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DRAMATIC P’SAK: SCHOOLS TOLD NOT TO OPEN UNTIL EVERY GIRL HAS A PLACE BY YOSSI SAUNDERS

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Kedassia Beis Din in Stamford Hill has issued an extraordinary directive amid growing school placement crisis — ruling that London high schools must remain closed until every girl has been accepted. The dramatic and highly unusual p’sak was issued by leading Dayanim in London, ordering high schools in Stamford Hill not to open for the new academic year until every girl in the community has secured a school place. The extraordinary intervention by the Beis Din of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations — widely known as the Kedassia Beis Din — comes amid mounting concern over girls who have reached the end of the summer holidays without knowing where they will be attending school.

In an unequivocal directive to the community’s high schools, the Beis Din ruled that the new school year cannot begin as normal while some children remain without placements. The p’sak states that because not all girls

in the city have yet been placed in high schools, and with no other option remaining, all of the high schools must remain closed until the situation has been resolved and every girl has been accepted. The letter was signed by three senior Dayanim of Kedassia: HaGaon HaRav Chaim Menachem Gelitzky, HaGaon HaRav Yosef Yehuda Padwa and HaGaon HaRav Yoel Stein. The intervention is understood to be virtually unprecedented in its scope. Rather than dealing individually with the schools or families concerned, the ruling effectively makes the lack of a placement for even some girls an issue for the entire school system. Continued on page 2

2 NEWS Continued from page 1 Its message is stark: the community cannot begin a new school year while some of its children are left behind. The p’sak has sparked considerable discussion across London’s Orthodox community, where obtaining high school places has become an increasingly difficult and emotive issue for some families. For a girl approaching the start of a new academic year, being left without a school is far more than an administrative problem. While friends prepare uniforms, books and school journeys, a child without a placement faces enormous uncertainty. Parents can find themselves contacting one school after another, desperately attempting to secure an appropriate place for their daughter. The latest ruling appears designed to ensure that responsibility for resolving such cases does not rest solely upon the affected families. By ordering all schools to remain closed, the Beis Din has placed the unresolved cases at the centre of the communal agenda. Schools that have successfully filled their own classes are being told that they cannot simply proceed while other girls remain outside the system. The decision follows another dramatic intervention in London Jewish education only weeks earlier.

TO ADVERTISE CALL 020 3906 8488 Last month, Rabbanim in Golders Green issued their own forceful letter concerning children who remained without school placements. That directive was addressed to administrators and officials of educational institutions and stated that the new academic year should not begin — in either schools or Talmudei Torah — while more than 20 pupils remained without places. The emergence of two such interventions in different parts of London within a relatively short period highlights the seriousness with which Rabbanim are viewing the issue. School admissions have long been among the most sensitive subjects within growing Orthodox communities. Schools must balance limited classroom space, staffing, finances and their own educational or religious criteria against a rapidly expanding population and the fundamental need for every child to receive a suitable education. But the latest p’sak sends a clear signal that whatever the practical difficulties, leaving girls without any school at the beginning of the academic year is not considered an acceptable outcome. The Stamford Hill community is one of the largest Charedi communities in Europe, with an extensive network of mosdos serving thousands of children. Its continued growth has placed increasing

27 AUGUST 2026

pressure on educational infrastructure, with schools facing the challenge of accommodating rising numbers while maintaining their individual standards and character. Against that background, disagreements over admissions can have painful consequences. A girl rejected from her preferred school may apply elsewhere, only to discover that alternative schools have already filled their available places. Families can then become trapped between institutions, with each school facing its own capacity restrictions while no single body is able to guarantee the child a place. The Kedassia ruling effectively seeks to break that deadlock by creating a collective consequence: until everyone has a school, nobody starts school. For parents whose daughters have been waiting anxiously for a placement, the p’sak is likely to be seen as an exceptionally powerful statement that their predicament cannot simply be overlooked once term begins. At the same time, the ruling puts considerable pressure on school administrators and communal leaders to find solutions quickly. Delaying the beginning of the academic year would affect thousands of pupils and families, making the resolution of the outstanding cases an urgent priority. Precisely how the directive will be

implemented, and whether sufficient places can now be found before schools are scheduled to reopen, will be watched closely over the coming days. The controversy also raises wider questions about how rapidly growing Orthodox communities can ensure that educational provision keeps pace with demand. New classrooms, additional forms, expanded buildings and, in some circumstances, entirely new schools require significant funding and long-term planning. Those solutions cannot necessarily be produced overnight. For the girls currently without placements, however, the issue is immediate. The latest p’sak has therefore transformed what could have remained the private struggle of a relatively small number of families into a community-wide issue. With the beginning of the school year rapidly approaching, schools, Rabbanim, administrators and parents will now be working against the clock to resolve the remaining cases. But the principle expressed by the Beis Din could hardly be clearer. The school gates should not open while even some of the community’s girls are still standing outside them.

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Parton’s Wiki page engulfed with antisemitism BY MARTIN KENT

The death of legendary country music star Dolly Parton has been followed by a disturbing outbreak of antisemitic abuse after vandals targeted her Wikipedia page with Nazi imagery and hateful references to Jews. Parton, one of America’s most recognisable entertainers, died on Tuesday at the age of 80. Tributes poured in from around the world for the singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist whose extraordinary career spanned more than six decades. Yet within hours of the announcement of her death, her Wikipedia page was vandalised with explicitly antisemitic and offensive material. Parton’s name was reportedly replaced with the slur “Jew lover”, while her photograph was substituted with an image featuring a Nazi swastika. Other alterations reportedly included references glorifying Adam Lanza, the gunman responsible for the horrific 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, in which 20 children and six adults were murdered. Screenshots of the vandalised page quickly circulated across social media, provoking outrage. The Campaign Against Antisemitism condemned the incident, describing the

decision to exploit Parton’s death as an opportunity to spread antisemitic hatred as “utterly despicable”. The offensive alterations were quickly removed, with Wikipedia editors restoring the page. Although incidents of this kind are sometimes described as “hacking”, Wikipedia allows members of the public to make edits to many of its articles. High-profile pages can therefore become targets for vandals, although malicious changes are generally detected and reversed. The apparent deciDolly Parton (19/1/1946 - 25/8/2026) sion to target Parton with the term “Jew years and became one of the most imporlover” was particularly disturbing given tant figures in her professional life. her longstanding connections with JewParton herself had a complicated hisish figures throughout her career. Among torical encounter with the issue of antithem was Sandy Gallin, her longtime semitism. In the 1990s, she apologised manager, who worked closely with the following criticism over comments about country superstar for approximately 25 Jewish influence in Hollywood which

