As a survivor of chronic, violent sexual abuse, I found Rabbi Friedman's statements ill informed, insensitive and deeply offensive, shunting the formidable struggles of survivors of such deeply damaging crimes. It is time for community members to demand answers and support survivors.

Today, the 19th day of the Hebrew month Kislev, is widely celebrated as the anniversary of the Alter Rebbe's release from prison by the Czar Paul I of Russia in 1798. Elanit Kayne, a contemporary artist, has evolved an iconography of the Tanya, the Alter Rebbe's famous book.

The question of how appropriate the work is, and whether it belongs on Chabad's official Facebook page, may literally be out of the artist's and Chabad's hands at this point.

Chabad-Lubavitch representatives to Gothenburg, Sweden have a right to educate their children in accordance with their religious faith. The unanimous decision of the appellate court followed the Namdars' complaints against city authorities fining them for homeschooling their children.

The Olympics' focus on physical prowess places brawl over brain, and body over spirit, in the hierarchy of importance. This paradigm needs to be shifted.

So there you have it. For years we've been hearing about "Jewish guilt," and guilt is not even a Jewish concept!

Why does all this matter? Because a battle is being waged for the soul of Judaism between a lunatic fringe and those who believe Judaism must always be informed, educated, open and loving.

While there are limitations in drawing conclusions from our celebrities' lifestyles, Matisyahu's choice does represent an important development in the underlying psycho-spiritual evolution of our time.

My holiday is the 28th of Sivan, because that's the day 70 years ago we were given a chance for spiritual survival down here on the bottom half of the plane.

The notion of an infinite chasm between you and G-d is simply not true. It is not a vertical relationship of G-d up there and you down here, but a horizontal one. Your own soul is G-dly.

What more is there to say about the Lubavitcher Rebbe 16 years after his passing that has not already been said? I was pondering that question as I walked the streets of my boyhood town of Miami Beach over Passover.