A Foreboding and Personal Reckoning Democratic Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani reacts as his wife, Rama Duwaji, votes at The Frank Sinatra School of the Arts on November 4, 2025, in Queens, New York City. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP) Zohran Mamdani was just announced as the winner… Continue reading Lady Liberty Weeps: Jewish Safety and the Future of New York
Author: Penny S. Tee
Peaceful Coexistence. Amen.
We’re praying that all the hostages will come home. We rejoice with apprehension. After all, Hamas is a terror organization whose Charter calls for the obliteration of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in all historic Palestine. The proposal from the plan’s negotiation teams is a precursor to difficult times ahead. Will all… Continue reading Peaceful Coexistence. Amen.
October 7, 2025, Two Shocking Years — What Have We Learned?
What have we learned in these two years since the shocking events of October 7, 2023? As the world turned its gaze toward Israel, a campaign of misinformation and blame began, framing heinous acts of violence as mere resistance. The atrocities committed by Hamas were so severe that a new term, “kinocide,” was coined to describe them. This piece delves into the ongoing trauma faced by Israelis, the mental health struggles of survivors, and the troubling global response to the violence. Join us as we explore the complexities of this conflict and the urgent need for understanding and compassion.
Honoring 9/11/2025: A Living Symbol of Resilience, Rebirth, and Remembrance Video
A Short Video Honoring 9/11
Honoring 9/11/2025: A Living Symbol of Resilience, Rebirth, and Remembrance
As the world remembers 9/11, one flight’s mystery remains buried. From Gina Bennett’s warnings to the vanished passengers of Flight 23, this reflection explores grief, resilience, and the truths still waiting to surface.
Beware Diaspora Jews, Israelis, and Every Parent. Do You Understand Canary?
AB 715 Is More Than Policy—It’s Protection! Has Israel become our canary in the coal mine? What do I mean? From coal mines to classrooms: Antisemitism’s Alarming Echo. Do you remember the story behind the canary in the coal mine? It’s not a way any Jew wants to be described as, yet here we are.… Continue reading Beware Diaspora Jews, Israelis, and Every Parent. Do You Understand Canary?
Khaled Abu Toameh Shouts a Clarion Call—Will the World Listen?
I believe Israelis and Palestinians both deserve to live in Peace and have their kids play safely in their backyards. However, working on Peace for over a decade, I’ve noted, what many call Peace does not match the word’s salient definition. What follows the declaration of being a Peace activist too often recounts a one-sided… Continue reading Khaled Abu Toameh Shouts a Clarion Call—Will the World Listen?
Finding Peace for Foster Children—and for Myself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb8BGKqVVZM I usually write about or interview Peace organizations made up of Israelis and Palestinians for the last four years on my vodcast PEACE with Penny and/or antisemitism for the last 1 ½ in my Times of Israel Blog. It seems we are going through increasingly dark times. Unfortunately, there is too much tzuris (Yiddish for troubles) to… Continue reading Finding Peace for Foster Children—and for Myself
Killing Jews Was Good Sport During the Holocaust—2025, Burn Them Alive?
I wish I could say it’s unbelievable. True, the horror is, but at this rate of antisemitic attacks against Jews, can anyone be surprised? Barbara Bandler Steinmetz was born in Hungary in 1936, but her family later moved to Italy, where they owned the Hotel Alhambra on the island of Lussinpiccolo. In 1939, her family fled… Continue reading Killing Jews Was Good Sport During the Holocaust—2025, Burn Them Alive?
I’m Not Surprised, Just Disgusted—How About You?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ICrdi6CtVgYaron Lischinsky, right, and his partner Sarah Milgrim, both employees of the Israeli Embassy in the US who were killed in a shooting in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025, in an undated photo. (Israeli Embassy in Washington) Yaron Lischinsky, right, and his partner Sarah Milgrim, both employees of the Israeli Embassy in the US… Continue reading I’m Not Surprised, Just Disgusted—How About You?
PEACE with Penny:Penny S.Tee w Itamar Harari Such a Deal! $5B Allocated by the WZO with Your Vote!
PEACE with Penny, SEASON 6, Calling all Jews, PLEASE VOTE ONLINE by May 4, 2025, to select World Zionist Congress Delegates Allocating $5 Billion Dollars in the Next 5 Years! We get to self-identify as Jews, and vote for delegates who will then allocate $5 Billion dollars supporting Israelis and Jews in the next five… Continue reading PEACE with Penny:Penny S.Tee w Itamar Harari Such a Deal! $5B Allocated by the WZO with Your Vote!
But for the Grace of…Would I Even Be Here?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bkXASbTG8M&t=3s Fill in the blank of what you are comfortable with. For you is it Allah? Hashem? God? Jesus? The Universe? Or maybe you even prefer to leave it blank. The fact that my family and I have experienced Grace is enough. As we commemorate Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day, I am truly grateful to exist.… Continue reading But for the Grace of…Would I Even Be Here?
Passover, the Holiday of Freedom—In What Part of Your Life Are You Still Bound?
Passover is the holiday celebrating freedom. Amen. In what part of your life are you still bound? We all have areas in our lives that could use thorough cleaning. Perhaps we didn’t have the best of childhoods. You may have worked hard to heal those wounds, yet occasionally they still raise their ugly heads. Are… Continue reading Passover, the Holiday of Freedom—In What Part of Your Life Are You Still Bound?
Celebrating Purim I Am Woman Hear Me Roar!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9yzuvgbT88https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rptW7zOPX2E Helen Ready’s 1971 women’s liberation anthem, “I Am Woman Hear Me Roar,” comes to mind when I think of Purim. Remember Esther? The Purim story honors Esther, the heroine of the story. Ultra-Orthodox Jewish kids dressed up in costumes in the neighborhood of Mea Shearim in Jerusalem, a few days before the Jewish holiday… Continue reading Celebrating Purim I Am Woman Hear Me Roar!
When Children Pay the Price, The Cost is Too High!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEDD5YDDV8k Note: The topic and some pictures are upsetting. Have tissues handy. May Their Memories Be a Blessing. The short video above includes a new song written by Melissa Ritter (cover editing by Penny S. Tee) to honor the Bibas family and all of the hostages. The Bibas childrenSweet Shayna Punims (In Yiddish: pretty faces)A 9-month-old,… Continue reading When Children Pay the Price, The Cost is Too High!