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were viewed as invoking an antisemitic stereotype. She subsequently expressed regret over the remarks. Her wider legacy, however, extended far beyond entertainment. Parton became internationally renowned for her philanthropy, particularly her Imagination Library programme, which provides free books to young children. The project grew into a huge international literacy initiative and has distributed hundreds of millions of books. The shocking vandalism comes amid continuing concern about the extraordinary growth and visibility of antisemitism online, where Jewish hatred can spread rapidly through social media, anonymous accounts and deliberate acts of trolling and abuse. That such hatred appeared within hours of the death of an entertainer whose public image was overwhelmingly associated with music, kindness, philanthropy and bringing people together made the episode particularly disturbing. For millions mourning Dolly Parton, the antisemitic vandalism represented an ugly intrusion into what should have been a moment devoted to remembering one of the most successful, distinctive and enduring entertainers of her generation.

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No change in the Middle East BY MARTIN KENT

The Middle East remains on a knifeedge as President Donald Trump dramatically increases economic pressure on Iran, the battle for control of the Strait of Hormuz enters a new phase and tensions between Israel, Syria and Turkey threaten to create another dangerous front. Nearly six months into the conflict, Washington appears — at least for now — to be moving away from another major offensive against Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reportedly told foreign counterparts that America does not currently expect to launch fresh offensive strikes, with the Trump administration instead concentrating on crippling economic pressure and restoring normal shipping through Hormuz. Trump nevertheless insisted this week that America is “winning very big” and predicted a major victory over Iran soon. His administration has unveiled a sweeping new sanctions campaign aimed not only at Tehran but potentially at foreign companies and countries continuing to trade with it. Israel is pushing Washington to maintain the pressure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that he discussed diplomacy, further military action and tightening the economic “siege” on Iran

The Strait of Hormuz

during talks with Trump, while expressing deep scepticism that a meaningful agreement with Tehran is possible. The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the confrontation. Trump announced that US forces had cleared mines from the main shipping channel and warned that any Iranian vessel attempting to lay new mines would be destroyed. Iran, however, insists that it still controls the strategic waterway. Tehran and Oman are discussing arrangements for a temporary shipping corridor, with Iranian officials saying the proposed route would be seven miles wide. Iran has stopped short of describing this as a full reopening of Hormuz.

Despite Trump declaring the strait open, commercial shipping remains dramatically below normal levels. Only a handful of commodity vessels have recently been passing through each day, demonstrating that shipowners remain cautious about the security situation. Meanwhile, Syria is rapidly developing into another major regional pressure point. Israel recently bombed Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase, saying it would not permit forces that threaten Israeli security to establish themselves there. The strike came amid Israeli concerns about Turkey’s growing military involvement with Syria’s new government. Damascus

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27 AUGUST 2026

acknowledged Turkish military cooperation but denied that Ankara was preparing to establish forces at the targeted base. Defence Minister Israel Katz has also visited Israeli troops operating inside southern Syria, declaring that Israel will maintain its presence for as long as threats remain. Damascus condemned the visit as a violation of Syrian sovereignty. Yet diplomacy is continuing behind the scenes. Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has said he expects security negotiations with Israel eventually to resume, despite admitting that Damascus currently does not trust Israel. Washington has been attempting to establish arrangements designed to prevent Israel, Syria and Turkey sliding into direct confrontation. The picture emerging across the region is therefore one of intense pressure without an obvious endgame. Trump appears determined to force Iran into submission through economic and military pressure while avoiding, for now, another massive escalation. But with Hormuz still operating far below normal capacity, Israel determined to prevent new threats emerging in Syria, Turkey expanding its regional influence and Tehran refusing to capitulate, the possibility of another sudden escalation remains dangerously high.

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Medical Career in Israel? MedEx Returns to London British doctors considering Aliyah will have the opportunity to meet representatives of Israeli hospitals and health funds face-to-face when MedEx UK returns to London on Sunday, 25 October 2026. Taking place in the UK for the second time, MedEx is designed to remove much of the uncertainty surrounding the move to Israel. Rather than leaving participants to navigate licensing, employment, Hebrew requirements and Aliyah arrangements separately, the event brings the relevant organisations together under one roof.

Attendees will be able to explore employment opportunities, learn about professional licensing and grants, and receive practical guidance on the Aliyah process. This year’s event will also offer physicians the opportunity to take the official YAEL Hebrew proficiency examination on site, in partnership with Israel’s National Institute for Testing & Evaluation. From June 2027, doctors seeking an Israeli medical license will be required by the Ministry of Health to demonstrate an intermediate level of Hebrew. The YAEL examination is one recognised route towards meeting that requirement, allowing prospective olim to begin preparing while they are still living and working in Britain. MedEx is a project of the International Medical Aliyah Programme, or IMAP,

