Opinion Archives | Page 8 of 9

Opinion

But How Can I Listen to Them?

“There are so many incredible podcasts and interviews being produced today by some of the best people around the world. But I keep coming back to one simple question: How can I listen to them?”

What Do You Want Lubavitch to Be?

“Everything we place before the public tells people something about what Lubavitch is. The deeper question is: What do we want our children to understand when they hear the word ‘Lubavitch,’ and will the next generation see that derech clearly in us?”

Please Stop with ‘The King is in the Field’

"'The King is in the field' has become an overused cliché. Few people stop to consider what it actually means. Instead, we repeat it like a slogan, a reassuring phrase meant to make us feel good, but only on a superficial level."

The Smartphone Question We Can’t Afford to Ignore

"They try to guide people to avoid using a smartphone, but their words don't carry the same weight, because they themselves have one. If there were a physical danger to our children, wouldn't we demand of the school administration, first and foremost, to see to our children's wellbeing? Physically, we don't let anyone harm our children - spiritually?"

Does Every Community Issue Belong on the Front Page?

"There seems to be a growing assumption that whenever we identify a weakness in our community, the natural place to discuss it is in a public article, accessible not only to Anash but to the entire Jewish world and beyond. I’m not convinced that assumption is correct."

The Rebbe Wanted Bochurim to Marry at Age 20

"I recently discovered a remarkable recording of the Rebbe that seems to have gone unnoticed until now. The Rebbe describes the thoughts of a young bochur about marriage at 20 years old, the age mentioned by Chazal as the appropriate time for marriage."

What a Shabbos in Greensboro Taught Me About Chabad

"I am writing this down because this Shabbos was truly beautiful. It meant a great deal to me and to my children. I write partly for myself, so that I will remember, and partly for some friends who are not great fans of Chabad. I have no intention of convincing them that they are wrong. But at the very least, a person should understand clearly what it is he is opposing."

Did You See The Crazy Weather Report for This Month?

“Chassidus gives us this beautiful moshol of Melech Basodeh. But yet at the same time, I see nothing! Where’s the king?! … Almost unexpectedly, the Rebbe started saying ‘Af al pi vos m’zet dos nisht mit fleishigeh oigen….’ I still remember that moment. I can’t even begin to tell you. Could it be that the Rebbe is actually about to address my concern?!”

What Is the Point of Talmidim Hashluchim? An Open Letter From Your Shliach

"The primary role of the shluchim is to organize mivtza’s. Just kidding - The shluchim are not G.O. heads! Instead of asking, “Why wasn’t there a mivtza?” we can ask, “What are you learning recently?”

Jewish Governor Candidate Is a ‘Varemer Yid’

"The Yiddish phrase that comes to mind when I think of Bruce Blakeman is zeier ah varemer, a truly warm person. 'Hashem decides if I win or not, not anything else,' Bruce told me."

The Unique Challenge of Our Generation

"Naturally, the first thing we think about when it comes to this topic is the tznius in women’s and girls’ dress. The truth, however, is that it’s also about men and boys. In fact, Reb Hillel Paritcher spoke about the men’s dress!"

What 20 Years of Healing Taught Me About Vitamins

"Throughout my two decades of clinical observation and hands-on experience with thousands of clients, I have watched how people use and misuse supplements. What I have discovered runs completely counter to mainstream assumptions."

Why I Will Never Shame a Child

"I felt tremendous guilt, shame, and even fear. My body froze. I felt the blood rushing to my face. But because my father was caught up in his own fear, he didn't notice what was happening inside of me."

Personal Struggle Is No Excuse for a Public Assault

"In earlier generations, a person’s private struggles generally stayed private. Today, a moment of doubt, anger, rebellion, or personal change can be broadcast instantly to thousands of viewers."

Age Rejection May Be Costing Us Good Shidduchim

"When I was younger and just starting shidduchim, I had a very clear picture of what I was looking for. One of those things was age. As the years went by and I gained more life experience, my perspective changed."

Is Our Obsession with ‘Breaking News’ Actually Breaking Us?

“We convince ourselves that endlessly scrolling through updates means we are carrying the burden of our fellow Yidden. But when it drains our simcha and leaves us paralyzed with anxiety, we have to ask: who is this really serving?”

Every Bochur Should Have Been Taught This Before Mesivta

"After I gave the shiur on Gemara, many of the bachurim were able to go back and read it inside. That made me think that maybe the problem is not that Gemara is too hard. Maybe many bachurim were simply never taught how to approach it."

The Child Who Smiles While Hurting

"I don't mind if he kicks me", "I don't mind if he punches me", "I don't mind if he rides on me like a horse". I hear these things all the time from students to whom hurtful or inappropriate behavior is being done by another child.

Teaching Students to Speak Yiddish Is Easier Than You Think

"With the discussion about teaching Yiddish arising again, I would like to share a letter I wrote to a fellow mechanech after last year’s Kinus Hamechanchim on how to teach Yiddish successfully in the classroom."

The Missing Ingredient in Our Children’s Chinuch

"The behavior and dress of our children is important to us. These are things we can see, they’re important, and we watch them. But the very fact that we can see them can mislead us."

Can Chabad Become the New Leader of American Jewry?

"A recent Jerusalem Post opinion article titled 'Can Chabad Become the New Leader of American Jewry After Institutional Decline?', raises an important question. But from a Chabad perspective, it begins with a misconception about what the Rebbe actually built."