As Israel and the Jewish people face the horrors of October 7th, 2023, I wish to share the story of a fascinating 9-11 diary (capturing a significant theme of the weekly Torah portion&nbsp;of Shemini). This diary can shed light on the ongoing struggle between Israel, the West, and radical Islam.

September 11, 1941: The world is swimming in Adolf Hitler's bloodbath. In a few days, the Germans will capture Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and massacre 100,000 innocent human beings in a ravine named Babi Yar.&nbsp;On this day—9/11 1941—in Arlington, Virginia, the U.S. Department of Defense starts construction on its new headquarters, the Pentagon.

On the same day,&nbsp;a middle-aged new immigrant to the shores of the United States, Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, later to become known as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, writes an entry in his private journal concerning two traits that make for a moral and productive human being: "fins" and "scales."<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref1')">[1]</a>

Nobody imagines that sixty years later, on 9/11 2001, the free world would be struck again. Radical Islamists would crash planes into the Pentagon and the Twin Towers, murdering thousands. A new era of global terror would descend on our planet.&nbsp;

The Journal

The idea the Lubavitcher Rebbe presented in his journal on this day is worth reflecting on today.

The Torah states in this week’s portion (Parshas Shmini as well as Reah): “This may you eat of all that is in the waters: everything that has fins and scales, you may eat. But anything that has no fins and scales, you may not eat.” <a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref2')">[2]</a> For a fish to be kosher, it needs both fins and scales.

The Talmud states a fascinating fact: “All [fish] that have scales also have fins [and are thus kosher]; but there are [fish] that have fins but do not have scales [and are thus unkosher].”<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_edn3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_ednref3')">[3]</a>

“If so," asks the Talmud, "the Torah could have written only 'scales,' without having to also write 'fins?’” If a fish that has scales inevitably has fins, why is there a&nbsp;need for both signs? The Talmud answers:&nbsp;"Said Rabbi Abahu, and so it was learned in the study house of Rabbi Ishmael: “This is so that the Torah should be increased and made great." This is a strange answer.&nbsp;Where is the logic in presenting fins as an identifying sign for kosher fish when it is totally irrelevant and inconsequential since scaled fish inevitably have fins as well? How does this make the Torah greater?

Also, why are fins and scales the characteristics that distinguish kosher fish? What is special about these two identifying signs to deem fish suitable for Jewish consumption?

Food’s Force

The Rabbis and Mystics teach that the physical attributes of fish, and of all animals, reflect their psychological and spiritual qualities. They further explain that the food a person consumes has a profound effect on his or her psyche. Therefore, when one eats the flesh of a particular creature, the “personality” of that creature affects the person in some way.

Fins and scales too embody two qualities embedded in the souls of these types of fish that are necessary for the healthy development of human character. When the Jew consumes the substance of such fish, he becomes a more "kosher" and refined human being. When he consumes fish lacking these characteristics, it may dampen some of these vital qualities.

Drive &amp; Direction

Scales, the "armor" that shields and protects the body of the fish, represent the quality of integrity, which protects us from falling prey to the many pitfalls that life presents. A person of integrity will not deceive his customers, despite the apparent financial profits involved. He will not tell a lie to a friend, despite the short-term comfort gained by doing so.&nbsp;He will not cheat on his spouse&nbsp;despite the tremendous temptations.

Integrity means that you have absolute standards of right and wrong and that you are committed to a morality that transcends your moods and temptations. Integrity preserves and protects your life and your soul.

Fins, the wing-like organs that propel fish forward, represent ambition. A healthy sense of ambition, knowing one’s strengths and wanting to utilize them in full, gives a person the impetus to traverse the turbulent sea of life and to maximize his or her G‑d-given potential. It propels us to fulfill our dreams and leave our unique imprint on the world.

What Is Our Priority?

Which of these two qualities is more important to cultivate in life—fins or scales? What ought to be the main function of education? Should we concentrate primarily on providing our children with the confidence and skills necessary for them to become productive and accomplished human beings? Or ought we to focus more intensely on raising children of high moral standing, concentrating more on how they will live than on how they will make a living?

The Talmud teaches that all fish that have scales also have fins. But some fish have fins but do not have scales and are thus non-kosher.&nbsp;On a deeper level, this symbolizes the idea that a human being who possesses fins may still lack scales and thus remain "non-kosher." He might swim and frolic through large seas and oceans with his talent and genius, but his achievements may be corrupt, hurting others in the process. Creating ambitious and confident children does not guarantee their moral uprightness and integrity. In our times, we have seen the result of people who had fins but no scales.