Team Stephanie making a difference Stephanie has cerebral palsy, uses a wheelchair and has complex needs, including visual impairment. Norwood has been there for Stephanie and her family throughout her life. Since 2017, she has been living in one of our homes which uses pioneering assistive technology enabling her to live a rich life independently. Team Stephanie took on another physical challenge last weekend to raise money to further develop the sensory garden at Stephanie’s Norwood home, which has a fully accessible garden, a space providing a relaxing sensory environment full of

launched in 2024 with the goal of bringing 2,000 doctors to Israel by 2029. More than 1,100 doctors have already made Aliyah through the wider initiative, passing the halfway point of its five-year target in approximately two years. The programme is particularly focused on strengthening healthcare provision in Israel’s North and South. IMAP is a project of Nefesh B’Nefesh in partnership with Israel’s Ministry of Aliyah and Integration; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Negev, Galilee and National Resilience; and The Jewish Agency for Israel. IMAP is generous supported by the Marcus Foundation, the Gottesman Fund, Jewish Federations of North America, the Azrieli Foundation and the Arison Foundation.

colours and scents where fruits and vegetables are grown to encourage healthy living and responsibility. Together, Stephanie, her parents Judith and Nigel and support worker Lisa took on an arduous triathlon, swimming 750m, cycling 20k and running 5k in tandem to raise money for Norwood, where they hope to fund accessible adult swings and other sensory garden equipment to bear the weight of Stephanie and her housemates all of whom have physical as well as learning disabilities and are wheelchair users. They have so far raised almost £13,000! Stephanie has completed Challenges for Norwood, including a 100km cycle in Israel, where she rode on a specially adapted Pino bike with her mum Judith. Judith says: “The early years were really traumatic but Norwood was our lifeline, and still is. Living independently is giving Stephanie the confidence to let her sense of humour and mischievous side come to the fore.” https://www.justgiving.com/page/ judith-harris-23

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MedEx events in Paris, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Sydney, Melbourne, Toronto, Montreal and London have drawn strong interest from doctors exploring the possibility of Aliyah and a medical career in Israel. For British doctors seriously considering the move, the London event offers an opportunity to turn that interest into a clear and practical plan. For more information and to register please visit: www.imap.org.il/event-page/ medex-uk/

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JNF UK: Building Israel’s Future Over the past few weeks hundreds of our kids have been greeted at airport arrivals, exhausted but happy, and dragging suitcases full of dirty laundry as a homecoming gift for parents. Visiting Israel with school or a youth movement is an experience like no other; new friendships made, Instagram packed with images, and hopefully a lasting connection to the country built. Yet beyond the sightseeing and social posts, it is the hands-on work they do on the ground that truly anchors their connection to Israel’s story.

for building Israel’s future. At the forefront of this mission is JNF UK. Through its professional volunteering initiative spanning the entirety of the Negev region, JNF UK offers a practical, framework for young people to step forward and take responsibility. This is not passive support from afar; it is immediate, tangible, and lasting action.

The Evolution of Hands-On Impact

Restoring Hope Across the Negev

For generations, hands-on volunteering has been the route to the beating heart of Israel’s growth. From draining swamps and planting forests to constructing modern infrastructure, the act of giving back has always meant far more than simply supplying labour; it is the vital bridge connecting individuals to the land and its people. Today, as the south faces extraordinary challenges, the call for active contribution is clearer and more urgent than ever. Engaging our youth - both groups travelling from abroad and local Israeli residents - is no longer just a nice-to-have communal activity; it is a fundamental prerequisite

The human value of these initiatives is illustrated by project outcomes across the region. In Karmei Gat, for example, volunteers constructed a new outdoor kitchen for displaced residents of Nir Oz. More than just brick and timber, this effort created a welcoming communal space where uprooted families can gather, share meals, and begin rebuilding a sense of normality and shared life. Crucially, JNF UK’s vision recognises that youth empowerment must cross boundaries. For local residents: volunteering in their own backyard fosters civic pride and resilience. For diaspora youth: taking part in hands-on relief and

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In the past year alone, 765 volunteers participated in 58 dedicated volunteer days, executing 28 vital projects across key areas including the Gaza Envelope, Be’er Sheva, Netivot, Arad, and Eilat.

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development turns abstract solidarity into an active, lifelong connection. Spotlight: Yavneh College at the Sderot Chesed Centre A vibrant example of this international connection was seen during a recent visit of nearly 100 Year 9 students from Yavneh College in the UK. Taking part in a specialised JNF UK volunteering experience at the Chesed Centre in Sderot, these young people stepped into a frontline community with open hearts and ready hands. Throughout the day, the Yavneh College students threw themselves into meaningful community action. The students: • Packed essential food parcels for local families in need • Built wooden planters from scratch • Planted vibrant flowers to brighten communal spaces where people had suffered deep stress. Combining teamwork, sweat, and shared purpose, the students did far more than complete a series of tasks; they brought warmth, energy, and hope to local residents while gaining a profound, first-hand understanding of the resilience driving Sderot.

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They return home not merely as visitors or observers, but as active partners in Israel’s ongoing story. As we look to the future, supporting JNF UK’s dedicated volunteering programmes is one of the most impactful investments we can make. By providing our youth with the opportunities, tools, and platforms to give back, we are doing more than restor-

ing physical spaces - we are nurturing a generation of resilient, compassionate leaders who understand that Israel’s future is something we build together, piece by piece, planter by planter, day by day. For more information about how your school or youth movement can volunteer in Israel with JNF UK email education@ jnf.co.uk

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Everyone is Panicking. We are Not. BY RABBI GIDEON GOLDWATER

