Opinion Archives | Anash.org https://anash.org/category/opinion-2/ News, Views, Inspiration Thu, 07 May 2026 16:50:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Reflections on Rabbi Wagner on His Third Yahrtzeit https://anash.org/reflections-on-rabbi-wagner-on-his-third-yahrtzeit/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=reflections-on-rabbi-wagner-on-his-third-yahrtzeit https://anash.org/reflections-on-rabbi-wagner-on-his-third-yahrtzeit/#respond Mon, 04 May 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1053619 Monday, 17 Iyar 5786, marks the third Yahrtzeit of my rosh yeshiva and personal mashpia - Harav Michoel Akiva Gershon a”h Wagner. I would like to share a deep understanding that I had a few years ago, which really changed the way I view myself as an educator.]]> https://anash.org/reflections-on-rabbi-wagner-on-his-third-yahrtzeit/feed/ 0 ‘We Became Sisters’: Three JNet Chavrusos Share Their Stories https://anash.org/we-became-sisters-3-jnet-chavrusos-share-their-stories/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=we-became-sisters-3-jnet-chavrusos-share-their-stories https://anash.org/we-became-sisters-3-jnet-chavrusos-share-their-stories/#comments Sun, 03 May 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1051959

From weekly phone calls to life-changing bonds, three JNet "couples" open up about how learning together led to lasting friendship, deepened Yiddishkeit, and journeys they never expected.

]]> https://anash.org/we-became-sisters-3-jnet-chavrusos-share-their-stories/feed/ 1 What Are We Teaching Them? https://anash.org/what-are-we-teaching-them/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-are-we-teaching-them https://anash.org/what-are-we-teaching-them/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1051276

“But I have a gigantic report to do for tomorrow. My teacher also said that she will take no excuses for not having the report in on time and no notes from parents will help. Do you really want me to fail?” Raizel’s big blue eyes were now full of tears.

]]> https://anash.org/what-are-we-teaching-them/feed/ 17 Guide Them to Yeshiva – They Will Thank You Later https://anash.org/guide-them-to-yeshiva-they-will-thank-you-later/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guide-them-to-yeshiva-they-will-thank-you-later https://anash.org/guide-them-to-yeshiva-they-will-thank-you-later/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1050066

As summer approaches, guide members of your community toward yeshiva. It is truly life-changing and allows them to take ownership of their Yiddishkeit in a real and lasting way. “Believe me, they will thank you later.” An open letter to shluchim from a baal teshuva who was once on the 'other side'.

]]> https://anash.org/guide-them-to-yeshiva-they-will-thank-you-later/feed/ 12 ‘Artificial’ Intelligence: Why Our Minds Wander When the Machine Speaks https://anash.org/artificial-intelligence-why-our-minds-wander-when-the-machine-speaks/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=artificial-intelligence-why-our-minds-wander-when-the-machine-speaks https://anash.org/artificial-intelligence-why-our-minds-wander-when-the-machine-speaks/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1050055 It happens almost instantaneously. You’re three sentences into an article—perhaps a summary of a sichah or a guide to chinuch—and suddenly, the internal shutters slam shut.]]> https://anash.org/artificial-intelligence-why-our-minds-wander-when-the-machine-speaks/feed/ 1 Is ‘Emotion Code’ a Jewish Way to Heal? https://anash.org/is-emotion-code-a-jewish-way-to-heal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-emotion-code-a-jewish-way-to-heal https://anash.org/is-emotion-code-a-jewish-way-to-heal/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1050424 People are recommending Emotion Code as a way to deal with anxiety, pain, and emotional struggle. But before we start borrowing a new language of healing, we need to ask a more basic question: What exactly is this system, and what kind of view of the person does it carry inside it?]]> https://anash.org/is-emotion-code-a-jewish-way-to-heal/feed/ 32 ‘War of Independence was a Miracle and Missed Opportunity’ https://anash.org/war-of-independence-was-a-miracle-and-missed-opportunity/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=war-of-independence-was-a-miracle-and-missed-opportunity https://anash.org/war-of-independence-was-a-miracle-and-missed-opportunity/#respond Wed, 22 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1050313

A firsthand account from mashpia Rabbi Avraham Meizlish AH of the events of 5 Iyar 5708 - witnessed as a young yeshiva student in besieged Yerushalayim without food, constant shelling, and burying the dead with his own hands. He describes the open miracles, the greatest missed opportunity in modern Jewish history, and the Rebbe's stance on Yom Ha'atzmaut.

