A Mamdani canvassing volunteer writes of their experiences in the YU Commentator: “Mamdani’s election has been portrayed as a symbol of a changing political landscape and city. My experiences put me in touch with many who pushed these changes…” yucommentator.org/2025/11/canv...

Rabbi Jamie Weisbach in our dvar Torah for Lech Lecha this week: “The Malbim points out that the text emphasizes that Avraham went to save Lot, not his property, and was only motivated by the direct threat to Lot’s very life. Avraham’s motivations to go to war were good and even noble..."

Israeli authorities just issued demolition orders for 13 buildings in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair – including family homes and the community center. ✍️ Congress must speak out: Stop the demolitions and pressure the Trump Administration to act.

Whole podcast is worth listening to -- and thank you to @peterbeinart.bsky.social for giving our High Holiday reader a shout-out around 29 minutes in! (You can find links to our yamim noraim reader and all of our Torah publications here: halachicleft.org/torah)

An anti-Mamdani rabbis' letter was organized by The Jewish Majority, which is led by an AIPAC alum. But the letter was also signed by liberal rabbis, revealing how some are leaning when confronted with a choice between their progressivism and their Zionism. jewishcurrents.org/anti-mamdani...

"Two American Jewish women are facing deportation from Israel after joining interfaith groups for the olive harvest in the West Bank on Wednesday." www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

My Halakhic argument against the starvation of Gaza: thelehrhaus.com/timely-thoug...

Scenes from an intensely joyful and painful Hoshanah Rabbah... 1/

Seeing such familiar names now being released seems utterly surreal. Just an incredible moment

Lishay’s last post before putting the girls to bed: “For two years now, every night we go out under the moon and say, "Good night, Daddy Omri," hoping he hears, hoping he feels. Today, for the last time. Tomorrow, Roni and Alma will say it to Daddy himself 🎗️ “ Credit: Ofir Berman

ברוך מתיר אסורים!

Einav's first call with Matan after two years Unbelievable

Breaking News: Israel said the Red Cross had custody of some of the hostages in Gaza who were to be released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

Came out of Yom Kippur to this terrible news -- our hearts are with the UK Jewish community 💔❤️‍🩹

Ahead of Yom Kippur, we're sharing our Suggested Tzedakah page from our Yamim Noraim reader. We encourage you to donate to any of the following initiatives: Gaza Soup Kitchen: bit.ly/gaza-sk Umm Al-Kheir: bit.ly/umm-al-kheir Palestine Children's Relief Fund: bit.ly/pcrf-gaza

You can now download a half-page version of the pdf to print yourself a folded booklet. Duplex (two-sided) printers: drive.google.com/file/d/1kfHN... Non-duplex printers: drive.google.com/file/d/146Ot...

✨ "Ya'aleh Zikhroneinu," our essay collection for the High Holidays, is now live! Download and print it out to read over the chagim here: bit.ly/hl-reader-5786 ✨

✨ "Ya'aleh Zikhroneinu," our essay collection for the High Holidays, is now live! Download and print it out to read over the chagim here: bit.ly/hl-reader-5786 ✨

@khalilsayegh.bsky.social 's father died from lack of medical attention in December 2023 while taking shelter in a church in Gaza. If he can still retain his humanity--and insist upon the incalculable preciousness of all life--so can we

‼️ When the author of the book shows up to the Halachic Left Book Club meeting...! Thank you to Prof. Avi Shlaim for his surprise appearance at our Zoom discussion of his book "Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew," and for graciously answering all of our questions!

"Yes, you don’t trust Hamas, but Israel doesn’t allow reporters in...Every bit of information that I’ve been able to ascertain, and I read different things, and I listen to reports from doctors, is that it’s a [humanitarian] crisis [in Gaza]." - R' Yosef Blau www.jta.org/2025/08/28/i...

Didn't get to make our Tisha B'Av zoom programming last week? Watch Rabbi Leead Staller's shiur "Why Do We Fast on Tisha B'Av?" here! www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtK0...

Gazan Palestinian @motazazaiza.bsky.social: “my grandmother is starving in Gaza… my neighbor was killed by a sniper when trying to get flour.” #JewsSayNoMore

“We are called on to stop this chillul Hashem! We are called on to say ‘Eicha!’” — @bradlander.bsky.social #JewsSayNoMore

Thank you to everyone who joined our Tisha B'Av Zoom programming! Special thank you to Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz @rps.bsky.social and Rabbi Leead Staller for teaching!

TODAY!!!!

Join us in coalition with other Jewish groups this Monday (8/4, the day after Tisha B'Av) in NYC! Register here: innmvmt.org/stopstarvation

"[O]n Sunday, the Halachic Left will hold a silent vigil on 96th Street on the Upper West Side, outside the subway station beginning at 8 am EST. Members plan to dress in black and hold photos of those killed in Gaza and sit in silence." religionnews.com/2025/08/01/t...

