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Halachic Left
@halachicleft.org
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Halachic Left is changing the conversation about Israel/Palestine in traditionally observant Jewish communities
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halachicleft.org
🔥🕎 Thank you to all in the Cambridge/Boston area who came out last week to hear Shaul Magid's Chanukah shiur and to help raise money for Legal Aid for Palestinians (LEAP)! 💸
Shaul Magid speaks about Chanukah to a group in Cambridge at the event "From Darkness to Light" Latkes and sufganiyot from the Butcherie in Brookline Shaul Magid speaks to a group of about 20-25 people at the event "From Darkness to Light" Three people light candles for Chanukah at the event "From Darkness to Light"
December 25, 2025 at 8:14 PM
halachicleft.org
🔥 Thank you to Miko Zeldes-Roth @mikozr.bsky.social who taught at our event with @newisraelfund.bsky.social NIF NewGen on Tuesday night, "Celebrating Chanukah Beyond Jewish Supremacy" -- and to everyone in Chicago who came out!
Chanukah sameach! 🕎
Miko Zeldes-Roth standing in front of a screen that says "Celebrating Chanukah Beyond Jewish Supremacy, 12.16.2025" A group of about twenty people sitting around a table at the event "Celebrating Chanukah Beyond Jewish Supremacy" Miko Zeldes-Roth speaks to attendees at "Celebrating Chanukah Beyond Jewish Supremacy" as people eat latkes and read their source sheets.
December 22, 2025 at 2:58 PM
halachicleft.org
🔥🕎🍩 Thank you to everyone who came out Tuesday night or joined us over Zoom to hear @motownrabbi.bsky.social's shiur for Chanukah!
You can watch the recording here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox0m...
Happy eighth night!
Around a dozen people sitting around a living room listening to Rabbi David Polsky give a Chanukah shiur A table with partially eaten pans of latkes, along with sour cream and applesauce Around fifteen people sitting around a living room listening to Rabbi David Polsky give a Chanukah shiur
December 21, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Halachic Left
motownrabbi.bsky.social
If you can’t make it in person you can still participate over Zoom.
December 15, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by Halachic Left
motownrabbi.bsky.social
New Yorkers:
Tomorrow night I’ll be giving a shiur on the UWS for @halachicleft.org on the song “Mi Yimalel” and how it denies traditional Jewish beliefs and the Rabbinic conception of Chanukah. We will also explore traditional Jewish texts suggesting non-violent understandings of Gevurah/power.
halachicleft.org Halachic Left @halachicleft.org · 17d
🔥🕎 Tuesday of next week (12/16) in NYC (Upper West Side) & over Zoom! Food/schmoozing starting at 6:30pm, shiur+Zoom starting at 7pm EST.

Please RSVP here (especially important if you’re coming in person — we need to estimate how many latkes/donuts/sufganiyot we need 🥔🍩):
bit.ly/hl-chanukah
"‘The Might of Israel’?: The Heresy of a Popular Chanukah song” with Rabbi David Polsky Tuesday, Dec. 16, 6:30-8pm, Latkes and sufganiyot served NYC, Upper West Side (*addresses sent to RSVP list) + Zoom option Sign up at bit.ly/hl-chanukah The Zionist Chanukah song “Mi Yimalel” (written in 1936 by Menashe Ravina) plays off a Biblical verse to extol the military might of the Jewish people. After noting the ways in which it denies traditional Jewish beliefs, we will explore Jewish texts that provide alternative, non-militaristic understandings of gevurah (power). Rabbi David Polsky is a rabbi and educator living in Southfield, MI, with his wife and children. A graduate of Yeshiva University Rabbinical School (RIETS), his main research interest is the intersection between Halakhah and values. He recently published a Halakhic argument against the starvation of Gaza.
December 15, 2025 at 6:31 PM
halachicleft.org
"[The Vilna Gaon] notes that every major event in Jewish history repeats on a constant cycle for every generation...Our generation is struggling with the contemporary version of the Hannukah struggle as Hellenistic militarism has spread far and wide."
yaaqovshenkin.substack.com/p/a-time-for...
