Rabbi Mark N. Wildes

Rabbi Mark N. Wildes Rabbi Mark N. Wildes is the Founder of the Manhattan Jewish Experience (MJE). Founded in 1998

06/21/2026

When my children were young, there was never much confusion about what I was supposed to do each day.

They needed rides. They needed help with homework. They needed someone to listen. They needed their father.

Looking back, that’s one of the great gifts of raising children. They remind you every day that you matter.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads in the thick of it. One day you’ll miss being needed this much.



06/18/2026

We are all justifiably concerned about what’s happening with Trump, Iran, and Israel. 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 🇮🇱

Political leaders matter, and their decisions can have very real consequences.

But Parshat Korach reminds us that the people who shape us most are not presidents or politicians, but parents, teachers, and those who give us Torah values that last.

06/17/2026

Herzl wasn’t born a Zionist. 🇮🇱

He thought assimilation was the answer to antisemitism. Then he saw what happened during the Dreyfus Affair and realized he had been wrong.

Changing your mind isn’t weakness. Sometimes it’s the beginning of changing history.

From the latest episode of The Jewish Experience Podcast, “All About Israel.”

Available wherever you get your podcasts. 🎙️

06/16/2026

There’s a big difference between saying, “I don’t know,” and saying, “There is no God.” Agnosticism is intellectual humility. Atheism is a claim about reality, and like any claim, it has to account for the extraordinary complexity and order of the universe.

None of us can prove everything we believe, but we can ask a simple question: which explanation makes the most sense?

📖 You can buy my book “The Jewish Experience” where we dive deep into this topic and many others in order to give the authentic Jewish perspective on the fundamental aspects of Judaism. 🔗 Link in bio.

06/11/2026

The Jewish future depends on many things, but one of them is confidence. The spies saw themselves as grasshoppers before anyone else did, and that changed everything. In a time when Jews face so much hostility, we cannot afford to forget who we are. 💪 ✡️

06/10/2026

It’s easy to get discouraged by the headlines.

But Jewish history gives us perspective. We’ve faced darker moments than these, and yet today we have something generations could only dream of: a strong State of Israel, thriving Jewish communities, and young Jews returning to their heritage in remarkable numbers.

The answer to antisemitism is not despair. It’s Jewish pride, Jewish knowledge, Jewish strength, and a deeper commitment to who we are.

Thank you to Erin Molan for hosting such an important conversation, and to James Maslow, Bruce Pearl, and Sid Rosenberg for standing proudly with the Jewish people at MJE’s Annual Dinner.

06/09/2026

This week, as Israelis once again found themselves running to shelters, I couldn’t help but think about my two sons who live in Israel.

Like every parent, I worry. And yet when I speak to them and so many others, I hear the same thing: despite the challenges, despite the uncertainty, there’s nowhere else they’d rather be.

There’s something powerful about that.

Because Israel is home. 🇮🇱

06/07/2026

With the Knicks in the NBA Finals, everyone is watching the shooting, the defense, the coaching. But sometimes the small things build a team just as much as the big plays. 👊 🖐️

06/02/2026

Senator Tim Kaine argues that saying our rights come from G-D is dangerous because regimes like Iran also claim authority from a Creator.

But one of the most dangerous ideas in modern society is actually the belief that governments create rights. Because if governments create rights, governments can also take them away.

🇺🇸 America’s Founding Fathers believed our rights came from a higher source — that human dignity is inherent, not something handed out by politicians. Israel was also built on that same moral foundation. Iran may speak in the name of G-D, but the difference between free societies and tyrannical regimes is not belief in G-D itself. It’s whether that belief leads to humility, morality, and the sanctity of life… or to oppression, fanaticism, and fear.

And we pray for the day the Iranian people are finally freed from this brutal regime and able to live with the dignity, freedom, and peace they deserve. 🦁 ☀️

06/01/2026

After October 7th, the world expected Jews to retreat. To stay quiet. To hide.

Instead, I watched a generation stand taller.

At MJE, we believe the answer to antisemitism is not fear. It’s stronger Jewish identity. It’s knowledge. It’s community. It’s proud Jews who know exactly who they are and why being Jewish is worth defending.

That’s what this video is about.
And that’s what MJE is building every single day.

‏עם ישראל חי 🇮🇱

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