Terror, trauma, and toughness: A Jewish immigrant’s journey through October 7 | Commentary
Yakov Grinshpun, who was born in the Soviet Union at the end of WWII in...
Jewish Journal Opinion
The importance of grandparents | Commentary
Judith Levy, the New York Times best-selling author of “Grandmother Remembers,” talks about the importance...
Lauderhill firefighter Joshua Schwabenbauer’s gift of life | Commentary
Sharon Schwabenbauer says that the most powerful way to honor her son Joshua, and many...
A historic encounter: My visit to the Vatican on the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate | Commentary
Rabbi Hector Epelbaum recounts his visit to the Vatican where he explored the impact of Nostra Aetate,...
How Christmas can actually benefit Jews | Commentary
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman writes "when approached thoughtfully, Christmas can function as a once-a-year invitation...
Bondi Beach will only make us stronger | Commentary
Rabbi Kievman speaks of the tragedy in Bondi and urges South Floridians to attend Hanukkah...
The Maccabees weren’t symbols — they were fighters | Commentary
Chanukah is often described as a festival of light, warmth, and resilience. That description is...
After Bondi Beach attack, our light will not be dimmed | Letter from Jewish Journal editor
Celebrations all around South Florida and the country were filled with Jews, proving to everyone...
Chanukah in South Florida | Commentary
Throughout the state of Florida, Chabad will be organizing scores of giant menorah displays and...
What Chanukah can teach us about confronting antisemitism | Commentary
Every menorah in a window is not only a Jewish ritual; it is an act...
The everyday Israelis behind the headlines | Commentary
Ariel Zwang, CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee urges the world not to...
After 2 years in storage, I put up the Hanukkah bear | Letter from the Jewish Journal editor
Fear led Jewish Journal editor Jessica Tzikas to forgo displaying an inflatable Hanukkah bear on...
Honoring a 105-year-old Holocaust survivor who feared a repeat of history | Commentary
Delray Beach resident Ruth Nussbaum died on Nov. 15 at 105 years old. As a...
Two sisters, two worlds apart: How one survived the Holocaust the other knew nothing about | Commentary
Bea Lewis speaks with her sister, Evelyn, about her Holocaust survival story.
Don’t forget your cup of kindness | Commentary
Judith Levy expresses the importance of giving back, especially for those who have experienced hardship...
A Thanksgiving reflection from a Jewish perspective | Commentary
Rabbi Bruce D. Forman says "may this year’s Thanksgiving table be a place where we...
A blueprint for belonging | Commentary
Audra Berg, President and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County says, "when the...
One lesson of NYC’s mayoral election: Rabbis’ political endorsements come with a cost | Commentary
Aaron Dorfman writes that political endorsements "flatten what should be nuanced and expansive; divide the...
The wicked rabbis | Commentary
"Elections end, but certain images remain. During the New York City Mayoral race, one aspect...
The traveling Jew | Commentary
Andy Greenberg recounts his international travels, all of which have Jewish ties.
In the tunnels of Gaza, hostage Eli Sharabi found a way to be a blessing | Commentary
Rabba Sara Hurwitz looks to the courageous former Hamas hostage, Eli Sharabi, who lived for...
Rooting out Islamophobia must be a priority | Commentary
Jewish social justice educator, Donna Nevel, discusses the normalization of Islamophobia within our society.
My Jewish studies students aren’t talking about Israel or antisemitism. They told me why. | Commentary
A professor at Tulane University asked her students why they do not want to talk...
How the Florida Holocaust Memorial in Tallahassee came to be | Commentary
Former state Sen. Eleanor Sobel recounts the decade-long process of creating a Holocaust memorial in...
The holy aspect of the hostage reunion | Commentary
The inclusion of the Shehechiyanu blessing by many of those weeping parents signified that their...
Lech Lecha: The psychology of leaving and becoming | Commentary
The Torah portion for Nov. 1 recounts Abraham's journey to Canaan and his covenant with...
How syllabi shaped the Oct. 7 campus celebrations | Commentary
For decades, universities have elevated intellectual traditions that glorify political violence while sidelining those that...
Building the Middle East of Oct. 8 | Commentary
Writer and public speaker Margaux Chetrit asks: How do we raise the generation of October...
South Florida’s Jewish students deserve a fair shot at higher education — without crushing debt | Commentary
The Jewish Educational Loan Fund ensures that no Jewish student within their region has to...
Why moving to senior living was the best decision after losing my spouse | Commentary
Judith Levy wonders where life leaves you after your partner is gone and you must...