As well as essays and original tefillah...

Featuring Palestinian voices from Gaza in place of traditional commentaries...

Our Tisha B'Av reader in collaboration w/ @atlcol.bsky.social is just as relevant, if not more, this year. You can download it (with a preface for 2025/5785) here: drive.google.com/file/d/1FDnU...

Breaking update from Umm Al-Khair, Masafer Yatta: Today, over 70 women from Umm Al-Khair have begun a hunger strike, demanding the immediate return of Awdah Hathaleen's body which is still held hostage by the Israeli occupation, after he was murdered by a well-known settler terrorist on Monday.

Our Tisha B'Av reader in collaboration w/ @atlcol.bsky.social is just as relevant, if not more, this year. You can download it (with a preface for 2025/5785) here: drive.google.com/file/d/1FDnU...

Come to this year's Tisha B'Av Zoom programming -- including group learning of selected kinnot, a screening of the short film Seven Jewish Children and Q&A with director Omri Dayan, and shiurim with R' Leead Staller & Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz @rps.bsky.social Sign up here: bit.ly/9av-zoom

At a recent forum of The Halachic Left, Zackary Sholem Berger reports, participants sought examples in Jewish law "that expressed humanist and moral values rather than nationalist ones."

קען מען זײַן פֿרום און פּאָליטיש לינק־געשטימט? איין אָרגאַניזאַציע זאָגט אַז יאָ. אויף אַ פֿאַרזאַמלונג לעצטנס פֿון „די הלכהשע לינקע“, שרײַבט שלום בערגער, האָט מען געזוכט אין דער הלכה יענע פּרינציפּן „װאָס זײַנען נישט נאַציאָנאַליסטיש, נאָר הומאַניסטיש און מאָראַליש.“ forward.com/yiddish/7592...

Join us in coalition with other Jewish groups this Monday (8/4, the day after Tisha B'Av) in NYC! Register here: innmvmt.org/stopstarvation

"I want to live in peace. I want to raise my children in peace. I don’t want them to experience the occupation. I don’t want them to suffer like I do." www.972mag.com/awdah-hathal...

We’re having online programming again this year on 9 Av. We'll have closer learning of selected kinnot, a screening of the short film Seven Jewish Children along w/ a director Q&A, & shiurim from R' Leead Staller & Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz @rps.bsky.social. RSVP: bit.ly/9av-zoom

well. @rps.bsky.social seals the deal, for me. i'm signing up

We’re having online programming again this year on 9 Av. We'll have closer learning of selected kinnot, a screening of the short film Seven Jewish Children along w/ a director Q&A, & shiurim from R' Leead Staller & Dr. Rivka Press Schwartz @rps.bsky.social. RSVP: bit.ly/9av-zoom

"[A] group of traditionally observant young Jews gathered last week to engage in an age-old form of rabbinic inquiry to address what they see as the moral crisis in Judaism today: the war in Gaza." Coverage of the HL Forum from Yonat Shimron for @rns.org: religionnews.com/2025/07/28/a...

Our colleague and longtime +972 Magazine contributor Awdah Hathaleen was shot dead in a settler attack on his village, Umm al-Khair, in Masafer Yatta. Read Awdah's contributions to +972 Magazine through the link: www.972mag.com/writer/awdah...

Jews say: Let food into Gaza! When: Monday 7/28, 6pm Where: Across from the Israeli Consulate (800 2nd Ave.) We’re calling on Israel to immediately allow a surge of aid into Gaza to prevent further deaths, and to make a deal NOW to bring the hostages home and end this awful war. NYC, join us.

Columbia student Aharon Dardik on @peterbeinart.bsky.social's substack (~10 min preview for those who aren’t paid subscribers) talks about his childhood in an Israeli settlement, refusing to serve in the Israeli army, & being a religious Jew for a ceasefire: peterbeinart.substack.com/p/how-a-mind...

Profs. Michal Raucher & Joshua Shanes in JTA: "We need [American Jewish leaders] to say that Israel’s actions are wrong because they violate the principles that have shaped us and motivated us: never again for anyone." www.jta.org/2025/07/25/i...

Dr. al-Farra also lost most of the family in this war. 44 members of the family, including 7 children killed by IDF bombs, in 3 different airstrikes. 👇🏼

"Dr. al-Farra said the number of children dying of malnutrition had risen sharply in recent days. He described harrowing scenes of people too exhausted to walk..." www.nytimes.com/2025/07/24/w...

We've returned from lunch! Tune in!

Can’t be here in person? Watch the livestream! www.youtube.com/live/dUlRged...