I am 37, and I have never in my life heard so many serious people talking so seriously about the end of everything. It used to be a joke. The sandwich-board prophet on Oxford Street. The film with the asteroid. Background noise, not conversation. Now it is the conversation. Nuclear war. A pandemic with a 100% fatality rate. Artificial intelligence quietly wiping out humanity before we notice it has happened. On Piers Morgan the other week, Professor Jiang, a well-known commentator, sat there in front of millions and said he was genuinely worried about a zombie apocalypse. Not as a joke. As a professional assessment. This is not fringe anymore. Bestsellers, viral videos, senior figures in senior chairs, all warning about the same thing. Take even half of it seriously, and carrying on as if nothing is happening becomes very hard to do. Are we really living in that precarious a moment? Are we really in the closing chapters of human history? I do not know. Nobody does. But I know this. For someone without a compass, this is a terrifying time to be alive. Which is why, of all the people in the world, Jews might be the best qualified to say something useful right now. We are not new to this. We have been exiled, hunted and uprooted more times than most nations have existed, and every single time, the “normal life” people thought they were living was ripped away from them. And somehow, we are still here. Still lighting candles on a Friday night. Still teaching grandchildren the alef bet. Still turning up. So what is our secret? How do we keep

going? The honest answer is that it is not our genius. It is not our resilience. It is not even our faith. It is our compass. Our guidance system for life is not gut feeling, or foresight, or the hard-won lessons of the generations. It is the Torah. Wisdom given to us by the Architect of reality Himself. We are not making it up as we go. We are living in tune with something deeper than anything the news can throw at us. No bomb, no super-intelligence and no zombie ever invented is deeper than the Infinite Creator who made all of them possible. Which means the only questions that really matter in life are still the only questions that really matter in life. What does the Almighty want from us? What is He asking of us right now? There is an old retort to an old question. “How can you believe in G-d in the face of so much evil and suffering?” Answer: “How can you not believe in G-d in the face of so much evil and suffering?” A life without higher meaning has no particular reason to expect a tomorrow at all. Strip meaning out of the human story and of course we start inventing ever more creative versions of our own annihilation. It is what a species does when it has forgotten why it is here. But hiding inside all the doomsday noise, there is a silver lining. People are being forced to prioritise. To ask what actually matters. To think beyond themselves, beyond next weekend, beyond next year. Anyone who has spent the last decade quietly avoiding the big questions is running out of places to hide. The voices are getting louder. Things are moving. Things are about to change. And as a Jew, I fear none of it. Not because I am brave. Because I am used to it, and because I am let in on the plan. There is a plan. And more importantly, there is a

Planner, and He loves us. We are now in Elul. Every morning we blow the shofar, and the reason, the Rambam tells us, is to wake up the sleeping ones. Perhaps we are not only in the Elul of this particular year. Perhaps we are in the Elul of a much bigger year. A macro-Elul, in which the whole world is being shaken awake to what it is actually here for. On Rosh Hashanah we will stand and ask Hashem to let us play our part in the great unveiling of unity in this world. We

will beg that the confusion, the cruelty and the evil should vanish like smoke. Perhaps the sudden popularity of every doomsday scenario going is precisely His way of making sure that not one of us is still asleep enough to have forgotten that there is smoke that needs to vanish. Rabbi Goldwater holds a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Jewish Education and spent two years living in Birmingham as the Aish Rabbi on Campus.

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ASK THE RABBI Looking for answers? Send your question to Rabbi@RabbiSchochet.com ELUL – THE MONTH OF GUILT?

Dear Rabbi Every year when Elul comes around, I start feeling guilty. I think about everything I’ve done wrong over the past year, everything I should have done differently, and by the time Rosh Hashanah arrives I’m basically a nervous wreck. Is that what Elul is supposed to do to us? Is Jewish guilt actually a thing? Rupert Dear Rupert Jewish guilt is a monumental bubba meiseh. We Jews may have perfected it, packaged it and passed it down from generation to generation, but that doesn’t make it a mitzvah. That said, if you’re feeling a little uncomfortable during Elul, I’m not going to rush to reassure you. You’ve probably done enough wrong this year to warrant at least a few nervous moments. So has everyone else – per the verse, “there is no one so righteous as to have only done good and never sinned.”

But there is a world of difference between guilt that might make you upgrade your lifestyle and the kind that just makes you walk around feeling miserable. That’s not guilt. It’s the evil inclination disguised as righteous guilt. Elul was never intended to be a month in which we spend thirty days beating ourselves up in preparation for Rosh Hashanah. Quite the opposite. Chassidic masters describe Elul with one of the most beautiful metaphors in Judaism: “The King is in the field.” During the year, if you want an audience with the king, you have to get into the palace. There are gates, guards, protocol. But every now and then the king goes on a royal walk about. At that stage, anyone can approach him. And, crucially, the metaphor tells us that the king receives everyone with a pleasant countenance and a smiling face. That is where we are at right now. G-d is not sitting in Heaven with a celestial calculator, eagerly waiting to catch you out. Judaism does not believe in a vengeful G-d looking for an excuse to punish His children. Elul is called a month of Divine

“

27 AUGUST 2026

compassion and mercy precisely because G-d comes closer to us before we have even managed to make our way back to Him. Of course, there has to be honest reflection. If I hurt someone, I must acknowledge it. If I’ve drifted spiritually, I need to recognise it. If I’ve made mistakes, I shouldn’t just explain them away. But the purpose of looking backwards is always to enable us to move forwards. That is the most important thing to remember when your guilt anxiety kicks in. The King is in the field because He wants you to approach Him. He hasn’t come looking for you to tell you how awful you are. He has come looking for you because, however far you may have wandered, He still loves you and want to welcome you home. So, by all means, feel a little guilty. Just don’t get carried away with it.

BLOWING MY OWN TRUMPET Dear Rabbi Every Rosh Hashanah we blow the Shofar 100 times. Surely G-d gets the message after the first few. Why so many? David Dear David I sometimes wonder the same thing

about sermons, but that has never stopped me either. The Shofar isn’t about G-d getting the message. It’s about us getting it. You might run around all year, surrounded by work, worries and all sorts of background noise. The Shofar pierces through the din to snap you back into a reality check of what’s really important. And yes, we can be selectively hard of hearing – so sometimes it takes more than one blow before the message finally gets through.

