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In Sefer Tehilim (95:7), it’s written that we are Hashem’s people, “today, if you hear His voice.” But, what does it mean in a practical sense to “hear” Hashem’s voice? What exactly are we supposed to be listening for? A Bas Kol from Shamayim? And [Hashem] said: “Go out and stand in the mountain before Hashem, Behold! Hashem passes, and a great and strong wind splitting mountains and shattering boulders [goes out] before Hashem. ‘Hashem is not in the wind.’ And after the wind, an earthquake. ‘Hashem is not in the earthquake.’ After the earthquake, a fire. ‘Hashem is not in the fire,’ and after the fire, a still thin sound [literally: “voice”].” Melachim I 19:11-12

Is there anything Jews can do to improve their safety? We put this question to Sholem Klein, the Coordinator of the Rockaway/Nassau Shomrim, a group of volunteers that works closely with Nassau County Police as well as the NYPD. This branch of Shomrim serves the Rockaway and Nassau communities.

This week’s Torah portion is Shelach, where the mitzvah of tzitzit – and the blue string of Tekhelet that hangs from them – is recorded. To mark that, Ptil Tekhelet is running a Shabbat HaTekhelet campaign in which numerous Rabbis and educators from around the world will be giving classes and sermons to highlight the importance of Tekhelet. We met up with Dr. Baruch Sterman, co-founder of Ptil Tekhelet and author of The Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Story of an Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered, to find out more about this initiative.

It has long been said that when one begins their voting process at a young age, they tend to vote diligently in the years that follow. The final date to register to vote for the upcoming citywide Primary elections is Friday, May 28. To ensure the largest turn out amongst young voters, Avi Cyperstein, a City Council candidate for district 29, organized several voter drives in local yeshivot and shuls.

The New York City Jewish community continues to stand behind its long-time advocate Eric Adams, as the mayoral candidate, who has been topping the latest polls, continues gather Orthodox Jewish endorsements. On Monday, Adams added to his growing list of Orthodox Jewish endorsements: a coalition of growing and thriving Staten Island Jewish groups and the influential Sephardic Community Federation (SCF), which is based in Flatbush.

The recent violence in Israel has led to an unprecedented disturbing rise in antisemitic attacks and violence targeting Jewish communities worldwide.