]]> https://anash.org/war-of-independence-was-a-miracle-and-missed-opportunity/feed/ 0 Chassidus Is Not Your Therapy https://anash.org/chassidus-is-not-your-therapy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chassidus-is-not-your-therapy https://anash.org/chassidus-is-not-your-therapy/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1048441 Every few years, a new modality comes along. It has its proponents and its detractors. The proponents say it's needed. The detractors say we have something better — the Rebbe, Chassidus, a mashpia, a sefer — and we don't need to look elsewhere. And the wheel spins, the pundits write, and the world is in turmoil.]]> https://anash.org/chassidus-is-not-your-therapy/feed/ 28 Holocaust Remembrance Day: Good Idea, Bad Timing https://anash.org/holocaust-remembrance-day-good-idea-bad-timing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=holocaust-remembrance-day-good-idea-bad-timing Tue, 14 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=12279 Commemorating the Holocaust was the subject of much debate in the years that followed it. The Rebbe had a unique opinion on what should and should not be done.]]> Breathwork: What the Real Problem Is https://anash.org/breathwork-what-the-real-problem-is/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=breathwork-what-the-real-problem-is https://anash.org/breathwork-what-the-real-problem-is/#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1048077 You start hearing it in conversations, you see it mentioned in articles—breathwork, trauma, emotion code. At first, I didn’t think much of it. But recently, I started looking into it more carefully—and it struck me.]]> https://anash.org/breathwork-what-the-real-problem-is/feed/ 23 There Are 4 Sons, But Only One Father https://anash.org/there-are-4-sons-but-only-one-father/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=there-are-4-sons-but-only-one-father https://anash.org/there-are-4-sons-but-only-one-father/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1045885 When it comes to the Seder, every child is taught about asking their father the 4 questions. Occasionally, there is a fifth question, one which comes first: Where is my father? ]]> https://anash.org/there-are-4-sons-but-only-one-father/feed/ 1 The Rebbe’s Role in Building the Department of Education https://anash.org/the-rebbes-role-in-building-the-department-of-education/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-rebbes-role-in-building-the-department-of-education https://anash.org/the-rebbes-role-in-building-the-department-of-education/#respond Mon, 30 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1045224 Education and Sharing Day is a good moment to return to an essay that argued that the Rebbe's vision is exactly what America is missing.]]> https://anash.org/the-rebbes-role-in-building-the-department-of-education/feed/ 0 The Whole Picture: The Rebbe’s Extraordinary Balance https://anash.org/the-whole-picture-the-rebbes-extraordinary-balance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-whole-picture-the-rebbes-extraordinary-balance https://anash.org/the-whole-picture-the-rebbes-extraordinary-balance/#respond Sun, 29 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1044835 In a landmark address, the Tolna Rebbe, Harav Yitzchok Menachem Weinberg, paints a picture of the Rebbe's incredible greatness, highlighting the Rebbe's fusion of total opposites in Torah, avodas Hashem, and leadership.]]> https://anash.org/the-whole-picture-the-rebbes-extraordinary-balance/feed/ 0 Do you ‘Dayeinu’? https://anash.org/do-you-dayeinu/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=do-you-dayeinu https://anash.org/do-you-dayeinu/#respond Thu, 26 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1044554 A detail in this week's parsha and a beautiful vort on the Hagaddah offer a transformational message on how to live a life of happiness.]]> https://anash.org/do-you-dayeinu/feed/ 0 Aren’t the Eruv Proponents Discrediting Themselves? https://anash.org/arent-the-eruv-proponents-discrediting-themselves/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=arent-the-eruv-proponents-discrediting-themselves https://anash.org/arent-the-eruv-proponents-discrediting-themselves/#comments Fri, 20 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1041382 Several weeks ago, Anash.org published Rabbi Daniel Osher Kleinman's findings regarding the so‑called “Brooklyn Eruv.” Instead of substantive rebuttals, proponents of the “Brooklyn Eruv” resorted to personal attacks. Why?]]> https://anash.org/arent-the-eruv-proponents-discrediting-themselves/feed/ 3 The Goal Was Always to Go Forward https://anash.org/the-goal-was-always-to-go-forward/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-goal-was-always-to-go-forward https://anash.org/the-goal-was-always-to-go-forward/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1040369 Chof Zayin Adar is one of those days in the Lubavitch calendar that carries a heavy emotional weight. For many Chassidim, it is remembered as a painful turning point — the last time we saw the Rebbe as we once did.]]> https://anash.org/the-goal-was-always-to-go-forward/feed/ 2 Inspiring a Love for Torah: A Conversation with Melbourne’s Rosh Yeshiva https://anash.org/fascinating-conversation-with-melbournes-rosh-yeshiva-of-50-years/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fascinating-conversation-with-melbournes-rosh-yeshiva-of-50-years https://anash.org/fascinating-conversation-with-melbournes-rosh-yeshiva-of-50-years/#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=977198 In a riveting interview, Rabbi Binyamin Gavriel Cohen, Rosh Yeshiva of Melbourne’s Yeshiva Gedolah for over fifty years, shares his fascinating life story of connecting to the Rebbe and Chassidus, and his approach to inspiring a love for Torah in today's bochurim.]]> https://anash.org/fascinating-conversation-with-melbournes-rosh-yeshiva-of-50-years/feed/ 1 Hashem, Watch How Your People Dance! https://anash.org/hashem-watch-how-your-people-dance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hashem-watch-how-your-people-dance https://anash.org/hashem-watch-how-your-people-dance/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1036609

