PARSHAT HA'AZINU
October 3-4, 2025 / 12 Tishrei 5786 SPECIAL DAYS
Sukkot begins Monday night, October 6, and is celebrated through Monday, October 13. Hoshana Rabbah is celebrated on the last day of Sukkot. Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah begins Monday night, October 13, and is celebrated through Wednesday, October 15. | | |  FEATURED | | | | | | Statement on the Attack in Manchester, UK | Our thoughts and prayers are with the UK Jewish community as we share in their grief over those killed and injured at the Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. We are grieving but not at all shocked. What happened on Yom Kippur in Manchester is the anticipated result of the normalization of antisemitism and the demonization of Israel by the UK and other Western governments tolerating and granting legitimacy – and even unconditional statehood – to those who celebrate the deliberate and targeted murders of innocents, whether they live in their own countries or "between the river and the sea." We join in the prayer of Chief Rabbi Mirvis, "that this tragedy strengthens our collective resolve to confront antisemitism, in all its guises, once and for all." | |  | | Israel's Leaders Are Quoting the Torah | In a recent JNS article, our EVP Rabbi Moshe Hauer shared his thoughts on the increasing number of Israeli officials quoting from the Torah. "Theodor Herzl, the journalist and founder of political Zionism, said that the movement represented a 'return to Judaism' before a return to the land of Israel. 'While it has taken time, the linkage he noted has been restored. Jews are not colonizers of Israel, because our claim and deed to that land is anchored in scripture, in the Torah,' Hauer said. 'It is fitting and encouraging to see those bearing responsibility for the modern state drawing direction from the Torah, the ultimate source of the state's authenticity.'" | | | |  | | Creating Growth and Positivity | How do you juggle a baseball league's worth of grandchildren while helping shape OU Israel into the impactful organization it is today? In this episode of the Oh, You? podcast, our EVP and COO, Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph, sits down with Sara Berelowitz, HR Director of OU Israel, to reflect on her 25-year journey at the OU. Sara started her career in bookkeeping and went on to pioneer OU Israel's HR department while constantly championing opportunities for learning and growth. Together, they explore the challenges and joys of balancing family and work, the unique culture that sets OU Israel apart, and the importance of staying positive in times of struggle. | | | |  AROUND THE OU | |  | | NCSY | | JSU Global Campus Engages Teens Nationally | From just four clubs in Los Angeles to more than 500 across the country, JSU Global Campus is transforming Jewish life in public schools. Through clubs, programs, and mentorship, thousands of teens are finding connection, identity, and leadership opportunities, showing that Jewish pride and community can flourish anywhere. | | Read in the Jewish Journal | | |  UPCOMING EVENTS | |  TORAH | |  | | Rabbi Moshe Hauer | | Live Separately; Come Together | Sukkot is one of the three annual festivals when the Jewish people made the aliyah l'regel pilgrimage to celebrate together in Yerushalayim. According to Rambam, an essential purpose of these holidays was to strengthen the ties between Jews. | | Read More | | |  | | Rabbi Menachem Genack | | The Secret of the Etrog | According to one view, the etrog was the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. But what does that convey about its meaning on Sukkot? | | Read in Hebrew | | |  | | Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman | | Unifying the Divine: Hashem's Timeless Name | "And the L-rd shall be king over all the earth; in that day there shall be one L-rd with one name." The pasuk in our Haftorah is one that is both beloved and well-said. We recited it as part of the Yamim Noraim davening as well as multiple times daily at the end of the Aleinu prayer. | | Read More | | |  | | Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm zt"l | | The Starry Night | Why do the rabbis of the Midrash say that Moshiach will come and teach the nations of the world how to build, of all things, a sukkah? | | Read More | | |  | | Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks zt"l | | Moses the Man | What is moving about the portrayal of Moses in the Torah is that he appears before us as quintessentially human. There is a tendency to see sages as saints, to gloss over their doubts and shortcomings. God, however, never asks us to be more than simply human. | | Read More | | |  | | Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb | | Sukkot: From Fear to Festivities | Fear and trembling. Those have been our primary religious emotions during the past several weeks. Although Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are referred to nowadays as the High Holidays, traditionally they were known as the Days of Awe, Yamim Noraim. Frightful days, fearful days. | | Read More | | | |
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