Melanie Phillips is a British journalist, broadcaster, and author who has championed traditional values in the culture war for more than three decades. She writes a weekly column for The Times of London and the Jewish News Syndicate, broadcasts on radio and TV, and gives public presentations across the English-speaking world. Her new book, The Builder’s Stone: How Jews and Christians built the West – And Why Only They Can Save It, is published by Wicked Son. Her first novel, The Legacy, which deals with conflicted Jewish identity, anti-Semitism, and the power of history, was published in 2018 along with her personal and political memoir, Guardian Angel. Her previous books include her 2006 best-seller Londonistan, about the British establishment’s capitulation to Islamist aggression, and The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle over G-d, Truth, and Power, published in 2010. You can follow Melanie’s work at her website, www.melaniephillips.substack.com
Read MoreCategory: 2025
Krias Yam Suf
Pesach feature Forged in water By: Rabbi Dovid Samuels “Because it lacks its own shape and form, water, as an element, represents physicality without purpose.” On the seventh day of Pesach, we relive the event of Krias Yam Suf, when Hashem split the sea for us as we left Egypt. While our mind’s eye paints a phenomenal picture of the entire Jewish people traveling on dry land between two walls of frozen sea, with the Egyptian army in hot pursuit, there are a few points that need to be clarified…
Read MoreRemembering Redemption
Kosher Gourmet The taste of tradition By: Sharon Lurie With my Pesach kitchen up and running on the patio and my two-plate gas stove working overtime, I’ve been able to freshly freeze my soups, ice creams, and meat dishes right on schedule. My goal? To have a relaxed Seder with my family, who are arriving from near and far. Pesach is built on repetition – reading the Haggadah, setting the Seder plate, and following the same traditions year after year. But that doesn’t mean the Seder meal has to be predictable…
Read MoreOctober 8 Jews
The spiritual awakening taking Israel by storm By: Paula Levin “Jews are choosing Judaism for the very first time in their lives!” Something deeply mysterious is going on in the Jewish world. On every continent, Jews are reaffirming their commitment to G-d, to the Jewish People, and to the ancient, eternal covenant forged at Sinai. It’s not actually a new phenomenon. In fact, we’ve seen it in every age, when Jews across the Persian empire stood firm when assimilation could have guaranteed their safety from Haman’s genocidal decree, when they…
Read MoreFriend or Foe?
Our much-needed South African allies By: Ilan Preskovsky With the way our ruling party goes on, one would be excused for thinking that South Africa is the most anti-Semitic, or at least anti-Israel, country in the world. Certainly, when I spoke to a delegation of students from Hebrew University, they were expecting the worst from their visit to Johannesburg. But as they discovered, and we already knew, there’s a world of difference between the ANC and the people of South Africa, and in Johannesburg, at least, we can safely say…
Read MoreFood, glorious food
Pesach Feature Watch what you eat! By: Rabbi Schnerb “Every one of us has the power through all of our actions to completely vanquish all of our enemies.” Food! It’s one of our most enjoyable topics of conversation, and possibly our favourite pastime. We all know why food is so important. We need it to support growth and development, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and provide us with all the macro and micronutrients that we need. We all fully understand that many factors can affect the nutritional value, the…
Read MoreEyes on Israel
Could Israeli society be a viable template for other nations for the future? By: Bev Goldman “Israeli technology is quietly becoming indispensable across the Middle East, even in countries that publicly denounce Israel.” Few nations have navigated as many existential challenges as Israel. In almost 76 years, it has transformed from a fledgling state, surrounded by hostility, into a global powerhouse of innovation, resilience, and cultural dynamism. Its unique social structure, technological prowess, and security-driven policies have placed Israel among the world’s most highly developed and successful first world countries.…
Read MoreTorah Justice
Beth Din The Prohibition of Turning to Secular Courts By: Rabbi Shmuel Slasky Bio:Rabbi Slasky is the Rabbinical Director, responsible for overseeing the Eiruvin, Mediations, and Kashrut of Mikvaot. Born in South Africa, Rabbi Slasky spent many years living and studying in Israel before joining the Beth Din. In Israel, he learnt in Torah Ohr Yeshiva, the Mir Yeshiva, and Rav Tzvi Kushelevsky’s Yeshiva, receiving Semicha from The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, Rav Zalman Nechemiya Goldberg, and Jerusalem’s Machon Harry Fischel. He has been thoroughly trained for his role…
Read MoreRoyal Recipes
Kosher Gourmet Mouth-wateringly Majestic By: Sharon Lurie Persian style mince in spinach leaves 500g beef mince 1 egg ¾ cup rice, cooked (I used basmati) 1 whole onion, grated 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper 400g BABY spinach leaves Combine all the above ingredients together except the spinach. Don’t overmix. Place the spinach in a large rectangular dish and cover with boiling water. Allow to sit it boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain the water off the spinach and peel off 4 –…
Read MoreMetrics
Looking Back and Going Forward “Our enemies’ hatred towards us should only serve to intensify our Jewish pride” Tali Snaid – Torah Academy Girls What about your matric year surprised you the most? Being a student who often found the school curriculum challenging, there were times when tasks felt overwhelmingly difficult. I tended to frequently question my ability to keep up. However, as time passed, I started to realise that despite these challenges, I could still push through and succeed, even when things seemed tough. What truly surprised me throughout…
Read MoreGlobal Terrorism
The world-wide challenge of today By: Bev Goldman Paul Wilkinson’s 2006 book Terrorism Versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response provides some much needed criteria for distinguishing between terrorists and freedom fighters and explains the uses of terrorism as a political, social, religious, and criminal weapon. Wilkinson, an advisor to the UK government, and a terrorism expert, was dubbed “Britain’s leading academic specialist in the study of terrorism”. He defined four types of terrorism: Criminal terrorism (uses terror for material gain); psychic terrorism (uses terror for mystical, religious, or magical ends);…
Read MoreROADS SCHOLAR
“Good luck” By: Rabbi Dr David Fox Pullquotes: “He recommended that I keep the engine running until I reached home. Home was a few thousand miles away on the eastern side of the continent.” I was a young man heading across the continent to my new position. It was time to complete my professional training and I had accepted an internship at an excellent hospital where I would stay for three years. I had set off in my small foreign car to make the journey solo, to enjoy the countryside,…
Read MoreA surprise visitor in the Megillah
Exposing a hidden message for us all By: Rabbi Moishe Schnerb “When we would ‘get the message’ and do what was necessary, the decree would fall away.” The Psalmist says[1] “Be mindful of me Hashem, when you favour Your nation; take note of me when you deliver them”. The Medrash[2] comments on this verse that King David says to Hashem, “Please have me in mind at the time when You bring miracles of salvation for the Jewish nation, through Mordechai and Esther,” We see right from the get-go that there…
Read More“O.T.D”
Parenting youth in crisis By: Paula Levin “My daughter asked me for money to buy clothes. I know she intends to buy short jeans. Should I give her the money?” The question was posed by a rabbi to Rabbi Gershon Edelstein ztz”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Ponevezh, widely considered to be the Gadol Hador – one of the great spiritual leaders of the generation. “Does she usually dress that way?” he asked. “Yes,” came the answer. “Then buy them for her. Show her you’re there for her.” The story was shared…
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