On the other hand, the Talmud tells us that all fish with scales have fins. If you teach your children to approach life with truth and honesty, with an unyielding commitment to morality and decency, this child will certainly succeed and develop "fins" as well. Regardless of his or her degree of intellectual prowess, they will find the "fins" with which to advance in their learning and their achievements to make the world a more beautiful place.

To Change the World

"If so," asks the Talmud, "the Torah could have written only 'scales,' without having to also write 'fins'." On a deeper level, the Talmud is asking, why is it important to emphasize the need for fins in developing a "kosher" human being?&nbsp;Why does an emphasis on ambition constitute part of a moral and "kosher" education? Why not just focus on integrity and ethics?

The Talmud’s answer is marvelous: "This is so that 'Torah be increased and made great.'" This means that our spiritual mission consists not only of professing integrity and morality but also of developing our full potential materially and spiritually.&nbsp;G-d wants us to be good; but He also wants us to be successful and shine; to utilize all of our talents and resources to transform the landscape of our planet into an abode for the Divine; to make the Torah “great and large.” The light, majesty and depth of Torah must penetrate the entire world and turn it into an oasis of goodness and holiness.

Cruel Ambition; Deadly Surrender

The events of September 2001, like those of September 1941, dramatically altered our view of the world. Both ushered in a new era of violence, bloodshed, grief and terror. The first was by Nazi Germany; the second was by radical Islamists. Yet the roots of the two wars were very different: The Germans personified a culture possessing fins but no scales. Their ambitions, achievements, and love of life were impressive, yet their morality and sense of ethics were horrifically skewed. While they loved and nurtured their dogs, appreciated poetry, philosophy, and scientific advancement, they sent millions to die in gas chambers.

September 11,&nbsp;2001, on the other hand, was perpetrated by people with a deep faith and commitment to the will of Allah, yet with a hatred for all progress and advancement, and a desire to destroy all who do not adhere to their dark vision of the world. They died for what they believed to be the ultimate in morality and holiness; yet their perception of G-d was horrifically skewed: theirs was a god who wanted them to die, as long as they can kill others.

People somehow delude themselves into thinking that Hamas and the people living in Gaza are two distinct entities and&nbsp;that Hamas took control of Gazans. They forget that Hamas does not control Gaza; rather, Gaza thinks Hamas. Hamas was elected by the people of Gaza in 2006, and more than 70 percent of Arabs living in Gaza and in the West Bank support the murders of October 7th, 2023.&nbsp;

Many young Muslims are being taught today to develop scales but no fins: to surrender their lives to Allah, without appreciating that G-d wants them to live, and not to die; to build the world, not destroy it, and to respect other peoples, not blow them up. To create a “kosher” world, we need scales, but we also need fins. Muslim leaders, parents and educators must begin to teach their youth to love their own lives more than they hate the lives of others.

They must discover that the love of G-d does not require a love for blood.

Israel and the Jewish people stand at the forefront of this conflict. This is not a time to back down but to stand with unwavering commitment to the sacredness of life and the fight against those who gleefully want to see us dead. With clarity, we ought to call out the evil we are facing and fight to eradicate it.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

________

<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref1" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn1')">[1]</a> Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, escaped Nazi-occupied France with his wife, via Portugal, and arrived to these shores in June 1941. This journal of the Rebbe (among many more), dated Elul 19, 5701 (equivalent to September 11, 1941) was discovered in his study after his passing in June 1994 and published in Reshimos #39, pp. 6-8. I'm sharing my exposition based on the ideas presented in the above journal. 
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref2" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn2')">[2]</a>&nbsp;Leviticus 11:9. Deuteronomy 14:9–10. – In 1941, Sep. 11 coincided with the Torah portion of Reah. 
<a href="javascript: void(0);" id="_ednref3" onclick="ty.scrollTo('_edn3')">[3]</a> Niddah 51b.

The 9-11 Diary: Hitler and Hamas.&nbsp;G-d Wants You to Be Good, But He Also Wants You to Shine

G-d Wants You to Be Good, But He Also Wants You to Shine

Essay Shmini/Reah

10-7 and 9-11: Hitler, Hamas, and a Historic Diary

Three Lives, Three Worlds

There is a fascinating and insightful Midrash on the opening of this week’s portion. The Torah begins:

נח ו, ט: אֵ֚לֶּה תּֽוֹלְדֹ֣ת נֹ֔חַ נֹ֗חַ אִ֥ישׁ צַדִּ֛יק תָּמִ֥ים הָיָ֖ה בְּדֹֽרֹתָ֑יו אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹֽחַ:

Genesis 6, 9: These are the generations of Noach, Noach was a righteous man; he was perfect in his generations; Noach walked with God.

