Rising Stars in American Sports

When people talk about Jewish greatness in American sports, a few names almost always come up first. Sandy Koufax. Hank Greenberg. Mark Spitz. For decades those names carried the story almost by themselves. Koufax dominated baseball in the 1960s and famously sat out Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. Greenberg was one of baseball’s first Jewish superstars and a Hall of Fame slugger for the Detroit Tigers. Spitz won seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games, a record at the time. Today that list is growing again as a new generation of Jewish athletes reaches the Olympic podium, enters professional leagues, and builds careers at the highest level of competition.

In the past year especially, Jewish athletes have appeared across many different sports. Olympic ice rinks, NBA arenas, college basketball courts, and professional baseball stadiums have all seen Jewish players competing at elite levels. The results show how much the landscape has changed since the days when only a handful of names represented Jewish excellence in sports.
The 2026 Winter Olympics produced several proud moments for Jewish athletes, especially on the ice. The United States men’s and women’s hockey teams both captured gold medals. Jewish players were part of that historic achievement. Goalie Aerin Frankel helped anchor the United States women’s team on its way to the Olympic title with key saves throughout the tournament. On the men’s side, brothers Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks were part of the American roster during the Olympic tournament. Jack Hughes has developed into one of the NHL’s most dynamic young scorers, while Quinn Hughes is widely regarded as one of the league’s top defensemen. Their younger brother Luke Hughes has also reached the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, giving the Hughes family three brothers playing at hockey’s highest level, something that must give their Jewish mother, Ellen Weinberg-Hughes, plenty of reasons to kvell. Jewish representation in hockey can also be seen at the professional level with players like Zach Hyman of the Edmonton Oilers, who scored 54 goals in the 2023 to 2024 NHL season. Seeing Jewish players competing for and winning Olympic gold while also thriving in the NHL is another sign that Jewish athletes are now succeeding in sports that once had very little Jewish representation.
Another promising name rising in hockey is Zeev Buium, one of the most talked about young defensemen in American hockey. Buium played his college hockey at the University of Denver and was selected 12th overall in the NHL Draft by the Minnesota Wild before later becoming part of the Vancouver Canucks organization. His rapid progress has attracted strong attention from scouts and fans. Buium represents the growing presence of Jewish athletes in a sport that historically had very little Jewish participation.
Another highlight came from speed skater Emery Lehman of the United States Olympic team. Representing the United States, Lehman earned a silver medal in the men’s team pursuit. Speed skating requires years of intense training for races that last only seconds. Lehman’s medal placed him among the small group of Jewish athletes who have reached the podium in winter Olympic competition.
Basketball delivered another milestone. Israeli forward Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers reached a new level of recognition when he was selected to the NBA All-Star Game, the first Israeli player to earn that honor. Avdija’s steady improvement since entering the league has made him one of the most productive forwards in the game. His selection to the All-Star stage signaled that an Israeli player now belongs among the NBA’s biggest names.
The future of Jewish basketball also took a major step forward during the NBA draft. Two young players with Israeli ties, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, were selected in the first round by the Brooklyn Nets. First-round draft picks represent a team’s belief that a player can develop into a long-term contributor in the league. Their selections suggested that Israeli basketball talent is gaining increasing recognition in the global game.
Women’s basketball has its own rising Israeli star. Yarden Garzon of the Maryland Terrapins has emerged as one of the most successful Israeli players in NCAA women’s basketball, earning All-Big Ten recognition and previously setting the Indiana Hoosiers’ program record for career three-pointers.
College basketball has also produced one of the most inspiring Jewish sports stories of recent years at Yeshiva University. The Yeshiva University men’s basketball team, known as the Maccabees, captured national attention with a 50-game winning streak in NCAA Division III. Led by standout guard Ryan Turell, the team became one of the most talked about stories in college sports. Turell was selected in the 2022 NBA G League draft and later played for the Motor City Cruise.
Football has produced fewer Jewish stars than some other major sports, but there have still been notable figures in the NFL. Wide receiver Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots became one of the most accomplished Jewish players in league history during his career. Edelman won three Super Bowl championships and was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl LIII after a standout performance in the Patriots’ victory. Today, players such as kicker Greg Joseph of the Las Vegas Raiders have continued that presence in the league, showing that Jewish athletes remain part of football’s highest level of competition.
Baseball continues to carry its own Jewish legacy forward. Players like Alex Bregman of the Chicago Cubs and Max Fried of the New York Yankees remain among the most accomplished Jewish athletes in Major League Baseball. Bregman has been an All-Star third baseman and a key player on championship teams. Fried has established himself as one of baseball’s top starting pitchers, earning All-Star honors and helping lead his teams into the postseason.
Taken together, these achievements tell a larger story. Jewish athletes are now competing and succeeding across a wide range of sports. Olympic ice. NBA arenas. College basketball courts. Major league ballparks. Each success adds another name to the growing list of Jewish sports figures.
The list that once started with Sandy Koufax and Hank Greenberg continues to grow. New Olympic medalists, rising young prospects, and professional stars are adding their own chapters. Each accomplishment strengthens a legacy of determination, pride, and achievement that continues to inspire the next generation of Jewish athletes.

Rabbi Boruch Leff

Go ahead and take her out for dinner, but make sure your display of gratitude isn’t just a once-a-year occasion.

