Opinion

I have been with the Young Israel Movement since 1969, when man landed on the moon. It has been a fruitful and productive journey. It is a great privilege and honor to serve as First Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel.

The clock is ticking on Iran. With the targeted killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the temperature rose by more than a few degrees. This was not meant to be a de-escalation. Iran might have thought they were in the “clear” after America’s Presidential election, but turns out it is quite the opposite.

Rabbi Fabian Schonfeld, of blessed memory, reached the pinnacle of rabbinical success on so many levels. He was the model pulpit rabbi. He was a major Torah scholar and poseik. A snapshot of him can be found in an interview he did with Jewish Action in 2008. The following is an excerpt of his: “Basically, the changes came about with siyata diShmaya (help from Above). It’s the natural way of Torah to inspire people, to cause them to rethink what life is all about” “A rabbi’s job has also changed tremendously; (he is no longer) somebody who (just) answers occasional questions about Yaaleh V’Yavo, R’tzei, and Al HaNisim. Today, the rabbi has to be a qualified psychiatrist, psychologist, and above all, social worker –which is really what Moshe Rabbeinu was.”

When this terrible pandemic is over, every human being on this planet should recite the Jewish blessing, “Blessed are You, G-d, King of the universe, Who bestows good upon the guilty, who has bestowed every goodness upon me.”

Having just attended President Trump’s Chanukah celebration, I decided to dedicate some time to a man who ranks as one of the top Jewish activists of all time. His name is Robert (Bob) Jacobs. He should live and be well. Without even knowing it, he had a tremendous effect on my life (and many others, as well), and my involvement in Jewish causes.

It is said that King Hezekiah would have become the Messiah had he sung shirah (song of thanks) after G-d miraculously delivered 185,000 Assyrian soldiers into his hands in one fateful night around 700 BCE. Unfortunately, he failed to do so. We cannot make the same mistake.