The Midrash, always sensitive to nuance, wonders why the single verse mentions Noach not once, nor even twice, but three times? The repetition of a name three times in a single sentence is obviously superfluous. The Torah could have stated: “These are the generations of Noah, who was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. He walked with G-d.”

The Midrash offers the following extraordinary insight.

תנחומא נח ה: אלה תולדות נח נח וגו' את האלהים התהלך נח, ג' פעמים בפסוק למה? זה אחד משלשה שראו ג' עולמות נח, ודניאל, ואיוב. נח ראה עולם בישובו, וראהו בחרבנו, וחזר וראהו בישובו, דניאל ראה בנין בית ראשון וראהו חרב וחזר וראהו בנוי בבנין בית שני, איוב ראה בנין ביתו וחרבנו וחזר וראה בישובו.

The Torah is intimating that there was not one Noach; there were three Noach’s. We are being introduced to three distinct Noach’s. There is Noach before the flood, during the flood, and after the flood.

Noach, explains the Midrash, was one of the few individuals in history who lived three lives, in three completely different worlds. First, Noach saw a settled, safe, and predictable world. That was Noach #1. Then Noach saw his entire world destroyed by the flood—that was Noach #2. And then he saw the world rebuilt and civilized after the flood. That was Noach #3.

To survive and thrive in each of the three eras, you need a completely different set of skills and resources. The first Noach grew up and came of age in a world that he, his father, grandfather, and great grandfather were accustomed to. There is routine, order, and comfort.

But then Noach encounters a new reality—one that reduced the entire planet to an ocean, without a single survivor, not among humans, or animals, birds, insects, or even trees or bushes. Just imagine what that does to a person. Everything you knew is suddenly gone. The “skills” required to cope and survive in such a world are of a different nature; it is about resilience and alertness.

But then Noach was forced to reinvent himself yet a third time, as he was summoned to leave the Ark and rebuild the world; to get back into normal life. How do you do that after living on the edge in a world gone mad? How do you integrate back into normal living after you faced the abyss and watched your boat submerged in a titanic flood, and your planet consumed in the waters? How do return to civilization as a normal person?

Now you need a new set of skills—the ability to recover after such devastation; the power to smile again, not the innocent idyllic smile of youthful innocence; rather the joy that comes from conviction and resolve to still believe in the possibility of love, joy, and kindness.

It was far from simple. The only story we know of Noach after the flood is that he planted a vineyard and became inebriated. Did Noach suffer from PTSD? Did Noach need to numb his tremendous pain from the devastation?

An Entire Generation

An entire generation of Jews understood this Midrashic insight all too well.

Many of our parents, grandparents, or great grandparents have grown up in pre-War Europe. Despite the many challenges facing them in the beginning of the 20th century, many of them enjoyed a relatively calm childhood. The world was not a perfect place, but it was a fine place, with many pleasant moments and experiences.

And then, as Adolf Hitler took Europe by storm, their entire universe was shaken up and brutally destroyed, as Germany unleashed its torrents of genocide, abuse, and brutality against our people. Some of our relatives watched parents, children, siblings, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces, relatives, and friends, be sent to breathe their last breath ingesting Zyklon B and their bodies burnt in the crematoriums. Six million vibrant lives were cut down through bullets, fire, gas, beatings, hanging, torture, disease, or live burial.

Nobody prepared anybody for this harrowing experience. As I once heard from former Chief Rabbi of Israel Rabbi Yisroel Meir Lau, when he tried describing his experience in Buchenwald, at the age of six: “I was six-year-old, surrounded by the stench of death. I would compare myself to a cockroach or a little bug. They may not have large brains, but they have an instinct to do anything they can for survival. They will try everything. And that is what I also understood and did.”

And then the survivors had to yet reinvent themselves, a third time. The survivors of the War now faced the challenge of “normalcy.” Can you ever be normal again? Can you ever laugh again as though the world was a fun place? How do you transform yourself from a creeping insect, trying to find a droplet of water, or a crumb of bread, without an SS guard shooting you, into a dignified human being who has the freedom to live, breathe, and love?

This was not easy—and will one day be recorded as one of the great miracles in the annals of human history. For the most part, the survivors recreated a new world for themselves and all of us, a world of generosity, love, and moral dignity.