If your mother is anything like mine, she probably told you weeks ago, not to get her anything for Mother’s Day. “Since when did Mother’s Day become a Jewish holiday? ”Don’t bother yourself over me.”
Of course we know to ignore such self-defacing comments. But she may have a point. Isn’t every day supposed to be Mother’s Day? The Torah tells us to honor and revere our mothers at all times. So why go out of your way to show her your gratitude on Mother’s Day?
How can we benefit from using Mother’s Day? By treating it like a pseudo-Jewish holiday. If Mother’s Day is your way out of showing her how much she means to you during the rest of the year, the day actually becomes a vehicle to reduce true appreciation for moms.
Jewish holidays are fundamentally different than secular holidays like the Fourth of July or Presidents’ Day. Such holidays commemorate events, while Jewish holidays are portals in time when we can re-experience the spiritual forces that were unleashed due to a historical event.
For example, on the holiday of Shavuot, the Jewish People received the Torah. Thus, every year on Shavuot, we have the opportunity to accept the Torah anew and strengthen our personal commitment.
Rabbi Dessler describes that time is a spiral. As we travel through time, we return to key moments of the past and recapture the inherent spiritual energy. This is why Jewish holidays are referred to in Hebrew as “moadim,” meeting places. Similarly, the Hebrew word “zman,” time, means designated or appointed because every moment in time has been appointed with a specific spiritual purpose.
But doesn’t that purpose apply the rest of the year? For example, Passover celebrates G-D freeing the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. But the Torah requires us to recall the Exodus from Egypt daily, as recited at the end of the Shema prayer. Why then do we celebrate Passover if we already recall the Exodus continuously the entire year?
The same question could be asked for almost every Jewish holiday. On Shavuot, we celebrate
G-D giving us the Torah on Mount Sinai. But we also have a general commandment to remember the events of Sinai as often as we can. How then does rejoicing on Shavuot enhance our religious experience?
We celebrate all Jewish holidays with the following idea in mind. Yes, we need to remember all of G-D’s miracles and kindness to us at all times, but such a proposition is difficult. Doing something constantly tends to weaken its intensity. Eventually the dramatic can become tedious, the glory can become rote.
Holidays allow us to concentrate on a vital component of our spiritual lexicon for a day or a week and then transmit that idea into our essence for the rest of the year.
Yes, we need to constantly work on attaining freedom, but Passover arrives and as we relive the Jewish people’s Exodus from Egypt for a full week, we become empowered to carry over the attitude of true freedom for the rest of the year.
So if you celebrate Mother’s Day, do it with the same approach as a Jewish holiday. Show her your appreciation, buy the card, and the roses, and go ahead and take her out for dinner. But make sure these displays of gratitude and affection are not just annual occasions. Mother’s Day should be a day full of love and endearment that helps you continue to experience such feelings throughout the year. This is Mother’s Day, Jewish style.

59 Years Since the Reunification of Jerusalem

Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Esq.

Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day), the annual celebration of the liberation and reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, is an opportune time to reflect on what was, what is, and what can be. Fifty-nine years ago, after the Jordanian army began shelling western Jerusalem, the IDF stormed the Old City, captured the Temple Mount and environs, and fulfilled the biblical prophecy that “Rebuilt Jerusalem is like a city that is united together” (Tehillim 122:3).

It is hard to imagine that the Jordanian occupation of Jerusalem lasted only nineteen years, from 1948 to 1967. The Jewish community of the Old City had dwelled there since ancient times. After a valiant struggle including a siege and bombardment that lasted weeks, the Jewish fighters surrendered on May 28, 1948, after their food supply and ammunition were exhausted. Only a small contingent of 35 soldiers remained and were taken captive by Jordan together with more than 200 civilians. The commander of the Jordanian Legion was shocked by the minuscule numbers of fighters that had withstood the onslaught of his large force, commenting that had he known there so few Israeli soldiers, he would have fought them with sticks.
The Jordanian occupation of Jerusalem, not recognized by the international community, was brutal. The Jewish Quarter was ravaged. Numerous synagogues were destroyed and residential buildings were demolished. The area lay desolate and forlorn, with the tiny space in front of the Western Wall desecrated and used as a garbage dump. In a mass grave on Gal Ed Street, 48 Jewish soldiers were buried. The divided city was a physical eyesore and a moral abomination as centuries of Jewish life was eradicated and the historic connection of the Jewish people to its spiritual center mocked. Jewish access to our holy sites was summarily denied.
Nineteen years later, Jerusalem was recaptured. The Old City was liberated and Jewish life flourished anew. The barricades that had divided the city were torn down. The 48 soldiers buried in the mass grave were reburied, each identified and each given his own grave, in the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. Jerusalem was annexed and declared Israel’s eternal, indivisible capital. A new era dawned.
It is bitterly ironic, and extremely hypocritical, that to many people nineteen years of Jordanian occupation established a “reality” that fifty-nine years of Jewish presence has not. Multiple “peace” plans have called for the re-division of Jerusalem, with the newly added twist of declaring the eastern part of Jerusalem the capital of a Palestinian state. (Such deference to the Palestinians was never considered during the Jordanian occupation, perhaps because the “Palestinians” had not yet been invented or had not materialized as a political entity.) One should be forgiven for questioning the sincerity of these proposals, as if Jewish sovereignty in Jerusalem is a temporary concession rather than a recognition of our biblical and historical rights.
Since 1967, the population of Jerusalem has more than tripled. New construction has become routine, infrastructure has expanded, and the city has become a center of the high-tech industry. Its sacred spaces, synagogues and study halls, chesed organizations and religious life, are remarkably vibrant. Although we still await the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, the city of Jerusalem no longer “sits in solitude, like a widow” (Eicha 1:1) but has welcomed the return of its children as was prophesied millennia ago.
Yet, there are still challenges ahead. Several nations including the United States have already returned their embassies to Jerusalem, and others have committed to do so, but much of the world still denies Jewish rights and sovereignty. NATO members like France and Turkey maintain consulates in Jerusalem that function as embassies to the Palestinians, in defiance of law and reality. Other nations like Qatar are primary subsidizers of radical Muslim forces that seek to undermine Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem and promote the fantasy of Israel’s demise. Just in the past year, UNRWA, a major source of hostility against Israel, was closed down and banned from Jerusalem. Israel will need to act against these and other nefarious forces in order to strengthen its sovereignty over the Holy City.
Israel’s administration of Jerusalem has guaranteed freedom of worship to all religions and the preservation of all holy places, a sharp contrast to the predation of the Jordanians and what could be expected if the city ever reverts to Arab rule in any form.
Our generation is privileged to have witnessed the liberation of Jerusalem earned through the sacrifice of our soldiers as well as the renaissance of the city now that its children have returned home. Jerusalem, today as always, is a conduit for the divine blessings that flow from heaven to earth. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, those who love you will find serenity” (Tehillim 122:6). Israel will meet all the challenges ahead and, we pray, usher in an era of universal peace, in which all nations will heed the “word of G-D that goes forth from Jerusalem” (Yeshayahu 2:3).

Seizing Your Life’s Mission

Rabbi Benjamin Blech

Lag B’Omer is a remarkable enigma. On the calendar it marks the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer, the days between Passover and Shavuot. The days preceding are observed as a time of mourning. It is then that 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva perished as a result of a horrible plague. To mark their deaths and to commemorate this tragic event, music, joy and celebrations are curtailed. But on the 33rd day we rejoice. Why? Because one of the greatest rabbis of the Talmudic era, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who lived in the second century of the Common Era, passed away on this date.

