For thousands of years, Jews have wrapped tefillin every weekday morning, paused to make a blessing before eating, and recited Shema before bed — not because we knew that these practices were good for us from a mental and physical health perspective, but simply because Hashem commanded us to do them. We don’t need neuroscience […]

Looking back on my life, I am grateful to Hashem for being blessed with a beautiful family, wife, children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I am comfortable and happy. But it wasn’t always like this. Everyone experiences ups and downs in life. However, it was my father, Rabbi Aryeh Leibish Gottesman, of blessed memory, who helped me […]

For generations of New Yorkers, Century 21 NYC has been synonymous with the city itself. It is a downtown Manhattan institution where shoppers line up to score designer labels at unbeatable prices. But many who walked through its famous doors never knew that behind the iconic retailer were two observant Syrian Jewish families whose Torah […]

Twenty-two years ago director Gidi Dar did something groundbreaking. He was part of a team that brought Ushpizin, a positive, nuanced, authentic depiction of Hasidic Jews to Tribeca. Ushpizin gave way to films like Rama Burshtein’s Fill The Void, shows like Shtisel and somewhat mainstreamed the idea that Hasidic and Haredi Jews are human, worthy […]

When Sruly Meyer got a message asking whether he would be interested in appearing on Food Network’s new competition show 100 Cooks, he assumed it wasn’t real. The South Florida food creator and marketing company owner had built a social media following by sharing recipes online on his Instagram @SrulyCooks, but national television felt like […]