In the wake of October 7, thousands of American Jews, once disconnected from their heritage, are now embracing their roots. What more can we do to welcome these newly awakened Jews into our community? In the symposium ahead, we feature responses from leading rabbis, rebbetzins and outreach professionals along with showcasing innovative programs in the world of outreach.
So what is the unchanging definition of success in Jewish outreach?
We are not whole without all of our sisters and brothers. This is not a project. This is not a numbers game. This is a family reunion. We miss you; viscerally so.
No judgment, just ahavas Yisrael. That’s the motto of Project Inspire, a national organization that aims to provide positive Jewish experiences for Jews of all backgrounds.
An excerpt from Bein Sheishes Le’Asor by Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe; translation by Rabbi Eliyahu Krakowski.
If you see someone drowning, you are halachically obligated to save him. Similarly, if you see someone drowning spiritually, you must save him.
We have to realize: These Jews are not going to an Orthodox shul. They’re not coming through the shul doors. We need to be building better doorways for engagement.
Ote LaParasha by Rabbanit Atira Ote
A Touching Tribute, Shining a Light on Widowhood, Jewish Unity, My Jewish Self at Work, Affected by War
In commemoration of the first anniversary of October 7, we asked readers to tell us how they were impacted by a day that will live on forever in our hearts and souls.
These days, instead of strengthening Torah learning and observance, rabbis need to spend much time and effort on security matters. Can we draw any chizuk from the current situation?
Rabbis of the IDF, Feedback from a Miluima, Modesty and Marketing, Recognizing Your Value, Reciting Kaddish for Soldiers
Can you pronounce “Worcestershire sauce”—and why is it labeled OU-Fish anyway?
The following essay is excerpted from “Festivals of Faith: Reflections on the Jewish Holidays” by Rabbi Norman Lamm, edited by Dr. David Shatz and Rabbi Simon Posner (OU Press/Ktav, 2011). This sermon was delivered by Rabbi Lamm in 1961.
While hiking in the fall of 2008, a member of Temple Beth Jacob, a Reform synagogue in Newburgh, New York, discovered several headstones with Hebrew inscriptions on a steep, thickly wooded hillside. It turned out that the Jewish cemetery, in desperate need of repair, belonged to the Temple. The Temple’s youth group did an […]
I No Longer Believe By Rabbi Ron Yitzchok Eisenman I have never recovered from that traumatic day, Simchat Torah in Israel—October 7, 2023. That day that will haunt me for the rest of my life. My great-great-great-great grandfather, Rav Avraham Shlomo Zalman Zoref, zt”l (1786–1851), is the first name listed on the Wall of Remembrance […]
Jews have lived in what are now Arab countries for more than three thousand years, long before the Arab conquests that began in the seventh century. In 1948, there were more than 870,000 Jews living in the Middle East and North Africa. By 1958, ninety-seven percent of all Jews in Arab countries had emigrated due […]
Seeking halachic guidance in a time of war
At the same time that there are questions, we also clearly see Yad Hashem.
In our time—perhaps more so than in previous eras—we need tzenius, writes Rabbi Reuven Brand, in the following symposium. “To live the rewarding and meaningful lives we seek, we must commit to living inwardly.” But upholding the value of modesty in the Instagram generation is no simple feat. While the writers of the essays that […]
Dynamic Religiosity; Standing Up Against Antisemitism; The Time Has Come
After the night comes the day, with its promise of salvation and the hope for a new and better tomorrow.
Stories from friends across the years
The Jewish community has been assaulted and persecuted so many times, but not only do the Jews bounce back, they actually surge further ahead.
A Note of Gratitude; An Appreciative Reader; Rav Moshe: A Little-Known Story; Gluten-Free Dairy Bread; Gluten-Free Dairy Bread
Hasidus Meets America; My Grandmother’s Candlesticks
Rose was a kind, sweet and generous Southern girl—a gentle and deeply spiritual soul who always looked to help others. At the same time, she was determined, strong and competitive.
How could we capture the endless and ongoing stream of chesed following October 7?
The OU in Israel and America have been working around the clock to organize efforts to help our brothers and sisters in Israel.