Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Dini Franklin
Election Interference By Design: Democrats’ “Even Year” Scheme Is a Power Grab
In New York, when Democrats fear they’re losing power, they don’t recalibrate their message, they rewrite the rules. Their latest ploy? A sweeping, partisan piece of legislation that will move most local elections from odd-numbered years to even-numbered ones. On its face, they claim it’s about boosting voter turnout. In reality, it’s about suppressing Republican victories, hijacking local elections, and rigging the system to preserve their own power.
Sanctity, Silence, And Suffering
I am departing Buenos Aires for the second time after spending a week consulting with the community regarding the ongoing crisis and trauma that came about as a result of the AMIA bombing in 1994, the single deadliest antisemitic attack in more than half a century. Buenos Aires is a large city where neighborhoods, including the Jewish areas, provide some quiet retreat from the traffic and noise of a large city with a European atmosphere.
A Plane With Strings Attached: When A Gift Is Not A Gimme
Heads turned this week at the news that President Trump is planning to accept a $400 million luxury plane, as a gift from the Qatari government, to serve as Air Force One.
The 5 Towns Jewish Times
These are the songs of days and years and decades gone by. Songs by iconic composers like Rabbis Shlomo Carlebach and Baruch Chait. Tunes that have stood the test of time and still sound so fresh and appealing that it appears they have transcended time and space and never seem to grow old. Back in the early ’60s, longtime Five Towns resident Yussi Sonnenblick lived with his family in Laurelton, Queens while attending the relatively new Yeshiva of South Shore.
The School Year Twilight
By Malkie Gordon Hirsch Magence We’re at that funny point in the year when the kids seem to have collectively misplaced the memo that school is still in session. Homework is half-hearted, shoes are dirtier, and summer is calling so loudly that even teachers seem to be listening. The bikes have been fixed—chains that were rusted over are replaced, and the seats that once had to be lowered for smaller legs have now been raised to match kids who seem to be growing like weeds overnight.
The 5 Towns Jewish Times
By Larry Gordon We cannot blame Donald Trump for not trying to put things in order here in the U.S. as well as internationally. It looks and sounds like he has a handle on an array of issues and who knows? Maybe he will be able to accomplish some of his highly ambitious plans. So far one thing is for certain: none of what he has set out to do will be easy to accomplish.
Torah And Tefilla: A Two-Step Dance
By Yochanan Gordon Rebbe Nachman of Breslov taught that a Jew must turn their Torah into tefillah—not simply learn, but cry, yearn, and speak to G-d through the very Torah they study. In that vision, Torah and tefillah aren’t two separate realms but the two steps of a single sacred dance. As we approach Lag B’Omer, this theme echoes most clearly in the person of Rebbe Shimon bar Yochai.
Musings Of A Shliach From Montana
It’s rare that I leave Bozeman for a Shabbos, perhaps 3-4 times each year, including this past Shabbos. On Friday morning, Menny and I flew to the Potato State of Idaho to participate in a regional Chabad Shluchimconference hosted by my beloved colleagues and friends, Rabbi Mendel and Esther Lifshitz in Boise. While the Kinus is for the “Western Region,” it’s not a geographical homerun.
Fine, But Not Fine
Fine, But Not Fine Sometimes I wish I could hook my brain up to a projector and show you what it’s like inside. Not because it’s inspirational, but because it’s insane. The mind is a wildly powerful thing in ways we don’t even realize and can barely process. It distracts, it protects, it rewrites, it hides, it stores, it edits. It does things for us without even asking. And many of us are walking around thinking we’re fine when really, we’re not. We’re in survival mode. We’ve just adapted to it.
The 5 Towns Jewish Times
Question My boss told me I should write to you. I want to be honest, so I’m telling you in case you notice that this email is coming from the secretary in the office where I work, who is writing exactly how I dictate to her. I’m a divorced Chassidishe man and can’t understand why I’m having such a hard time finding a shidduch. I was married to a Chassidishe girl when I was 24 and already considered an “alter bachur.” She was not for me, but I listened to my parents and we got married anyway.
