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Joy and Community Are Essential to Jewish Fulfillment — Even in the Darkest of Times
In his evocative 1964 book, Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer, C.S. Lewis used a series of fictional letters to a friend to explore various aspects of prayer and religious life. By using this intimate literary device, Lewis made his profound insights more accessible to a broad audience.
“Joy is the serious business of Heaven,” Lewis wrote to Malcolm, suggesting that our deepest longings point us toward something beyond the earthly. “All joy … emphasizes our pilgrim status; always reminds, beckons, awakens desire. Our best havings are wantings.”
Although Lewis didn’t quote the famous verse about joy in Ki Tavo (Deut. 28:47) — which warns of potential consequences “because you did not serve God with joy and a glad heart when you had an abundance of everything” — it is clear that, like many others who have deeply reflected on faith, Lewis understood that without joy as a constant companion, and without recognizing that joy is not an add-on but a necessity, the life God gives us is squandered and pointless.
Shawn Achor, author of the bestselling book The Happiness Advantage, is a leading expert in positive psychology. According to Achor, “Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we can.” Rather than seeing happiness as the result of success, Achor’s research shows that happiness and positivity are actually the fuel for it.
When we cultivate a positive outlook and engage in meaningful activities, we not only enhance our mood, but also improve our performance in nearly every aspect of life. Achor’s studies demonstrate that happier individuals tend to be more productive, creative, and resilient. This is because a positive mindset opens us up to new possibilities, allows us to think more broadly, and equips us to tackle challenges with greater energy and enthusiasm.
Achor’s findings have profound implications for how we understand the role of joy in religious life. If happiness is a precursor to success, then joy in serving God isn’t just a pleasant byproduct of religious practice; it is a critical component of spiritual fulfillment and effectiveness. When approached with joy, the performance of any religious act as directed by Jewish ritual law is not just a duty but a source of strength and spirituality.
Modern neuroscience has also increased our understanding of how joy and happiness are wired into our biology. Research on the brain’s reward system reveals that acts aligned with our values — like altruism or community service — release chemicals such as oxytocin and dopamine, enhancing our well-being.
This creates a positive cycle — because the more we engage in value-based actions, the more joy we experience, which encourages us to continue. Studies from Harvard and Berkeley confirm that individuals who regularly participate in community service report higher levels of life satisfaction, much like those who perform mitzvot with genuine intention and enthusiasm.
The scientific data aligns beautifully with the Torah’s perspective. The verse in Ki Tavo warns us that the absence of joy in serving God can lead to negative consequences, and neuroscience supports this wisdom. without the neurochemical benefits of joy and fulfillment, our spiritual practices can feel hollow, and our efforts become burdensome.
It’s not enough to merely go through the motions; deep-seated joy must drive our actions. When mitzvot are performed with joy, they engage both our minds and our bodies, transforming religious practice from mere obligation into an experience that elevates and fulfills our spiritual potential.
But how do we make this happen? How can we ensure that joy truly infuses our lives? Everyone faces moments of grief and disappointment — those are inevitable parts of the human experience. The challenge for all of us is to cultivate and nurture a default setting of joy, so that we have a natural inclination to embrace it daily. How do we do it?
Viktor Frankl, the renowned Holocaust survivor and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, offers a profound insight. Even in the direst of circumstances, he said, we have the power to choose our attitude.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way,” Frankl wrote. For him, joy wasn’t just a fleeting feeling; it was intertwined with meaning. Finding purpose, even in hardship, can transform our experiences into something worth celebrating.
Another powerful way to cultivate joy is through gratitude, which can fundamentally shift how we see challenges in our lives. Dr. Robert Emmons, a leading researcher in positive psychology, has demonstrated via his research that gratitude helps us move our focus from what we lack to what we have, creating a mindset of abundance rather than scarcity. This shift in perspective not only increases happiness but also helps us approach life’s obstacles with a more optimistic outlook.
Gratitude, in essence, reframes challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. When we consistently focus on what’s going well in our lives, setbacks appear more temporary than permanent. This aligns with the concept of “learned optimism,” introduced by psychologist Martin Seligman, which suggests that we can train ourselves to respond to adversity with resilience and hope. By embracing gratitude and optimism, we will reinforce a sense of joy that will sustain us even in the toughest times.
Most importantly, the company we keep is critical. The people we spend time with and the environments we choose shape our emotional and spiritual state. Surrounding ourselves with positive, joyful, and supportive people helps create an atmosphere where joy becomes automatic. Community—whether it’s a synagogue, a group of friends, or a supportive family—is vital for sustaining a joyful life.
President Ronald Reagan was famous for his optimism and infectious humor, even when things looked bleak. After he was shot in 1981 during an assassination attempt, Reagan was rushed to the hospital in serious condition.
