Losing an election is never easy. When you invest your time, energy, and hopes into a campaign, defeat hurts. The test is whether the campaign achieved something meaningful. In that regard, I believe it did.
You should be incredibly proud of what you accomplished. Putting your name on the ballot, standing up for what you believe in, and earning the support of more than 2,245 voters is no small feat. Those votes represent real people who believed in your message and your vision.
One of the most damaging trends in today’s educational environment is the relentless push for absolute uniformity. This pressure contradicts one of the most foundational principles of Torah: “Shiv’im Panim LaTorah” — the seventy legitimate faces of Torah (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15).
Like every year, the road was not without its challenges. This winter brought snow, icy conditions, delays, detours, and moments of frustration. Yet, thank G-d, none of it proved truly consequential to our overall route or to our lives in general. And perhaps there is an important lesson hidden within that.
Many people are being led to believe that when a lawsuit is filed against a neighbor, shul, school, or local business, “nothing happens to the defendant” because insurance will handle everything. That is simply not accurate.
Not long ago, being on the sidewalk didn’t require constant alertness for fast-moving vehicles whizzing by. But times have changed. Today, people of all ages are zooming down sidewalks and streets on electric scooters and bikes, many with little to no experience operating them.
If a relationship cannot stop a politician from advancing policies that burden the neighborhood, then what value does that relationship truly hold? In fact, moral hazard dictates that politicians will feel comfortable supporting such measures precisely because they know that the community activists will prioritize access over accountability.
Everyone talks about the “shidduch crisis.” We discuss demographics, age gaps, resumes, references, and matchmaking strategies. But there is another crisis quietly unfolding in our community: the normalization of saying no before giving something a real chance.
We cannot afford to sit back, to be intimidated by the “big guys” in Albany, or wait for someone else to step forward. The current situation is indeed aggravating, our anguish though must be channeled into action. We can do better for our brothers and sisters, and because we can, we must. Let us stop just fighting what is being built, and start building what we need.
Rabbi Vidal could easily have said, “It’s only stickers.” He could have explained that it was Erev Yom Tov, that the school was closed, that he was busy, and that the drive was far. Anyone would have understood. But he didn’t, and he changed the world.
Let’s talk about what’s happening to many young Jewish men during Shana Rishona — the first year of marriage.
During the past Mayoral election, there was a Lubavitcher chosid running against incumbent progressive council member Crystal Hudson. None of the leadership on any level in Crown Heights supported this Lubavitcher candidate because they said he didn’t have a chance to win, and they weren’t wrong.
Respectfully, we expect more from your office than simply echoing Mayor Mamdani’s personal agenda on this issue. Brooklyn deserves independent leadership that rises above one-sided rhetoric and represents all communities fairly, especially during such sensitive times.
There’s no excuse. When bochurim drink in their apartment during “Bein”, the yeshiva administration needs to deal with them as if they had gone to a movie or had broken into the yeshiva kitchen.
It’s against the Rebbe, Chasidus and Torah to drink. Having one little lchaim in the right setting is fine. Any Mashpia under 40 according to the Rebbe isn’t allowed to drink. If the Mashpia tells you otherwise he is lying.
This is not against therapy. It is not against the idea that emotions affect the body. And it is not against listening to what our bodies are telling us. Whether all this is actually true or not, the real issue is much deeper.
Recently, I’ve been noticing something that feels new in Crown Heights. You start hearing it in conversations, you see it mentioned in articles—breathwork, trauma, emotion code. Suddenly, everyone seems to have an opinion.