Supporting Peninsula Library: If Not Now, When?
By Michele Justic As Managing Content Editor of the Five Towns Jewish Times, I balance my job with raising my children, which includes regular trips to the Peninsula Public Library. I have seen first-hand how Carolynn Matulewicz brings new energy and ideas since she assumed leadership. I have seen how the staff tries new ways to maximize the limited space of the 1950s-era facility. But it’s clear that the library needs creative new ways to accommodate the evolving needs of the Five Towns community.
The Meaning Of Greatness
Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt’l, the beloved rosh yeshiva of Mesivta Tifereth Jerusalem on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, was considered the posek ha-dor, theleading halachic authority of his generation. Revered for his unmatched genius and hasmada, constant engagement in talmud Torah, he authored Igros Moshe, a nine-volume series of responsa that includes thousands of his brilliant teshuvos, plus an index which fills an additional volume, entitled Yad Moshe.
Creation Appreciation
Ben Azai used to say: “Do not despise any person, and do not dismiss any thing, for there is no person who does not have their hour, and no thing that does not have its place” (Avot 4:3). We have seen how Hashem’s role as Creator gives Him ownership rights to the world. His creation should also enhance our appreciation of all of His creations. The world’s inhabitants and objects are not here coincidentally.
The 5 Towns Jewish Times
I have no problem acknowledging that some Jews, especially outside of Israel, feel uneasy about figures like Itamar Ben-Gvir. People can argue about his past actions, political style, or certain statements, and not want to vote for him in Israeli elections. Reasonable people can have real discussions about these things. But what’s so disappointing — and dangerous — is how many simply refuse to recognize the reality behind his popularity among so many Israelis today.
Turning Pain Into Light: Mantzichim’s Eternal Legacy Of Love
“On the day I begin my journey in the Next World, I will be ready for it. Be happy for me as I am in a different place.” These are the words written by Keshet Kasruti, z’l, in his notebook. Words that tell his story. Keshet was a beautiful young man with golden hair who grew up amid the desert landscapes of Kibbutz Samar. He was always connected to the spiritual world, and in the last two years of his life, he found his path to Judaism, a journey that led to his dream of building a Jewish family.
A Word On Podcasts
Who is your favorite podcaster? Do you have one and do you know what a podcast is? Have you seen those large containers on people’s lawns when they are either moving or doing construction? Those large, oversized boxes sometimes say the name of the company that rents them: PODS. That stands for Personal On Demand Storage. A podcast is a conjunction of two words that sound similar. That is POD and CAST, which is a reference to Personal on Demand Broadcast.
A Local Election
By Larry Gordon Over the years and regardless of where you reside in our readership areas, you have no doubt latched onto a few essays here and there about how things have evolved and changed here in the Five Towns. A fundamental dimension of this story came to the fore in the year 2000 when two residents decided it was time for someone in our community to run for the local School Board, Lawrence District 15. At the time, it seemed like an uphill battle.
The 5 Towns Jewish Times
I got to view the proceedings from a front row seat at the Cedarhurst courthouse. The presiding judge was the Honorable Andrew Goldsmith, who does an impressive job displaying immense and remarkable patience while dispensing what could be lifesaving advice to the young and not-so-young drivers who appear before him, not to mention assessing fair and equitable fines so they walk away with an understanding that there is no free ride, so to speak.
Not Just A Career—A Calling - The 5 Towns Jewish Times
By Yochanan Gordon The following is the text of a speech that I delivered at the Mesivta Ateres Yaakov Senior Talk this past Monday. It’s the story of how I ended up in my current role here at 5TJT, with a perspective that is relevant not only to seniors beginning to chart their careers, but to anyone searching for meaning in their daily routines. When Rabbi Rudansky asked me to deliver a senior talk, I hesitated.
The Lasting Scars of War: Stories of Resilience and Chesed Through the Eyes of Israel’s Volunteer Gabbai Tzedakah Network
Part I “Where were you on October 7?” has become a rallying cry in the Jewish world similar to “Where were you on September 11?” It has been over 18 months since the horrors of October 7th shattered the heart of the Jewish nation, but for many, the war is far from over. The terror, destruction, and displacement that began on that dark day have left deep physical, emotional, and economic wounds that continue to shape the lives of thousands of Israeli families.
