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Hebrew Synagogue Welcomes UK Court Clarity on Biologically Specific Facilities

Jewish Dispatch | News | 22 May 2026
Hebrew Synagogue Welcomes UK Court Clarity on Biologically Specific Facilities Hebrew Synagogue has today confirmed its support for the legal clarification provided by the United Kingdom Supreme Court and subsequent Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance regarding the use of single-sex facilities based upon biological sex under the Equality Act 2010. The organisation confirmed that this position will apply across all facilities operated by Hebrew Synagogue throughout the United...

The Judeo-Christian Fiction: Stop Claiming What Is Not Yours

Jewish Dispatch | News | 5 February 2026
by Ram ben Ze’ev The Judeo-Christian Fiction: Stop Claiming What Is Not Yours In January 2020 I wrote Judeo-Christian Divide to address a growing falsehood: the claim that Judaism and Christianity share a common religious foundation. In the years since, that falsehood has not diminished. It has intensified. Today, ever more voices from foreign belief systems insist on associating themselves with Jews, with Israel, and with Judaism itself, as though repetition might somehow transform...

When Death Becomes Theatre: The Idolatry of Public Praise

Jewish Dispatch | News | 13 January 2026
by Ram ben Ze'ev When Death Becomes Theatre: The Idolatry of Public Praise The modern world has developed a ritual which it treats as sacred: the instant public tribute. A famous person dies, and within minutes a chorus begins. Social media floods with accolades, praise, affectionate “rememberings,” and grand pronouncements, as though death itself confers holiness — as though the grave has the power to sanctify a life that was never virtuous. Men who were alive yesterday as complicated,...

When Words Are Corrupted, Meaning Is Lost

Jewish Dispatch | News | 21 December 2025
by Ram ben Ze’ev When Words Are Corrupted, Meaning Is Lost Language is not a cosmetic choice in Judaism. Language is the vessel of truth. The Torah does not merely describe reality; it creates it. G-D spoke, and the world came into being. When we alter the words, we alter the world they shape. Today, our message is in crisis, not because Jews have forgotten how to speak, but because we have grown careless about what we speak. Even within Jewish publishing houses, educational institutions,...

The War on Words: How the Nations Distort Our Holiest Language

Jewish Dispatch | News | 9 December 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev The War on Words: How the Nations Distort Our Holiest Language Language is not neutral. For ישראל, it is the vessel through which קדושה enters the world. When the nations take our sacred words, reshape them, and hand them back to us with their meaning hollowed out, something essential is lost. Holiness becomes obscured, and the identity of our people is quietly eroded. Few examples reveal this more starkly than the distortion of שבת (Shabbat, rest) into the Christian term...

When Titles Overshadow Torah

Jewish Dispatch | News | 5 October 2025
A historical shift in leadership has placed public image above halakhic fidelity — a trend that demands careful discernment by Ram ben Ze’ev A historical shift in leadership has placed public image above halakhic fidelity — a trend that demands careful discernment There is a dangerous trend in contemporary Jewish leadership: the elevation of titles and public platforms above fidelity to Torah. Throughout our history, titles have never been the source of spiritual authority. Genuine leadership...

Sanctifying Idolatry: The Praise of Charlie Kirk

Jewish Dispatch | News | 12 September 2025
by Ram ben Ze’ev Sanctifying Idolatry: The Praise of Charlie Kirk Charlie Kirk, a young Evangelical firebrand, was assassinated in Utah. His death has triggered an extraordinary wave of sanctification, with media outlets elevating him almost overnight to the level of a saint. What is most troubling, however, is not the idolatrous exaltation of the nations, but the eagerness of Jews—including Jews in Israel—to join in this chorus of praise. By applauding Kirk, they are not honouring Israel;...

When Jews Commit Blood Libel

Jewish Dispatch | News | 29 July 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev When Jews Commit Blood Libel It is one of the most infamous lies in human history—one that echoes with the blood of the innocent and the cries of the falsely accused. The term blood libel refers to the grotesque accusation that Jews murder non-Jewish children to use their blood in religious rituals. This slander, born in Christian Europe during the 12th century, became a tool of mass hatred, inciting pogroms, public executions, and expulsions across the continent. From...

The Fire That Should Never Burn: A Plea for Halakhic Burial

Jewish Dispatch | News | 28 July 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev The Fire That Should Never Burn: A Plea for Halakhic Burial An alarming statistic has emerged in recent years—50% of American Jews are cremated. Not just secular Jews, not just unaffiliated Jews. Jews. Our brothers and sisters, each created in the image of G-D, choosing a path that is not only foreign to our tradition but in direct violation of Halakhah (הלכה, Jewish law). Cremation is not a modern innovation. It is an ancient practice rooted in paganism and used by empires...

