Welcome to the digital seminar on Judaism! Here you will find answers to life’s biggest and most meaningful questions.
Nice to meet you!
So you entered the site, noticed lots of beautiful images on the homepage, many intriguing questions, and now you might be asking yourself, “What’s actually going on here?”
Let’s start from the beginning and introduce ourselves. Nice to meet you, we are the “Hidabroot” organization. And what do we do? In one sentence: “We engage in Jewish outreach and education, and through that, we provide rich worlds of strengthening and engaging Jewish content.”
In more than one sentence, our mission is to open a gateway for many people to become acquainted with the world of Judaism. We have an internet site in six languages, full of original and interesting content; a television channel broadcast on channel 97 on YES and HOT; and many departments within the organization that engage in different activities: the “Ema” department for preventing abortions, the “Shvuyot” department for preventing assimilation, a marital harmony department, the “Nafshi Bish’alati” department for emotional counseling, a guidance and advisory department, the “Mitchabrot” department focusing on family purity and women’s guidance, challah separation and home circles, community contribution initiatives, and more.
But enough about us.
Why did we decide to build this site?
The Torah teaches us that all members of the Jewish people are spiritually connected and mutually responsible for one another. Because of this, a person is called to step out of their personal bubble and ask themselves, “What can I do for others? How can I benefit someone else?”
Our organization, which works for the benefit of others in many areas, places at the center of its mission the core of our lives and identity – discovering the purpose of our lives as Jews.
Many of us run through life on “autopilot,” following a preset template: studies, work, building a family, career development, and occasional vacations (and for those with a bit more free time, usually singles among us 🙂, perhaps also hobbies and personal interests).
But what about stopping for a moment and simply thinking: “Is there a higher purpose to my life here? After 120 years, do we all turn into dust, or is there something beyond? Do financial stability and having children sum up my life’s purpose? Is it possible that there is a higher mission for my life that I’m unaware of? Could it be that I’m missing the purpose of life?”
Our goal is to introduce you to the world of Judaism, to the most fundamental questions of life, and most importantly – to your true inner essence as Jews.
We are here to try to prevent each and every one of you from the painful scenario of waking up someday far in the future (when wrinkles of age respectfully adorn your face) with a sense of regret, question marks, and thoughts like “Did I really do my best?”
So what do we have here?
We present 70 questions that deal with the most central, intriguing, and essential topics of life. We didn’t choose the easy or comfortable questions. We chose to tackle the toughest challenges, the questions that trouble every truth-seeker, the topics that make headlines and fuel hostility and alienation toward Judaism – and to address them with respect, seriousness, and professionalism.
Here you can receive quality answers to questions that until now remained unresolved, dismantle together with us the barriers that stood between you and the world of Judaism, and in the process discover how much beauty and meaning Judaism truly contains.
And what will the answer to each question look like? In every question, you’ll receive a multi-layered answer that fits together like a puzzle:
Working on this project required significant resources and effort, and after intensive work we established a new and innovative spiritual startup: the first digital seminar of its kind in the world.
And why did we do all of this, you ask? Simply because the Jewish people are one big family. And for family – you give and you invest. In the end, that’s what love looks like.
When you love others, you want what’s good for them, and you do everything to make that happen. Care, responsibility, and love for the Jewish people are the driving forces behind this site and the Hidabroot organization.
So here it is – this site is presented to you with love,
Enjoy :)
The Site Team
Main writer: Dror Yahav
Writing and editing: Shuli Shmueli
Website development and design: Chaim Benisti – Artliner Studio
Spiritual supervision: Rabbi Yaron Ashkenazi
Content management: Dudu Cohen
Want to learn more about Judaism? Visit our homepage – the world’s largest Judaism website. What’s there? First, it includes all Hidabroot TV channel content in an advanced and convenient VOD hub. In addition, it features many diverse sections: daily news, Judaism, women, spirituality, Torah and science, family, culture, and children. Beyond content sections, there are interactive areas such as Ask the Rabbi, the Kids’ World, HidabroTube, and more. The site averages about 4 million visits per month.
The non-religious public, having not been educated in Torah institutions, did not receive basic foundations of Judaism during their years of study in the state school system. A large portion of the non-religious public defines itself as “non-believing,” but if we think about it, how can one reject something they have no knowledge of? It is like a person with no knowledge of astronomy declaring to NASA scientists that the technology they are developing is flawed – clearly an absurd claim. One can reject an idea only when they possess deep understanding of the subject. The same applies to faith in the Creator and the truth of the Torah – one cannot dismiss Judaism without broad and in-depth knowledge of the Torah in all its dimensions. It follows that the lack of belief among the general public stems from one thing alone – a lack of sufficient knowledge and deep familiarity with the world of Judaism.
Many people are curious about various fields, such as different life philosophies, science and technology, history and culture, and methods that deal with certain aspects of spirituality or personal growth. But when it comes to engaging with and studying Jewish content, many feel a sense of hesitation. The main reason is the fear that if a person truly studies and explores Judaism and the Torah, they might discover new truths that would require change – something they secretly prefer to avoid. The fear of being convinced of the truth of the Torah prevents people from wanting to listen to or learn Judaism. But why say more? If you have made it this far, it means you are among the brave.
