Category: Shavuot 2025

Chosen…and hated By: Itto Outini Bio: BioItto Outini is an author, book coach, Fulbright Scholar, Steinbeck Fellow, and MacDowell Fellow. Her work has appeared/is forthcoming in The North American Review, The Fulbright Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, and elsewhere, and she’s spoken for organizations including Cal Tech University, Verizon Wireless, The International Trade Centre, and the United Nations. Itto and her husband, Mekiya, are collaborating on several books and running a full-service author support platform, The DateKeepers, dedicated to helping high achievers tell their stories and giving writers the tools to…

Israel in Context A narrative of sorrow and strength By: Bev Goldman I have a close friend of many years who made aliyah some decades ago. We have been in contact over the years, but especially since 7 October, and I have taken much of what she has shared with me and written it as a woman’s narrative, a narrative of terror, loss, grief, mourning, acceptance, resilience, and hope for the future. That, in fact, perfectly encapsulates the accounts of so many brave and invincible Israeli women who are dealing…

Keeping Simchas Simple By: Paula Levin “The essence of a bar mitzvah is to take on the responsibilities of being a Jewish man!” Whether it’s a bris, barmy, or batti; an engagement or wedding, celebrating a child’s simcha is a priceless gift! In our highly interconnected schools and communities, however, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to compete with the Jonesbergs, creating an event just like everyone else’s – but without their budgets! This can put families under financial pressure, add to their debt, and fuel envy…

The Conversion Conversation in South Africa By: David Sacks “You never can tell.” Thus reads the working subtitle of an in-progress book by Rabbi Ron Hendler recounting some of his stand-out experiences in guiding people through the conversion process in South Africa. “Because you really never can tell,” says Rabbi Hendler, “I can show you people who went through journeys that are beyond belief. Some are amazingly committed while others have chucked it all up. It’s impossible to know how things will turn out.” Why do people choose to convert?…

Can you be given the same thing twice? By: Rabbi Dovid Samuels As we approach Shavuos, celebrating the time of the giving of the Torah, we are all confronted with a simple question: haven’t we been through this before? We might ask the same question at Pesach but, if we’re honest with ourselves, we understand why we again need to renew our faith that Hashem will save us from trying times. On Sukkos, too, it is understandable why we need to revisit and reboot our trust in Hashem; that He…