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I was in Jerusalem. It was Sunday morning our time when the news of the heinous and terrible terrorist attack sent shockwaves throughout the civilised world. I was in a small Chabad shtiebel in the Shaarei Chesed neighbourhood when the news came through. Sitting amongst the congregants were two Sydneysiders: Chazan Yehoshua Niasoff and the Israeli Chabad shaliach of Rose Bay, Alon Chazi. We were all shell-shocked, quietly staring at our phones. I was speaking live with Miri,

Think Again - Day 774 in Gaza - 3 more hostage bodies still to come home My dear 29 readers will recall that last week I was struck by lightning or as we portrayed it, touched by the finger of G-d. I witnessed the wedding ceremony of Tessa Bartone. It was as if destiny played itself out in front of our very eyes. Tessa had lost her parents in a horrible car accident as a young child of three. Her aunt and uncle, Joanne and Tony, adopted Tessa and her sister Olivia, and here s

Lightning from Above Thank you to Reb Aharon (aka Arthur Fridman) for keeping us updated on the current hostage numbers still not released. We pray that this week hopefully, finally, they will all come home! Still to be brought home for burial are Dror Or , Meny Godard , Ran Gvili , and a Thai worker named Sudi Rinthalak . There are certain events and occasions in life that speak to you deeply, moments that impact and shake you, even just a little. Each day, as we go about o

I am still celebrating the release of our hostages this past Simchat Torah. The release of the living hostages from Gaza was an inspiring victory, so let us continue to be optimistic, bright, and positive. It is not easythe past two years have been extremely difficult. The Jewish people have learned to simultaneously mourn in sadness and celebrate in joy. It is said that this is why we have two eyes: one that sheds tears of sorrow and the other tears of joy. There are still s

It remains heartbreaking that the bodies of 13 hostages in Gaza have not yet been recovered. The slow return of their remains prolongs the pain for Israel and the Jewish Diaspora, making it harder to move forward and focus on peace. Reports say an Egyptian team with specialist equipment has arrived to assist, using coordinates provided by Israel. Despite knowing the approximate locations, rescue efforts have been hindered by the extreme danger of the tunnels and traps. May we

It is deeply sad that I am writing about Day 746 of the war in Gaza. I was hoping that by the time I returned to this Think Again, the war would have finally ended. But it has not. Today, Thursday evening, the 23rd of October 2025, marks exactly two years and sixteen days since the October 7 pogrom and massacre in Israel. Although there is a shaky ceasefire and a roadmap to peace through the Abraham Accords, I remain filled with nervous apprehension. We still have our murdere