Chosen for What?
In a well-known quote from "Fiddler on the Roof," Tevye gazes heavenward and ponders on his many misfortunes, "Dear G-d…I know, I know. We are Your chosen people. But, once in a while, can't You choose someone else?"
For good or for worse, the nations of the world have always been obsessed with the Jewish people. Despite Israel's best efforts to prove that it is just like any other country, the world will always treat Israel differently. Indeed, what does it mean to be the Chosen People?
How Generosity Creates Wealth
Studies conducted at Harvard Business School have identified a striking correlation between charitable giving and increased personal income. Economist Arthur Brooks describes generosity as creating a “virtuous cycle,” in which giving money away often precedes higher subsequent earnings.
The research proves that charity is not merely an expense; it is actually an investment in one's own wealth.
Think Big
Several years ago, renowned Radio & TV Host personality Dave Ramsey addressed a diverse audience of thousands at a convention and shared insights from a book that he felt had changed his life.
The book, "Thou Shall Prosper" by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, delves into how the Jewish people have had the tendency to prosper way beyond their population size in every setting they have ever been in throughout history. The Jewish people today, constituting only 3% of the American population, remarkably make up 67% of the Forbes 400 list.
Reciprocity
Throughout all stages in life and the various relationships we develop, we tend to be both a recipient and a provider.
Children are dependent on their parents for food, shelter and basic necessities, while they give boundless joy, Nachas, and love to their parents in return.
Educators and mentors guide and greatly impact the lives of their students by instilling within them exemplary morals and imparting them with invaluable wisdom and inspiration. In turn, students give their teachers and mentors a sense of fulfillment while helping them crystalize and better understand their subject matters.
The Paradox of Prosperity: Are We Happier?
By almost every material metric, we are living in an era of unprecedented prosperity. Our grandparents could scarcely have imagined the technology, medical breakthroughs, and comforts we now take for granted. Yet recent research reveals a startling paradox: despite being wealthier and more comfortable than ever, our collective happiness is in sharp decline.
No Free Lunch?
How often do we encounter an apparent freebie only to find out about the hidden fees or many strings attached. As the popular saying goes, “there is no such thing as a free lunch".
It is only human and natural for us to have the “what's in it for me” attitude when conducting business. However, Judaism teaches us that we should strive to develop a selfless approach while interacting with one another and to help others wholeheartedly without any preconditions or expectations of receiving something in return.
What Makes You Happy?
Israel is ranked as the fourth happiest country in the world, according to the UN-sponsored World Happiness Report. The obvious question arises: how can Israel, the only civilized nation under constant mortal danger, maintain such happiness? Despite ongoing threats from Iran and its terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah, along with facing global boycotts and condemnations, what are the sources of this happiness?
A Moment of Silence
Depicted over the gallery doors of the House Chamber in the U.S. Capitol are 23 historical figures noted for their work in establishing the principles that underlie American law. Moses, is in the center, facing forward, with 11 portraits on either side facing right and left toward him. Of course, this is in recognition of the fact that the foundations of a moral and ethical society must be predicated on a belief in G-d as transmitted to Moses, the Jewish people and, by extension, the whole world at Mount Sinai.
An Objective Truth
Elie Wiesel, an author, Nobel Prize laureate, and renowned Holocaust survivor, once recounted his visit to Brooklyn in the early '60s to meet with the Rebbe, M.M. Schneerson.
Wiesel posed a poignant question to the Rebbe, asking, "How can you believe in G-d after Auschwitz?" The Rebbe responded by looking at him in silence, his hands resting on the table. After a moment, he shed a tear and softly replied, "In whom do you expect me to believe after Auschwitz? In man?"
The First Request of a Freed Hostage
After 491 days in Hamas captivity, Eli Sharabi was released this weekend in a terribly weakened and emaciated state, to the devastating news that his wife and daughters were murdered in the October 7 attacks.
One of his first requests was a spiritual one—a pair of tefillin—and his family's Chabad rabbi was ready to help.
