New York has a New Mayor

Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal offered a $10 million donation following the 9/11 attacks on a visit to Ground Zero with New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani, on October 11, 2001. Alongside the donation, the prince issued a statement calling on the U.S. to reassess its Middle East policies and adopt a more balanced approach to the Palestinian issue. Giuliani publicly refused the donation and strongly denounced the prince's comments. He stated that equating the attackers with U.S. policy was "highly irresponsible and very, very dangerous.” ​ In 2014, while Israel fought Hamas in Gaza, the FAA, in a politicized decision from the Obama administration, canceled all flights to and from Israel with US carriers. (Hamas later referred to the FAA decision as a strategic victory.) Only El Al was flying, and many were understandably worried about traveling to Israel. One person who was not worried was another NYC mayor, Michael Bloomberg. He traveled on El Al to Israel during the war. Bloomberg said, “his goal was to demonstrate that it was safe to fly in and out of Israel and to protest the US flight ban, which he called a mistake that hands Hamas an undeserved victory". ​ Bloomberg, Guilani, and current Mayor Eric Adams are from a long line of great friends to the Jewish Community and Israel. Given that over 1.3 million Jews live in the Greater NYC area, it makes sense that the Mayor would seek to align with the Jewish Community's priorities. That is why it is so disconcerting to see this once great city about to elect someone who is sympathetic to terrorists who seek to destroy Israel. Oh, and he also doesn’t believe Israel should be a Jewish State. ​ There is much to unpack here, but this unwelcome development has caused much unease and anxiety across the Jewish Community well beyond NYC. One perspective from some people is that it’s time to move out of NYC, as it’s now unwelcome to Jews, and seek a safer place like Florida. It was not too long ago that people saw NYC as a safe and ideal place for Jews to live and thrive. If NYC is not living up to that ideal, then it’s just the latest example of places that Jews, after a while of climbing to the highest echelon of society, are confronted with the unwelcome reality. Simply saying, "let’s move to another state," does not appreciate the historical pattern. Yes, we are very grateful to our Governor and all the elected officials in Florida for being such great friends and allies, but the political winds are always subject to blowing in another direction. ​ We read about our Patriarch Avraham, and he famously referred to himself as a גר ותושב. The basic translation is a “stranger and a resident.” Avraham was teaching us that we must embrace tension as we live as both strangers and residents. It was just about 100 years ago, in the 1922 parliamentary elections in Poland, that Jewish politicians won 34 seats in the Sejm (the lower house of parliament) and 22 in the Senate. While not to draw a clear parallel, to the Jewish story in the USA, it behooves us to always live with our eyes wide open. In this week's parsha, we once again read that G-d told Avraham,”to your descendants, I will give this land.” The parcel of land is not in NYC, Florida, or anywhere else in the diaspora. The current mayoral candidate in NYC, is just the latest figure in the Jewish story of at least 3,000 years of our rich and tortured history to remind us of this uncomfortable truth. ​ Have a Peaceful Shabbos, ​ Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Now He belongs to the Ages

The Yamim Tovim were most joyous, meaningful, and exhausting. (It’s ok to hold multiple feelings simultaneously). Shortly after Havdallah, I turned on my phone and, upon reading a headline, I was in complete shock. I read that Rabbi Moshe Hauer, the Executive VP of the Orthodox Union, passed away suddenly over Yom Tov. I couldn't move for about two hours. I hit the refresh button several times, hoping that the news was an error and would be erased. I was far from the only one who had this reaction. Upon hearing the news, I read about a person and texted Rabbi Hauer to make sure he was okay, hoping the news was wrong. In the several days since, I have been feeling heartbroken by this tragic passing. Rabbi Hauer was someone I looked up to as a role model, and he represented the very best Rabbinical leadership of our generation. He was unusual and unique in the very best way possible. Yes, he was a great Torah scholar, but there are others in that category. He was a champion of unity across a broad spectrum of Klal Yisroel, and there may be others in that category. He was a most outstanding spokesman and advocate for the Jewish Community, and others can claim that distinction as well. However, for all those qualities to converge and be the identity of one individual is exceedingly rare. I have yet to ever hear of someone who passed away for whom heartfelt eulogies were issued from the Chareidi leadership to the leaders of the most progressive circles in Judaism. He was the voice so many turned to when seeking guidance in a cruel upside-down world. Ever since October 7, he has communicated so many poignant messages steeped in empathy, love, and wisdom. Now that he is gone, I wonder where we will find a voice so comforting and healing, steeped in Torah values. On both a personal and professional level, I sought his direction several times, and my life was immeasurably enriched by those conversations. Over the last week, what I knew about him may have just been the tip of the iceberg. There have been countless others who felt so enriched by his wisdom and influenced by his leadership. ​ It may be an overused cliché, but in this case, I think the saying that he is irreplaceable may be true. We just read on Simchas Torah about his original namesake, Moshe, who passed away before he reached his promised land on earth. The nation mourned and was repeatedly told Chazak V’amatz. It was not easy to move on after Moshe passed into a better world, but it was required back then and remains no less required now. Great leaders who live with selfless devotion are a rarity, especially in our times. Our rabbis have paraphrased the loss of a giant in the words of our Prophet Amos as “the sun set during midday.” To paraphrase the words of Edwin Stanton when Lincoln passed away, “Now, he belongs to the ages.” Yehi Zichro Baruch. May his memory be for a blessing. Have a Peaceful Shabbos, Rabbi Yaakov Fisch

Keeping the Inspiration

The High Holidays season has been really meaningful. The richness of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy, combined with an outpouring of meaningful tefila and heartfelt ruach, has been uplifting for our kehila. Yom Kippur was a special gift, allowing us to set aside most physical pleasures for about 25 hours. At the conclusion of Yom Kippur, we were on an incredibly high spiritual level. The shofar sounded and with great elation, we declared, “Next Year in Jerusalem.” A few minutes later, we broke our fasts and began “normal” life yet again. The mundane routine, which includes everything from mortgage payments to carpool lanes and everything in between, was waiting for us as we began another year. How is it possible to retain any inspiration from these auspicious days? ​ It is not a coincidence that Sukkos falls just a few days after Yom Kippur. Sukkos represents the idea of infusing holiness and spirituality into the mundane. One takes some wood and palm fronds and builds a hut, or takes a lulav and an esrog and makes a blessing over these species. That is the quintessential example of infusing spirituality into the mundane. The reality is that we are unable to maintain a spiritual level comparable to our standing on Yom Kippur. G-d does not expect from us something that we are incapable of delivering. However, we are tasked with the responsibility of infusing and elevating our materialistic endeavors with spirituality. ​ Sukkos embodies the pinnacle of this noble idea. Let us harness the holiness of Yom Kippur and instill it into our sukkah walls (lattice, of course, in Florida), palm fronds, and lulavim. Once we learn the art of practicing this on Sukkos, we should have a head start on elevating the mundane for the rest of the year. ​ Have a Peaceful Shabbos, ​ Rabbi Yaakov Fisch