1/10 I want to take a moment before Shabbos to respond to the backlash to this tweet. I Tweeted this more as a raw outburst than a polished thought. While I don’t apologize for the sentiment I was trying to express, I realize in hindsight I regret it since this deserves more nuance and articulation. Serious discourse requires more than 280 characters — I will try to do some of it in this thread - 2/10 The backlash—including from close friends and family—was a reckoning for me, not on the substance of my message but on the nature of the medium. I realized that even though I don’t consider my words to be of much consequence, things written on a public platform carry a charge that I overlooked.

Like many Jewish people who were always critical of Israel, things changed on October 7th.
Not just the horrors and trauma of the October 7th massacre - many of us felt betrayed by our friends, especially on the left. For most of us, it reinforced a deep-seated fear that when the Jewish people face an existential threat, the world seems to look the other way. > We saw people openly gloating while our blood was being spilled. We saw people who were totally oblivious to our pain and anger. For most, it reinforced the basic idea of Zionism, that Jews need a state and the ability to defend themselves. And if there was ever a justified war, we felt that this one is >

Today we reaffirm our love to Hashem and to Klal Yisroel.
Part of that is to not turn a blind eye to extreme elements amonst us.
Yesterday, a phone store in Bnei Brak was burnt down by religious extremists.
Today, a Jewish mob nearly lynched a group of Arab youth in Bat Yam.

https://twitter.com/orly_brami/status/1577733490262654984

Defending your own and judging them favorably is human and virtuous but when group loyalty renders you oblivious to evil done in the name of your religion or nation, that's toxic herd mentality which fosters and emboldens the darkest forces amongst us.

WhatsApp status is the orthodox alternative to social media. Mrs, Katina from Monroe, a foster mom to a few kids with Down syndrome posted on her status that her girl wants help assembling her dollhouse.
Here is how it went down.
7:34 pm: any volunteer available a dollhouse? 10 minutes later a Chaverim volunteer shows up to the house.

I received a treasure trove of photographs of Old Williamsburg in the 50s. I don’t know whom to credit for it but they’re too good not to share.

1. Windows #Strollers

Friends, let me tell you a story.

In 2014, in the midst of the unrest in Ukraine, I went to Kyiv for a story I was writing.
On Friday, I realized I won’t make it home for shabbes.
A friend connected my to a guy Hillel Cohen. “You can always crash there last minute” they said > I showed up to Hillel late Friday afternoon.
Hillel and his wife have a large family and a small home but I’m pretty sure the house miraculously expanded on Friday night.
There were probably two dozen people from all walks of life. Hillel and his wife were like family to them >

When we were kids, We knew who those monsters are, and sadly, that they can act with impunity.
We were told to stay away as if our safety is our responsibility.
Thanks to people like @MordyGetz , kids growing up today can at least know that their safety is OUR concern. > A lot of people are talking about due process as if it’s inevitably that justice will be done, but sadly, as Rabbi Kats points out, Brauner is a great example of someone who destroyed hundreds of children’s lives yet faced next to zero accountability. >

It’s hard to overstate the significance of what went down the last few days with the Walder saga. For those unfamiliar, here is a summary: Chayim Walder is inarguably THE most eminent Charedi writer in Israeli but not just a writer, over the last decades he’s built an empire > In the 90s he was a pioneer in contemporary storytelling with an emotional and educational angle. In a sense he’s the father of children’s and teen’s literature for Charedi youth His books and columns became the gold standard of good writing >

The kids in cages weren't enough for you.
The condoning Nazis and Qanon lunatics wasn't enough for you.
The overt racism and cruelty wasn't enough for you.
The rape and sexual assaults weren't enough for you.
It's too late to jump ship. Just hang your head in shame. Let's not fool ourselves. If the coup would have been successful, most of those cowards would've willfully cooperated. Let's not forget who they -- they are already working aggressively to rewrite history.

🚨🚨🚨Trump interferes in Israeli elections:
1) Bibi started this election cycle with 3 indictments and almost no chance of victory.
2) Bibi desperately tries to divert attention from the criminal cases. Fights to postpone hearing on his immunity until after the elections.
>>> 3) B&W party fought back and won, the hearing was scheduled for this Wednesday.
4) Pence comes to Israel and extends an invitation for a “very important briefing” that happens to be on Wednesday.
>>>