There is a fundamental principle mentioned in many places in the writings of the Sages of Israel and derived from several verses in the Torah – “All of Israel are responsible for one another.” This principle teaches that all Jewish souls are interwoven. We are all connected as one whole, like different organs in a single body. As a result, each of us carries the responsibility to care for the success of others and to do everything we can for their well-being and good. Out of this mutual responsibility, the Hidabroot organization was founded, and among other things, this site was created – to care for the well-being of our brothers and sisters in the Jewish people.
Abraham our Patriarch could have focused solely on his own spiritual growth, but he chose not to. He chose to spread faith in God and teach the many the falsehood of their misguided beliefs. He preferred to sacrifice his time and energy so that others would recognize the existence of the Creator. This is because a person is not meant to be focused only on themselves and their personal development, but also to look outward and give of themselves to others.
Want to learn more about Judaism? Visit our homepage – the world’s largest Judaism website. What’s there? First, it includes all Hidabroot TV channel content in an advanced and convenient VOD hub. In addition, it features many diverse sections: daily news, Judaism, women, spirituality, Torah and science, family, culture, and children. Beyond content sections, there are interactive areas such as Ask the Rabbi, the Kids’ World, HidabroTube, and more. The site averages about 4 million visits per month.
Many people are curious about various fields, such as different life philosophies, science and technology, history and culture, and methods that deal with certain aspects of spirituality or personal growth. But when it comes to engaging with and studying Jewish content, many feel a sense of hesitation. The main reason is the fear that if a person truly studies and explores Judaism and the Torah, they might discover new truths that would require change – something they secretly prefer to avoid. The fear of being convinced of the truth of the Torah prevents people from wanting to listen to or learn Judaism. But why say more? If you have made it this far, it means you are among the brave.
Abraham our Patriarch could have focused solely on his own spiritual growth, but he chose not to. He chose to spread faith in God and teach the many the falsehood of their misguided beliefs. He preferred to sacrifice his time and energy so that others would recognize the existence of the Creator. This is because a person is not meant to be focused only on themselves and their personal development, but also to look outward and give of themselves to others.
The non-religious public, having not been educated in Torah institutions, did not receive basic foundations of Judaism during their years of study in the state school system. A large portion of the non-religious public defines itself as “non-believing,” but if we think about it, how can one reject something they have no knowledge of? It is like a person with no knowledge of astronomy declaring to NASA scientists that the technology they are developing is flawed – clearly an absurd claim. One can reject an idea only when they possess deep understanding of the subject. The same applies to faith in the Creator and the truth of the Torah – one cannot dismiss Judaism without broad and in-depth knowledge of the Torah in all its dimensions. It follows that the lack of belief among the general public stems from one thing alone – a lack of sufficient knowledge and deep familiarity with the world of Judaism.
There is a fundamental principle mentioned in many places in the writings of the Sages of Israel and derived from several verses in the Torah – “All of Israel are responsible for one another.” This principle teaches that all Jewish souls are interwoven. We are all connected as one whole, like different organs in a single body. As a result, each of us carries the responsibility to care for the success of others and to do everything we can for their well-being and good. Out of this mutual responsibility, the Hidabroot organization was founded, and among other things, this site was created – to care for the well-being of our brothers and sisters in the Jewish people.
Rabbi Aharon Moss расска
Rabbi Aharon Moss explains what happens when you miss the bus, and how it teaches us about the care the Jewish people have for each and every one of us, just like one big family
My children and I were waiting in the morning for the school bus, but the bus didn’t arrive. Apparently, the driver missed the turn and didn’t pass by our stop to pick them up. Usually, they are the last to get on the bus, but today it left for school without them.
All the other children on the bus realized what had happened and began shouting at the driver, “You missed the turn! What about the Moss family’s children? You need to turn around! Go back and pick them up!”
The driver, who felt somewhat helpless, called out to the shouting group of children, “I can’t turn around on this busy road. It will take us an hour to get to school. I have no choice.”
The children were not satisfied. “But the Moss family’s children!” they shouted. “You left them behind!”
One quick-thinking girl took out her phone and hurriedly called her mother. “Mom, the bus made a mistake and missed the Moss family’s children. Call their parents and tell them!” Her mother did call us, and that’s how I heard the story.
Later, my wife and I reflected on how special this small episode was. It showed what it means to belong to a community. People know who you are, and they care if you miss the bus. Within minutes of the driver missing the correct turn, we heard what had happened and were able to handle the situation. We felt very loved and surrounded by care.
The bus represents the Jewish people. The Jewish people are essentially one extended family riding together on the great bus of history, which has been traveling for three thousand years. And if one Jewish child might miss the bus, the entire nation begins to cry out. We cannot allow even a single Jewish soul from our family to be lost or disconnected from Jewish heritage.
There are many people who truly care about the future of the Jewish people, and every soul matters for that future. Every Jew is the next link in a chain that stretches across generations. We cannot stand by and allow anyone to miss the bus.
Since that event, the bus driver has been very careful to make the right turn—and never leave a child behind…
