Community Corner

Eight years ago, Anshei Sfard faced a defining moment as a 125-year-old shul grappled with challenges. The congregation, comprising only adults, lacked the vibrancy of young families. An older member reminisces, “We were faced with the decision: close up shop or make one last run at it to breathe life back into Orthodoxy in Kentucky. I did a lot of soul-searching during that time; in the end, I wasn’t ready to turn my back on our history and let Louisville Orthodox Judaism die on my watch.”

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in matters of American public policy, questioned why media organizations were serving up terrorist propaganda. This came after a series of outlets reported as fact the claim that Israel had fired on Gazan civilians attempting to access a humanitarian aid convoy, a claim both lacking in verification and now robustly contradicted by an analysis of the incident by the Israel Defense Forces.

For over 20 years, Simanowitz unassumingly advocated for the people and Torah values he held dear, and was the standard in leadership statewide.

Since late 2017, the northeastern corner of Main Street and 75^th Avenue has been known as the home of Simcha Palace. At the start of that year, it was Svet Sarah, and not long before that, famously Dougie’s. I will let our Your Say section fill in the rest of its history.

On his bar mitzvah day, November 12, 1939, Abraham Cyzner had no idea what happened to his father, Usher.

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing over 2,500 traditional, Orthodox rabbis in matters of American public policy, called out ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt for “slanderous” attacks after he took on the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). In a post on X, Mr. Greenblatt likened “disturbing conspiracy theories & neo-Nazis at CPAC” to anti-Semitic rants from the Nation of Islam’s Louis Farrakhan and “frenzied protesters” targeting Bari Weiss and Jerry Seinfeld in New York City.

Throughout history, David HaMelech’s book of Psalms has been a traditional source of inspiration, clarity, chizuk, and comfort in times of distress. Whenever we find ourselves in difficult situations, whether individually or communally, we open up the Book of Psalms and use David HaMelech’s poetic praises and supplications to ask Hashem for mercy. Throughout the 150 chapters, there are praises, declarations, and supplications spanning the full range of human emotions (e.g., fear, hope despair, excitement). All of the chapters convey an emotional awareness of Hashem’s involvement in every aspect of our lives. The Midrash tells us that when King David compiled the Psalms, he had in mind himself, as well as every Jew of every generation and every circumstance. The words of the Psalms contain appropriate chapters for every possible situation, feelings, and circumstances.