All The Right Moves: Trump’s First 100 Days
President Trump sprinted to his 100th day of his second term on April 29. His accomplishments have been unprecedented and extraordinary. I had the privilege of hearing the president speak on May 1 at the White House Rose Garden on America’s National Day of Prayer. Most of the Cabinet was there. I was sitting behind Adi and Yael Alexander, parents of Edan Alexander, the last remaining living American citizen held hostage by Hamas.
Called Up Yet Again
This past week, tens of thousands in Israel received the message from the IDF that they are being called up, yet again, not for a few days, but for several weeks or months. Children will have to adjust again to being without parents. Spouses will have to manage households by themselves. Parents will again have sleepless nights. Employers will again struggle to manage without key personnel.
In The Merit Of Dov: A Legacy Of Quiet Giving
By Malkie Gordon Hirsch Magence There’s something quietly tragic how we often learn of a person’s greatness only after they have passed. I’ve witnessed this many times at shivah houses—stories surface that even close loved ones never heard. Friends, neighbors, and acquaintances share stories of how the departed helped them in quiet but profound ways. Sometimes, those closest to the person had no idea just how far their chesed extended. It seems unfair.
Musings Of A Shliach From Montana
Recently, I started reading Douglas Murray’s new book “On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization.” It’s heartbreaking to read the individual stories of October 7 and the failures of the Israeli government that led to this horrific incursion into Eretz Yisrael. I believe that history will look back and see Douglas as a heroic journalist, telling the untold stories and hard truths about Arab barbarism.
Protecting Our Communities And Coastlines: The Resistance To The Radical Green Energy Revolution
Across the United States, there is a growing resistance taking shape. It’s not against clean energy or environmental protections. It’s against the radical, reckless, and rushed green energy agenda that is being forced onto families and communities without their consent, without transparency, and without a shred of common sense.
Where Do I Go From Here? A Journey of Becoming
This week, I received a letter that stayed with me: I’m a mom in my mid-forties. I just married off my oldest, sent my next one to Israel, and have the remaining kids in high school. I have thrived in my career since my children were born, but now—with a quieter home and more time than I ever imagined—I feel completely unfulfilled. What once gave me purpose now feels hollow. I long to take off the “professional hat” and figure out what comes next…but I have no idea where to start.
The 5 Towns Jewish Times
Question We have married off all our children except for the youngest daughter. Baruch Hashem, all my married children have families, but there were issues with all of them that, had we known before, we would never have agreed to the shidduch. With our youngest daughter, we were lucky enough to find out something beforehand. She was redt a shidduch with a boy from a successful and wealthy family, but we found out something bad about his father.
Insecurity Guards
Visitors to California frequently stay in my “back house,” which is a local term for a garage, which in my case, has been renovated (legally and with city permits) into a dwelling. I have been able to host a range of people, both those here on rabbinical matters, and those who come for medical treatment. I recently hosted a person from another country. Generally, my guests go about their business and have little interaction with me by choice. They seek anonymity and I am comfortable with that.
Making Peninsula A People Place
By Michele Justic, Candidate for Library Trustee As a longtime volunteer program director for Chabad of the Five Towns’ “Smile on Seniors” program, I have seen the power of people firsthand. Nothing brings us greater pleasure than when a person walks in alone, and after a few sessions, walks out chatting with others, making future plans, engaging with new friends. Also heartwarming is when the seniors support each other during tough times, offering words of encouragement and advice when needed.
The Watchers And Guardians
In the part of Leviticus that scholars call “The Holiness Code,” the Torah not only forbids a Jew from exacting revenge (nekamah) on a fellow Jew who may have wronged him, but even forbids a Jew from holding a grudge (netirah, lo titor) against another Jew who may have mistreated him (Lev. 19:18).
