The Az Nashir Haggadah:
On the Path to Redemption
(Matan Edition)

Today is my 39th Hebrew birthday. Every year on this date, I like to take a moment to reflect on where I am in my life. Other years have centered on productivity, healing, patience, gratitude, alignment, and rest. This year its been about being present in the moment. I learned long ago that I have minimal control over the world around me. Mainly, all I can control is my own mindset and my choices. So in a world gone mad, a chapter of grief and rage and struggle: this year I c

Noam Bettan and his team are home safe in Israel after winning second place in Eurovision. Very often in the off season, when there is protesting and sniping and boycotts of Israel from European countries, I wonder: Why bother with Eurovision at all? If they don’t want us, why enter a room where everyone hates us? But the thing is- for the last five years, we’ve placed in the top five. This is the second year in a row that we’ve made it to second place too. I think that means

I’m sitting on the beach right now and it’s flooded with Israeli teenage boys. I mean hundreds of them. School let out for the day and it seems like every teen in the mercaz migrated to the shore for the afternoon. I’ve never seen it like this. There’s 30 soccer balls flying through the air as different crews circle up and pass them back and forth. The air smells like cigarettes and sea brine and an occasional fruity vape. It’s balmy and warm and the sun is high- you would ne

There is no where in the world like Jerusalem. No city as enduring, as eternal, as hypnotic as the holy city. People from all over flock to see her in her glory- to visit ancient stones, and taste the freshness of life, to offer one's prayers and feel that redemption is close. Jerusalem is a city that's alive. She recalls every slight, every hurt, every era of oppression. She remembers every effort to reconnect, rejoice, and rebuild. She knows who yearns for her and who wishe

While Noam Bettan practiced his performance for Eurovision, he and his team made sure to include the sounds of booing and jeering in the background. Let me say that again- for rehearsal, they made sure to include anti-Zionist noise- so that he wouldn't be caught off guard when he performed for real. And it worked, because last night he performed perfectly while there were those in the crowd chanting "Stop the Genocide," and there were even activists who had to be removed from

On this Mother's Day, I'm thinking about all the Israeli moms who are doing the impossible. Raising our kids in an ever-changing world where very little is reliable. Making life and death decisions all the time- balancing wellbeing, education, mental health, and happiness all at the same time. We hope we are making the best choices for our kids. We pray that we know what we are doing. We take deep breaths and tackle every new challenge, every new stage, to the best of our abi

I think that people forget that Israel is surrounded by terrorists. Enemies whose singular mission is to destroy the one and only Jewish state. All we hear these days is "ceasefire, ceasefire, ceasefire..." But Israeli soldiers are being injured and killed all the time. Hezbollah is also using explosive drones to attack Israeli soldiers in Southern Lebanon, where they are stationed, hoping to keep the barrier between Israel and Lebanon terror-free. Three were hurt just this m

Just one Shabbos and we'll all be free? Trump announced this week that American Jews should celebrate a national Shabbat, from sundown on May 15th to nightfall on May 16th, in honor of 250 years of American independence and the contributions of the American Jewish community. The first time I heard this, I found it absolutely bizarre. Hold up, now Trump is trying to get Jews to keep Shabbat? What is that actually about? And like with most things Trump does, I don't fully under

In Israel today, the air tastes wild, like wood ash and melted plastic. The smell lingers on your clothes, in your hair, on your skin. We walk around hungover from whatever is coming next- we watched the children scurry around last night as they celebrated lag baomer, fire reflecting on their faces. We encouraged them to be free while we still could. Go to that party. One more marshmallow. One last dance. We hear the planes thundering overhead in anger. The news shouting at u

There’s a story London keeps telling itself about its Jews. There have been periods of antisemitism and exile. There have also been periods of safe haven and prosperity. After a spate of antisemitic events in the last few months, yesterday, two Jews were stabbed on the street in Golders Green. It happened 300 yards away from where the Hatzalah Ambulances were burned earlier this month. A Somali-born UK national stabbed Moshe Shine, 76, in his throat, and managed to stab Shilo