In under two years, the Jewish world, and Chabad in particular, lost two of its young greats: the brothers-in-law, Rabbis Mendel Plotkin and Levi Wolosow. The grief and the loss have been real. But this week, the family, led by Rabbi Chaim and Sarah Wolosow, did what a Chossid and a Jew does.

]]> https://anash.org/hashem-watch-how-your-people-dance/feed/ 1 Has Congresswoman Clarke Abandoned the Jewish Community? https://anash.org/has-congresswoman-yvette-clarke-abandoned-the-jewish-community/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=has-congresswoman-yvette-clarke-abandoned-the-jewish-community https://anash.org/has-congresswoman-yvette-clarke-abandoned-the-jewish-community/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1035628 Yesterday, the U.S. Congress voted on a resolution “Reaffirming Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism.” Of 53 democrats who voted No, including the most Anti-Israel representatives, was the Congress member representing the Crown Heights Jewish community, Yvette Clarke.]]> https://anash.org/has-congresswoman-yvette-clarke-abandoned-the-jewish-community/feed/ 5 Chabad’s Foolproof Response to Tucker https://anash.org/the-foolproof-response-to-tucker/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-foolproof-response-to-tucker https://anash.org/the-foolproof-response-to-tucker/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1035570 An article by Rabbi Mendy Teldon, published on The Times of Israel blog, presents to a broad audience the Lubavitch response to the antisemitic rhetoric by Tucker Carlson and his ilk.]]> https://anash.org/the-foolproof-response-to-tucker/feed/ 8 Did Our Congresswoman Just Mourn the Ayatollah? https://anash.org/did-our-congresswoman-just-mourn-the-ayatollah/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=did-our-congresswoman-just-mourn-the-ayatollah https://anash.org/did-our-congresswoman-just-mourn-the-ayatollah/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1033996

Rep. Yvette Clarke, who represents Crown Heights, Flatbush, and much of Boro Park, has faced renewed criticism from her Jewish constituents after she issued forceful statements condemning President Trump and Israel over strikes on Iran.

]]> https://anash.org/did-our-congresswoman-just-mourn-the-ayatollah/feed/ 8 The Banker Wanted a Torah from Russia and Got a Surprise https://anash.org/banker-wanted-a-torah-from-russia-and-got-a-suprise/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=banker-wanted-a-torah-from-russia-and-got-a-suprise https://anash.org/banker-wanted-a-torah-from-russia-and-got-a-suprise/#respond Mon, 23 Feb 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1031660 An avid Judaica collector, Chicago banker Seymour Abrams asked Rabbi Yitzchok Wolf to obtain for him a Torah from the former Soviet Union for his collection. That day, Rabbi Wolf brought to the bank lobby something that surprised him.]]> https://anash.org/banker-wanted-a-torah-from-russia-and-got-a-suprise/feed/ 0 Is Camp Recruitment Starting Too Early for Bochurim? https://anash.org/is-camp-recruitment-starting-too-early-for-bochurim/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=is-camp-recruitment-starting-too-early-for-bochurim https://anash.org/is-camp-recruitment-starting-too-early-for-bochurim/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1029979 An almost seventy-year-old letter from the Rebbe brings into sharp clarity a question that remains highly relevant today: the involvement of bochurim in summer camps.]]> https://anash.org/is-camp-recruitment-starting-too-early-for-bochurim/feed/ 10 From Persia to Iran: Purim Miracles Today https://anash.org/from-persia-to-iran-purim-miracles-today/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-persia-to-iran-purim-miracles-today https://anash.org/from-persia-to-iran-purim-miracles-today/#comments Fri, 20 Feb 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1030353

Over the past two years, Klal Yisroel has witnessed (at least) three incredible miracles of a magnitude comparable to the Splitting of Yam Suf. Hashem’s loving Hand protected us time and again from enemies and danger. From Persia of old to Iran of today, we are witnessing Purim miracles in our times.