A Time for Purim, A Time for Hannukah
Reflections on violence and war in the light of Hannukah with Rav Khein.
yaaqovshenkin.substack.com
December 14, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by Halachic Left
fieldsmeyer.com
Wisdom from my friend Becca Levis on another shattering day
"I just need to name the immense pain and deep messiness of being a Jewish person who deeply abhors Israel's actions in Gaza over the past two years and also is committed to fighting antisemitism across the political and ideological spectrum and ensuring collective liberation and flourishing..."
December 14, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Reposted by Halachic Left
ariehkovler.com
Jewish groups are circulating the hebrew names of the injured for the traditional prayers for healing. Just got sent these:

* Reuven Ben Manya
* Chaya Mushka bas Shterna Sara
* Feivel Eliezer ben Dobra Bella
* Arsan ben Amelia
* Yaakov Dov ben Pnina
* Yaakov ben Ethel
* Moshe Yonatan ben Tziporah
December 14, 2025 at 11:10 AM
halachicleft.org
Rabbi Eli Schlanger, murdered in the attack in Australia, had been learning with a man in prison for several months. Last week he was released, & R' Schlanger wrote this beautiful post celebrating it, including how it coincided w/ Yud-Tes Kislev (the release of the Alter Rebbe from prison)
The day the Alter Rebbe left prison… is the day he did too. For the past several months, I’ve been learning weekly with a Jewish man in prison. Week by week, through Torah, tefillah, and simply showing up for him, I watched his spirit slowly rebuild itself. Before Rosh Hashanah, we learned together about the power of prayer, and I encouraged him to speak to G-d from the depths of his situation and to envision the sound of the shofar whenever he prayed. A few weeks later, he came to our video session holding a small Chabad siddur he had “miraculously” found. After being unexpectedly moved to a different area of the prison, he went to straighten a messy bookshelf and the very last book on that shelf was an English Chabad siddur. Torn first page, no explanation, no way to know how it got there. He told me, with tears in his eyes, “Rabbi, this was G-d telling me He’s here with me even in a place like this.” And then came yesterday, which was the 18th of Kislev the very day, historically, when the Alter Rebbe’s (the first Chabad Rebbe) release from prison was decided. Yesterday morning I went to court wearing my chaplaincy badge to support him. Through a series of unbelievable turns, the judge granted his release, with one of the conditions being ongoing study and spiritual guidance. Every detail felt orchestrated. I jumped into the car and traveled to Nowra Correctional Centre waiting to greet him as he walks out. He lay tefillin outside the prison walls, we sang the song Tzeitchem L’ shalom (as we would do whilst he was inside, over zoom on Friday afternoons) and we danced to the words Thank you Hashem! We farbrenged the whole way home and by the time he arrived home it was already after dark, he stepped into freedom on Yud-Tes Kislev, the day we celebrate the day of liberation of the first leader of the Chabad movement. This is not coincidence. This is open, revealed Divine Providence. [continued in next photo] [photo of a man (with his faced blurred) standing outside a car wearing tefillin] [post continued below] And it’s exactly the kind of impact that becomes possible when we follow the guidance of the Alter Rebbe and the Chabad Rabbeim, invest in people at their lowest moments and give them a path back to dignity, hope, and Judaism. Wishing you all a gut Yom Tov!
December 14, 2025 at 4:52 PM
halachicleft.org
🔥 CHICAGO: join us for Chanukah food and learning with Miko Zeldes-Roth! RSVP here: secure.nif.org/a/celebratin...
Join NewGen Chicago and Halachic Left for a Chanukah gathering, where we will learn, eat (kosher) latkes, and light candles together.
Celebrating Chanukah Beyond Jewish Supremacy 7:00pm 16 December Sketchpad Chicago Co-sponsored by NIF NewGen Halachic Left Our hope for a future grounded in justice, dignity, and safety for all who live in Israel/Palestine can, in part, be realized if we come together to celebrate this holiday outside of Jewish supremacy.
December 12, 2025 at 1:03 AM
halachicleft.org
Boston area people! Join us next Thursday, Dec. 18 (the fifth night of Chanukah) at 7pm for a fundraiser for Legal Aid for Palestinians (LEAP), an organization that provides legal support and representation for Palestinians living in the West Bank.
secure.nif.org/a/darkness-l...
From Darkness to Light Join us in Cambridge for an evening of food, music, and solidarity. Opening remarks form Shaul Magid. All funds raised will be directed toward Legal Aid for Palestinians (LEAP). Address provided upon registration.