As he was being wheeled into surgery, Reagan looked up at the doctors and, with that signature twinkle in his eye, said, “I hope you’re all Republicans.” The room burst into laughter — a moment of joy even in that life-or-death situation.
When questioned about it later, Reagan said there’s no better way to help people—and yourself—than making everyone smile. Because joy isn’t just something to feel, it’s something to give. And maybe that’s the answer to all of life’s challenges: keep joy as your default setting and share it with others, even when things get tough. Everything else will follow from that.
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.
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US Sanctions Six Firms in China, Hong Kong Over Iranian Drone Network
A bronze seal for the Department of the Treasury is shown at the U.S. Treasury building in Washington, U.S., January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
The United States has sanctioned six entities in Hong Kong and China for allegedly participating in an Iranian drone procurement network, as the Trump administration advances its so-called “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran.
These latest sanctions follow the US Treasury Department’s announcement earlier this week of new restrictions on Iran’s oil industry, targeting over 30 brokers, tanker operators, and shipping companies involved in transporting and selling Iranian petroleum.
On Wednesday, Washington issued these new sanctions against entities accused of procuring unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components for the Iranian firm Pishtazan Kavosh Gostar Boshra and its subsidiary, Narin Sepehr Mobin Isatis, both already blacklisted by the US, calling them key suppliers to Iran’s UAV and ballistic missile programs.
“Iran continues to try to find new ways to procure the key components it needs to bolster its UAV weapons program through new front companies and third-country suppliers,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.
“The Treasury remains committed to disrupting the schemes that enable Iran to send its deadly weapons abroad to its terrorist proxies and other destabilizing actors.”
According to a Reuters report, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said Beijing and Tehran’s cooperation was “reasonable and legal.”
“China has always firmly opposed the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and will firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and citizens,” Pengyu said.
Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump reinstated his “maximum pressure” policy toward Tehran, aiming to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
However, Trump also expressed a willingness to talk to Iran’s leaders, stating his desire to reach a “nuclear peace agreement” to improve bilateral relations, while insisting that the Iranian regime must not develop a nuclear weapon.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the possibility of nuclear talks with Washington, stating that Tehran would “not negotiate under pressure, threat, or sanctions.”
“There will be no possibility of direct talks between us and the United States on the nuclear issue as long as the maximum pressure is applied in this way,” Araghchi said during a joint press conference with his visiting Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov.
Iran’s so-called “supreme leader,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also rejected the idea of negotiating with Washington, calling such a move “unwise” and “dishonorable.”
This week, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported that Iran has further accelerated its production of near weapons-grade uranium, according to a report by The Associated Press.
As of Feb. 8, Tehran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium reached 274.8 kilograms (605.8 pounds), an increase of 92.5 kilograms (203.9 pounds) since IAEA’s last report in November.
Iran has repeatedly claimed that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes rather than weapon development.
Last year, the UK, France, and Germany said in a statement that there is no “credible civilian justification” for Tehran’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”
In their latest report, the IAEA estimated that Iran’s overall stockpile of enriched uranium stands at 8,294.4 kilograms (18,286 pounds), an increase of 1,690.0 kilograms (3,725.8 pounds). The report also noted that Iran continues to ban some of the agency’s most experienced inspectors from monitoring the country’s nuclear program.
Under the 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew from in 2018, Iran was allowed to enrich uranium only up to 3.67% purity and maintain a stockpile of no more than 300 kilograms.
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Contender in NYC Mayoral Race Has Extensive Anti-Israel Trackrecord
Ron Adar / SOPA Images via Reuters Connect
A major contender in the New York City (NYC) mayoral race has an extensive anti-Israel track record, raising concerns among the Big Apple’s Jewish population that the city’s staunch support of the Jewish State may be in jeopardy.
Zohran Mamdani, a representative within the New York State Assembly and candidate for New York City mayor, has made anti-Israel activism a cornerstone of his political career. Mamdani, a self-described progressive and socialist, has both advanced state legislation seeking to punish Israel and has labelled the Jewish state’s defensive military operations in Gaza a “genocide.”
According to a poll conducted by Honan Strategy Group from Feb. 22-23, Mamdani currently sits in second place in the NYC mayoral race, polling at 12 percent. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo holds a commanding lead at 38 percent.
In 2021, Mamdani issued public support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement—an initiative which seeks to economically and diplomatically isolate Israel in the first step to its eventual destruction. He claimed that support for the anti-Israel movement is growing within New York City, saying on X/Twitter that “The tide is turning. The fight for justice is here. The moment is now.” That same year, he also called for prohibiting New York lawmakers from visiting Israel, asserting that “every elected [official] must be pressured to stand with Palestinians.”
In May 2023, Mamdani advanced the “Not on our dime!: Ending New York Funding of Israeli Settler Violence Act,” legislation which would ban charities from using tax-deductible donations to aid organizations that work in the West Bank. Mamdani argued that the legislation would help the state fight against so-called Israeli “war crimes” against Palestinians. The socialist dismissed critics of the legislation, saying that his anti-Israel proposal is “in line with the sentiments of most New Yorkers.”
