On Sacred Ground

"In Every Generation"

The Haggadah describes how "in every generation, they stand against us to destroy us." At the same time, the lesson of the Exodus from Egypt in the Torah is to translate

Is Israel Fighting Amalek?

Rav Avital and Rav Elazar reflect on what it means to celebrate Purim in the shadow of war. They explore how we might grapple with the suffering of innocent people in Gaz

Feminism in a Time of War

The reality in Israel today is that the people on the battlefield are mostly men and the people left behind to look after their homes and children are mostly women. Rav A

Mistakes and their Aftermath

This week's parashah has the biggest mistake in the Bible: the building of the Golden Calf. How do huge mistakes like this happen? What are their consequences? What

The Qualities of a Leader

What qualities do we want in a leader? Rav Avital and Rav Elazar consider what leaders today could learn from the models of Moses and Aaron and the disposition required t

Mandatory Volunteerism

The opening words of this week's Parashat Terumah contains a tension that Rav Avital and Rav Elazar have felt since the beginning of the war. It's inspiring tha

How Can We Feel Safe?

Rav Avi flew to Israel this week and reflects with Rav Elazar what it means to leave a place that is ostensibly safe to come to a place which is ostensibly dangerous. Thr

The Role of Torah in War

A midrash describes how God offered the Torah do the descendants of Esau, but they refused it when they heard one of its key teachings was "do not kill." What does it mea

Unity or Conformity?

All over Israel, there is a slogan that calls for people to come together in unity: "Together, we will win." But unity is a difficult concept to live out and it too often

Reflections on 100 Days

There have now been captives of Hamas for over 100 days. Rav Avital and Rav Elazar discuss how this grim milestone feels in Israel today and what Torah and Tefillah has b

Learning From Our Children: A Spiritual Perspective from on the Ground in Israel #7

R. Avi Killip rejoins R. Avital Hochstein and R. Elazar Symon to talk about our relationships with our children. What are we trying to inculcate in them? And what do we h

What Are We Allowed to Feel? A Spiritual Perspective from on the Ground in Israel #6

R. Avi Killip and R. Avital Hochstein introduce Dr. Tsivia Frank Wygoda, a new member of Hadar's team in Israel who supports independent minyanim in Be'er Sheva

Holding on to the Value of Human Dignity: A Spiritual Perspective from on the Ground in Israel #5

R. Avi and R. Avital talk about the tumultuous week of the ceasefire and returned captives. What are the values that animate the conversation about who should be the prio

Can We Be Thankful? A Spiritual Perspective from on the Ground in Israel #4

R. Avital Hochstein and R. Elazar Symon take the opportunity - belatedly - of Thanksgiving to talk about what they're thankful for and the difficult but necessary ro

R. Avital Hochstein and R. Elazar Symon: A Spiritual Perspective from on the Ground in Israel #3

What happens in a beit midrash during a time of war, violence, and uncertainty? We checked in with R. Avital Hochstein and R. Elazar Symon, both members of Hadar's t

R. Avital Hochstein: A Spiritual Perspective from on the Ground in Israel #2

We check in with Rabbi Avital Hochstein, President of Hadar in Israel, to hear about life in Israel, Tefillah, and Torah this week. 

A Spiritual Perspective from on the Ground in Israel #1

Avital Hochstein is a rabbi, a Jerusalemite, a mother of two soldiers currently serving in the IDF, and President of Hadar in Israel. In this episode, we hear directly f