“

20 JUDAISM

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JUDAISM 21

Weekly Dvar Torah F R O M E R E TZ Y I S R A E L

The Place Chosen for All of Us

BY RABBI DANNY MIRVIS

“And it shall be when you come to the Land that Hashem your G-d is giving you as an inheritance, and you possess it and settle in it. And you shall take from the first of every fruit of the ground that you bring in from your land that Hashem your G-d gives you and you shall put it in a basket and you shall go to the place that Hashem your G-d shall choose to rest His name there” (Devarim 26:1–2). The opening verses of this week’s parasha deal with the laws of bikkurim – bringing the first fruits to the Sanctuary. Whereas we know that the intended destination for these fruits is Har HaMoriah (the Temple Mount in Jerusalem), this exact location is not provided in the Torah. The only details given about the location are, “the place that Hashem your G-d will choose.” The term, “the place that Hashem your

G-d will choose” appears on another six occasions in the Torah, and there are more than a dozen other occasions where this location is referred to without explicitly stating where it is. Surely it would have been easier to write “Har HaMoriah” or “Jerusalem”. Why is the exact location not disclosed? Rambam (Moreh Nevuchim 3:45) provides three reasons for hiding the exact location of the Sanctuary: First, if the other nations of the world were to find out the significance of the Temple Mount, many wars would be waged and much blood would be spilled over control of the area. Second, if the other nations were to find out the location of the Sanctuary, they would destroy it with all their might before the Israelites had even entered the Land. The third reason, which Rambam describes as being the main one, does not

refer to external dangers at all. Rather, if the Israelites were to find out the exact location of the Sanctuary, every tribe would want it to be within their portion and many internal arguments would erupt, potentially leading to a civil war. With these concerns in mind, the exact location was only revealed once the Israelites had already entered and settled the Land. With a few thousand years of hindsight and knowledge of the realities of today, we can truly appreciate the extent of these concerns. How much blood has been spilled in “holy” wars over control of the Temple Mount? To this day, control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount remain core sources of tension between us and our enemies. How much damage has been done over the generations to the location of our Sanctuary? Even in recent years, invaluable and irreplaceable archeological resources have been utterly destroyed by

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reckless underground construction. However, the greatest threat of all is from within. What chances do we stand of successfully defending ourselves against our enemies if we are internally divided? Every synagogue is a Mikdash me’at – mini Sanctuary. We should never allow Yerushalayim or any such symbol of togetherness to become a source of disunity.

Rabbi Danny Mirvis is CEO of World Mizrachi, and Rabbi of Ohel Moshe Synagogue in Herzliya Pituach. He is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www. mizrachi.org/speakers).

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27 AUGUST 2026

DESIRE FOR CHANGE! BY RABBI NAFTALI SCHIFF

A member of the community once asked me about the purpose of one of our Jewish Futures organisations. I began explaining that we aspire not simply to inform people, but to inspire them to grow as people and to live more purposefully. He stopped me mid-sentence. “Just a minute,” he said. “You want me to change?” “Yes,” I replied. “And I constantly want to grow in who I am, and I guess to change too.” Why should that be so shocking? Every time I met Rabbi Lord Sacks, of blessed memory, he would say almost exactly the same thing to me. “Naftali, there is transitive education and there is transformative education. You are in the business of transformative education. Anglo-Jewry needs you to continue doing exactly what you are doing.” Education can transmit information. But its highest purpose is surely transformation - to help us not only to become more knowledgeable, but to become more thoughtful, more intentional, more caring, more Jewish and more fully human. Transformation can certainly feel threatening. We become attached not only to our routines, but also to the perceived security of our present identities and sense of self. “This is who I am,” we say, as if who we are today is necessarily who we must be tomorrow. In fact, this mode of living is one of stagnation. Judaism rejects that notion. We are approaching a shanah chadashah, a new year. The Hebrew word shanah, year, shares its root with l’shanot, to change, and lehishtanot, to be changed. The yearly cycle returns, but for a healthy person, it must never merely repeat itself. Jewish time is not a circle. If it were, we would travel around the calendar only to arrive precisely where we began. Jewish time is considered a spiral. We revisit Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur,

Succot and Simchat Torah each year, but hopefully from a different perspective, from a fresh vantage point, with broader understanding, greater maturity and a more resonant heart. A new year in which nothing is new and nothing changes rather misses the point. These weeks of Elul and Tishrei are known as Yemei Ratzon - days of will, longing and desire. They recall the 40 days from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur when Moshe ascended Sinai to receive the second tablets and secure forgiveness for the Jewish people. Elul itself is famously read as an acronym for the words from Shir HaShirim: "Ani l’dodi v’dodi li”- I am for my beloved, and my beloved is for me.” There is the potential for mutual desire here. G-d stretches out His hand, as it were, at this time, inviting each of us to come closer. But we must choose to reach back. Heaven can open the door; it cannot force us to walk through it. The Talmud, Makot 10b, teaches: B’derech she’adam rotzeh leilech, molichin oto” - "a person is led along the path that he truly wishes to travel." Not the path he casually admires. Not the destination he claims to value while walking, or at times determinedly running, in the opposite direction. The path he genuinely wants. Desire creates direction. We say repeatedly in our prayers, Yehi ratzon - “May it be Your will.” In Ashrei we declare - "Retzon yere’av ya’aseh” - that G-d fulfils the desire of those who revere Him. But what is our ratzon? Homiletically, ratzon evokes ratz - to

run. What are we running towards? We can spend a lifetime running. Running to the next meeting, the next meal, the next deal, the next holiday, the next acquisition. Running around the rat race in pursuit of the next piece of cheese, only to discover that each achievement produces another appetite. We can be extraordinarily busy without moving anywhere meaningful. Elul asks us to stop running for long enough to ask where we actually want to go. What is my deepest desire? Not what do I feel guilty about? Not what do others expect of me? Not what resolution will sound impressive a r o u n d the Rosh Hashanah family table? What do I genuinely want to become? Do I want to become more patient? More generous? M o r e courageous? More learned? More present for my family? More sensitive to someone else’s pain? More committed to my people? More ambitious - not merely for myself, but for what I can contribute to the world? Real change rarely begins with a spreadsheet or strategic plan. It begins when “I ought to” becomes “I want to.” Rosh Hashanah is often translated as the “head or beginning of the year.” Perhaps it can also be understood and adopted as the beginning of change - the moment when we decide the direction in which the real me shall choose to travel. Its prayers are not small. We do not ask merely for personal comfort or a trouble-free year. We pray for a world transformed; for goodness to triumph; for evil to dissipate; for human dignity to be restored, and for every person to recognise