Congressman Ritchie Torres To Deliver Commencement Address For Touro’s Lander Colleges
Longtime Supporter of Israel and Jewish Community to Receive Honorary Doctorate Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY) will serve as keynote speaker for the 51st commencement ceremony of Touro’s Lander Colleges, to be held on May 25 at Lincoln Center in New York City. Torres will also receive an honorary doctorate at the event. Congressman Torres, who now represents New York’s 15th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, previously served in the New York City Council.
Mutual Dedication
Rav Chaim of Volozhin was one of the important contributors to the development of Jewish thought and Torah study at the turn of the nineteenth century. One of the primary talmidim and progenitors of the Vilna Gaon, Rav Chaim transmitted the sacred mesorah to generations of students. He founded the great yeshiva of Volozhin, renowned as the Eim haYeshivos, “the Mother of All Yeshivos,” where engagement in the analytical methodology of the Gr’a awakened a revolution in Torah study.
Make Our Library A Literacy Leader
By Michele Justic, Candidate for Trustee, Peninsula Public Library Education and literacy are vitally important for an informed and responsible citizenry. Today’s children spend more time on TikTok and YouTube than reading the classics like Mark Twain or Beverly Cleary. I want to change that. Together we can get children back in the library with the right books, after-school activities, and inspiration to set them on a course for a lifetime of learning.
Life And The Alternative
“It happens every day,” said Albert Kahn of Brooklyn. For many years, Mr. Kahn has been an outspoken activist for young families, often with children, where the main breadwinner has suffered an illness or a tragic accident without proper insurance, leaving the brunt of the financial responsibility to the surviving family members, and more often than not—to the larger Jewish community.
I Hate This Day - The 5 Towns Jewish Times
This year, this day is infinitely worse than most years. This year, the club that no one wants to be a part of has expanded significantly. Yom Hazikaron, the day on which we remember all of our lost heroes. The soldiers, the victims of terror, and all the precious souls who gave their life for their nation and their country. That includes my big brother, Ari Fuld. Ari is a national hero of the state of Israel. Ari was murdered almost seven years ago.
Anatomy Of A Success
By Larry Gordon It’s now almost a full week since Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, was in New York with a strong presence here in the Five Towns. Those who had the opportunity to meet him personally were impressed on multiple levels. At various shuls and other venues where he spoke, the Minister was greeted by enthusiastic audiences and granted standing ovations.
The Day We Became Leaders
By Yochanan Gordon On April 11, 1991, which coincided with the 28th day of Nissan—or Koach Nissan—the Lubavitcher Rebbe unexpectedly began addressing the crowd that had convened for Ma’ariv at 770 Eastern Parkway. There was something very different about this sichah from the myriad others that the Rebbe had previously delivered. It wasn’t based on a verse; he didn’t cite a maamar of one of his predecessors.
Meeting With Ben-Gvir
There are few more polarizing people in the Jewish world today than Itamar Ben-Gvir. The firebrand national security minister of Israel attracts attention, protests, headlines, and controversy wherever he goes. This week, he came to America and brought all of that with him to Florida, New York, and Washington. Many find him abhorrent and categorically reject comments he has made, policies he has pursued, and positions he espouses.
From Pesach To Plane Fires: How I Accidentally Went Viral
By Malkie Gordon Hirsch Magence I’ve always had a knack for stretching a sentence. Give me, “We went away to Champion’s Gate for Pesach and had a blast,” and I’ll give you 1,000 words—weekly. Some might call it the gift of gab; for me, it’s just how I process life. Through words, lots of them, preferably with a dash of self-deprecating humor and a few real-life plot twists. Most people say I write like I talk—full of personality, with a little chaos and a lot of heart. Which makes sense.
Counting Every Day
By Sivan Rahav Meir The word Iyar is an acronym for “Ani Hashem Rofecha,” I am Hashem your Healer. Iyar is considered a month of healing for body and soul. Am Yisrael left slavery in Egypt during the month of Nissan, and in Iyarwent through a process of recovery and strengthening. May we merit to feel this healing even today. Iyar is illuminated by a few special days. On the 14th, we mark Pesach Sheni, which offered a second chance for those who missed the first Pesach.
