Finding Faith Amidst the California Fires
In the face of life's adversities, moments of profound clarity can emerge, reminding us of the deeper purpose of our existence. For Joshua Kotler and his wife, Emily, such a moment arose amidst the devastation of the California wildfires that destroyed their Altadena home.
As the fire consumed their house perched atop a mountain, the Kotlers escaped with their two young daughters, taking only the bare essentials. When they returned to the charred remains, they discovered a single item untouched by the flames: a menorah passed down from Joshua's grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.
It's all in the head
There is an anecdote told of a prisoner in a Russian labor camp. His task, for twenty-five grueling years, involved turning a heavy wheel fixed to a wall. He assumed perhaps he was milling grain, or pumping water that irrigated many fields. In his mind's eye he saw the plentiful crops and the sacks of milled grain feeding thousands of people. However, upon his impending release, he requested to see the apparatus behind the prison wall. To his dismay, the wheel served no purpose. The man collapsed in a faint, absolutely devastated. His years of toil felt utterly futile.
True or False?
If you were to predict the future, which companies, nations, trends, or relationships would you bet on to endure thirty years from now?
History and modern data suggest the odds are against most. A recent McKinsey study revealed a startling decline in corporate longevity. According to research by McKinsey & Company, it’s estimated that 75% of the companies currently on S&P 500 will have vanished within 15-20 years.
What is the Secret to Jewish Immortality?
In his famous essay "Concerning the Jews," published in 1898, Mark Twain presents his profound wonder about the Jewish people:
"The Jews constitute only 1% of the human race... It suggests a nebulous, dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of... His contributions to the world's list of great names are way out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers.
An Internal Crisis—and the Path Forward
Recent data has sent shockwaves through the American Jewish community. A survey by Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs reveals a startling disconnect: 42% of American Jewish youth believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, while 37% express sympathy for Hamas. Adding to the concern, recent political cycles showed that candidates openly hostile to Israel and the Jewish people’s biblical right to their homeland still secured roughly a third of the Jewish vote.
While external antisemitism is undeniably a growing threat, these numbers point to a deeper internal crisis. If the next generation is drifting so far from its roots, we must ask: Where did we go wrong—and how do we fix it?
Personal Responsibility
A man once shared with me the secret behind a happy marriage.
He said "You should share responsibilities with due love and respect each other. Then absolutely there will be no problems."
"In my house, I take decisions on bigger issues whereas my wife decides on smaller issues. We do not interfere in each other's decisions".
I asked him, "Give me some examples".
Harvard’s Menorah
On December 13, 2023, a Menorah lighting celebration took place in front of Harvard’s Widener Library. Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, the Director of the Harvard Chabad, addressed a gathering of students and faculty.
During his speech, Rabbi Zarchi recounted a significant moment in the history of the Menorah lighting tradition at Harvard.
Beyond Ivy League Dreams: Nurturing Jewish Identity
You may have heard the anecdote of three mothers sitting in a park, debating when life truly begins.
The first says, “Life begins at conception.”
The second counters, “No, life begins at birth.”
The Jewish mother shakes her head and says, “You're both wrong—life begins when the child gets their college degree.”
Sydney’s Heroes
“Please,” my children begged. “Turn off the menorah. Our house is going to become a target,” Sorella recalled in a tearful interview with Sky News.
The family had just returned from the Chanukah event at Bondi Beach hosted by Chabad with over 1000 people in attendance. They had managed to escape physically unharmed, but were deeply traumatized after witnessing the massacre that claimed 15 lives and left dozens more wounded.
A Lesson from Scooter Braun
At a recent StandWithUs Dinner, entrepreneur and record executive Scooter Braun shared a lesson he had learned from his grandparents, survivors of Auschwitz and Dachau: “Never to be afraid again.”
He turned to his three young children, aged 5-8, seated in the audience, and asked, “What do I teach you?”
Without hesitation, his children shouted in unison, “Ich bin a Yiddish Keend” (i.e., I am a Jewish child).
Preserve & Grow
Business owners and entrepreneurs are often faced with the challenge of preserving their capital and maintaining the core principles of their enterprise while investing in growth and developing their business or organization.
In life, it is important to learn, explore, expand our circle of friends and positively influence the world around us. However, at the same time, how do we avoid the risk of forgetting our core values and connection to our identity while being exposed to other cultures and interacting with others?
Never Give Up
A story is told of the holy Maggid of Mezritch (1704-1772). Once, his young son came running to him in tears. The Maggid comforted him and asked him why he was crying. The child began to explain that he had been playing a game of hide-and-seek with his friends but he hid so well that he was never found.
“So why are you crying, didn't you play really well?", asked the Maggid.
A Light from the U.S. Capitol to Ukraine’s Presidential Bunker
U.S. House and Senate leaders recently gathered on Capitol Hill for a Chanukah menorah lighting, showcasing a special display of unity. Leading the ceremony were House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Rabbi Levi Shemtov of Chabad of Washington, D.C.
Light at the End of the Tunnel
Omer Shem Tov was just 20 years old when he was kidnapped during the brutal October 7th terror attack on Israel. Though raised in a mostly traditional home, he had never been deeply observant. Still, he carried a quiet belief in G-d, one that would become his lifeline during the 505 agonizing days that followed.
Isolated, hungry, and often trapped in total darkness, Omer began speaking to G-d. He started making blessings on the meager food he received and resolved to keep kosher as much as possible.
Will AI Replace Humans
The consensus among many experts is that a great number of professions will be totally automated in the next five to 10 years due to the growth of artificial intelligence.
Among AI's biggest benefits, many experts believe, is its ability to save humans from having to perform tedious repetitive tasks that are part of their overall duties so they're free to focus on more rewarding projects — or just take some much needed time off.
From Berlin to Gaza
It was the eighth night of Chanukah in Kiel, Germany, a small town with a Jewish population of 500. That year, 1931, the last night Chanukah fell on Friday evening, and Rabbi Akiva Boruch Posner, spiritual leader of the town was hurrying to light the Menorah before the Shabbat set in.
Chanukah-What are we celebrating?
Every holiday is commemorated with its unique Mitzvot, traditions and customs that reflect the nature of the miracle or event that occurred.For example, on Passover we conduct a Seder, eat Matzah, bitter herbs and drink four cups of wine to relive and recount the story of the slavery and ultimate redemption of our ancestors from Egypt many years ago.
We are the modern-day Maccabees
In late Oct. 2023, a powerful video spread across the Jewish world. Dozens of IDF soldiers stood in full gear, gathered in a tight circle on the Gaza border. Their commander addressed them:
“We enter with strength and humility — say Shema Yisrael.”
In a remarkable display of unity, soldiers — both religious and non-observant — placed their hands over one another’s heads to serve as makeshift kippot for those without. Together, they cried out:
Golda Meir, Henry Kissinger & Jewish Identity
There is a well-known story about Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir when she met with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Kissinger stated, “You must remember that first, I am an American; second, I am the Secretary of State, and third, I am a Jew.” To this, Golda responded, “Henry, you forget that in Israel, we read from right to left.”
A Message from Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta, recently delivered a powerful message to Jewish leaders at the Jewish Federations' General Assembly in Washington, D.C. Using a simple yet profound experiment, she invited the audience to raise their hands as high as they could, then challenged them to lift their hands an inch higher.
As they complied, she added, “Now, raise it an inch higher.” Remarkably, each person managed to lift their hand even further. “See that?” she said. “When we think we've done all we can, we realize we can do more—and we do!”