Category: Aish

Why does Judaism celebrate Tu b’Shvat, the New Year for trees, right in the middle of winter when trees stand bare against a gray sky, seemingly lifeless? The answer reveals an essential lesson about personal growth and unlocking human potential. The timing of Tu B’Shvat emerges from deep roots in Jewish law. The Talmud in…

When 20-year-old Agam Berger, one of the young women recently released by Hamas in the hostage deal, was picked up by the Israeli military helicopter, she was handed a white board and offered to write a message to everyone, in Israel and beyond, watching and waiting for her reunion with her family. Agam’s message began…

Since October 7, 2023 many Israelis have sustained life-altering injuries, such as loss of limbs or brain injuries. From the peak of physical ability, they must adjust to loss of independence. Shmuel Klein can relate. Forty years ago, the former Monsey, New York resident suffered a traumatic injury. Just 22 years old, in his final…

In the aftermath of October 7, many Jewish college students are facing discrimination for simply being Jewish. Danielle Sobkin, a recent graduate of UC Berkeley in California, was stunned by what she saw on campus. “After October 7, I found myself in the eye of the storm,” she told Aish. “The antisemitism on campus was…

Ever said something you thought was totally clear but your spouse completely misunderstood it? Your words don’t exist in a vacuum—they get filtered through your spouse’s personal experiences, emotions, and subconscious triggers. That’s why two people can walk away from the same conversation with completely different takeaways. A number of factors shape how you hear…

Rabbi Nissim Binyamin Ohana served as the last Chief Rabbi of Gaza in the early 20th century. In many ways his fascinating life story illuminates lesser-known corners of the dramatic history of his generation and of the Land of Israel. From Algeria to Jerusalem and beyond Nissim was born in Médéa, Algeria, in 1881 to…

The first chapter of this journey focused on the unsettling ways in which former synagogues were converted, and the second chapter revealed the historic synagogues that were left abandoned. In this final chapter, we can draw some hope and inspiration from the pre-war synagogues which were meticulously restored. Warsaw, Poland Warsaw was a beacon of…