December 11, 2025 at 1:58 AM
halachicleft.org
🔥🕎 Tuesday of next week (12/16) in NYC (Upper West Side) & over Zoom! Food/schmoozing starting at 6:30pm, shiur+Zoom starting at 7pm EST.

Please RSVP here (especially important if you’re coming in person — we need to estimate how many latkes/donuts/sufganiyot we need 🥔🍩):
bit.ly/hl-chanukah
"‘The Might of Israel’?: The Heresy of a Popular Chanukah song” with Rabbi David Polsky Tuesday, Dec. 16, 6:30-8pm, Latkes and sufganiyot served NYC, Upper West Side (*addresses sent to RSVP list) + Zoom option Sign up at bit.ly/hl-chanukah The Zionist Chanukah song “Mi Yimalel” (written in 1936 by Menashe Ravina) plays off a Biblical verse to extol the military might of the Jewish people. After noting the ways in which it denies traditional Jewish beliefs, we will explore Jewish texts that provide alternative, non-militaristic understandings of gevurah (power). Rabbi David Polsky is a rabbi and educator living in Southfield, MI, with his wife and children. A graduate of Yeshiva University Rabbinical School (RIETS), his main research interest is the intersection between Halakhah and values. He recently published a Halakhic argument against the starvation of Gaza.
December 10, 2025 at 5:43 AM
Reposted by Halachic Left
halachicleft.org
Come to our Chanukah shiur⁩, either in-person in NYC (UWS) or over Zoom! 🔥🕎🍩
Tuesday 12/16, 6:30pm EST to arrive in person/schmooze, with shiur starting around 7:00pm

Sign up here: bit.ly/hl-chanukah
"‘The Might of Israel’?: The Heresy of a Popular Chanukah song" with Rabbi David Polsky Tuesday, December 16 • 6:30pm • Latkes & sufganiyot served NYC, Upper West Side (*address sent to RSVP list) + Zoom option Sign up at bit.ly/hl-chanukah Shiur description: The Zionist Chanukah song “Mi Yimalel” (written in 1936 by Menashe Ravina) plays off a Biblical verse to extol the military might of the Jewish people. After noting the ways in which it denies traditional Jewish beliefs, we will explore Jewish texts that provide alternative, non-militaristic understandings of gevurah (power). Rabbi David Polsky is a rabbi and educator living in Southfield, MI, with his wife and children. A graduate of Yeshiva University Rabbinical School (RIETS), his main research interest is the intersection between Halakhah and values. He recently published a Halakhic argument against the starvation of Gaza.
December 2, 2025 at 7:18 PM
halachicleft.org
Come to our Chanukah shiur⁩, either in-person in NYC (UWS) or over Zoom! 🔥🕎🍩
Tuesday 12/16, 6:30pm EST to arrive in person/schmooze, with shiur starting around 7:00pm

Sign up here: bit.ly/hl-chanukah
"‘The Might of Israel’?: The Heresy of a Popular Chanukah song" with Rabbi David Polsky Tuesday, December 16 • 6:30pm • Latkes & sufganiyot served NYC, Upper West Side (*address sent to RSVP list) + Zoom option Sign up at bit.ly/hl-chanukah Shiur description: The Zionist Chanukah song “Mi Yimalel” (written in 1936 by Menashe Ravina) plays off a Biblical verse to extol the military might of the Jewish people. After noting the ways in which it denies traditional Jewish beliefs, we will explore Jewish texts that provide alternative, non-militaristic understandings of gevurah (power). Rabbi David Polsky is a rabbi and educator living in Southfield, MI, with his wife and children. A graduate of Yeshiva University Rabbinical School (RIETS), his main research interest is the intersection between Halakhah and values. He recently published a Halakhic argument against the starvation of Gaza.
December 2, 2025 at 7:18 PM
halachicleft.org
Thank you to everyone who came out last week to hear Yoav Peck in conversation with our student moderator Ami Dube, in partnership with @jstreetu.bsky.social at Hunter College!
Yoav Peck and Ami Dube in conversation at a Halachic Left / J Street U Hunter event on Monday, 11/24, in an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A group of people attending a Halachic Left / J Street U Hunter event with Yoav Peck on Monday, 11/24, in an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. A handout from the event titled "Beyond Persuasion: Principles and Practices for Effective Dialogue on Sensitive Issues"
December 1, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Reposted by Halachic Left
halachicleft.org
We're excited to announce that we've received a grant this upcoming year from the Jewish Liberation Fund! Through participatory grantmaking, grassroots donor organizing, and philanthropic transformation, JLF is building an alternative model for funding our social movements...