The death of Rabbi Akiva’s students is recalled with grief. Yet the death of an illustrious rabbinic scholar continues to be observed with major festivities in the city of Meron, the mountain village in northern Israel where Rabbi Shimon is buried, and tens of thousands of pilgrims pour in from all corners of the world to rejoice together. How can we possibly reconcile these two different responses to the end of life of the righteous?
The answer perhaps lies in an extraordinary request Rabbi Shimon left with his disciples on the day of his passing. He instructed them to carefully note the time he left this earth as “the day of my joy,” the day, he explained, when he could happily leave this world knowing that he had fulfilled his divinely ordained mission.
The true tragedy of death is that it represents the closing curtain on our ability to do any more towards fulfilling the reason G-D sent our soul down to earth. It is only what we bring to that moment that can earn us a legacy of achievements. Death ends the story of our response to our life’s divine mission. Rabbi Shimon, master of Jewish mysticism and heavenly secrets, was one of those rare blessed individuals who knew that he had succeeded in carrying out his life’s purpose. Death for him was nothing less than heaven’s “Amen” to his life of blessing. Lag B’Omer is the holiday that serves as a reminder for the need for our lives to fulfill our mission.
Some years ago, I had the privilege of speaking at a retreat for the Gathering of Titans. They are a group of approximately 100 CEOs of major corporations who get together annually at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to refresh themselves intellectually and spiritually. On the printed program, every one of them was asked to succinctly summarize the philosophy, aims and goals of their business by way of their mission statement. Mission statements are a fact of life for every successful company. They define what the company hopes to accomplish, how it believes it will succeed, what its ultimate plans are for the future–what they hope to look like in 10, 20 and 50 years hence.
I suggested to these titans of industry that they consider writing a mission statement for themselves, for their personal lives, just as they did for their businesses. It would allow them to think about the way they define success and to measure their progress as they try to balance finances and family, their wealth and their values, the way that they are judged by Forbes, and the way they will be judged by their faith and their G-D after they leave this earth. Imagine if we had the same kind of clarity about personal goals and how we plan to achieve them as we do for our bank books. Imagine if we took our personal mission statement as seriously as a business manifesto. Imagine if we took the time to decide why G-D put us here on earth and then went ahead and fulfilled our life’s purpose. Many of these Titans subsequently said to me that the need to think through their mission on earth, a task they had never previously attempted for their own lives, was nothing less than life changing.
And how can we discover exactly what our mission is? King David writes, “The steps of man are directed by G-D” (Psalms 37:23). The Baal Shem Tov, the eighteenth century founder of the Hassidic movement, explained this verse in the following manner: Although we go about our daily tasks at what seems to be our own initiative and will, our steps are “guided” for a spiritual and loftier purpose. We end up in a specific place so that we will have the opportunity to do what needs to be done from a divine perspective.
G-D leads us to the location where our mission lies, we do not always need to find it. He orchestrates the circumstances to ensure that we have the position and tools to fulfill it. The challenge is to seize the moment. When we find ourselves in a specific place and situation, that speaks to our abilities and calls for our involvement, it is the greatest indication that there is something for us to accomplish there.
There is one thing we have to be careful about as we try to determine the life task assigned to us, and that is that we cannot allow it to be the goals others have convinced us to pursue. The world tries to seduce us to spend our lives acquiring wealth and possessions. Its slogan is, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But that is not why we were put here on earth, and that is also why our material goods immediately abandon us at our passing. Einstein is surely wise enough to be relied on for his advice: “Try not to become a man of success, rather try to become a man of value.”
Those who are mindful of the idea of mission take special notice of unexpected moments. A flight is rerouted and you suddenly find yourself in a foreign place. You unexpectedly meet people who share their problems with you. You are forced to relocate for the sake of your career and you abruptly discover new friends who need you. If we learn to view life from the perspective that nothing is merely coincidence and that, as the saying goes, “Coincidence is merely G-D’s way of choosing to remain anonymous,” we will find spiritual clues scattered among our daily activities.
The most unforeseeable and unexpected events are the ones that very often have the greatest meaning. They are the directional signals for our souls. The more we turn away from the worship of material objects and concentrate on affirming our values, the closer we come to fulfilling the mission that identifies the meaning of our lives.
Lag B’Omer is a powerful reminder to all of us that death may not be a curse. If, like Rabbi Shimon, we can reflect on the days of our lives as meaningful contributions to the betterment of ourselves, our family, our people and our world, if we leave a legacy of good deeds and a life of inspiration to others, our passing can partake of the extraordinary last instruction of the Rabbi who gave us a remarkable holiday, a holiday which is able to turn death into “the day of my joy.”

Eliyahu Freedman

Counting the Omer is a 49-day Jewish practice with a week-by-week roadmap to becoming more loving, more honest and more fully yourself.

Counting the Omer or as it is known in Hebrew, “Sefirat HaOmer” is at once one of the simplest and most complex Jewish observances. No matter where we are in the world, or however high or low we are feeling spiritually, counting the Omer for 49 days provides a simple opportunity each year for every Jew to feel connected. There is a peculiarity in the practice of counting the Omer, in which even in a communal setting every person must count for themselves. My childhood Rabbi Baruch Taub would say each year: every Jew counts, because every Jew counts.
At the most basic level, counting the Omer is about recording the 49 calendar days between Passover and Shavuot when the Jewish People stood at Mount Sinai and received the Torah. But in the ancient tradition of Jewish mysticism, the seven weeks (and each day within each week) charts a journey through seven qualities of character (or “sefirot”) that can change your life.

Week 1 – Chesed (Lovingkindness)
The Omer, like Judaism, is rooted in pure chesed or lovingkindness. Sometimes, when our lives are on autopilot, we can forget the love that exists as our core essence. In week one, we wake up from isolation to building intentional relationships with ourselves, our community, and the divine.
A practical step for this week is to identify one relationship you’ve been neglecting and reach out, not with a text, but with a real conversation (or even a longer than usual journal entry to ourselves).

