We experience different levels of surprise and shock. Regardless of how intellectually internalized something is, once it takes place, it is a different story. The radical Islamist ideology that … more

I agree with Cornel West. I never thought I would find myself writing those words. West, a leading African-American author and intellectual, is a vicious critic of Israel. He supports the … more

The first of our two parshiot (Matot and Masei) contains a rather quizzical pasuk: “Eleazar the kohen said to the soldiers returning from battle, ‘This is the statute that the L-rd … more

The listing of the travels of the Israelites in the wilderness finishes, in Parshas Masei, with these verses: “They left Almon Divlathaymah and camped in the Avarim mountains in front of Nebo. … more

My husband Jerry was living the life as a senior in BTA’s super garbage class in 1973. Things could not have been going better, as he was naturally fun-filled and irresponsible. Then, a … more

How could anyone have thought this fellow was suited to be a gunner? His name was Shachar, which means the dawn, and the joke was that with him around it was always dawn, because he blotted out the … more

It’s been a long time since I saw a gesture this desperate. At the recent Arab Summit in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki … more

Some Democrats did their best to demonstrate where they stood in regards to the Israel/Palestinian conflict at their convention last week in Philadelphia (ironically known as “The City of … more

The untimely passing of Elie Wiesel, z”l, a month ago prompts this week’s sheloshim tribute that is based on several hespeds (eulogies) by those who knew him best. I will focus on the … more

Several high-quality books have recently been published dealing with tefillah, a Jew’s conversation with G-d. The first book, “From Within the Tent: The Shabbat Prayers” … more