On Oct. 8, 2023, 24 hours following the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, Mamdani published a statement condemning “Netnayahu’s declaration of war” and suggesting that Israel would use the terror attacks to justify committing a second “Nakba.” Mamdani then said that Israel can only secure its long term safety by “ending the occupation and dismantling apartheid.”
Five days later, he further criticized Israel’s response to the Hamas-led massacres, saying that “we are brink of a genocide of Palestinians in Gaza right now”
In January 2024, he called on NYC to cease sending any funds to Israel, saying that “Voters oppose their tax dollars funding a genocide.”
The progressive firebrand is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a far-left political organization with critical views of Israel. Though the DSA has long opposed Israel, the organization has ramped up its pro-Hamas rhetoric during the ongoing war in Gaza. On Oct. 7, the organization issued a statement saying that Hamas’ massacre was “a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime.” The organization also encouraged its followers to attend an Oct. 8 “All Out for Palestine” event in Manhattan.
In January 2024, the DSA issued a statement calling for an “end to diplomatic and military support of Israel.” Then in April, the organization’s international committee, DSA IC, issued a missive defending Iran’s right to “self-defense” against Israel. In addition, the socialist group slammed former US Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) over his vote in favor of replenishing Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system.
The organization has also issued public support of Hamas, calling the terrorist group a “resistance” and “armed struggle” against Israel. In March 2024, the organization publicly repudiated progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), after the lawmaker condemned Hamas, arguing that Palestinians have a “right to defend against occupation.”
Mamdani’s political ascendence comes amid a spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes within New York City.
New York City has been ravaged by a surge in antisemitic incidents in the 16 months following Oct. 7. According to NYPD data, Jews accounted for a majority of all hate crimes in the city. Pro-Hamas activists have held raucous—and sometimes violent—protests on the city’s college campuses, oftentimes causing Jewish students to fear for their safety. NYC schools are also currently facing criticism for failing to protect Jewish and Israeli students from antisemitism.
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GOP Lawmakers Urge Trump to Recognize Israeli Sovereignty Over West Bank
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) Source: Reuters
A group of Republican lawmakers are urging US President Donald Trump to formally recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the West Bank, citing the territory’s historical ties and importance to the Jewish people.
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), one of the most strident pro-Israel voices in Congress, spearheaded a letter to Trump, calling on the president to endorse an Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Other signatories of the letter include Mary Miller (R-IL), Barry Moore (R-AL), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Randy Weber (R-TX), and Andy Harris (R-MD).
The coalition of pro-Israel Republicans—which are members of the Friends of Judea and Samaria Caucus—argue that the internationally recognized borders of the West Bank, “comprise the Judeo-Christian biblical heartland, where over 80 percent of the Torah and Old Testament took place.” Thus, the lawmakers claim that acknowledging Israel’s claim over the West Bank is central to reinforce America and Israel’s shared “Judeo-Christian heritage.”
The lawmakers argue that recognizing the West Bank as Israeli territory would help build upon his record of supporting the Jewish state. Letter pointed to Trump’s 2021 recognition of the City of David in Jerusalem as a “testament to America’s Judeo-Christian heritage and founding principles.” The lawmakers claim that the West Bank, which they refer to as Judea and Samaria, is similarly critical to Israel’s national identity.
They also said that they were in “strong opposition to the recognition of any hostile Arab state in Judea and Samaria that supports terrorism and fails to recognize Israel.”
Israeli leaders have also publicly opposed the creation of a Palestinian state within the West Bank, arguing that the territory would become a hotbed of terrorism and launching pad for direct attacks into the Jewish state’s population centers.
In the immediate aftermath of President Trump’s victory last November, several high-profile conservative lawmakers vowed to refer to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, aligning themselves with the terminology preferred by Israel. To many observers, the shift in language signalled a shift in US policy closer to the Jewish state and in favor of further expansion of Jewish communities in the territory.However, Critics have argued that the change in language might inflame tensions in the Middle East, complicating the possibility of reaching a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nonetheless, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK), introduced legislation in December ban the federal government from using the term “West Bank” instead of “Judea and Samaria,” arguing that the bill would “align US policy language with the geographical and cultural significance of the region.”
Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has also vowed to use the words Judea and Samaria in lieu of the West Bank.
“I can’t say something I don’t believe. As you well know, I’ve never been willing to use the term ‘West Bank.’ There is no such thing. I speak of Judea and Samaria,” Huckabee told Israeli media outlet Arutz Sheva in an interview. “I tell people there is no ‘occupation.’ It is a land that is ‘occupied’ by the people who have had a rightful deed to the place for 3,500 years, since the time of Abraham.”
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