Week 2 – Gevurah (Strength)
Without a container, the pure energy of love could become self-destructive. Our natural instinct to give needs boundaries, or it would be unsustainable.
This week, identify one area of your life where you’ve been saying yes when you mean no, and practice saying no, cleanly, without guilt.

Week 3 – Tiferet (Harmony)
In the Kabbalistic map of the soul, Tiferet sits at the center balancing the warmth of chesed and order of gevurah. It is the quality of someone who can be both honest and kind, neither a pushover nor a wall.
This week, notice a moment where you sacrificed truth for the sake of comfort, and try to find the more courageous middle path.

Week 4 – Netzach (Perseverance)
Netzach is the quiet strength of showing up, especially when we don’t feel like it. It’s the part of us that keeps going after the excitement fades.
This week, choose one small practice, learning, exercise, prayer, or even five minutes of reflection, and commit to it every single day, no matter what.

Week 5 – Hod (Gratitude)
Hod invites us to step back from the relentless pursuit of more and recognize the gift of what already is. It is the capacity to receive a compliment graciously, acknowledge a mistake honestly, and find beauty in someone else’s success.
This week, write down three things you’re grateful for that you had no hand in creating.

Week 6 – Yesod (Integrity)
Yesod is about alignment, when our inner world and outer actions match. It’s the foundation of trust, both with ourselves and others. When we live out of sync with our values, we feel it.
This week, identify one area where your actions don’t fully reflect who you want to be, and take a concrete step to bring them into alignment.

Week 7 – Malchut (Sovereignty)
Malchut is the culmination of the journey, the ability to stand fully in our lives with presence and responsibility. It’s not about control, but about ownership. After six weeks of inner work, we arrive here ready to lead our own lives with clarity and purpose.
This week, ask yourself: what would it look like to truly take ownership of my life right now, and take one bold step in that direction.
Counting the Omer is about much more than marking time. For 49 days, we’re given a map, step by step, to become more loving, more disciplined, more honest, more resilient, more grateful, more aligned, and more fully ourselves. Seven weeks. One small step each day. That’s all it takes to begin changing your life.

Linda Sadacka

As one journalist documents what is happening on the ground, a broader shift in public awareness is quietly taking hold.

Every so often, a story does not begin with a policy debate or a legislative proposal, but with something far more immediate: exposure. In recent months, independent journalist Nick Shirley has drawn millions of views by doing something deceptively simple, walking into cities, turning on a camera, and documenting what he finds. What emerges from these recordings is not framed as analysis or argument, but as observation, and it is precisely that lack of mediation that has captured the public’s attention.
Across multiple states, Shirley’s reporting has highlighted taxpayer-funded environments that raise difficult and often uncomfortable questions. Viewers are confronted with facilities that appear inactive, systems that seem loosely monitored, and conditions that do not always align with the purpose for which public funds were allocated. These moments, taken individually, may not constitute proof of wrongdoing. But taken together, they create a pattern that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The response has been swift and far-reaching. His videos have circulated widely across platforms, drawing attention not only from everyday viewers but from national figures as well, including President Donald Trump. What was once peripheral, fragmented glimpses into underexamined systems, has now moved closer to the center of public conversation. This shift is not driven by any single clip or claim, but by repetition and accumulation. The same types of questions are appearing in different places, at different times, with enough consistency to prompt a deeper look.
This attention is not emerging in a vacuum. In states such as Minnesota and California, authorities have already uncovered large-scale fraud and misuse within taxpayer-funded programs, resulting in criminal charges, ongoing investigations, and the exposure of significant systemic failures. These cases predate any individual journalist, but they provide essential context for understanding why this kind of reporting resonates so strongly. When exposure aligns with documented precedent, it no longer feels anecdotal. It begins to feel indicative.
At the same time, there has been a broader shift at the policy level toward confronting what is commonly described as waste, fraud, and abuse within publicly funded systems. Efforts to reevaluate foreign aid allocations, reduce questionable overseas spending, and reassess contributions to international bodies such as certain United Nations programs have reflected a growing insistence on accountability beyond domestic borders. While these initiatives have been debated politically, they underscore a larger point: the expectation that taxpayer funds, whether spent at home or abroad, should be subject to meaningful oversight.
What is now unfolding appears to extend that expectation further. Accountability is no longer confined to institutions or internal mechanisms. Increasingly, it is being driven from the outside. A broader wave of citizen journalists, armed with nothing more than a camera and a phone, is contributing to a new kind of visibility, one that does not rely on formal investigations to begin asking questions. This does not replace due process, nor does it establish guilt. But it does change the starting point. It brings scrutiny forward, often before systems have had the opportunity to respond.
The institutional response reflects an awareness of this gap. In recent years, the expansion of whistleblower programs, many of which offer financial incentives for reporting misuse, has signaled that traditional oversight alone has not been sufficient to detect problems at scale. These programs represent a structural acknowledgment that accountability must be reinforced, not assumed. When systems begin to rely on external reporting to identify internal failures, it suggests that visibility itself has become a necessary tool of governance.
For many observers, the issue ultimately resolves into something more practical than ideological. Individuals are expected to manage their own responsibilities with care, earning, budgeting, and contributing consistently. It follows, then, that the systems supported by those contributions should operate with comparable discipline. When that expectation begins to feel uncertain, the question is no longer abstract. It becomes immediate, and it becomes personal.
This is why the current moment feels distinct. It is not defined by outrage, but by awareness. It is shaped not by a single revelation, but by the steady accumulation of observations, investigations, and documented cases that, taken together, suggest a broader need for scrutiny. From New York to Minnesota to California, similar concerns are surfacing with enough frequency to shift perception from isolated incidents to something more systemic.
If continued exposure leads to meaningful reform, the result may be a recalibration of how public funds are managed and safeguarded. If it does not, the pattern risks deepening, with consequences that extend beyond any single program or jurisdiction. That is the question now taking hold: whether visibility will translate into remedy, or whether it will simply reveal the scale of what has yet to be addressed.
As scrutiny intensifies and awareness continues to build, one reality becomes increasingly difficult to dismiss. The systems in question are not abstract constructs; they are sustained by the public. And as that connection becomes more visible, so too does the expectation that it be honored with clarity, accountability, and results. In that sense, the trajectory is becoming clearer. The questions are no longer going away, the attention is no longer fleeting, and the pressure for answers is no longer confined to the margins. The chickens are beginning to come home to roost.

