Community Corner

 Debbie Isaac has spent decades advocating for the Religious Zionist community, working to ensure its values are represented in the national institutions that shape the future of Israel and Jewish life in the Diaspora.

Rabbi Nota Schiller zt"l was born in 1937 in Brooklyn, New York, and received his formative education at Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and later Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. A visionary educator, he co-founded Shma Yisrael Yeshiva—later known as Ohr Somayach—in 1972, alongside Rabbis Noah Weinberg, Mendel Weinbach, and Yaakov Rosenberg. Their mission: to open the doors of Torah learning to young men with little or no background in Jewish studies.

The mitzvah of giving tzedakah is a cornerstone of Jewish life, reflecting our commitment to chesed (kindness) and unity. As King David declares in Tehillim (89:3), “Olam chesed yibaneh”—“The world is built on kindness.”

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz participated in a Queens Community Network event, hosted by the New York Board of Rabbis, to address the borough’s ongoing fight against hate crimes. Speaking before a gathering of rabbinical and spiritual leaders, she outlined the measures her office has taken to combat antisemitism and enhance the security of all Queens residents.

The first time I met Rabbi Nota Schiller zt"l was in his office at Yeshiva Ohr Somayach, then housed in an apartment building in Yerushalayim. I was in my twenties, eager to establish my career in writing, acting, and producing in Eretz Yisrael—while also preparing for my army service. But as my podcast followers know, Hashem had bigger plans.

For the past six years, I’ve been on the outside of politics, looking in. In that time, I’ve written and published over 500 columns in a wide variety of outlets covering everything from current events to cultural and social issues to deep political analysis.