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that life has purpose. But changing the world cannot remain someone else’s job. The world changes when people change. Communities change when individuals refuse to remain static. The Jewish future changes when we decide not merely to inherit Judaism, but to own it, to deepen it, to live it and to ensure its mode of transmission is communicated more powerfully than previously. So, as another year approaches, the question is not simply whether we desire a better year. Do we genuinely desire to change for the good; to grow; to become better people; to truly transform the world which we necessarily share with so many others? This is not an exercise in bluff. Our prayers are not mantra or parroted recital. This is the serious business of being a Jew approaching Rosh Hashana. If we truly desire change, we may actually discover that a fresh and rejuvenating path of positive transformation is already opening before us; that genuine change is the elixir of a life worth living; that bravely embracing the desire to change is the true and only path to a real SHANA TOVA. Good luck! Shabbat shalom!

In this column, Rabbi Naftali Schiff reflects upon 3 key words each week relating to contemporary and relevant issues. All feedback is welcome - nschiff@ jfutures.org. Rabbi Schiff is the Founder & CEO of the Family of Jewish Futures networks of educational organisations.

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The Finest Generation BY RABBI MOSHE TARAGIN

In the modern world, financial accounting generally operates on an annual cycle. Companies issue yearly financial reports. Individuals file annual tax returns. Banks provide year end statements detailing activity, gains, and losses. Once a year, we stop and take financial stock. The Torah establishes a different rhythm for agricultural obligations. The cycle of terumot and maasrot unfolds over three years. During the first two years, maaser sheni is separated, while in the third year it is replaced by maaser ani, the tithe designated for the poor. At the conclusion of each three-year cycle, a person must ensure that all outstanding tithes have been properly distributed. On the final day of Pesach following the third year, a person formally declares that he has fulfilled these obligations according to halacha. At its core, this declaration is a financial and moral accounting. He looks back over the previous years and affirms that the portion of his produce belonging to others, including the poor, has reached its proper destination.

CONFESSING SUCCESS Yet our tradition gives this ceremony of accounting a striking name: Vidui Maaser, the confession of the tithes. We generally associate confession with sin, failure, and regret. Here, however, a person confesses what he has done correctly. This atypical use of the word vidui suggests that confession encompasses something broader than admitting wrongdoing. It means taking an honest account of ourselves before Hashem. A genuine self-assessment cannot focus only on our failures. It must also acknowledge our strengths, our accomplishments, and the obligations we have successfully fulfilled.

HONEST ACCOUNTING For many people, this is harder than it sounds. We are often more comfortable cataloguing our shortcomings than acknowledging our accomplishments. Religious seriousness can intensify that instinct. We worry that recognizing our strengths will lead to complacency or self satisfaction, and so our attention naturally gravitates toward what remains unfinished, where we have fallen short, and what we still need to improve. But honest accounting cannot be selective. Just as exaggerating our virtues distorts the truth, ignoring them does as well. We need to identify the habits that require change, but we also need

to recognize the values we have already internalized and the responsibilities we have learned to carry. Vidui Maaser asks us to stand honestly before Hashem, conscious of both our failures and our faithfulness. Only then do we raise our eyes heavenward and ask Him to look down upon His people and bless them. Honest self-accounting becomes the prelude to prayer.

VIDUI IN ELUL As we enter the period of Elul and the High Holidays, confession will take center stage in our efforts at teshuvah and self improvement. Obviously, our vidui will focus upon our flaws and weaknesses, identifying areas that require improvement and personal growth. This is as it should be. The road to change begins with honesty and acceptance rather than denial and self deception. However, we must avoid diminishing ourselves by focusing solely upon our failures while ignoring the areas in which we have succeeded and grown. For teshuvah to be authentic, it must embrace the entirety of our experience, both our achievements and our shortcomings. Otherwise, vidui risks becoming a ritualized catalogue of failure rather than an honest encounter with the self. There is another reason this broader accounting m a t t e r s . Recognizing our strengths is important not only because it gives us a more truthful picture of ourselves, but because those strengths can become the basis for further growth. Just as refusing to acknowledge our weaknesses prevents teshuvah, failing to recognize our strengths leaves us unaware of what we already possess and can build upon.

A NATIONAL ACCOUNTING What is true of individuals is also true of generations. As we stand before Hashem, we stand before Him not only as individuals but also as a people. Hashem governs the destiny of nations, and certainly the destiny of the nation He chose to represent Him in this world. Our generation has its share of moral and religious failures. We have fallen short collectively, and there are national sins and shortcomings for which we must

seek forgiveness. Yet ours is also a generation of giants, one that has heroically defended our nation under attack for three years. This struggle has placed enormous strain upon us collectively, and still we refuse to relent in our responsibility to defend the land Hashem restored to us. A truthful national accounting must make room for both: our failures, but also the courage, sacrifice, and responsibility this generation has displayed.