This year, the halls of MDY resonated with a profound sense of Jewish pride, vibrant energy, and a global connection to our homeland. Celebrating Israel’s 78th year of independence, our school community came together for a day that was as magical as it was meaningful.

The moment you stepped into the lobby, the theme was unmistakable: “It’s a Small World.” In a stunning creative feat, the entrance was transformed into a wonderland where the magic of Disney met the spirit of Am Yisrael. The decor served as a powerful reminder that while the Jewish people are scattered across the globe, our hearts remain anchored to a single point on the map. This theme emphasized a core truth: no matter where we are, we are one family, united by our history and our future in the State of Israel.
The festivities began with a powerful spiritual start. Fathers joined their children for Tefilot, filling the air with an inspiring rendition of Hallel. The bond of community was felt deeply as they enjoyed a beautiful celebratory breakfast, followed by a morning of dancing and engaging in themed activities together.
Our youngest learners brought the geography of our homeland to life in a spectacular way. Our kindergartners took their friends and family on a guided “tour” throughout the country of Israel. Each classroom was meticulously decorated to represent an important landmark or region of our country. As students and guests moved from room to room, they were treated to a multisensory experience that made the beauty of Israel feel close enough to touch.
As the day unfolded, the school became a stage for talent and joy. Students, who had been preparing for months, took to the floor with singing performances and special themed presentations. From important figures like our early prime ministers to famous landmarks found in Tanach, our students researched the land and its history in preparation for the day.
Our 7th and 8th graders showcased their spirit in a “Battle of the Blue and White,” competing in an Israel-themed decathlon and presenting original banners, songs, and dances dedicated to our homeland.
Every age group joined in the Rikudim, dancing with friends, teachers, and family members, turning the gym into a vibrant sea of blue and white.
While the day was filled overwhelmingly with joy, we remained deeply mindful of the world outside our walls. In acknowledgment of the ongoing challenges facing our brothers and sisters in Israel, the day was anchored by special Tefilot in unity and solidarity with our family abroad. We prayed for the safety of our soldiers, the strength of our people, and peace and unity for our future as a nation.
From the morning prayers to the final Daglanut (flag dance performance), the day was a testament to the strength of the MDY community. It was more than just a school event. It was a vivid display of Jewish unity and pride. As we celebrated 78 years of independence, the message was clear, Israel is our home, our heart, and our heritage. Even though “It’s a Small World,” the spirit of the Jewish people remains immeasurably large.

Ari Baum, CFP®

STANDING AT THE FINISH LINE OF A RACE, EVERYTHING FEELS CLEAR. THERE’S A CLOCK OVERHEAD, YOUR BODY IS EITHER SPENT OR TRIUMPHANT, AND THE RESULT REFLECTS MONTHS, SOMETIMES YEARS, OF PREPARATION. THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS IN ENDURANCE SPORTS. YOU CAN’T FAKE YOUR WAY THROUGH A MARATHON OR AN IRONMAN. YOU EITHER DID THE WORK, OR YOU DIDN’T.

Investing works the same way. We often hear the phrase “investing is a marathon, not a sprint,” but in my experience, as both a financial advisor and an endurance athlete, that analogy is more than a cliché. It’s a framework for how people should think, behave, and ultimately succeed over time.

The Power of Consistency
One of the biggest challenges clients face is psychological. They look at a long-term goal, saving $2 million, $5 million, or more, and it feels overwhelming. The number is so large that it creates paralysis rather than action.
But the path to that outcome is far simpler than it appears. No one runs 26.2 miles at once. You run one mile at a time. The same is true financially. Wealth isn’t built in a single moment. It’s the result of disciplined, repeated actions over time. Saving consistently. Investing thoughtfully. Staying committed, even when progress feels slow. The people who succeed are not necessarily the ones who start with the most. They are the ones who stay in the race.

Preparing for Volatility
Every endurance athlete knows about “mile 20,” the point where fatigue sets in and doubt creeps in. This is where races are decided, not by physical ability alone, but by preparation and mindset. Markets have their own version of mile 20. We’ve seen it during moments like the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 downturn, periods when uncertainty rises, headlines turn negative, and fear takes over. These moments are inevitable. The real question is not whether they will happen, but how you will respond when they do. A well-constructed financial plan is designed for these environments. It prepares you mentally and structurally so that volatility doesn’t lead to panic. Instead of reacting emotionally, you rely on a process that was built with uncertainty in mind.

The Cost of Emotional Decisions
When people are under stress, they tend to make poor financial decisions. It’s not a lack of intelligence, it’s human nature. In March 2020, many investors exited the market during the downturn, only to miss the recovery that followed shortly after. The issue wasn’t the market itself. It was the reaction to it. This is where guidance matters. A strong advisor doesn’t just build portfolios. They help clients navigate behavior. They ensure that risk levels align not only with financial goals, but with emotional tolerance. Because the best investment strategy in the world is useless if you can’t stick with it.

Filtering Out the Noise
Modern investors face a constant stream of information. Financial media focuses heavily on short-term movements, quarterly earnings, daily volatility, and predictions about what comes next. This creates the illusion that action is always required.
But consider this: What if your home had a ticker symbol, updating its value every day? One day it’s worth $1.2 million. The next, $900,000. Then back to $1.1 million. Would you sell? Of course not. Because you understand the purpose of your home. You live in it, you don’t trade it.
Investing should be approached the same way. When your time horizon spans decades, short-term fluctuations become far less meaningful. The challenge is not avoiding volatility, it’s avoiding the temptation to react to it.

Discipline Over Prediction
Both endurance sports and investing present the same temptation, chasing shortcuts. In racing, that might mean starting too fast. In investing, it might mean reacting to headlines or trying to time the market. But the outcomes are often the same, burnout, inconsistency, and missed opportunities. Long-term success comes from discipline, not prediction. It’s about committing to a process, trusting it through difficult periods, and staying focused on the finish line rather than the noise along the way.

Final Thought
Delayed gratification is not easy. It requires patience, trust, and the ability to stay focused when results are not immediate. But just as in endurance training, the payoff comes over time. The work you put in today may not show up tomorrow, but it will show up. And when it does, it reflects a simple truth: Success is not about reacting to every moment. It’s about staying committed to the process. Conceive. Believe. Achieve.

The content is developed from sources believed to provide accurate information. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult with a financial professional regarding your specific situation.

