the month of Tishrei, 5786, Yom Kippur,  and tonight we recite the prayer of Kol Nidre which opens our communal heart…

26th of September 2025 4th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei 5786 720 days of the October 7th War Shabbat Shalom, Hatima Tova. I was thinking how many different greetings, blessings we have in Judaism. Shabbat Shalom  (I wish you a peaceful Sabbath), Chag Sameach (I wish you a happy or pleasant festival), Hatima Tova…

19th of September 2025 26th of the Hebrew month of Ellul 5785 713 days since October 7th 2023 20 hostages barely living in Hamas hell Shabbat Shalom and very nearly the start of 5786. With your permission I want to start by quoting my friend and mentor Rabbi Jeremy Rosen in his thoughts on Rosh…

11th of September, 2025 24 years since that fateful day in the USA; September 11, 2001 at 3:46 PM GMT+3, 2,977 people lost their lives. The attacks were very specific, the World Trade Center, The Pentagon, Shanksville . The response to those horrific attacks was all out war on Iraq and ultimately on Afghanistan; but this is Israel…

5th of September 2025 Shabbat Shalom dear lovely friends. 700 days of watching the despicable become acceptable 700 days of unimaginable agony for the parents of those who were and are in dire captivity 900 Israeli soldiers, of every race, men and women, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons, lost in a war we…

29th August 2025 Shabbat Shalom dear friends. Shabbat Shalom, two words that hold so much hope, so much love.  “A lie that is half a truth is the darkest of all”.  Alfred Lord Tennyson. Too often, fear of repetition makes us downplay the impact of lies and half-truths spread by the media, yet their consequences…