HAVE THE GENERATION DIMINISHED? One religious instinct can sometimes make it difficult for us to speak this way about our own generation. There is a phrase in our tradition that is sometimes applied too broadly: nitkatnu hadorot, literally, “the generations have diminished.” In certain areas this is unquestionably true. Generations closer to the original transmission of Torah possessed a more authoritative understanding of its meaning and halachic structure. We therefore defer to earlier generations and grant their rulings greater weight in determining h a l a c h i c practice. Presumably, generations closer to revelation also possessed greater spiritual and moral potential. Living nearer to the direct transmission of Hashem’s word created possibilities for religious refinement and moral greatness that later generations may find more difficult to attain. But greater potential does not guarantee greater performance. Tanach itself records the devastating moral and religious failures of generations that lived far closer to revelation than we do. But decline in authority or spiritual potential does not mean decline in every form of Jewish commitment, courage, and sacrifice. The principle of nitkatnu hadorot cannot mean that every succeeding generation is simply a pale shadow of the one before it. The past several generations have displayed extraordinary greatness. We rose from the ashes of the Holocaust, rebuilt Jewish

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identity and Jewish communities, restored Jewish sovereignty, and transformed a vulnerable young state into a powerful and flourishing country under almost unimaginable pressure. The past three years have only reinforced that truth. Our people have stood courageously against enemies intent upon destroying us and against a global resurgence of hatred toward Jews. A generation capable of such courage, sacrifice, and commitment can hardly be described as a generation of diminished Jews. During the coming weeks, we must make room for this as well in our emotional and religious self assessment. Alongside our collective failures, an honest vidui must acknowledge our courage, resilience, and self sacrifice. And perhaps we should do more than acknowledge these achievements; they should also shape the way we pray. Without arrogance or irreverence, we can approach Hashem with a measure of humble confidence, pointing to the extraordinary courage our people have shown in defending the land He promised us and the people He chose. Our prayers should carry not only the voice of petition, but also a measure of expectation. This is the posture of honest confession: clear eyed about our shortcomings, but equally willing to acknowledge what we have achieved, both individually and collectively. Like our ancestors, who fulfilled their responsibilities, we too can turn to Hashem and say: we have tried to fulfill the responsibilities history has placed upon us. We ask You now to fulfill the promises You have made to Your people.

The writer is a rabbi and educator at Yeshivat Har Etzion (Gush). Find his latest book, Reclaiming Redemption, Vol. II: Faith, Identity, Peoplehood, and the Storms of War, at mtaraginbooks.com.

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Ravaging Ravens CHULIN 95a

BY RABBI YAKOV SCHONBERG

MIN HA'AYIN

UNDERSTANDING THE REAL HALACHAH OF BASAR SHE'NISALEM

Few areas of kashrus are as commonly misunderstood as the laws of basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin (“meat that has been out of sight”). In popular usage, the term has become synonymous with any food left unattended. A sandwich placed in an office refrigerator, a meal left overnight in a hospital kitchen, or food left momentarily alone is often assumed to be prohibited because it was “unsupervised.” In fact, the halachah of basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin is considerably narrower, and many situations commonly attributed to it actually belong to an entirely different area of kashrus law: sending kosher food with a non-Jew who might switch it with non-kosher food. Distinguishing between these two halachos is essential for understanding their proper application, as different criteria apply. A classic example of this misunderstanding is the oft-repeated apocryphal story of a switched sandwich on a plane journey, which we will see was a mistaken understanding of the halachah by the person who invented the story.

THE SOURCE The source for basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin appears in the Gemara in Chullin 95a, where Rav rules that meat hidden from one's sight becomes prohibited. At first glance, the ruling seems surprising. If a person places a piece of kosher meat on a table, leaves the room briefly, and later returns to find it in the same place, why should it become forbidden? Rashi explains that the concern is substitution. Since the meat was no longer under observation, perhaps the original kosher meat was exchanged for non-kosher meat. Yet this explanation immediately raises another question. How could such an exchange realistically occur?

THE BASIS OF RAV'S DECREE The Gemara records an unusual incident that served as the background for Rav's ruling. Rav observed someone washing an animal's head in a river. The head slipped into the water, and when it was retrieved, two heads emerged instead of one. From this remarkable event, Rav concluded that objects

can unexpectedly become mixed with others, leading him to formulate the prohibition of basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin. According to Rashi and Tosafos, the practical concern was that birds such as ravens might snatch a piece of meat, as is their nature, and later accidentally drop a different piece they had snatched in its place. The Rambam offers a slightly different explanation, suggesting that rodents rather than birds could remove the meat. Nevertheless, the underlying concern remains the same: the original meat may have disappeared and another piece taken its place.

THE TIMING OF THE DECREE The Yerushalmi (Shekalim 7:2) offers a different perspective on the decree, relating that when Rav arrived in Bavel from Eretz Yisrael, he saw people lenient with forbidden foods and therefore imposed this stricture. The Korban HaEidah explains: Rav observed that Jews living among non-Jews were often indifferent about leaving meat with them. This decree was part of a broader tightening of kashrus controls. Nevertheless, the Yerushalmi illustrates their laxity with a similar head-washing story. Rav saw someone about to wash his meat in the river and walked away, leaving it there. When he returned to take the meat, Rav forbade it, saying that perhaps the river current had washed away the piece he left behind and brought another non-kosher piece in its place. The Aruch HaShulchan (Yorah De’ah 63:4) argues that although the Yerushalmi indicates that Rav initiated this decree, that cannot be the view of the Bavli, which queries his prohibition from a Mishnah that ruled such meat permitted. This prohibition must already have existed in Mishnaic times; otherwise, the Gemara could not challenge Rav with a Mishnah. Evidently, the Bavli holds that this was a preexisting prohibition, which Rav reinforced after the head-washing episode. Interestingly, the Yerushalmi brings a second story in which a vulture snatched meat from someone and dropped it at a distance. The person went to retrieve his meat, and Rav prohibited its consumption, saying that perhaps the vulture had been carrying non-kosher meat, which it dropped, and took his meat instead. This supports Rashi’s understanding that the Bavli case involved birds snatching the meat.