A Year of Rhythm, Growth, and Joy

The DSN Dance Academy wrapped up an unforgettable season, celebrating a year filled with energy, dedication, and creativity. With an impressive schedule of approximately 36 classes each week, the program offered a wide range of styles including tap, jazz funk, ballet, hip hop, and contemporary, giving every dancer the chance to explore and grow.

The season began in September, as students from nursery through high school stepped into the studio with excitement and commitment. Over the months, dancers worked diligently, building technique, confidence, and friendships, all leading up to the highly anticipated end-of-program recital in March.
The culmination of the season took place on March 9 at the Count Basie Center for the Arts, where the DSN Dance Recital lit up the stage from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Featuring over 300 dancers, the performance embraced this year’s vibrant theme: Girls Just Want To Have Fun, showcasing routines inspired entirely by female artists. It was a night to remember. From the youngest performers taking their first steps on stage to seasoned high school dancers delivering polished routines, the evening was a powerful celebration of talent and joy.
In addition to the recital, excellence went beyond the recital stage. DSN’s junior and senior dance teams had an outstanding competitive season. Both teams earned first place in two competitions, securing their spots at Nationals, an exciting milestone that reflects their hard work and dedication.
The success of DSN Dance Academy is rooted in its exceptional staff, a passionate team behind the scenes. This year’s instructors included Rose Ashkenazi, Nicole Fera, Giana Forgione, Cynthia Pearsall, Katrina Portagallo, Nicole Trigani, Claire Whitmore, and Ava Yanucil. Guiding the program were Dance Director Danielle Hanan and Assistant Dance Director Sari Abraham, whose leadership helped shape a truly special season.
Dance Director Danielle Hanan was thrilled. “The recital is a beautiful reflection of the dedication and effort our dancers invest throughout the year. Watching their growth, creativity, and confidence on stage is what makes the experience so meaningful for everyone involved. Year after year, I’m filled with an overwhelming sense of pride as the production comes to life. It’s moments like these that truly make the program so special.”
Youth Director Frieda Shamah captured the spirit of the event saying, “Our DSN Dance recital is the highlight of the year. There’s nothing like seeing all of our dancers of all ages up on stage, having fun, building confidence, and just loving every second of it.”
Assistant Dance Director Sari Abraham reflected on the deeper impact of the program, “What makes this program so special to me is the experience of it all, the energy in the rooms, the consistency, the connection. When recital time comes, it is such an amazing display of everyone’s hard work coming together in the most beautiful way. This year was simply magical. I already miss everyone so much and can’t wait to see them all again in September.”
As the curtain closes on this season, the excitement is already building for what’s next. DSN Dance Academy continues to be more than just a dance program, it’s a community where passion thrives, friendships grow, and confidence shines. September can’t come soon enough!

Eddie Esses and Sari Setton

The upcoming November election cycle in New York represents a pivotal moment for our community, one defined not only by political contests, but by the continued rise of Sephardic representation and influence at the highest levels of state government.

At the center of this movement stand Sam Sutton, up for reelection to the NY State Senate, and Joey Saban, now running for NY State Assembly after serving as Senator Sutton’s Chief of Staff.
Together, they have built one of the most effective, outspoken, and impactful legislative operations in New York. And the results speak for themselves.

A Record of Results:
Senator Sam Sutton
For over 20 years, Sam Sutton served as the co-founder and President of the Sephardic Community Federation (SCF), delivering tens of millions of dollars in government funding to our community and advocating across government for our community’s biggest priorities. Last year, he took his public service to the next level with his successful bid for a seat in the NY State Senate.
In a short time thus far in office, Senator Sutton has delivered tangible, meaningful results for our community at a scale rarely seen. Most notably, he secured $20 million in security funding for religious institutions, ensuring that our schools, synagogues, and community institutions are protected in an increasingly dangerous environment. Additionally, he has brought millions more in direct funding to our community’s institutions, resources that strengthen education, social services, and communal infrastructure.
Legislatively, Senator Sutton has proven equally effective. He successfully passed multiple bills through the Senate in a very short time frame, demonstrating both policy leadership and the ability to navigate Albany’s complex political landscape. He played a key role in defeating the City Council’s COPA bill, taking a firm stand against anti-business policies that would have harmed our community and our businesses.
Looking forward, his diligence continues with the major Buffer Zone Bill, a critical initiative he introduced to create buffer zones around houses of worship to protect worshipers from intimidation and harassment. The bill is now being incorporated into the State Budget, an extraordinary achievement that underscores his growing influence in Albany.

The Force Behind the Scenes: Joey Saban
While Senator Sutton has led from the front, much of this success has been powered behind the scenes by Joey Saban. As Chief of Staff, Saban has been instrumental in turning vision into reality, coordinating legislative strategy, managing negotiations, and ensuring that priorities become policy.
From securing historic funding to advancing complex legislation, Saban’s role cannot be overstated. His deep understanding of both the community and the political system has made him a driving force in these accomplishments. Now, as he steps forward to run for the State Assembly, he brings with him not only experience, but a proven track record of getting big things done.
For example, Saban initiated and coordinated the press conference with the Governor after the antisemitic Swastika incident at Magen David, which led to securing the $20 million in security funding for religious institutions. He has also been the driving force behind the Buffer Zone Bill, coordinating the language of the bill and the full strategy behind passing it.

Standing Strong Against Extremism
In today’s political climate, leadership is not just about delivering resources, it is about standing firm in the face of ideological pressure. Senator Sutton’s office has distinguished itself as the loudest and strongest Democratic voice in the majority party, importantly, pushing back against the policies and influence of Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America.
Time and again, Sutton and his team have issued clear, unapologetic public statements and worked tirelessly within the legislative body to counter initiatives that threaten our values and way of life. At a time when many remain silent, their office has led with clarity and courage.

Looking Ahead:
The Election That Matters
While primary elections will take place in June, both Sutton and Saban enter this phase without challengers, a testament to the strength of their campaigns and the broad support they have already built. That means the real contest lies ahead in the general election this November.
We know that elections are not won in a single day, they are built over months of grassroots effort. Every community member has an opportunity to play a role, whether by volunteering time or making a contribution. Thanks to New York’s public matching system, even small donations are amplified 9-to-1, turning modest support into a powerful force.