From the Furnace

Last week the Jewish world lost a unique and extraordinary individual, a personal family friend, a philanthropist, an activist, and a Holocaust survivor, Mr. Benny Fishoff, at the age of 97. Born in Lodz, Poland he lost his entire family during the Second World War.

He once shared with me the following moving reflection:

The third chapter of the book of Daniel describes the Jewish exile to Babylonia. The king of Babylonia (present-day Iraq), Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed the First Temple in 586 BCE had three Jewish attendants, Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah. When they refused to bow down to a Pagan idol which he erected for people to worship, the king had them thrown into a burning furnace to be burnt alive. Yet miraculously they emerged unscathed. From that moment on, their names are not mentioned any longer in the Tanach as part of Jewish life in Babylonia.

The Talmud asks this question:

סנהדרין צג, א: רבנן להיכא אזול? אמר רב בעין הרע מתו. ושמואל אמר ברוק טבעו. ור' יוחנן אמר עלו לארץ ישראל ונשאו נשים והולידו בנים ובנות.

What happened to the three sages? The Talmud offers three explanations. The third was offered by Rabbi Yochanan: “They went up to the Land of Israel; they married, and they gave birth to sons and daughters.”

The Talmud states this as a novelty because it was no small feat. When people have a near-death experience, and they are saved by a hairs-breath, the trauma often leaves them paralyzed. They can’t function normally in the world. Here, three Jews were plunged into the burning furnace because of their loyalty to Judaism and the G-d of Israel. What did they do afterward? They did not withdraw; they did not give up on life and on Jewish destiny. They returned to the Holy Land from where they were exiled, they got married, and they brought a new generation of Jews to the world.

Benny said to me words I will never forget: You want to know the greatest miracle of the generations of survivors? That we tried to rebuild normal lives! Yes, we were not always successful; yes, we have our share of challenges that we transmitted to our children. But we try our best to be normal. We try to smile, to be happy, to love, to help people, to give our children a dignified future.

Think about it: Unlike Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah who emerged unscathed, the Jews who survived the holocaust watched the burning furnaces of Auschwitz and Treblinka consume their loved ones. Their families were not saved from the crematoriums of Belzec, Chelmno, and Majdanek. Here then is a far more dramatic question: What did the survivors of this unspeakable calamity do when they came out of Hitler’s furnace?

The words employed in the Talmud provide the best answer: “They went up to the Land of Israel; they married, and they gave birth to sons and daughters!”

The generation which exited the gates of the Nazi hell rebuilt the Land of Israel, literally and figuratively—rebuilding Jewish life the world over. Second, most of them got married, and third, they chose to give birth to a new generation of Jews.

And this, Benny, told me, is the greatest miracle in human history.

We often lament about our parents and grandparents, who surviving the Holocaust, often did not lead the most emotionally functional lives. Children of survivors have suffered from the silence, from the repressed pain, from the mid-night screaming, from the PTSD. The pain is deep and real. What we sometimes fail to realize is that after the hell they have been through, that was expected. The miracle is that most of them fought courageously to lead normal lives—to find love once again, to raise families, to trust, to be happy, to celebrate life. And because they did it, we are here today.

From the ashes, they recreated life.

Our Own Three Worlds

In a far different way, this remains a challenge for many of us, even if in a far more benign way.

Many of us, in our own little or big way, experience three worlds, demanding of us to reinvent ourselves again, and again, and yet again. We live not one life, but at least three lives.

We begin our youth often in a “civilized, settled world.” We enjoy the innocence, calmness, stability, and security of youthfulness. We expect things to be a certain way, we rely on routine, and we are sheltered by the feeling that life is good, beautiful, and fragrant.

If you can stay in this world forever—by all means! Do not leave!

But not all of us get this privilege. Sooner or later, spaghetti hits the fan. Some of us encounter a new reality, where our old world is devastated. Our sheltered cocoons blow up and we become vulnerable to sadness, madness, suffering, and loss. The loss of a loved one; the divorce of our parents and the breakdown of our family; mental or emotional challenges; financial crisis; broken relationships; trauma and anxiety—all leaving our hearts shattered into one thousand pieces. Some of us have known the pain of abuse and molestation, physical, verbal, or emotional. Some of us have known the pain of addiction and self-destruction, following or preceding the experience of our world inundated by a massive “flood.” All we search for is an Ark, where we can run and hide.