THE DISPUTE AMONG THE RISHONIM The scope of Rav's ruling became the subject of major disagreement among the Rishonim. The Rambam, Ramban, and several other authorities rule in accordance with Rav that meat left

unsupervised is prohibited. In contrast, Rashi, Rabbeinu Tam, the Ba'al HaMaor, and many of the Tosafists rule like Levi, Rav's disputant. Levi rejected Rav's decree, considering the possibility of such substitution too remote to justify prohibition. A third opinion, advanced by the Rashbam and accepted by the Rashba, charts a middle course. They agree that meat is not prohibited merely because it was temporarily out of sight. However, if there is concrete evidence that something unusual occurred—for example, a bird was seen carrying away the meat, or the meat disappeared and later reappeared under unexplained circumstances—the possibility of substitution becomes sufficiently real to justify concern. Thus, the disagreement is not whether substitution is theoretically possible, but how much evidence is required before halachah takes that possibility seriously.

SHULCHAN ARUCH AND REMA The Shulchan Aruch first records the stringent ruling of the Rambam, stating that one who leaves meat in his home, such that no one watches it, may not use it unless 1) he marked it with a siman, 2) he can identify it visually and know it is the same meat, or 3) he left it wrapped and sealed (Yoreh De’ah 63:1). He subsequently cites the more lenient opinion of the Rashbam and the Rashba, that the halachah of basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin does not apply if he found the meat in the same place where he left it (Yoreh De’ah 63:2). The Rema explicitly rules that Ashkenazic practice follows the latter opinion in the Mechaber. Consequently, ordinary meat that has merely been out of sight does not become prohibited unless there is actual reason to believe that it disappeared or was replaced. Although the Mechaber appears initially to adopt the Rambam's stricter position, later Sephardic authorities record that the accepted custom in many Sephardic communities likewise followed the more lenient approach. Thus, in practice, the strict understanding of basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin has limited application.

UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT Several Rishonim explain that Rav's decree reflected the realities of the environment in which he lived. The Meiri emphasizes that the discussion concerns places where birds regularly carried meat from one location to another. The Rambam likewise speaks of situations in which rodents freely entered homes and had ready access to food. These descriptions portray a world very different from modern life. Ancient homes frequently contained domestic animals, open courtyards, and easy access for birds and rodents. Meat was

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27 AUGUST 2026 often left exposed in ways uncommon today. Accordingly, even authorities who accepted Rav's ruling understood that it presupposed realistic circumstances in which animal substitution could occur. This historical perspective has important practical consequences. A person who places a kosher lunch in an office refrigerator, leaves for several hours, and later finds the same lunch where it was left has not encountered the classical case of basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin. There is no realistic suggestion that birds or rodents removed and replaced the food. Similarly, food left overnight in a hospital refrigerator or in one's own home ordinarily does not become prohibited merely because no one observed it continuously. Only where there is genuine evidence that the food disappeared or was moved under unexplained circumstances does the discussion become relevant.

ENTRUSTING FOOD TO A NON-JEW Many situations mistakenly labeled basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin actually involve a different halachah, which we discussed in Daf Topics 231, in connection with seals (chosamos), concerning kosher food entrusted to a non-Jew for transportation or safekeeping (Yoreh De’ah 118). Here, the concern has nothing to do with birds or rodents. Rather, Chazal feared that the non-Jew might intentionally substitute non-kosher food to profit financially. For this reason, Chazal required identifying seals when food is entrusted to a nonJew. Depending on the circumstances, one or two identifying seals are required to ensure that the recipient receives the identical food originally sent. This halachah applies not only to meat but to any food that could realistically be substituted with a prohibited equivalent. Unlike basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin, the laws of chosamos revolve around motive. Where a financial advantage exists, substitution becomes a realistic concern. Valuable kosher meat, dairy products, wine, and similar items may require secure identification because replacing them with cheaper alternatives could yield profit. Conversely, where no realistic gain exists, the concern diminishes considerably.. To contact Rabbi Schonberg, please email, yschonberg@gmail.com To find out more, you can sign up at mercazdafyomi.com and receive a free gemoroh.

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Parashat Ki Tavo

Parashat Ki Tavo continues Moshe’s final address to the Jewish people as they prepare to enter the Land of Israel. Moshe begins by teaching the mitzvah of bringing the first fruits, the Bikkurim, to the Beit Hamikdash and declaring gratitude to Hashem for bringing the Jewish people into the Land. This beautiful ritual reminds us that when we experience success, we should not take it for granted, but recognise where our blessings come from and express our gratitude. The parashah then describes the special covenant between Hashem and the Jewish people. Moshe reminds them that they have

chosen to walk in Hashem’s ways, and in turn, Hashem has chosen them as His treasured nation. This relationship carries both privilege and responsibility. Being part of the Jewish people is not simply an identity; it means living according to the values and responsibilities of the Torah. A major theme of Ki Tavo is the contrast between blessing and curse. Moshe explains that listening to Hashem’s commandments will bring blessing, while turning away from the Torah can bring hardship and consequences. The long section of the Tochacha, the rebuke, is one

actions and remain connected to Hashem. As the Jewish people stand on the threshold of entering the Land, Moshe is preparing them not only for a new place, but for a new stage of their national life. Ki Tavo reminds us that true blessing comes with responsibility, and that gratitude should be accompanied by action. We are challenged to appreciate what we have, live according to our values, and remember that our relationship with Hashem should remain at the centre of our lives in both good times and difficult ones.

of the most serious passages in the Torah. Although its warnings are difficult, its message is ultimately one of responsibility: our choices have consequences, and the way we live matters. Ki Tavo therefore teaches us an important lesson about gratitude, responsibility and perspective. When things go well, we should remember that our success is not simply the result of our own efforts. Like the Bikkurim, we should pause and acknowledge the source of our blessings. At the same time, when life becomes difficult, the Torah encourages us to reflect on our

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