The Surprising Key to Combating Anti-Semitism
At a recent JBN Executive Roundtable, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Joel Finkelstein, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer and co-founder of the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI). Dr. Finkelstein’s work pioneers new methods in the cyber social sciences to confront some of the most serious threats of the information age. His research offers a clarifying lens on how antisemitism, hate, and extremism spread; why many well-intended efforts to combat them are failing; and what actually works instead.
Proactive Versus Reactive
When news spread of the disturbing acts of anti-Semitic vandalism that took place at Jewish-owned shops in the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Center in Westchester on January 25, 2024, the Jewish community was rightfully shaken, disturbed, and indignant in the face of these shocking events.
Just Do It
“Just Do It” is not only a clever Nike marketing slogan, it's a way of life.
We may find ourselves at times inspired to launch a new business, take on a new project, spend more time with our family, or reconnect more with our Jewish identity. However, after the initial excitement wears off, it may become challenging to keep focused on attaining our goals.
Light Your Candle of Truth
On September 23, 2011, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful speech at the United Nations General Assembly. During his address, he recalled a conversation he had with the Rebbe in 1984. Netanyahu shared the Rebbe’s words when he became Israel's ambassador to the UN:
"Remember, you are going to the UN. You will be serving in a house of many lies. But remember, that even in the darkest place, the smallest candle can be seen far and wide. Your mission is to light a candle for truth and the Jewish people."
The Game Plan
When an individual, business, organization or community is faced with a challenge, there are often a variety of ways to respond to the issue. One group may easily give up when the problem seems insurmountable. A second group may choose to compromise their values and quality in order to avoid a greater potential loss. A third group may try to aggressively oppose and resist the challenge. And yet a fourth group may passively sit back and hope things will work out on its own.
The Future is Bright
Bar Kuperstein was a medic who was kidnapped by Hamas after staying behind at the Nova Festival to care for the wounded.
Years earlier, Bar had already assumed enormous responsibility. After his father, Tal—a fellow paramedic—was paralyzed in a car accident, Bar became the primary breadwinner for his family.
In the aftermath of Bar’s abduction, his mother, Julie Kuperstein, launched an extraordinary and deeply personal initiative. Rather than turning to politics or media campaigns, she asked Jewish men around the world to don Bar’s tefillin—and the tefillin of other captive men—in their merit.
It's a Beautiful World
On the evening of January 17th, 1951- 10th Shevat, 5711, a diverse crowd of a few hundred people which included holocaust survivors, refugees from Stalinist Russia and American-born young students, all gathered at the headquarters of the Chabad Lubavitch movement, 770 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY, in anticipation of a monumental event that was about to occur.
Song of the Soul
In a moving video clip from early October, a young man named Yehuda Becher can be seen singing a soul-stirring song he composed to the prayer “My G-d, the soul that You have placed before me, it is pure.” Tragically, just a few days later, Yehuda was murdered by terrorists at the Nova Music Festival, along with over 1200 of our beloved brothers and sisters, during the Simchat Torah October 7th massacre.
Optimism
Once, a disciple of the Rebbe Rashab, Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneerson (1860-1920), despairingly came to the Rebbe to receive his blessing and guidance after experiencing a devastating loss to his once successful business.
The Rebbe Rashab listened and then said: “One of the wondrous attractions in Vienna is a great big wheel (the Wiener Riesenrad, constructed in Vienna in 1887, one of the oldest extant Ferris Wheels in the world)
A Hostage Mother’s Wish
On Thursday, January 30, 2025, while freed hostage Agam Berger was being flown with her parents in a helicopter en route to Rabin Medical Center, she held up a sign on a dry-erase board that read, "I chose a path of faith, and I returned through a path of faith."
Agam was kidnapped on October 7th during the brutal surprise Hamas attack at the Nahal Oz base alongside her friends Liri Albag, Karina Ariev, Daniela Gilboa, and Naama Levy. Her friends, who were miraculously released last week, shared that despite enduring 14 months in captivity, Agam remained steadfast in her faith. She consistently observed Shabbat, refrained from eating non-Kosher food despite hunger, recited blessings before meals, and even risked further abuse by refusing to cook for her captors on Shabbat.