Leadership: Influence Vs. Power
In 1968, as a college student at Cambridge University in Cambridge, England, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks decided to visit the United States and meet with the greatest of America’s Rabbis.
During his visit, every Rabbi he met told him that he had to meet the Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe, Rabbi Menacham M. Schneerson. After scheduling a meeting, Rabbi Sacks, who was by then in Los Angeles visiting family, took a Greyhound bus for 72 hours back to New York.
To Be a Realist, You Must Believe in Miracles
“In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles.”
– David Ben-Gurion, Former Prime Minister of Israel
For decades, it was widely assumed that Israel's enemies were simply too powerful to defeat. The world watched helplessly as Iran trained and armed terrorist groups across the Middle East, accelerating its race toward nuclear capability—all while threatening, G-d forbid, to erase Israel from the map and then turn its sights on the rest of Western civilization.
And yet, the impossible began to unfold.
Yes, You Can!
Brandon Steiner is a renowned American entrepreneur, author, and keynote speaker, primarily recognized for founding Steiner Sports. Brandon Steiner shared a pivotal moment in the early stages of building Steiner Sports. He felt his business growth had hit a wall and realized it wouldn't progress much further without a major breakthrough.
He had been trying to get someone from the Yankees on the phone for eight months without a return call. Finally, through a personal connection, he secured a meeting with an executive from the team. Brandon showed up for the meeting without a plan, flowcharts, or any idea of what he was going to discuss. He just followed his gut.
How Facebook Messenger Bots was Inspired by Challah
One of the signs of an effective leader is how well they are able to empower their constituents.
A manager may want to micro-manage their employees to guarantee optimal results. However, empowering and giving them the tools to take their own initiative enables them to use their own creativity to create something perhaps more powerful than what was envisioned in the first place.
Israel’s Operation Rising Lion
On June 12, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Western Wall (Kotel) in Jerusalem, accompanied by Argentine President Javier Milei. During the visit, Netanyahu placed a handwritten note between the ancient stones, offering a private prayer to the Almighty. While the contents of the note were not immediately revealed, their powerful significance would soon become clear to the world.
Quoting from the Book of Numbers (23:24), the note read:
“Behold, a people that rises like a lioness and raises itself like a lion…”
Equality or Diversity
Equality is often understood to mean that we are all created equal and therefore should be given the same opportunities and rights. We aim to develop a society where our differences are overlooked and instead we try to focus on the areas where we can find common ground.
But are we actually all similar? Should our obvious differences be a source of contention and therefore ignored?
Be Present
A recent study conducted by Microsoft found that since the onset of the mobile revolution, around the year 2000, the average attention span of individuals has dropped from approximately 12 seconds to just eight seconds.
Throughout the day, we are exposed to an overload of information, whether it's news or work-related information. The constant pings of notifications distract us from whatever we’re doing, decreasing our focus.
Oprah, we still have to stay humble!
Ethan Bortnick, an accomplished pianist, singer and songwriter, was considered a child prodigy from the age of three and went on to entertain international audiences throughout his childhood. He is listed in the Guinness World Records for "The World's Youngest Solo Musician to Headline His Own Concert Tour".
How to Fight Anti-Semitism
In 2020, Bari Weiss resigned from The New York Times, citing a hostile work environment and experiences of anti-semitic harassment. Since then, she has emerged as a powerful voice for Jewish resilience and moral courage.
In her award-winning book, How to Fight Anti-Semitism, Weiss writes that like many American Jews, she once believed the United States would remain immune to the historic waves of antisemitism. With its founding principles of religious freedom, equality, and pluralism, America has served as a modern-day “New Jerusalem.”
Peace through Strength
Rivka Ravitz, a mother of 12, had achieved a historic milestone as the first woman and religious individual to serve as Chief of Staff for a President of Israel.
During a recent interview, Ravitz reflected on the numerous opportunities she had to meet with world leaders and the admiration they expressed for her unwavering commitment to upholding her Jewish values and raising a large family while fulfilling her duties in a prominent position.
Self-Respect
In July of 2022, Israeli pop star Yuval Dayan stirred an outcry and a heated public debate in Israel when she refused to shake hands with visiting US President Joe Biden due to her religious beliefs.
Dayan, along with another singer, Ran Danker, performed at a ceremony marking Biden's receipt of Israel's highest civilian honor.
Maximizing our Potential
There is a famous anecdote that tells of the Sage Reb Zusha of Anipoli (1718, Tarnow, Poland- 1800, Anipoli, Ukraine) relating to his disciples, “When I go up to heaven after my time on earth is completed, I am not afraid of being asked why I was not as great as Moses, after all, G‑d already has a Moses. I am afraid, however, of being asked, ‘Zusha, why weren’t you Zusha?’ ”
Home Sweet Home
There is an expression, “Money can buy a house, but not a home”. What is so unique about creating a home which engenders the feelings of warmth, love, and acceptance that may be challenging to replicate elsewhere?
The structure of a house along with its design, furniture and amenities obviously serves an important role, however, they do not define the ultimate nature of one’s home. For one can find shelter or even enjoy quality hospitality elsewhere. But, of course, it's still not quite the same as one's home.
You Are Important
Eli Groisman grew up in Curaçao, a Caribbean island, in the early 1980s. Since there were no Jewish schools on the island in those years, he attended a Protestant school, where he had a difficult time. Despite his non-observant upbringing, he refused to participate in religious services, leading to daily conflicts with other students while the teachers and principal sided against him. By seventh grade, things escalated, and he started skipping school to play golf, returning just in time to meet his father Chaim at dismissal.
Every Person is a Diamond
A recent survey of millennials has revealed troubling statistics regarding how young adults perceive themselves compared to their peers and older generations. Surprisingly, eight out of ten participants believe they are not "good enough" in various aspects of their lives. Additionally, three-quarters of the respondents admit to feeling constantly overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed in their careers, establish meaningful relationships, and meet others' expectations.
The Secret to a Good Life?
The Global Flourishing Study, a five-year project surveying over 200,000 people across 22 countries, seeks to understand the underlying factors that enable people to flourish—not just to survive, or even to be happy, but to thrive in a deep, meaningful, and multidimensional way. Led by over 40 researchers across disciplines and backed by Gallup, the study measures well-being across six dimensions: happiness, health, meaning, character, relationships, and financial stability.
Career Satisfaction
In a recent research study on career satisfaction conducted by Forbes, it was reported that one of the primary factors influencing employee and client satisfaction was the approach taken by businesses, whether transactional or relational.
Holy Business
Dr. Bernard Spector, a respected businessman and philanthropist from Montreal, once visited the Rebbe to receive his blessing and advice. "Rebbe, when does one decide they have enough?" he asked.
Dr. Spector explained that he had recently sold his business and was now receiving other lucrative business offers. "I am seeking advice to know when a person decides they have enough money for themselves and their family, and they have reached their goal."
Taking a Sabbatical
Ilana and Doron Toweg have become modern-day heroes and role models for millions of people both in Israel and around the world.
They are owners of a large agricultural farm in Moshav Azaria and are one of the premier sources of produce in Israel. At one point they served as the exclusive eggplant supplier to Strauss, Israel’s largest food distributors.
But, in 2014, they made a huge decision that would seem extremely illogical to any serious entrepreneur.
Doing Well by Doing Good
Not long ago, the conventional belief was that profit and corporate social responsibility were mutually exclusive pursuits. The notion that a company could boost its bottom line while contributing positively to society was rarely entertained by business leaders.
Today, however, advanced technologies and streamlined processes are reducing costs, paving the way for a new perspective: benefiting people and the world need not sacrifice profitability.