Yaakov Ort

Dear Friend, In my wonderfully multi-cultural Jerusalem neighborhood, there are more than 100 synagogues, each founded by Jewish immigrants from different parts of the world, each with their own unique customs. In the century-old Iraqi shul downstairs fro...

Dear Friend, This past Shabbat in Jerusalem, less than a mile from the site of the Holy Temple, a guest at our table reminded me that “expectations are resentments waiting to happen.” Indeed, predetermining the future is often the surest route to disappoi...

Dear Friend, One of the many great delights in working with the Chabad.org/news team is learning about and covering, day in and day out, the extraordinary work of Chabad-Lubavitch shluchos around the world. This past week, their work was highlighted once ...

Dear Friend, Every complete lifetime is lived in three stages—childhood, adolescence and adulthood—and the Torah’s wisdom, from the practical to the esoteric, is an extended guide to how we and our children can most meaningfully navigate through each stag...

Dear Friend, Sometimes we just need help from Above. When a person is trapped in quicksand, his every instinct is to move. But every effort to get himself out only drags him down deeper. He can be freed only when he cries out for help and is willing to ta...

Dear Friend, There are so many special days on the Jewish calendar, and it’s often the case that the ones we know the least about are those that can make biggest difference in our spiritual lives. Take 15 Shevat, the “New Year for Trees,” which we celebra...

Dear Friend, During the first nine days of the Hebrew month of Av, the Jewish people experience sorrow and mourning. The destruction of the Holy Temples on the ninth day of Av is both a historical fact and an eternal remembrance of national, personal and ...