A Defining Moment for Our Community
What Sutton and Saban have accomplished together goes far beyond legislation and funding. They have transformed our community’s civic engagement, elevating our voice, our presence, and our influence in ways that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago.
They have shown that our community can organize, lead, and win, not just for ourselves, but as a major force within New York politics.
And yet, this is only the beginning. With continued support, we have the opportunity to take this momentum even further and to ensure that the Sephardic community becomes a central pillar of the state’s political landscape, a community that not only participates, but in fact, leads.
A community that stands strong, unified, and unafraid. A community that serves as a clear and consistent counterweight to the growing influence of the DSA for years to come. The path forward is clear. The leadership is proven. And the moment is ours to seize.

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt”l

What the Israelites heard at Sinai has become known as the “Ten Commandments.” But this description raises obvious problems. First, neither the Torah nor Jewish tradition calls them the Ten Commandments. The Torah calls them aseret hadevarim (Ex. 34:28), and tradition terms them aseret hadibrot, meaning “the ten utterances.” Second, there was much debate, especially between Maimonides and Halachot Gedolot as understood by Nahmanides, as to whether the first verse, “I am the Lord your G-D …,” is a command or a preface to the commands. Third, there are not ten commandments in Judaism but 613. Why, then, these but not those?
Light has been shed on all these issues by the discovery, already mentioned, of ancient Near Eastern suzerainty treaties, most of which share certain features and forms. They begin with a preamble stating who is initiating the covenant. That is why the revelation opened with the words, “I am the Lord your G-D.” Then comes a historical review stating the background and context of the covenant, in this case, “who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the slave-house.”
Next come the stipulations, first in general outline, then in specific detail. That is precisely the relationship between the “ten utterances” and the detailed commands set out in later chapters and books of the Torah. The former are the general outline, the latter, the details. So the “ten utterances” are not commandments as such but an articulation of basic principles. What makes them special is that they are simple and easy to memorize. That is because in Judaism, law is not intended for judges alone. The covenant at Sinai was made by G-D with an entire people. Hence the need for a brief statement of basic principles that everyone could remember and recite.
Usually they are portrayed as two sets of five, the first dealing with relationships between us and G-D (including honoring our parents since they like G-D brought us into being), the second with the relations between us and our fellow humans. However, it also makes sense to see them as three groups of three.
The first three, No other gods besides Me, no graven images, and no taking of G-D’s name in vain, are about G-D, the author and authority of the laws. The first states that Divine sovereignty transcends all other loyalties (No other gods besides Me). The second tells us that G-D is a living force, not an abstract power (No graven images). The third states that sovereignty presupposes reverence (Do not take My name in vain).
The second three, the Sabbath, honoring parents, and the prohibition of murder, are all about the principle of the createdness of life. Shabbat is the day dedicated to seeing G-D as creator, and the universe as His creation. Honoring parents acknowledges our human createdness. “Thou shalt not murder” restates the central principle of the Noahide covenant that murder is not just a crime against man but a sin against G-D in whose image we are created. So the fourth, fifth and sixth commands form the basic jurisprudential principles of Jewish life. They tell us to remember where we came from if we seek to know how to live.
The third three, against adultery, theft and bearing false witness, establish the basic institutions on which society depends. Marriage is sacred because it is the human bond closest in approximation to the covenant between us and G-D. The prohibition against theft establishes the integrity of property, which John Locke saw as one of the bases of a free society. Tyrants abuse property rights. The prohibition of false testimony is the precondition of justice. A just society needs more than a structure of laws, courts and enforcement agencies. It also needs basic honesty on the part of us all. There is no freedom without justice, and no justice without each of us accepting individual and collective responsibility for truth-telling.
Finally comes the stand-alone prohibition against envying your neighbor’s house, wife, slave, maid, ox, donkey, or anything else belonging to him or her. This seems odd if we think of the “ten words” as commands, but not if we think of them as the basic principles of a free society.
The greatest challenge of any society is how to contain the universal phenomenon of envy, the desire to have what belongs to someone else. René Girard, in Violence and the Sacred, argued that the primary driver of human violence is mimetic desire, that is, the desire to have what someone else has, which is ultimately the desire to be what someone else is. Envy can lead to breaking many of the other commands. It can move people to adultery, theft, false testimony and even murder. It led Cain to murder Abel, made Abraham and Isaac fear for their life because they were married to beautiful women, and led Joseph’s brothers to hate him and sell him into slavery. It was envy of their neighbors that led the Israelites often to imitate their religious practices and worship their gods.
So the prohibition of envy is not odd at all. It is the most basic force undermining the social harmony and order that are the aim of the Ten Commandments as a whole. Not only do they forbid it, they also help us rise above it. It is precisely the first three commands, reminding us of G-D’s presence in history and our lives, and the second three, reminding us of our createdness, that help us rise above envy.
We are here because G-D wanted us to be. We have what G-D wanted us to have. Why then should we seek what others have? If what matters most in our lives is how we appear in the eyes of G-D, why should we seek anything else merely because someone else has it? It is when we stop defining ourselves in relation to G-D and start defining ourselves in relation to other people that competition, strife, covetousness and envy enter our minds, and they lead only to unhappiness.
Thirty-three centuries after they were first given, the Ten Commandments remain the simplest, shortest guide to the creation of a good society.

Especially During Stressful Times

Rabbi Dr. Yosef Lynn

Discover how 10,000 steps a day can be your secret weapon to resilience, clarity, and calm—no gym or extra time required.

The notification pings on my phone: “Great job! You’ve reached your daily goal of 10,000 steps.” It’s late at night and I’ve just finished pacing my living room to hit the number that has become my lifeline.
Judaism has long emphasized the connection between physical and spiritual well-being. The concept of shmiras haguf (guarding one’s body) is considered a mitzvah, a religious obligation. The Rambam (Maimonides), a 12th-century Jewish philosopher and physician, wrote extensively about the importance of physical health as a prerequisite for spiritual growth.
In his work “The Laws of Character Development,” the Rambam states: “Since maintaining a healthy and sound body is among the ways of G-d—for one cannot understand or have any knowledge of the Creator when ill—therefore one must avoid that which harms the body and accustom oneself to that which is healthful.”
This ancient wisdom aligns perfectly with modern research showing that physical well-being creates the conditions for optimal human functioning.
In our increasingly stressful world, I’ve learned that we cannot control outcomes, only the process of how we show up. And movement is crucial to showing up properly in life.
During periods of personal stress—whether family challenges, job uncertainty, health scares, or any crisis—movement cannot be optional. It’s the difference between surviving and thriving, between barely coping and maintaining your capacity to show up for what matters most.

