This is my first article in a series on Jewish history on Chabad.org:

Great Torah Teachers Who Descended From Our Enemies

Hope you enjoy! Have a good week!

Hadas, whose husband fell in battle in Gaza this past Chanuka, shares chizzuk and inspiration in

Hadas Loewenstern’s Ultimate Revenge

published on Aish.com.

If you’re able to, please contribute to this fundraiser for Hadas and her children.

May we only hear good news!

My article, Sirens, Shelters, and Special Needs, about how people with disabilities are affected by the war in Israel, is in this week’s Hamodia’s Inyan Magazine.

Jews in the Land of Israel, Part 3: From 19th Century to Today

And if you missed the previous two, here they are:

The Ongoing Jewish Presence in the Land of Israel, Part 1

and

Jews in the Land of Israel #2: From Ottoman Conquest to the 18^th Century

Please pass along to whoever is sincerely perplexed about Jewish historical connection to the Land of Israel.

My story, In Pursuit of Truth, is in this week’s Hamodia’s Inyan Magazine. It’s set in the days of Rav Saadia Gaon. Hope you enjoy!

Here it is: https://aish.com/jews-in-the-land-of-israel-2-from-ottoman-conquest-to-the-18th-century/

And if you missed part 1, here it is: https://aish.com/the-ongoing-jewish-presence-in-the-land-of-israel-part-1/

Hope you find these informative and inspiring. Part 3 coming up soon, IY”H.

Happy Chanuka!

It is hardly necessary to preface this with the reason why I wrote this. Very much needed information that is being suppressed or denied by our enemies.

The Ongoing Jewish Presence in the Land of Israel, Part 1

More to follow, G-d willing. Please forward to whoever could benefit from this information! Hope you enjoy! And may all our hostages come home soon, and may all our soldiers come back safely!

My article, All Hands on Deck: Chessed Amid Crisis, is in this week’s Hamodia’s Inyan Magazine. It’s about the volunteer efforts in Israel during the current war. All the people I interviewed are very inspiring! Hope you enjoy!

Sharon, the blogger at Remember Jerusalem, reviewed my latest book, The Return to Yerushalayim.

While I’m writing a blog post, I want to thank all the readers who reached out and asked how my family and I are doing in Israel, in light of the current events. It’s hard to formulate a response. Thank G-d, we’ve seen miracles. And yet, how can I say that we are fine when over 200 Israelis, among them babies, are held hostage in Gaza? And when our soldiers are in the lion’s den, fighting for a brighter future for Israel?

What I can say is that the unity displayed throughout Israeli society in the past three weeks has been incredibly moving and heartwarming. The amount of chessed going on here, the kindness and care shown to anyone impacted by the war are astounding and inspiring. We feel very fortunate to live here and to be part of this amazing community.

It is unfortunate that it took such horrific atrocities to bring us together. But this unity is precisely what the Jewish people need at this point in history. This war is bringing out the best in all of us, no matter what our religious or political views are.

And that’s our response to the antisemites, who have shamelessly raised their voices all over the world. They hate us because our mission is to be a light unto the nations. Our existence reminds the evil forces of the world that they are evil. In response, we must work harder on being that light unto the nations and on bringing more light and good into the world.

We don’t need to justify our existence to the antisemites, but we do need to justify it to ourselves. We need to remember that we are here on a mission and to do the work that G-d put us in this world to do.

May G-d help us succeed in our mission and may He keep Jews safe all over the world and bring the hostages home, safe and sound!

My story, To Dream Anew, is in Hamodia’s Sukkos Story Supplement. Hope you enjoy! Good Yom Tov!