Standing strong after Oct. 7 | Commentary
In South Palm Beach County, children attend public and day schools without hiding their identity....
A sukkah in the park: Miami-Dade celebrates Sukkot | Commentary
Miami-Dade county has allowed the Jewish community to erect a Community Sukkah at Highland Lakes...
As Sukkot approaches, Jewish community must stay vigilant amid rising antisemitism | Commentary
South Florida’s Jewish community is preparing to celebrate Sukkot, a holiday that represents joy, unity,...
Finding our why | Commentary
We spend so much time engaged in the very necessary practice of Jewish defense —...
The books are open | Commentary
The books in heaven are open for just a short while. On Yom Kippur, when...
The work of T’shuvah: wringing out the soul | Commentary
As we enter the year 5786, may we release what no longer serves us, return...
Atonement and renewal: The High Holy Days as a path to health and happiness | Commentary
We often think of the High Holy Days as exclusively spiritual. But research from psychology...
Make it sweet like honey, honey! High Holidays 101 | Commentary
“Shana Tova Umetuka” or “may you have a good and sweet year” is what we...
Are the trails getting steeper or am I getting older? | Commentary
After her sisters recent death and as Rosh Hashana nears, avid hiker Marilyn Shapiro uses...
‘This is why we teach’: Palm Beach County teachers journey through Holocaust memory | Commentary
Now, our teachers can say, “I stood there. I saw it.” And our students will...
The demonization of Israel: The newest form of the oldest hatred | Commentary
Elliott Broidy, Co-Chairman of the Fund to End Antisemitism, Extremism, and Hate, writes that "hatred...
From warning to reality: How America became what Europe feared | Commentary
The CEO of the Anti-Defamation League asks how America has become outwardly antisemitic, a fate...
With Miami-Dade budget cuts, a world is at stake | Commentary
Jewish Community Services of South Florida and the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies call...
Is it safe for Jews? | Commentary
In the wake of increased antisemitism, Bob Levenson wonders if America is safe for Jews.
Prayer in Judaism: Does God really require me to say every word in the Siddur? | Commentary
After 50 years leading various congregations in prayer as a Hazzan, Cantor Mitch Martin is...
What ancient Jewish wisdom can teach us about getting better sleep | Commentary
In a world that glorifies hustle and treats exhaustion like a badge of honor, we...
The abandonment of Jewish therapists: Antisemitism in the mental health field | Commentary
Not only have Jewish clients shared their harmful experiences with their therapists since Oct. 7,...
Jew vs. Jew rhetoric breaks hearts in a bitter internal debate about the Gaza war | Commentary
The current conversation pits fierce defenders of Israel and the war in Gaza against what...
How to protect yourself from fraudulent nonprofits | Commentary
From time-to-time, disaster relief appeals relieve you of well-intended, but stolen donations. These situations provide...
The empathy of today’s Germany | Commentary
Viewing current events through the lens of German policymakers, stakeholders, and ordinary citizens helped explain...
Rebuttal: Keeping kosher in South Florida | Commentary
Marvin Schulman rebuts a previous op-ed in the Florida Jewish Journal about Jewish law, stating...
As the world turns, nothing changes | Commentary
On Aug. 3, Jews around the world observed the fast day of Tisha B’Av, which...
From muss to marriage: A love story written in Israel | Commentary
In honor of Tu B’Av, a story of how a chance encounter spending a semester...
I was kicked out of an antisemitism watchdog group after asking a question. What has happened to us? | Commentary
Groups on both sides take an all-or-nothing approach to politics: Either you accept everything we...
We lost the war | Commentary
History, they say, is written by the victors. But in this war, there are no...
Don’t call it ‘Alligator Auschwitz.’ But do get angry, demand better | Scott Maxwell
Don’t call it ‘Alligator Auschwitz,' writes columnist Scott Maxwell. But do get informed about the...
The temple is on fire | Commentary
Once a year on Tisha B'Av, the 9th day on the Jewish month of Av,...
Voyage of the damned | Commentary
Last December marked the anniversary of a now-forgotten event, the first of two inexplicable acts...
Why culture and connection may be the best medicine for loneliness | Commentary
Whether you’re seeking community or looking to help others find it, the Levis JCC Sandler...
After the sirens: Returning to everyday life after an unexpected encounter with war | Commentary
Debbie Koristz, associate director of advocacy and programming for American Jewish Committee (AJC) Palm Beach,...
My Jewish pride has only gotten stronger | Letter from the Jewish Journal editor
Jewish Journal editor, Jessica Tzikas recounts her first five months on the job and what...