Slice of Life

David,* a secular Jew, went with friends to hear a shiur on the Torah of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. The rav explained that every Jew can serve Hashem by focusing on what he can do today without worrying about tomorrow or the next day – one day at a time. David was intrigued. After the shiur, he went over to the rav and asked if that idea applied to someone who wasn’t religious. The rav assured him it applied to every Jew.

Israeli educator Avinoam Hersh recently shared a story about a man named Yehoshua – a story that serves as a powerful reminder that we should never lose hope.

Between the endless headlines, the political noise, and the heavy weight of the war, I am always searching for moments of good news. I find many such moments in an Israeli WhatsApp group called G-d’s Miracles and Might in the State of Israel, which is dedicated to sharing uplifting stories from around the country. My phone pings constantly with their messages. I rarely manage to keep up, but that incessant pinging is a comforting reminder that somewhere nearby, something good is happening.

I can’t possibly count how many times I’ve visited Yerushalayim; but whenever I go, surprises await me. Several weeks ago, within the space of an hour, I had several unexpected experiences.

Since opening last summer, the Knesset Museum has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors. Housed in Jerusalem’s historic Froumine House at 24 King George Street, it served as Israel’s parliament from 1950 until 1966, when the Knesset moved to its current home in Givat Ram. Today, cutting-edge technology allows visitors to become members of the Knesset (MKs) for a day, voting on historic issues and listening to famous speeches as they explore the early years of Israeli democracy.

Life continues here in Israel; however, bereaved families carry the weight of their grief forever. Gil Karsenty, a resident of Ramat Beit Shemesh, decided to help local families keep the memories of their sons alive.