But then we must have the courage to reinvent ourselves yet a third time—to become yet a new “Noach,” one who can create a new world—a world of laughter, love, light, hope, and promise; a life of healthy attachments, faith, and joy; a life filled with the conviction that goodness is more powerful than evil, and light can dispel darkness.

Yes, this new world lacks that idyllic innocence and ignorance of childhood, but it contains a depth, maturity, and profundity that allows it to become a real foundation that can’t crumble.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

G-d says to Noach, “go out of the ark,” and build a new world. Even when it raining outside, look up and you might see a rainbow, knowing that above the clouds, the sun is always shining. At every moment, you are a manifestation of the infinite light and love of the Divine. The clouds will pass, and your sunlight and sunshine will emerge.

___________

<a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> See at length Sichas Shabbos Bereishis 5721

Summary:

The Midrash, always sensitive to nuance, wonders why the single verse in the opening of the portion mentions Noach not once, not twice, but three times? The repetition of a name three times in a single sentence or verse is obviously superfluous. The Torah could have stated: &ldquo;These are the generations of Noah, who was a righteous man, perfect in his generations. He walked with G-d.&rdquo;

The Midrash offers the following extraordinary insight. The Torah is intimating that there was not one Noach; there were three Noach&rsquo;s. As the portion continues, we are being introduced to three distinct Noach&rsquo;s. There is Noach before the flood, during the flood, and after the flood.

An entire generation of Jews understood this Midrashic insight all too well. Many of our parents, grandparents, or great grandparents, some even sitting right here today, have grown up in pre-War Europe. Despite the many challenges facing many in the beginning of the 20th century, scores of them enjoyed a relatively calm and serene childhood. The world was not a perfect place, but it was a fine place, with many pleasant moments, experiences, and joys.

And then, as Hitler took Europe by storm, their entire universe was shaken up and brutally destroyed, as Germany unleashed its awesome torrents of genocide, abuse, and horrific brutality against our people. They were forced to discover a new person in themselves. And then, when the war ended, they needed to find a new &ldquo;Noach&rdquo; inside of their souls.

In a far different way, this remains a challenge for many of us, even if in a far more benign way. Many of us, in our own little or big way, experience three worlds, demanding of us to reinvent ourselves again and again and yet again. We live not one life, but at least three lives.

What I Heard from Benny Fishoff About Holocaust Survivors

Essay Noach

A Tale of Three Noachs

Chanukah 5781 -- a Video a Day: Day 5

A Mother’s Life-Saving Advice Moments Before Her Murder

Chanukah 5781 -- a Video a Day

Day #5: Dancing Before Dr. Mengele

Chanukah 5780 - Day 1 - The Inextinguishable 36 Flames of the Talmud

The Nazi Memo about the ‘Talmudisten’ of Eastern Europe

Chanukah 5780 -- a Video a Day

Day #1: The Inextinguishable 36 Flames of the Talmud

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (YY) Jacobson introducing President Donald J. Trump,&nbsp;at a luncheon of&nbsp;America First Action,&nbsp;November 12, 2019,&nbsp;at the InterContinental New York Barclay,&nbsp;in Manhattan. The event, organized by Leizer Schiner, brought together American Jewish donors expressing their gratitude to the President for his unique friendship to Israel and the Jewish people.

Program: MC of event was Kivi Bernard. US Anthem by Beri Weber. Invocation by Rabbi Yisroel Reisman. Words of introduction by Rabbi YY Jacobson. Address by President Trump.

Rabbi YY Jacobson Introducing President Trump

America First Action Luncheon for Trump

"Mr. President, G-d Promised the First Jew: I Will Bless Those Who Bless You"

This women&#39;s class was presented on Parshas Balak, 13&nbsp;Tammuz, 5779, July 16, 2019 at the Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY

Why Did Rubashkin Not Go to Therapy? Can Jews Be Curbed?

Women's Balak Class

The Crouching Lion & the Tattooist of Auschwitz

In January 1776, as the American Revolutionary War was just about getting off the ground, the philosopher Thomas Paine anonymously published the first of a series of pamphlets that would have an enormous impact on the fledgling nation. The pamphlets are known the Crisis series and were aimed to inspire and encourage the American colonists in their fight against the British. &ldquo;These are the times that try men&#39;s souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.&rdquo;

In the story of our people too, we have &ldquo;summer Jews&rdquo; and &ldquo;sunshine supporters.&rdquo; But today I want to sing an ode to one group of Jews&mdash;whose numbers are sadly decreasing by the day and whose sacred memory we will forever keep alive.

