יום ראשון, כ׳ תמוז תשפ״וSunday, July 5, 2026
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Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is the Senior Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS), a rapidly-growing congregation of over 950 families and over 1,000 children in Boca Raton, Florida. BRS is the largest Orthodox Synagogue in the Southeast United States. Rabbi Goldberg’s warm and welcoming personality has helped attract people of diverse backgrounds and ages to feel part of the BRS community, reinforcing the BRS credo of “Valuing Diversity and Celebrating Unity.” For more information, please visit www.brsonline.org.
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Dan Bilzerian, who has 30 million Instagram followers, is on the ballot as a Republican in Florida’s 6th Congressional District. While he has little chance of winning, as an extremist, vulgar antisemite, his mere presence on the ballot combined with whatever percentage of the votes he will get, is jarring.
Nobody ever started keeping Shabbos because a rock was thrown at them or because they were told that if they do not, they are a bad Jew. People embrace Shabbos because they were lovingly invited to experience it, shown its beauty, exposed to its meaning. They were invited to learn about why it is important and right for them.
It is far too soon to truly process or respond to such a heinous crime. But anyone with a sensitive soul cannot avoid the question that rises unbidden in the heart. How do we light candles, gather with family, sing songs of gratitude, spin the dreidel, and eat latkes in the shadow of such devastating loss and tragedy?
Every single time I get into the ice bath I don’t want to. But I do it anyway and when I do, I am rewiring and changing my brain, not metaphorically or symbolically, but literally.
If rabbis begin to offer public endorsements, especially from the pulpit, will those who disagree with his conclusion still feel comfortable being part of that shul?
It is no coincidence that Israel courageously attacked Iran in the week the Torah portion tells us: “When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets, that you may be remembered before your God and be delivered from your enemies.”
Our response now must be as it like at Har Sinai, to turn to one another with a sense of oneness, love, and unity and to wish each other chazak
We must confront antisemitism but not just with stories or tours of Jewish victimhood. Instead of focusing on educating others, educate yourself, your children and Jews all around us to be living richly proud and practicing Jewish lives.
Firstly, he is the democratically elected National Security Minister of the State of Israel. Love him or hate him, the position and title he carries, and representing the Israeli citizens who elected him, I believe make him deserving of an audience and conversation.
An important lesson of the Now Jewish Nanny’s journey and the families that inspired her is to ask ourselves, if someone worked in our home, lived with our family, was involved in our lives and lifestyle, would that draw them closer to Judaism or push them away?
While the proliferation of technology and the distraction that comes with it is fairly recent, the struggle with being fully present is not a new phenomenon. Ask HaShem
GRATITUDE, We don’t need to wait for something extraordinary to say thank you.
The past 13 months have taught us that the world respects us and fears us when we show strength, might, and Jewish pride, NOT when we cower, apologize, or take orders from others.
On that day of apologies what struck me was not who offered them, but who did not.
Just like the antagonists and disputants who came before, Dan Bilzerian, Candace Owens and the raging antisemites of our time will not be effective and will not be remembered, but our sacred Torah and our timeless Talmud will continue to be learned around the world.
Tu B’Av is the holiday of bringing back together that which was apart
Examples of how channeling outrage into advocacy and outspokenness can make a difference.
But why be taught Torah in the womb to begin with if we are only going to be caused to forget?
Like all of the holidays since Simchas Torah, each community and individual needs to navigate how to observe and experience Lag B’Omer while a war rages in our homeland.
It is up to our rising to the moment, to be proud, practicing, moral, ethical, Torah Jews, to demonstrate we are indeed the chosen people.
Don’t underestimate the impact of a crumb. One mashehu, a drop of ink, is the difference between a hei of matzah and a ches of chametz. Don’t let the yetzer hara convince you not to care about the mashehu.
Twice the 20th of Sivan was designated as a day commemorating Jewish tragedies, and twice the observance faded until it is now entirely obsolete. Many observant Jews do not even know it was once a serious day of mourning.
Discretion is the better part of valor
If it is so hard to leave each time we come, why not stay, why not finally move? That question plagues me regularly and nobody asks it more forcefully than I do to myself.
Why be committed to a life and lifestyle that don’t do anything for me? Why does Judaism even matter, why continue to fight for it? Why does Israel matter, why not pack it in, set up shop in Uganda or accept the invitation of America and the West to assimilate, integrate and leave our separateness and apartness behind?