Who Has Time to Exercise?
“I know I should exercise, but I just don’t have time.” This is the most common excuse I hear. Between work, family obligations, and constant demands, carving out 60 minutes for the gym feels impossible. 10,000 steps is the solution! Unlike traditional exercise, it doesn’t require finding extra time—you’re simply doing your existing activities more actively.

The Science Behind the Steps
The magic number of 10,000 steps isn’t arbitrary. Research consistently shows this benchmark creates measurable changes in both body and mind. Tom Rath, in his groundbreaking work “Eat Move Sleep,” demonstrates how daily movement serves as a “keystone habit”—one behavior that triggers positive cascades throughout our entire day.
People who walk 10,000 steps daily experience 12% better mood throughout the day, improved sleep quality by an average of 23 minutes, enhanced cognitive function and decision-making ability, and reduced cortisol levels.
And the 10,000 steps brilliantly solves the time problem. Every phone call becomes a walking opportunity. Every period of waiting becomes pacing time. You’re not doing extra activities—you’re doing existing activities while moving.
The Top 7 Ways to Hit 10,000 Steps Without Finding Extra Time
Here are the most effective strategies for seamlessly integrating movement into your existing daily routine. (You can easily track 10,000 steps a day using a fitness tracker, smartwatch, or step-counting app on your phone that logs your movement automatically.)

1. Walk during every phone call–This is the single biggest game-changer. Business calls, catching up with friends, coordinating with family—all happen while walking. A 30-minute call easily adds 1,500-2,000 steps.
2. Transform waiting time into pacing time–Waiting for elevators, meetings to start, coffee to brew, kids at pickup—every waiting moment becomes walking time. These micro-movements accumulate surprisingly quickly.
3. Make transportation more active–Park farther away, get off one stop early, or take the stairs always. Whether driving to work or taking public transport, these simple changes add 600-1,000 steps twice daily without any extra time commitment.
4. Turn family time into walking time–After-dinner neighborhood walks, bedtime routine walks with kids while chatting about their day, or walking during children’s activities instead of sitting. This creates quality connection time while adding 1,200-1,500 steps.
5. Convert household tasks into movement opportunities–Walk while talking to family about their day, pace while helping with homework, walk around while dinner cooks, or take multiple trips carrying groceries. Transform necessary tasks into active time.
6. Implement walking meetings–For one-on-one meetings, brainstorming sessions, or creative thinking, suggest walking instead of sitting. Many breakthrough ideas happen during walking conversations.
7. Strategically add movement to errands–Walk to nearby stores instead of driving, browse different sections of larger stores, or walk around the perimeter while shopping. Make necessary tasks more active.
   The secret is recognizing that you’re already spending time on phone calls, family conversations, waiting, and performing daily tasks. These strategies simply add movement to time you’re already using.

Taking the First Step
If you’re dealing with stress in your life, prioritize movement. Start with 10,000 steps. No gym required – just the decision to put one foot in front of the other. Sometimes, the most profound act of love—for ourselves and for those who depend on us—is to keep moving forward, one step at a time.

Rethinking balance, digestion, and nourishment during the holiday

Laura Shammah, MS, RDN

Passover is a holiday centered around freedom, yet for many people, food during Passover can feel anything but freeing. Between the removal of familiar foods, the abundance of rich holiday meals, and the pressure to “do it right,” Passover can become a week of digestive discomfort, food guilt, or all-or-nothing eating. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Passover offers a powerful opportunity to reconnect with nourishment, balance, and intention.

During Passover, eating patterns naturally change. Bread, grains, and many everyday staples disappear, while foods like matzah, potatoes, eggs, meat, chicken, and richer desserts often take center stage.
This sudden dietary shift can affect digestion, energy levels, and hunger cues. Many people notice constipation from increased matzah and reduced fiber, feeling overly full from heavy meals, blood sugar swings from long gaps between meals, and eating out of structure rather than hunger. None of this means you’re doing Passover “wrong.” It simply means your body is adjusting.

Matzah Is Not the Enemy
Matzah often gets blamed for digestive discomfort, but the issue is usually balance, not matzah itself. Matzah is essentially a refined carbohydrate without fiber or fat. When eaten alone, it digests quickly and doesn’t provide lasting satisfaction.
Instead of avoiding matzah, pair it strategically. Matzah can be eaten with egg and avocado, tuna and vegetables, or nut butter. Adding protein and fat improves satiety, digestion, and blood sugar stability.
It’s also worth noting that spelt and whole-wheat matzah are available each year, which can provide more fiber and help support digestion and fullness for those who tolerate them.

Preventing the “Passover Constipation” Problem
Constipation is one of the most common Passover complaints. The solution is gentle consistency, not extreme fiber loading.
Helpful strategies include drinking enough fluids throughout the day, including fruits and vegetables at meals, adding olive oil, avocado, or nuts daily, and incorporating light movement after meals. Cooked vegetables, soups, berries, kiwi, and stewed fruits tend to be easier on digestion than large raw salads during this week.

The Long Meal Reality
Seder meals are long. Very long. It’s easy to arrive overly hungry and eat quickly once the meal begins. A small snack before the Seder, like yogurt, vegetables, and chicken, or eggs, can help regulate hunger so you can enjoy the meal comfortably.
Eating slowly during the Seder also allows your body’s fullness signals to catch up with the pace of the meal.

Passover and Emotional Eating
Holidays can bring joy, stress, nostalgia, and family dynamics, often all at once. Food sometimes becomes the easiest way to cope with these emotions.
If this happens, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re human. Passover is actually a meaningful time to practice awareness by noticing hunger and fullness, eating foods you truly enjoy, sitting down while eating, and allowing meals to feel satisfying rather than rushed or restricted.
Freedom includes freedom from guilt. Passover is only eight days. Your body does not need perfection during this time. It needs consistency and nourishment. You don’t need to compensate for heavier meals. You don’t need to avoid dessert. You don’t need to “start over” after the holiday. You simply return to your normal rhythm when Passover ends. That, too, is freedom.