Carin M. Smilk

At the 2025 Tribute Brunch sponsored by the Philadelphia and Delaware chapters of Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU), the theme was decidedly on revving up that engine.

“Acts of hate may try to intimidate, but they will never define us—our Torah, our values and our unity will always be stronger,” Rabbi Kasriel Shemtov, executive director of Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan, told JNS.

“I was looking for heroism and one ray of light,” Barry Avrich tells JNS, as the documentary goes on the Jewish and Israel film festival circuit.

My first day on the job, she asked me to write a speech. Just like that.

I know what you’re thinking. How petty in this dire time of crisis.

There are two relevant definitions: “to remain tightly secured” and “to continue to believe in or adhere to an idea or principle.”

My first home-schooling lesson went well—at least, after my two elementary-schoolers insisted I was wrong, completely wrong.

Stressors also cause positivity. People do rise to the occasion; we’re all in the same boat. That salves my Jewish soul.

I saw a shadow from a distance. And I was barefoot, for some reason, yet still running pretty fast.

“We aim to expand people’s concept of what it means to be Jewish in America,” says Kenneth Hoffman, the museum’s executive director.