Eric Leiderman

1 month ago | blogs.timesofisrael.com | Eric Leiderman

In October 2025, delegates from around the world will gather in Jerusalem for the 39th World Zionist Congress (WZC), the international parliament of the Jewish people. This body, initially convened by Theodor Herzl in 1897, is responsible for allocating over $1 billion annually to support Jewish education, religious institutions, and Zionist initiatives worldwide. It is the Jewish world’s most significant yet least understood representative body.

2 months ago | aish.com | Eric Leiderman

February 16, 2025 5 min readJudaism isn’t about winning or losing. There’s only showing up, growing, and doing better than you did yesterday. I love football. Not just the excitement of big plays or the adrenaline rush of a last-second touchdown—I love the rhythm of the game. The structure. The way every moment, from practice drills to the championship, matters.

2 months ago | blogs.timesofisrael.com | Eric Leiderman

Reports that President Trump signed an executive order targeting antisemitic foreign students for deportation should alarm every American Jew. On the surface, this may seem like a necessary measure to combat the unprecedented rise in antisemitic hate since October 7. After all, why should foreign nationals who violate the law and endorse terrorism be allowed to stay in the country?

Jan 20, 2025 | blogs.timesofisrael.com | Eric Leiderman

There is a deep truth at the heart of Judaism: we are only as strong as the communities we build. From Sinai to the shtetl, from the bustling streets of Jerusalem to the quiet corners of suburban New Jersey, Jewish life has thrived because of our ability to come together. And now, in 2025—a world shaken by the horrors of October 7 and the resurgence of antisemitism—it is time for every one of us to recommit to that truth. We must open our doors.

Sep 30, 2024 | blogs.timesofisrael.com | Eric Leiderman

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, the reflective tone of Rosh Hashanah invites us to examine not only our personal lives but also the state of our community, our people, and our future. For me, this process inevitably brings up the age-old question that has long defined Jewish identity in America: Are we Jewish Americans or American Jews? This tension between assimilation and Jewish distinctiveness has shaped the lives of many of us who came of age in the 1990s and 2000s.