The Halakhic Framework of Bishul Akum: Understanding the Prohibition and Its Permissible Boundaries

Jewish Dispatch | News | 15 June 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev The Halakhic Framework of Bishul Akum: Understanding the Prohibition and Its Permissible Boundaries The Sages of Israel, in their unmatched wisdom, instituted many decrees to preserve the holiness of the Jewish nation and to prevent assimilation and spiritual decline. One such decree is the prohibition against eating food cooked by a non-Jew, known as בישול עכו"ם ( bishul akum – cooking by a non-Jew). This rabbinic restriction remains in force to this day and is observed by...

How Public Talk of Terror Strengthens Our Enemies

Jewish Dispatch | News | 4 June 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev How Public Talk of Terror Strengthens Our Enemies In times of terror and tragedy, good people often struggle to know how to respond. The natural instinct — particularly in an age of relentless media and instant communication — is to speak: to share, to bear witness, to denounce evil aloud. Yet in doing so, many unintentionally serve the very purposes of those who commit such heinous acts. This truth must be confronted, particularly by those who seek to live in accordance with...

Trading with Terror: The Price of Jewish Lives

Jewish Dispatch | News | 30 May 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev Trading with Terror: The Price of Jewish Lives A proposed ceasefire agreement has been placed before the Israeli government and the Jewish people. Its details are by now widely known: a temporary cessation of hostilities, the release of 10 living Jewish hostages, the return of 18 bodies of murdered Jews being grotesquely held by Arab terrorists, and in exchange, the release of 125 Arab terrorists serving life sentences, and the release of 1,111 additional Arab prisoners...

Stop Calling It "The Holy Land" — It’s the Land of Israel

Jewish Dispatch | News | 24 May 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev Stop Calling It "The Holy Land" — It’s the Land of Israel There is a subtle yet dangerous behaviour that many among the Nations have adopted—particularly a certain brand of Christianity—which must be called out without apology or hesitation. They refer to the Land of Israel as “The Holy Land.” On the surface, it sounds harmless—even reverent. But make no mistake: this phrase is not just inaccurate. It is part of a calculated attempt to confuse , dilute , and ultimately...

When Defending Israel Crosses a Line: A Torah View on Public Embarrassment

Jewish Dispatch | News | 11 April 2025
by Ram ben Ze'ev When Defending Israel Crosses a Line: A Torah View on Public Embarrassment In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience , British author and political commentator Douglas Murray confronted comedian Dave Smith about his public criticisms of Israel. Murray, who has emerged as a staunch public defender of Israel — particularly following the atrocities of 7 October 2023 — pointedly noted that Smith had never even visited Israel, let alone the broader region. The tone and...

The Art of Rebuke: Exploring the Halakhic Principle of Admonishing a Fellow Jew

Jewish Dispatch | News | 13 May 2024
by Ram ben Ze'ev The Art of Rebuke: Exploring the Halakhic Principle of Admonishing a Fellow Jew In Judaism, the principle of rebuke, or Tocheichah/Tochacha ( תוכיחוח ), holds significant weight. Rooted in the understanding that every individual is responsible for the welfare and spiritual growth of our Community, the concept of rebuke is both intricate and delicate. Guided by Halakhic principles, rebuke is not merely about pointing out faults or shortcomings in others; it's about fostering...

The Concerns Surrounding Reform Judaism: A Critical Examination

Jewish Dispatch | News | 3 July 2023
by Ram ben Ze'ev Reform Judaism, a progressive movement within Judaism, has been a subject of debate and controversy within the Jewish community. While popular with Jews, the Reform movement has undoubtedly attempted to introduce changes to Jewish practice and belief, which raise valid concerns and criticisms. As an Observant Jew, and Executive Director of Hebrew Synagogue , my goal here is to critically examine some of the key concerns surrounding Reform Judaism. One of the primary...

Tsav

Jewish Dispatch | Opinion | 18 March 2022

A Merry Chri$tmas To Us All; G-D Bless Us, Every One!

Jewish Dispatch | Opinion | 25 December 2017
Putting aside religion, as most followers of HeyZeus do each year for their holiday, it is worth pausing to examine the messaging behind this day devoted to idolatry, confusion, and deception.