A photo of a participant asking a question at the Halachic Left Forum in July 2025. The graphic says "We're a Jewish Liberation Fund 2025-2026 grantee!" and includes the JLF logo and the Halachic Left logo. Original photo by Gili Getz.
November 30, 2025 at 8:42 PM
halachicleft.org
We're excited to announce that we've received a grant this upcoming year from the Jewish Liberation Fund! Through participatory grantmaking, grassroots donor organizing, and philanthropic transformation, JLF is building an alternative model for funding our social movements...
A photo of a participant asking a question at the Halachic Left Forum in July 2025. The graphic says "We're a Jewish Liberation Fund 2025-2026 grantee!" and includes the JLF logo and the Halachic Left logo. Original photo by Gili Getz.
November 30, 2025 at 8:42 PM
halachicleft.org
For our dvar Torah this week, Melvin Lewis writes on Parshas Vayeitzei:
"As Yaakov fled, he wasn’t thinking about the possibilities that might lie before him. Only when he lets himself rest and dream does he connect with the holiness of his situation..."
November 28, 2025 at 7:10 PM
halachicleft.org
For this week's dvar Torah, Rabbi Lexie Botzum asks, "Should we aspire to a love like Yitzchak has for Esav, or learn from it?"
She writes, "Even when we self-consciously assume a critical stance, we’re all at risk of replicating the faults of the obliviously loving Yitzchak..."
November 21, 2025 at 5:54 PM
halachicleft.org
"Jewish Peoplehood does not require political dominance to maintain its integrity. The challenge arises only when 'Jewish nationhood' is interpreted in modern statist terms—a framework that rabbinic literature itself does not mandate before the messianic era."
blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-hareidi-...
The Blogs: The Hareidi basis for peace in the Middle East
From the blog of Ofra Kaplan at The Times of Israel
blogs.timesofisrael.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:00 AM
halachicleft.org
A Mamdani canvassing volunteer writes of their experiences in
the YU Commentator: “Mamdani’s election has been portrayed as a symbol of a changing political landscape and city. My experiences put me in touch with many who pushed these changes…”
yucommentator.org/2025/11/canv...
Canvassing for Mamdani: What I Learned and What it Means - The Commentator
Editor’s Note: Although generally we do not publish anonymous pieces, we have decided to publish this piece anonymously for the author’s privacy.  A much-discussed part of the Zohran Mamdani victory t...
yucommentator.org
November 11, 2025 at 9:02 PM
halachicleft.org
Rabbi Jamie Weisbach in our dvar Torah for Lech Lecha this week: “The Malbim points out that the text emphasizes that Avraham went to save Lot, not his property, and was only motivated by the direct threat to Lot’s very life. Avraham’s motivations to go to war were good and even noble..."
October 31, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Halachic Left
jstreetdotorg.bsky.social
Israeli authorities just issued demolition orders for 13 buildings in the Palestinian village of Umm al-Khair – including family homes and the community center.

✍️ Congress must speak out: Stop the demolitions and pressure the Trump Administration to act.
Stop Demolitions in Umm al-Khair
None
act.jstreet.org
October 29, 2025 at 8:55 PM
halachicleft.org
Whole podcast is worth listening to -- and thank you to
@peterbeinart.bsky.social for giving our High Holiday reader a shout-out around 29 minutes in!
(You can find links to our yamim noraim reader and all of our Torah publications here: halachicleft.org/torah)
October 30, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Reposted by Halachic Left
jewishcurrents.bsky.social
An anti-Mamdani rabbis' letter was organized by The Jewish Majority, which is led by an AIPAC alum. But the letter was also signed by liberal rabbis, revealing how some are leaning when confronted with a choice between their progressivism and their Zionism. jewishcurrents.org/anti-mamdani...
Anti-Mamdani Letter Draws Support from Liberal Rabbinate
The letter revealed a split between liberal rabbis backing the mayoral nominee and those opposing him over his positions on Israel.
jewishcurrents.org
October 30, 2025 at 8:17 PM