Michael Freund

Zohran Mamdani’s triumph is not only his; it is the triumph of an ideological shift in which antisemitism no longer carries a political cost. Just the opposite. It has become socially acceptable.

From Yemenite Jews in Operation Magic Carpet to Soviet refuseniks, Ethiopian families, and Bnei Menashe from India, Isaiah’s vision has been realized in our own time.

Every hour that Gaza remains under ceasefire without Hamas’s total and irreversible defeat is an hour that Israel’s future security remains at risk. 

Just as Noah emerged from the ark to rebuild civilization, Israel emerges from centuries of dispersion to rebuild its land and infuse it with holiness.

The images of young men starved and tortured in propaganda videos released by their evil Hamas captors seared the conscience of our people.

As we sit in our sukkot, exposed to the elements, let us remember Ezekiel’s message: Though the storm may rage, Israel’s destiny is secure. 

For the joy of Sukkot is not a sign of naivete; it is a declaration that Israel’s story will end not in fear but ultimately in redemption.

As we celebrate Sukkot this year, amid the shadows of Oct. 7, let us draw strength from the songs of Moses and David.

This small Adriatic nation, nestled between the mountains and the sea, with barely 600,000 citizens, has a rich Jewish history.

Shabbat Shuva is not merely a pause between two holy days. It is a bridge – between past and future, sin and forgiveness, exile and redemption.