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(Oct. 6, 2024 / JNS) The first anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas massacres in southern Israel adds yet another sacred date to a calendar already filled with those devoted to mourning tragedies in Jewish history. But the fresh pain from this most recent instance of Jewish suffering is due to more than the fact that it happened only 12 months ago. The war against Islamist terrorists that began that date is ongoing with hostilities against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. And more than 100 of the hostages taken on Oct. 7 are still unaccounted for or continue to be held captive by Palestinian terrorists.

“Ufros alainu succot shlomecha” - spread upon us the sukkah (covering) of your peace. The joyous Yom Tov of Sukkos is rapidly approaching. (If you are reading this on Sukkos, well, it’s already here.) The song “v’samachta, b’chagecha, v’hayita…” is more associated with Sukkos than other Yomim Tovim. This is not a coincidence. Why is it that way?

The anniversary of the horrific attacks on October 7, 2023, should have been a time of mourning, reflection, and solidarity with the State of Israel. Because we live in an upside down and horrific world, however, it became an excuse for all those who want to see the Jewish state destroyed to march proudly and freely advocating as such, and for Jew-haters to spread their lies and propaganda with impunity. While not the sole perpetrators of this evil, the actions done on the campuses of Queens College and Columbia are especially noteworthy.

Last week, former President Donald Trump made a special trip to the Ohel in Queens on the first anniversary of the October 7 attacks in Israel.  There, he was joined by Ben Shapiro, arguably the most famous non-rabbinical religious Jew in America, so they could say a prayer at the final resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.  

(Oct. 11, 2024 / JNS) On Yom Kippur, there was, as there is every year, a lot of collective breast-beating in the American Jewish community for all that we’ve done wrong. And, then, as usual, we generally go back to doing many of the same things as soon as the fast is broken and our stomachs full. That this will happen is human nature and no different from innumerable times in the past when we have made collective promises.

Early voting has begun, and tens of thousands of ballots have already been cast in the Empire State.  Well before any polls open on October 26, and certainly before election day on November 5, New Yorkers are receiving ballots via mail and filling them out.  Aside from selecting the President, Senator, State Senator, Member of Assembly, or the myriads of judges they may have to face in court someday, New Yorkers are flipping that ballot over and determining if men are allowed to violate women’s species and privacy.