Curiously, in the portion of Naso, the language used for the command to count each of the three families of the tribe of Levi is different. With the families of Kehos and Gershon the Torah employs the term &ldquo;Naso es rosh,&rdquo; lift up the heads; with Merari the standard word for counting, &lsquo;tifkod,&rsquo; is used. By his family, no heads are uplifted! Why?

But the first two families are still not quite the same either: When it comes to the family of Kehos Moses is told to count them. &ldquo;Take a census of the children of Kehos.&rdquo; When it comes to the family of Gershon, Moses is told to count them &ldquo;as well&rdquo;, &ldquo;them too&rdquo;, as though they were almost an afterthought.

One of the most illustrious Rabbis of the 19th century, Rabbi Moshe Sofer, shares a moving insight. He died in 1839, one century before the destruction of European Jewry, yet his insight is hauntingly relevant to the generation of our parents and grandparents, survivors of the Holocaust.

The Chasam Sofer sees the three families of Levi as representing the three stages of Jewish history&mdash;the times of tranquility, the times of exile and the times of destruction.

As the numbers of the survivors sadly decline, let us pay tribute to the &ldquo;Children of Merari.&rdquo; You, the survivors, have created life out of six million piles of ashes. Your hearts managed to discover love inside of the very hearts which observed endless hate. You have managed to still believe in the promise of human dignity and majesty, when you have seen what humans are capable of&hellip; We are all privileged to know you.

The 3 Families of the Levites & the 3 phases of Jewish History

Essay Parshas Naso

An Ode to the Survivors

This lecture was presented by Rabbi YY Jacobson on Wednesday evening, 3 Iyar, 5779, May 8, 2019, at the annuel dinner of the Dallas Torah Day School, in Dallas, Texas. It explores the six cornerstones of Jewish identity and education: 1) Identity. 2) Freedom. 3) Values. 4) Family. 5) Independence. 6) Resilience.

1) Identity. 2) Freedom. 3) Values. 4) Family. 5) Independence. 6) Resilience.

Keynote at Banquet of Dallas Torah Day School

Dallas Lecture: The Six Building Blocks of Jewish Identity

On Shabbat, the last day of Passover, April 27, 2019, a gunman attacked the Chabad synagogue in Poway, Ca., murdering Lori Kaye, and wounding the Rabbi, Yisroel Goldstein, Almog Peretz and his 8-year-old niece, Noya Dahan.

This lecture, presented by Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson at a &ldquo;peace and unity event,&rdquo; brought together many communities from NJ in a show of solidarity, on Monday, April 29, 2019. The evening was held at the Chabad Center of Short Hills, NJ, and was organized by Rabbi Mendel Solomon and Rabbi Zalman Grossbaum. The event was led by Rabbi Solomon, spiritual leader of Chabad, Short Hills.&nbsp;

We Must Revive the Conscience of Our Nation

Terrorism/Antisemitism

Murder at Chabad of Poway: A Bullet in the Soul of America

The first episode of our Chanukah 5779/2018 &quot;a video a day&quot; series. Day #1: The Menorah &amp; &nbsp;The Swastika by Rabbi YY Jacobson

A Few Days Before Hitler’s Rise to Power, a Jewish Woman Writes a Chilling Note

Chanukah 5779 -- a Video a Day

Day #1: The Menorah &  The Swastika 

This speech was presented at the Bar Mitzvah of Shmuel Tzvi Engel, on Sunday Parshas Vayeitzei, 3 Kislev, 5779, November 11, 2018, in Monsey, NY

In Jewish History, We Study the Past Based on the Future 

Speech Education/Children/Joy

To Appreciate Your Child, Say Goodbye to Your Ego

This lecture was presented at the Petach Tikvah shul in Toronto, on Tuesday, 28 Cheshvan, 5779, November 6, 2018, in honor of Holocaust Education Week in Toronto. The lecture was dedicated in the memory of Shmuel (Sam) ben Chaviv Buzaglo, who passed away on Hoshnah Rabah 5779, by his family. Prefacing remarks were delivered by Holocaust survivor Anita Ekstein, who shared her story of survival.

How Can G-d Allow It? How Could the Germans Do It? What Does It Teach Us About Our People? Dry Bones Returning to Life

Toronto Holocaust Lecture

Faith After the Holocaust

A Lecture presented by Rabbi YY Jacobson at the annual fundraiser for Kupas Ezra, helping poor families in Monsey, NY, on 3 Av 5775, July 19, 2015.

Kindness in Auschwitz

70 Years since Liberation, Stories of Selfless Sacrifice in the Nazi Abyss

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