It is wonderful to go to Israel anytime, it is particularly meaningful to go during this time.
The storms of change are raging around us. The current is getting stronger and stronger and sweeping more and more people away. The only way to stay safe, and remain true to our values, our traditions and our obligations, is to make a commitment to not only hold on to Torah, but to demonstrate a willingness to swim upstream at times, to go against the tide, to dare to be different and to be willing to stand out.
Don’t look for a particular party, look for the heart and soul of those who “get it” on the issues that matter to us.
Our shul recently hosted Bret Stephens, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and foreign affairs expert. In his talk, he referenced a column he wrote for the New York Times reflecting on the atrocity of October 7th titled, “For America’s Jews, Every Day Must Be Oct. 8.” He opens: There used to be a sign (which, for […]
This is a time that we need to dig deeper, muster all of our energy, courage and resources to stand tall and proud and to be practicing Jews.
What adjustments are we making to our lives and routines to reflect that for so many of our people, nothing is normal?
As we mark the holiday of Thanksgiving this weekend, it is an opportunity to remind ourselves that the most authentic thanks is for that which we are tempted to take for granted and not even recognize at all
A Reflection on the Washington Rally
So what will be? How should we confront the new reality we have seen?
Our hearts, souls, and every fiber of our being must be in and with Israel, wherever we may physically be right now.
But what if, instead of being threatened by an AI god or religion, we can use it for inspiration in the relationship with the One and only true God, Hashem?
Hashem loves us so much. He showers us with blessing. If we would only take the time each day to think about it.
What else can we say but , B"H!
“Cheers to you all, welcome to my funeral.”
THE DEBATE OVER CNN'S TOWN HALLBY RABBI EFREM GOLDBERG
WHY YOU SHOULD CELEBRATE YOM YERUSHALAYIM
What Giannis and Frum Influencers Got Wrong
Prominent NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt recently argued that Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012), has been set up for failure due to a confluence of social media, bad parenting, and a culture that emphasizes victimhood.
When people become 'just spectators' to their own lives, they cannot act to improve their lives and to change what is going on in their lives any more than they can act to change what is going on in the movies or the soap operas.
In truth, a more apt name would be “No Yeshiva Week,” as schools and yeshivas close while many students and their families go on pilgrimage to exotic locations,
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF TWINS SEPARATED AT 6-MONTHS OLD
Time to wash our feet of the illusion that busyness=productivity
Yom Kippur is not a day to beat ourselves up, to knock ourselves further down. We are here to confront our mistakes, to think about failures and the times we have fallen, but to use them to give us the momentum, the energy, and the knowledge of how to fly. שזדונות נעשות לו כזכיות, your fall turns into your lift, into flight.
Work your schedule; don't let your schedule work you.
What is this mysterious place that Hashem wants us to find? Why doesn’t Hashem provide the coordinates for it? Why not give an address for Moshe to plug into his GPS?
Marriage is not only good for individuals to realize their potential and to become better versions of themselves, marriage benefits society as a whole
On April 11, 1944, a young Anne Frank wrote in her diary: Who has made us Jews different from all other people? Who has allowed us to suffer so terribly until now? It is God Who has made us as we are, but it will be God, too, who will raise us up again. Who […]
We have been denied access and opportunity. As recently as the 1970’s Jews and Blacks were unabashedly denied entry into country clubs in South Florida, an area thought of today as so Jewish.
For some, the “need to know” stems from a sense of “information is power.” Information is social currency and the more we know, the richer and more powerful we are
'- WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT IT?
The problem with the Meraglim was not having doubts, being concerned, or having insecurities.
Some suggest “cholent” comes from the French chaud ("hot") and lent ("slow"). The opposite of cholent is “nonchalant,” which means cold and disinterested.
What Tony Robbins is teaching in the 21st century, Judaism has taught since its inception thousands of years ago.
We can admire and learn from people who are able to find the extraordinary strength to see the oneg while understanding and empathizing with those who are having a hard time seeing past the negah
Happiness, simcha, is not something that we stumble or trip upon by accident. It is the result of a conscious decision, a determined attitude.
Mordechai understood the antidote: To stand firm, to stand strong, and to stand as a proud Jew, a Torah Jew. BE AN ISH YEHUDI, A PROUD JEW!