]]> https://anash.org/from-persia-to-iran-purim-miracles-today/feed/ 2 Bullying is a Problem in Mesivta Too https://anash.org/bullying-is-a-problem-in-mesivta-too/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bullying-is-a-problem-in-mesivta-too https://anash.org/bullying-is-a-problem-in-mesivta-too/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1017319 Bullying in Mesivta is not new to me. I remember being harassed physically, being “lightly” pushed by certain boys. But recently, the issue of bullying in Mesivta resurfaced in a painful way.]]> https://anash.org/bullying-is-a-problem-in-mesivta-too/feed/ 19 Not Everything Popular Belongs in a Bochur’s Pocket https://anash.org/not-everything-popular-belongs-in-a-bochurs-pocket/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=not-everything-popular-belongs-in-a-bochurs-pocket https://anash.org/not-everything-popular-belongs-in-a-bochurs-pocket/#comments Mon, 16 Feb 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1028559 I'm writing this as a Lubavitcher bochur, not as a spokesperson or a Mashpia. Just a regular bochur in yeshiva, watching what becomes normal around us, and wondering why certain things are considered normal.]]> https://anash.org/not-everything-popular-belongs-in-a-bochurs-pocket/feed/ 11 Seeing Beyond What the Eyes Can See https://anash.org/seeing-beyond-what-the-eyes-can-see/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=seeing-beyond-what-the-eyes-can-see https://anash.org/seeing-beyond-what-the-eyes-can-see/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1017333

From the Anash.org Inbox: A poem by a Lubavitcher girl reflects the inner struggle between the Nefesh Elokis and the Nefesh HaBehamis, seeing people beyond appearances and behavior, recognizing the soul within every person, and learning to look at others with the soul.

]]> https://anash.org/seeing-beyond-what-the-eyes-can-see/feed/ 5 The Treasure Is in Our Hands and We Have the Key https://anash.org/the-treasure-is-in-our-hands-and-we-have-the-key/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-treasure-is-in-our-hands-and-we-have-the-key https://anash.org/the-treasure-is-in-our-hands-and-we-have-the-key/#respond Wed, 28 Jan 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1017224 In a Yud Shevat reflection, Rabbi Yossi Rubin, Shliach in Clifton Park, explores the deeper meaning of Basi L’Gani, the role of Otzar, and why Yiras Shamayim and Kabbalas Ol are not just ideals, but the keys to unlocking our personal mission.]]> https://anash.org/the-treasure-is-in-our-hands-and-we-have-the-key/feed/ 0 A Conversation at Montefiore Cemetery on a Frosty Yud Shevat https://anash.org/a-conversation-at-montefiore-cemetery-on-a-frosty-yud-shevat/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-conversation-at-montefiore-cemetery-on-a-frosty-yud-shevat https://anash.org/a-conversation-at-montefiore-cemetery-on-a-frosty-yud-shevat/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1017393 The car pulled up at the side-entrance of the cemetery on Francis Lewis Boulevard, and I climbed out into the biting wind of a bitterly cold January day. Clearly, at the Ohel of the Rebbe, there are more important things to think about than the weather, so I immediately headed for the entrance in order to proceed to the Ohel. To my surprise, the gates were closed.]]> https://anash.org/a-conversation-at-montefiore-cemetery-on-a-frosty-yud-shevat/feed/ 2 Whose Flame Do We Carry? https://anash.org/whose-flame-do-we-carry/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whose-flame-do-we-carry https://anash.org/whose-flame-do-we-carry/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2026 https://anash.org/?p=1017430 As we approach Yud Shvat, marking the historic moment when we, Chassidim, were privileged to become the Rebbe’s, it is a fitting time to reflect on an exchange between the Rebbe Rashab and a Chossid, whose messages continue to guide us to this very day.]]> https://anash.org/whose-flame-do-we-carry/feed/ 2