by Ram ben Ze’ev The Bitter Reality: Nearly Two Years On From 7 October Nearly two years on from the atrocities of 7 October 2023, Israel is being forced to confront a grim and painful truth. Our countrymen and women who were seized that day were not hostages in the sense of being bargaining pawns alive and awaiting release. Many were murdered outright, their bodies taken into Gaza to be exploited for propaganda and political extortion. The case of Ilan Weiss—murdered defendi

by Ram ben Ze'ev Gandhi’s Error: Why Non-Violence Alone is a Betrayal of Life Mahatma Gandhi is often remembered as the prophet of peace, the great teacher of non-violence. Yet a closer look reveals that his philosophy, applied absolutely, was not only naïve but destructive. Gandhi advised Jews facing Nazi annihilation to offer themselves up willingly, even to the extent of being “thrown into the sea” without resistance. He called Hitler “my friend” in his letters, hoping to

by Ram ben Ze’ev When a Shield Is Reduced to a Star: B’nai Brith Canada’s Leadership Crisis A father publicly boasts that his daughter told him not to wear a Star of David necklace, and instead of correcting her, instead of teaching her that it is not a star but מגן דוד (Magen David – the Shield of David), he broadcasts it to the world as if it were some profound moment of wisdom. This is not wisdom. This is failure — as a parent, as a Jew, and as someone entrusted to repres

by Ram ben Ze’ev Do We Have a Mazal? The Disingenuous Borrowing of Holiness In the high-end watch markets of New York City, and in other luxury trades, a curious phenomenon has taken hold. Non-Jewish dealers have begun to conclude their deals with the word “mazal.” Sometimes they even phrase it as a question: “Do we have a mazal?” To the casual observer, it might seem harmless, even charming — an echo of Jewish tradition. But beneath the surface, this practice is neither auth

by Ram ben Ze’ev The Mob Owns Nothing, But Claims Everything We live in an age where every person with a smartphone believes they are entitled not only to an opinion but to an audience for that opinion. The public square has become a digital mob arena where nothing is too small, too distant, or too irrelevant for self-appointed critics to inject themselves into. This sickness is not harmless. It corrodes management decisions, weakens institutions, and erodes our cultural fab

by Ram ben Ze’ev Chasdei Hashem Lo Tamnu – The Endless Kindness of G-D When the Prophet cries out in איכה (Eichah/Lamentations): chasdei Hashem ki lo tamnu (חסדי ה׳ כי לא תמנו – “The kindnesses of G-D have surely not ended”), the language itself calls our attention. Why say lo tamnu – “we have not been brought to an end” – instead of lo tamu – “they, the kindnesses, have not ended”? The Alter Rebbe, in concluding Iggeret HaKodesh Ten, explains the hidden meaning: the survi

by Ram ben Ze'ev Labour Party Too: How the Conservatives Lost Their Soul After Cameron It is often said that a nation gets the government it deserves. But what happens when a political party ceases to deserve its own name? From my perspective, the last truly convincing conservative to lead the Conservative Party was David Cameron. One need not have agreed with all his policies — I didn’t — to acknowledge that he embodied the essential characteristics of a conservative leader

by Ram ben Ze’ev Elul: When the King Leaves the Palace and Enters the Field In the Jewish calendar, time is not only measured—it is lived. Each month carries its own spiritual current, its own opportunity for transformation. As we move now toward the close of the month of Av, we approach the beginning of Elul, which this year will begin at sundown on 25 August 2025. For Jews, this is not simply another date on the calendar. Elul is the final month before the new year begins w

by Ram ben Ze’ev Mazel Tov in the Broken Glass: Finding the Good Flow in Life’s Resistance and Spaces A glass slips from your hand, crashes to the floor, and shatters. In most cultures, the reaction would be a groan, perhaps even anger at the inconvenience. But in Jewish life, the room may erupt in a chorus of mazal tov (מזל טוב). For many, the phrase is loosely understood as “good fortune.” In truth, its meaning is far deeper — “good flow” — a blessing that the divine energ