Nobody is better positioned to make Judaism alive, attractive and relatable than those who are both uncompromising on halachah while simultaneously engaged in society and participating in the greater world. We have the best platform and are poised to have the greatest success, we just need to care enough to try.
Many years ago, I took my children to the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. A guide took us around and was patiently describing the history of the world, showing us fossils with great enthusiasm, and talking in detail about prehistoric times. About 15 minutes into the tour, one of my daughters, four years old […]
With people increasingly hating us for being Jewish, we should double down on Jewish pride, Jewish practice and Jewish continuity.
Not all dreams are created equal.
There is a moral imperative to bring them home. International humanitarian law requires the repatriation of missing soldiers and civilians; Jewish law requires us to make all efforts to bring the dead to their final resting places.
In today’s age, it can be particularly challenging when much of our communicating takes place through typing or texting, where we may allow ourselves to use words digitally we wouldn’t use verbally
If it's legal does that mean it's also permissible according to Jewish law and Jewish values?
So many of us are caught in the hamster wheel of life--just get off for an instant to savor the moment
Happiness is not an emotion; it is a decision. Stop waiting passively to feel it and start actively choosing to be it.
Words can be weapons that diminish and destroy, or they can be tools and instruments that create, encourage and uplift
When we come through for others, when we ask how we can help, when we make the difference for them, we bring a piece of heaven down here to earth. Through our actions we build an actual stairway to heaven.
Don't sacrifice your life in pursuit of becoming an influencer, live your life to its fullest and you may just have an impact on others
Interview with Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks (z”l) May his memory be a continued light for the world
Obviously, we need to understand what drove the mistakes we made and feel remorseful for them, but we cannot and must not ruminate on them.
Moments like a worldwide outage can and should be opportunities to consider our own relationship with technology and time
The enduring image of 9/11 must not be people falling from buildings but of a nation lifting each other up.
For the remainder of Elul, as we continue to count down to Rosh Hashana, review your schedule regularly and make a conscious effort to have it reflect your values.
Is your word your bond? How do you want people to think of you?
We cannot control what knocks, but we absolutely can control what and when we let them in.
Hashem doesn’t provide the coordinates or the address, He wants us to draw the map in our relationship, to use our spiritual intuition to find Him, and to let Him in. The question is, "How? "
As endless and limitless as time may seem in our lives, in truth every single moment counts. T
At the core of recovery is acceptance and submission to God, a recognition that we cannot do it on our own, that we rely on Hashem and can only find the strength to endure and persevere if we attach ourselves to Him. In the heart of the meeting, attendees have the opportunity to share. I was blown away by the insight, depth and sincerity of those who opened their hearts.
We mistakenly think that our actions, choices, idiosyncrasies or even flaws are our own and affect only us. The truth is that we are actually wired to feel interconnected, we are designed to subconsciously connect and impact one another.
The Almighty doesn’t limit us to what yeshiva, seminary or school we graduated. He doesn’t only know us by what we wear on our head, how we voted, what nusach we daven, or if we eat gebrokts or kitniyos. Hashem is complex, His Torah is multifaceted and has seventy faces, and our personalities and practices are made up of many parts.
Bert Smith’s fall didn’t kill him. It saved his life.
The fact that we can taste something as bitter is an affirmation of how sweet our lives generally are.
Giving compliments and offering positive feedback shouldn’t be reserved for one day a year and shouldn’t be so unusual they are cause for a holiday and celebration. Compliments are a critical part of life.
Purim will essentially mark a full year of living through a pandemic that has radically changed our lives. While we are beyond grateful for the progress with treatments and vaccinations, the return to some sense of normalcy doesn’t seem imminent.
As we say good riddance to 2020, let’s not forget to count our berachos, on Friday night and throughout the week.
Whether reacting to a fallen sefer Torah in a community or someone’s personal illness, we are never in a position to tell people why things are happening to them. To do so, particularly with confidence and surety, is not only arrogant, it is to play God and compete with the Divine. It borders on heresy, even if you have “rabbi” before your name.
Erica Komisar wrote in the Wall Street Journal: As a therapist, I’m often asked to explain why depression and anxiety are so common among children and adolescents. One of the most important explanations—and perhaps the most neglected—is declining interest in religion. This cultural shift already has proved disastrous for millions of vulnerable young people.
Let’s not take life for granted, let’s not be satisfied with not dying
When looking out at the world, make sure to clean your windows first.
July 3, 2026 