Reb Shayalah of Kerestir
Reb Shayalah of Kerestir This past Thursday marked the yahrzeit of Reb Yeshayah ben Moshe Steiner of Kerestir. Though born in the village of Zborov in present-day Slovakia, he moved to the town of Kerestir in Hungary after the death of Rabbi Chaim of Sanz. To many, the story of this tzaddik’s rise to prominence remains a mystery—even inviting a degree of skepticism perhaps bordering on irreverence toward this eminent tzaddik, ba’al chesed, and yirei shamayim.
Communication and Community
We are counting towards Sinai, that time and place where we stood—in a description so familiar that it has become trite—k’ish echad b’lev echad, as one person with one heart. That count moves us through the Sefiraperiod, when we mourn the deaths of the students of Rabbi Akiva who failed to treat each other with respect.
Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem and IDF Widows and Orphans Organization Hold Memorial Day Event For English Speaking Community Of Israe
Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem and IDF Widows and Orphans Organization Hold Memorial Day Event For English Speaking Community Of Israel English-speaking Israelis and visitors from around the world gathered at the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem for its annual Memorial Day Event in partnership with the IDF Widows and Orphans Organization (IDFWO).
The WZO Vote: An Urgent Message From Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Chairman, Eretz Hakodesh
There has been much discussion and confusion concerning the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the role of Eretz Hakodesh role within it. To help clarify things, we’ve put together a few key points. Let’s begin with some facts about the WZO: The WZO played a major part in creating the State of Israel. It has evolved since then and continues to play a significant role in shaping Jewish life in Israel and around the world as the voice of the Jewish people, particularly American Jewry.
NY Family Makes Aliyah To Israel’s South In Time For Israel’s 77th Independence Day Celebration
Raziel and Aliza Siegman from Queens, New York, made aliyah just days before the nation celebrated its 77th Independence Day. Accompanied by their young daughter, Tzofiya, the Siegmans were welcomed by Israel’s Minister of Aliyah and Integration Ofir Sofer, Nefesh B’Nefesh Co-Founder and Executive Director Rabbi Yehoshua Fass, and Chairman of The Jewish Agency Maj. Gen. (Res.) Doron Almog, who presented them with their official immigration certificates.
The Invisible Mask
By Brad Berfas, Esq. We ask the question: What is narcissism, and does it only apply to men or can a woman be a narcissist as well? For those who may not know what narcissism is, it is a self-centered personality style, caused by a mental instability, characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one’s own needs, often at the expense of others. It is named after the mythological figure Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection.
An Inspiring Journey: A Blind Man’s Mission To Motivate
From Yerushalayim to North Jersey and South Florida In a world where limitations often define one’s path, a remarkable individual emerges as a beacon of hope, resilience, and inspiration. Hailing from Jerusalem’s Jewish Institute for the Blind, a blind man who expertly fixes bicycles and teaches guitar lessons for a living will soon embark on a journey to the United States.
Musings Of A Shliach From Montana
There are events that awaken our minds. There are moments that stir our hearts. And there are experiences that cut straight to our soul, to our essence, and music is one of them. It’s the pen of the heart but has the power to pierce all the facades, all the obstacles, and touch our souls. During the counting of the Omer, when we refrain from listening to music, my kids struggle. They are all musical and enjoy lots of Jewish music, and acapella music with no instruments just doesn’t do it for them.
A Letter From Captivity
The following is a letter written by those sitting and suffering underground for that last year and a half in dark tunnels and unable to speak for themselves: I am writing to you from a place where imprisonment is constant, and time has stopped moving. I sit in the darkness and feel even the small light that remained in my heart slowly fading away. At first, I thought you would come to rescue me. That you would search. That you would cry out for me.
The 5 Towns Jewish Times
In the world of supersmart criminals that somehow manage to get caught almost immediately, there is a category of people who are pretending to be something they’re not. This week, we’re going to look at some of these stories, because if nothing else, they might give us some ideas for last-minute Purim costumes. But not good ones. (NOTE: All of these stories are real news, as far as I can tell.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Dini
Contact Dini, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack