To what extent will you go to try to study Torah and more so Halachah? The determination of the Gaon of Brisk, Rav Yosef Dov Bear Soloveitchik z”l (1820-1892) to study by Rav Shlomo Kluger z”l (1785-1869) (From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds United Kingdom) From Christina Mattison Ebert’s D’rash Designs series It states in Parashat Bechukotai

Ambassador Vesa Häkkinen of Finland delivered a statement on World Press Freedom Day on behalf of the UK and 33 other countries, stressing that a free, independent media is essential to peace and security across the OSCE region and beyond Speech: World Press Freedom Day 2026: Joint statement to the OSCE I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States, members of the Informal Group of Friends on the Safety of Journalists: Austria, Canada, Denmark

by Elisheva bas Chana A Chosen People A journey which began with Avraham, when he broke his father’s idols, seeing other people worshipping the sun, moon, and the stars, and asked: “But who created them?” Avraham was alone in believing HaShem was One — Ein Od Milvado. Avraham and Sarah walked into the unknown when HaShem made the “Covenant of Bris Bein HaBitarim” with Avraham, and he became our first Patriarch. From Mitzrayim via Yam Suf, arriving at Har Sinai. The Jewish peo

by Rami ben Ze'ev Meron: Where the Hidden Torah Entered the World HaRashbi — Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — is not merely one sage among many. He marks a decisive turning point in how Torah is revealed and understood. He lived in a time when Torah stood under threat—physically from Roman oppression and spiritually from distortion. As a תלמיד (talmid — student) of Rabbi Akiva, he received the transmission of Torah in its fullness, both נגלה (Nigleh — revealed law) and נסתר (Nistar

by Ram ben Ze'ev A Language Abandoned Is a Covenant Forgotten It is a strange and unsettling reality that institutions once rooted in Torah now find themselves speaking a language that is no longer their own. Words that carried the weight of revelation, memory, and identity are quietly replaced—not by necessity, but by convenience. And with each substitution, something far deeper than vocabulary is lost. When an organisation replaces תהלים (Tehillim – Psalms) with a foreign t

by Elisheva bas Chana Lag B'Omer 5786 Lag B’Omer is a very special Jewish holiday on the 33rd day of Sefiras HaOmer — the counting of the Omer. For 49 days from Pesach till Shavuos, from the Exodus out of Mitzrayim till the day of Matan Torah at Har Sinai. Sefiras HaOmer is rooted in Kabbalah, the Etz Chaim, and the counting of the Omer is a time of spirituality. But how does the counting of the Omer relate to the anticipation and the preparations for receiving the Torah? Wel

by Ram ben Ze'ev A Nation That Stands Alone—and Therefore Endures There is a quiet error that has crept into the thinking of many within our Community: the belief that our safety, our continuity, or even our legitimacy depends upon the approval, sympathy, or protection of the Nations. It is an error not of politics, but of perspective. It reflects a forgetting—not of history alone, but of Torah itself. From the very beginning, our identity was never granted by the world, nor

by Ram ben Ze’ev Anger Without Torah Is Emptiness — A Community Adrift In recent weeks and months, Jews across the United Kingdom—and indeed across Europe and beyond—have found themselves confronting a steady and deeply unsettling rise in open hostility. Knife attacks in our streets, assaults on visibly Jewish individuals, threats against synagogues and schools, and the quiet, relentless drumbeat of intimidation have all become part of daily awareness. These are no longer iso

A story told by Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein ז"ל Art by, Rochelle Blumenfeld The New York Times was very interested in this Jewish observance called Shabbos. Looking to inform their readers and the general public about the nature and nuances of this day, they decided to send a reporter named Steve to a religious home, who would participate in all aspects of Shabbos observance and report back about his inside experience. Steve began making phone calls, searching for the most su