PARSHAT EIKEV
July 31 – August 1, 2026 / 18 Av 5786
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 FEATURED
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| Mayor Mamdani’s Rhetoric Raises Serious Concerns for the Jewish Community |
Political rhetoric has real-world consequences. Our EVP and COO Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph joined Rachel Wolf on Fox News to discuss why Mayor Mamdani’s recent remarks about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have raised concerns within the Jewish community and why elected officials have a responsibility to ensure the safety and security of all their constituents.
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| Agri Star Fire Threatens U.S. Kosher Meat Supply |
A devastating fire at Agri Star, one of the nation’s primary kosher meat processors, threatens to disrupt the U.S. kosher meat supply ahead of the Yamim Nora’im. OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Moshe Elefant says the damaged facility will keep a significant portion of kosher beef and chicken out of the kosher supply chain, as OU Kosher works with Agri Star and other suppliers to help mitigate shortages.
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| Navigating Travel: Kashrus on the Road |
In the latest Keeping It Kosher podcast episode, our host, Rabbi Ezra Sarna, is joined by Rabbi Donneal Epstein, OU Kosher Rabbinic Coordinator and expert in the practical halachos of kosher travel, to discuss the real-world scenarios travelers face. From highway rest stop coffee and rental home kitchens to hotel room challenges and the halachic complexities of crossing the international dateline, this episode offers practical guidance for keeping kosher wherever your travels take you.
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| The Organization Behind the Symbol: How the OU Is Shaping Jewish Life |
While the OU is proudly recognized as the world’s leading kosher certification agency, our work reaches every corner of Jewish life. Through education, advocacy, community engagement, leadership development, and dozens of initiatives that touch every stage of life, we are helping build a stronger Jewish future. In a recent interview with The Jewish Link, our Executive Vice President and COO, Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph, discussed the mission that drives our work and the priorities shaping the future of the OU and the communities we serve.
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 AROUND THE OU
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OU Advocacy
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| OU Advocacy Spearheads New Security Grant to Protect Shuls and Schools |
Applications are now open for a new $7.7 million security grant championed by OU Advocacy in partnership with Congress and the Department of Justice. The funding will help synagogues, other houses of worship, and local police departments strengthen security and deter attacks against faith-based communities.
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Jewish Action
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| What Does It Mean to Be Single and Orthodox in America Today? |
Tu B’Av, the fifteenth of Av, is one of the most joyous days on the Jewish calendar — a day historically associated with love, connection, and finding one’s match. In that spirit, we revisit this thoughtful piece giving voice to the experiences, hopes, and challenges of Orthodox singles today.
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OU Press
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| New from OU Press |
Go behind the OU symbol with HaHashgachah KeHilchatah: Shorshei HaKashrut HaTzibburit. Compiled by Rabbi Peretz Moncharsh in collaboration with OU Kosher, this important new Hebrew sefer examines the halachic framework underlying modern kosher supervision.
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 TORAH
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Rabbi Menachem Genack
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| A Life Long Lived |
Why did Rabbi Yochanan not understand how people could live long lives outside of Israel? What does living a long life really mean?
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Rebbetzin Dr. Adina Shmidman
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| Can a Mother Forget? |
Now that Tisha B’Av has passed, how are we meant to move beyond the mourning of the Nine Days? Grief cannot be switched on and off like a light. Perhaps Chazal understood that true comfort takes time. Just as our national mourning unfolds gradually, so does our healing.
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Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, zt"l
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| Making Hay Out of Religion |
In this excerpt from Derashot Ledorot: A Commentary for the Ages – Deuteronomy, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm reflects on the spiritual dangers of complacency. His thought-provoking essay on parshat Eikev challenges us to aim higher and pursue lives of deeper purpose.
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Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, zt"l
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| Greatness and Humility |
Power commands attention, but humility defines greatness. Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks reflects on this week’s parsha and shares moving personal stories that reveal why the greatest leaders are often those who notice, value, and uplift the people others fail to see.
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Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
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| The Community Gemach |
Chazal tell us that a mitzvah performed by a few people can’t compare to one performed by many. Therefore, the joint venture of a community gemach is greater than one’s personal free-loan fund, even though each individual may make a smaller contribution. Learn more in The Chesed Files.
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Rabbi Nosson Neustadt
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| Nusach of Tefillah |
The two major cultural subgroups – Ashkenazim and Sephardim – often have different texts in their liturgies. While these varying texts do not preclude one another’s validity, there are certain criteria for a tefillah that must be met. Learn more in this edition of Ohr Olam Mishnah Berurah.
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Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb
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| Be Careful What You Pray For |
What if the prayers that go unanswered are the greatest blessings of all? Rabbi Weinreb shares how a disappointing summer led to lifelong spiritual growth and explores the Torah’s differing perspectives on whether we should specify exactly what we pray for.
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 THIS WEEK ON SOCIAL
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 Careers
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